Mindful Monday: Recent Episodes
WSP Australia
Mindful Monday’s are part of WSP Australia’s Mental Health Plan and is just one of the many wellbeing activities we offer.
Self-care is your active role in safeguarding your mental and physical wellness proactively by doing what is good for you. It helps to increase your emotional and physical stamina, improve your self-esteem and builds resilience. Daily self-care creates improvements in your life and has immediate and long-term benefits. It’s not easy or selfish to put yourself first when you have a long to do list but its necessary work. But when you commit to prioritise your own needs, consistently show up for yourself it lays the foundation of personal wellbeing and the ability to show up for others as your well is not empty. Self-care is different for everyone, there is not one size, it needs reviewing and revising frequently.
Today’s meditation is called “Self-care meditation” and is adapted from a meditation by Katie Krimitsos. The intention of this meditation is to give you a space to practice and understand your worthiness to care for yourself. To help you create boundaries, articulate what do you need right now to nourish yourself now and later. This can be done sitting or lying down.
This meditation accompanies our 22 November and Podcast No 33 on Working with Sadness. This meditation is called Exploring sadness with RAIN (RAIN is a Tara Brach meditation). RAIN is an acronym with 4 steps and this version focuses on sadness particularly when it’s a challenging situation or struggling with an intense emotion like sadness. Honoring it as part of the human experience, accepting and dealing with it can help. This can be done sitting or lying down.
Sadness grounds you. And yes, it’s painful and often seems long lasting. But it’s a natural part of being human and it visits all of us at some time. Learning to ride its waves, to welcome it in enables you to have a less painful relationship with it. Is it possible when sadness comes to acknowledge it is here and be open to what it look like right now rather an avoid it or distract it? Can you apply mindfulness to being present to those darker unpleasant or uncomfortable places that sadness brings? It might be the opportunity for deeper insights and being more compassionate with yourself.
Dr Kerry Howells’s book, Gratitude an Education:A Radical View says, “If we were to meet gratitude face to face, she would say ‘take action that serves others’, ‘give back’, ‘let go’ and ‘connect’. Acts of genuine gratitude that seek nothing in return can restore relationships and help us remember what we have received from others. Practicing gratitude can have far reaching effects, from improving your mental health to boosting relationships with others. Living gratitude helps you notice the small things, and these create well-being that strengthens your ability to notice the good. It helps you to step out of yourself and connect with others, open yourself up to joy, wonder and awe and to a sense of meaning greater than yourself. Building your capacity for gratitude isn’t difficult – it takes practice like exercising a muscle. You start by observing – how you are feeling when you express thanks, to noticing your kind words. You just have to start easy, with one interaction a day.
This meditation accompanies our 1 November and Podcast No 30 on Cultivating Gratitude. This meditation is called Cultivating Gratitude. For many of us we say thanks in some form every day – our family or close companions, to our friends, and colleagues. In this meditation, I would like to explore how we might just go a little deeper and add a spoonful of gratitude along the way. Given that science has proved that by practicing gratitude there is also a correlating impact on our relationships, humanity and our brain – it offers us a way to connect on multiple levels.
This meditation accompanies our 25 October Guide and Podcast No 29 on Braving Trust. This meditation invites you to float in the ocean, to bring some peace and open your heart as best you can to trust. This is best done in a quiet space either sitting or lying down.
In this podcast we turn the spotlight to Braving Trust. Trust is the natural result of tiny actions, words, thoughts and intentions. It does not happen instantly, rather it takes work and is fundamental to success of any kind. Genuine trust yields decreased stress, solid friendships and a legacy.
Trust means that you rely on someone else to do the right thing. You believe in the person's integrity and strength, to the extent that you're able to put yourself on the line, at some risk to yourself. It’s the backbone of healthy, happy relationships and it fosters closeness. It’s also important to trust in yourself, trust that your body will work as it should and that you can rely on it.
This meditation accompanies our Catching Joy edition of Mindful Monday 18 October No 28 Guide and the Podcast. Today’s meditation is called Catching joy and it gives you the opportunity to just settle the body and mind whilst bringing to mind any small experiences of pleasantness you experienced in recent days and acknowledge the joy that may have arisen.
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary “Joy is an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. It’s a simple and light-hearted spark that transcends through your body and leaves feeling good vibrations. It carries no burden or expectations”. Whereas happiness (also an emotion) is a state of well-being and contentment, a pleasurable or satisfying experience. What each of them means to you though resides with you. Do you know and experience the difference for yourself? Do you recognise happiness more than joy? You can find joy easily in everyday things such as the wagging tail of your dog, or the bud on a flower. Bringing awareness to some of the things you do regularly may heighten your sense of joy. Take a moment and consider what gives you joy. There is a side benefit to joy, in that it is proven to boosts our immune systems, fights stress and pain, and improves our chance of living a longer life? Being joyful could quite literally add years to life.
A boundary is a limit defining you in relationship to someone or to something. Boundaries can be physical such as a step away from someone and help you to create more space between you and others where you might feel perhaps safer. They can be emotional, and these help you to identify emotions, feelings, needs and requirements that acknowledge your difference to others. Without boundaries we lose ourselves. Setting and maintaining boundaries might not come naturally and you might feel guilty. But healthy boundaries contribute to your self-care, healthy relationships and greater control over your life.
This meditation accompanies our Guide and Podcast No 27 on Setting Boundaries. Today’s meditation is called Managing and respecting boundaries. Something different today, I am including a visual guided meditation to assist you find a way to understand and respect the boundaries of others, and to help define personal boundaries that other people will respect. This is a sitting practice.
Presently there is much talk about burnout – with COVID, uncertainty and juggling work/home/work it’s on the increase. But what exactly is burnout? It is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when one feels overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to meet constant demands. Research has identified some factors that play a major role. These factors are deeply linked to basic emotional needs like belonging, purpose, recognition, and autonomy. In fact, when those needs are not met you may experience stress. When stress is not managed for long periods of time then burnout can occur. It’s a fine line between excessive stress and burnout.
This meditation accompanies our 4 October Guide and Podcast No 26 on Understanding burnout. This meditation is called Understanding burnout. It provides you with the opportunity to zoom in and out to what is relevant in the present moment. It helps with developing closer awareness to what is occurring in this moment. This meditation can be done anytime and it a good sitting practice.
Spring is coming and for many it means the emergence from the cold days of winter into the warmth and freshness of a new season. As the weather changes, so does our perspective. Springtime, in particular, is a wonderful time to become more aware of the growth and life that surrounds us, the boost of fresh air and longer hours of daylight can inspire you. The opportunity to clear old habits that no longer serve you, to boost your natural energy and awaken your inner spark as you launch into spring. It’s also an opportunity to nourish your mindfulness practices.
This meditation accompanies our 30 August Guide and Podcast No 25 on Preparing for Spring. This meditation is called Connecting with Nature. This meditation offers an opportunity to notice areas of rest in the body to help you relax and renew or to focus on the movement of the breath as it’s our natural place of release. This meditation can be done anytime and it’s a good sitting practice.
You and I are connected through these words you hear. Whilst you may not agree with them, we’re connected by a shared intention of deepening our understanding in some way. Your mind and my mind are choosing to focus on the same words. Many people have contributed to these words. Through this vast and complex web of connections, we directly and indirectly impact each other, for better or for worse. When we see that our self-interest is intrinsically tied to others, we’re able to connect, reflect, speak our truth, be heard, consider different perspectives, and work together.
This meditation accompanies our 23 August Guide and Podcast No 24 on Maintaining Connections. This meditation is called Increasing connection. It will help you develop a deeper sense of connection - to the present moment, yourself, your family, friends, colleagues, and all living beings in the world. This meditation can be done anytime and it’s a good sitting practice.
We easily recognise our anxiety when it shows up as anxious thoughts or an attack triggered by something. But anxiety is less noticeable when it’s our constant companion, part of our regular thoughts and constant background noise. Then says Judson Brewer, it’s most likely it has become a habit. Anxiety hides in our habits. It hides in our bodies and we learn to disconnect from our feelings through a range of different behaviours. He says that mindfulness and curiosity can help us weed out unhelpful habits and create the space for well-being to flourish.
This meditation accompanies our 16 August Guide and Podcast No 23 on Working with Anxiety. This meditation is called Putting space between you and your anxiety and provides the opportunity to create some space around feelings of anxiety so that you can explore the experience directly, bringing curiosity to it calmly and without being carried away by it.
“Self-compassion involves treating yourself the way you would treat a friend who is having a hard time-even if your friend blew it or is feeling inadequate, or is just facing a tough life challenge,” says Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer. Yet, typically we do not treat ourselves as well as we treat our friends. Through self-compassion we become an inner ally instead of an inner enemy.
This meditation accompanies our 9 August No 22 Guide and Podcast on Self-Compassion. It provides the opportunity of finding a way to be with yourself as you are and for who you are and not who you think you should be. By being present in the moment in awareness of the breath, thoughts, feelings, you can be curious and compassionate to what is around you. This meditation can be done anytime and it is a sitting practice.
With the pandemic forcing us to spend much of our time indoors, we are at greater risk of living increasingly sedentary lifestyles. And even before the pandemic, many people spent too long sitting without a break. It’s well known that sitting all day is unhealthy and can have a host of long-term, detrimental effects on our bodies. Adopting a sedentary lifestyle has been linked to a slower metabolism, thinning in the regions of the brain responsible for storing memory, as well as an increased incidence of depression and anxiety. As studies show that both the duration of how much we sit at a time and the total amount of time we sit overall can be problematic to our health. By embedding movement into our day as a regular routine it’s a way to care for our body and mind.
This meditation accompanies our 2 August No 21 Guide and Podcast on Moving Well. Mindful movement shows you a way of coming into the here and now, by focusing in on the range of feelings and sensations in your body, through mindful movement. It allows you to explore with curiosity and without judgment all the sensations that arise moment-to-moment and may enable you to connect with any stress responses present in your body.
A Most of us know that we should be eating for optimal health. Sometimes this is hard to put into practice with busy lives, focusing on our changing relationship to food can be difficult and challenge us. After all, our eating habits evolve though a life time of experiences, they carry associations, emotions as we tend to respond on autopilot rather from a place of awareness and choice. Some of the mindful tips in this Podcast might assist you to bring awareness and attention to your eating habits.
This meditation accompanies our 26 July No 20 Guide and Podcast on Healthy Eating. It provides the opportunity to set an intention for the day around health and well-being (although it can be anything), and to consider 3 feelings that you could bring into your day as you embed your intention thorough out the day. Setting an intention strengthens the brain centers’ connections, assists your actions, words and responses to be compassionate, thoughtful and mindful. This meditation can be undertaken at home first thing in the morning or as soon as you arrive in the office.
Anger is a natural and sometimes unwanted or irrational emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. It has evolved as a way of protecting oneself from harm. It’s the trickiest element in our human, emotional inheritance. It’s an inner fuel that offers an addictive rush It can ruin any situation. If it stays locked up inside, it can make us sick. It also has awesome power. Anger is a strong and fascinating emotion - rich and complex. There’s a lot to learn about what’s going on beneath our outbursts.
This meditation accompanies our 19 July No 19 Guide and Podcast on Working with Anger. It’s called Simple Awareness, and it invites you to just be aware and rest in awareness. Awareness of breath, sound, thoughts, feelings and awareness of the awareness – not to explore, add to, accept or judge anything. This meditation can be done sitting or lying down.
This meditation accompanies our 12 July No 18 Guide and Podcast on Being Kind. The meditation nurtures the quality of kindness that already exists within, whilst being with whatever is present in the senses, thoughts or emotions without judgement. The intention of this practice is to cultivate loving kindness for yourself and others.
Amanda Gilbert the author of “Kindness Now” says “Kindness is what the human heart is made of. It gives us the wisdom, strength and perseverance to face our most vulnerable and difficult life moments. And it guides us in uncovering the bottomless depths of our love, our compassion and our most genuine dreams and intentions. Through kindness we realise healing is possible, feeling good is possible and meeting our full authentic selves is possible.” We all already have the innate kindness within us – kindness is like a muscle we just have to exercise it. Kindness itself has a ripple effect on others and it leads in turn to more kindness.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress is the brain and body’s response to change, challenge or demand. Any type of demand or challenge can be stressful. But not all stress is bad, for some it can be a motivator an indicator to perform. But consistent and long term stress can harm your health. Even though everyone feels stress from time to time, it’s important that you are aware of what and how you deal with minor and major stresses in your life.
This meditation accompanies our 5 July No 17 Guide and Podcast on Managing Stress. Today’s meditation is called Guided Meditation for Stress Relief. This meditation guides you through some deep breathing, to a beautiful place, to notice what is around, and to be open to a way forward.
This meditation accompanies our 28 June No 16 Guide and Podcast on Sleep Well. Today’s meditation is called Towards better sleep. This meditation assists you to become settled, become aware of the body sensations and to get less caught up in thoughts before sleep. Taking time to just be, not strive or judge and accept whatever is present, no need to force sleep.
As we continue to face ambiguity and constant changes, one thing we can all do to make a difference: is sleep well. Restful sleep can support us in every aspect of life. It helps us to stay calm and clear; it can lower our anxiety levels and increase our energy. It can also help us shift our attitude so we have a more positive mindset and helps us to recover so we can tackle anything.
Fear is primal and essential for survival. Our primitive brain was primed for identifying immediate danger and perceives dangers as real threats. Our brain scans constantly for danger focusing on threats over reward. Fear, then is part of everyday life. It’s often around and it has a greater impact over our lives that we may realise. Whilst there is no one answer to conquering fear, if you can find ways to welcome your fears, see them, sit with them and let them go, over and over again through a mindful approach you go some way to conquering them and making them easier to live with.
This meditation accompanies our 21st June No 15 Guide and Podcast on Working with fear. Today’s meditation is called “Being with fear” and it invites you to sit with a future event that you might fear. It’s normal for the mind to bring up future fears, you are not alone. Rather by turning towards the fear, sitting with the fear enables you to be kind and nurture yourself whenever it arises .
This meditation accompanies our 14 June No 14 Guide and Podcast on Navigating Overwhelm. Today’s meditation is called “Thoughts on Leaves” this meditation guides you through a forest, a safe space to watch the leaves falling from trees and paying attention to your thoughts. Taking time to notice the thought, label it, place it on the leaf and let it go.
Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey explain in their book “Immunity to Change” that we feel overwhelmed when the complexity of modern life surpasses our complexity of mind(i.e. our ability to handle that level of complexity). It has nothing to do with your capabilities.
When you are overwhelmed, mindfulness can help you to accept your thoughts and feelings of too much while helping you to let go of trying to change or fix things. This podcast provides tips to help you, your kids and leaders to manage overwhelm.
When you focus on your breath you are bringing yourself to the here and now which assists you be present in the moment This is your anchor - it helps to regulate your nervous system, your mind and to develop a different relationship with your sensations, feelings and thoughts. It gives you feedback on your current state of mind. By noticing the qualities of your breath… short, long, shallow or deep you can become familiar with how you are feeling or observe your emotions. Let, your breath stabilize you when times are difficult.
This meditation is called the Breathing my anchor and it accompanies our Breathing my anchor edition of Mindful Monday 7 June Edition No 13. This invites you to be present to whatever arises in each moment and to bring your awareness to your breath. Just noticing each new breath as it arises.
The fast flowing nature of our life today has resulted in our strong desire to build deep and meaningful relationships. The feeling of connecting with someone, being seen, cared about and loved by someone is a basic human need. Research suggests that positive relationships can help us succeed, grow, become better people, are good for our wellbeing and mental health. Across all different spheres of our lives, our relationships help us feel good, but they also help us be good. Like most things in life it takes time and effort to grow and deepen our relationships.. Not all of your relationships will be deep but those you want will require effort, focus and attention. Of course, do not forget to deepen the relationship with yourself.
This meditation is Mindful Movement practice called Sitting Movement. Mindful movement focuses on the range of feelings and sensations through slow movement enabling you to listen to what it needs and deepening your relationship to individual parts. It can be done anywhere, in its entirety or just one movement at a time.
This meditation is called the Conscious Decision Making, and it accompanies our Decision Making edition of Mindful Monday 19th April No 11. This meditation provides the opportunity to listen to the three information centres we have that connect with each other and provide guidance to us when making decisions. The challenge is to listen to the messages the three brain centres (mind, heart and gut) bring in words, feelings, sensations and intuition.
Each day we make decisions, many small and some big. Decisions help you choose the path that is your life and can have powerful impacts on days, months and even years ahead for yourself and others. Making mindful decisions is not about choosing an option, it’s about inquiry that requires openness, curiosity and patience coupled with the capacity to be compassionate with yourself. Being present and knowing how to listen to the messages of the heart and gut and not just accepting our rational mind will help you make good decisions on what the present moment holds.
Given that 75% of the time when we listen we are distracted is justification alone for cultivating your capacity for really listening. It assists you to connect with yourself, connect with others and it helps you to look through another’s eyes.
This meditation is called the Fostering inner listening, and it accompanies our Really Listening edition of Mindful Monday 12th of April edition No 10. This practice offers you the opportunity to really listen inwardly. To listen to your body, your heart and your inner voice. When you direct your attention to inner listening you cultivate your capacity for really listening and attuning into your own being. This meditation can be done sitting, standing or lying down.
This meditation is called the Body Scan, and it accompanies our Connecting with Sensations edition of Mindful Monday 29th March No 9. The body scan practice allows you to check in with your body and to notice any sensations or changing sensations. In this meditation, we are going to direct our awareness through different parts of the body, paying attention to the experience of this, noticing any sensations such as twitching, tightness, and relating differently them. This meditation is best done lying down.
Sensations are the language that our bodies speak. They constantly communicate our state of mind and body – telling us if we are angry, hungry, or tired. A sensation is a physical feeling in the body. Inner body sensation refers to the actual physical feeling that are created as the various systems of the body monitor and give feedback about inner states. Sensations are continually created in the body through movement such as fluids, breath and energy. They are intense and subtle body sensations called interoception. Paying attention to your body helps you to notice sensations and how they change.
This short “Kalm kids body scan” meditation, is a practice that you can do with kids any time during the day or at bedtime. It will help them to bring attention to their breath, then individual parts of the body in turn, to notice any sensations that may or not be there. It might also help them to settle after a busy day. This meditation is best done lying down.
Change, whether big or small, is an integral part of life. Have you heard the expression, “The only constant is change.” Just because change is so common, does not make it easy, especially when faced with an unexpected or unwelcomed change. Changes that take you by surprise can be particularly difficult to navigate and are usually accompanied by a flood of emotions. It’s human nature to resist change, and the default reaction to it can be fear, doubt, and other unhelpful emotions. Mindfulness helps you to navigate and manage change in a more positive and productive way. You can learn to react to uncertainty with acceptance and become more aware of what is taking place - your emotions and reactions included.
This meditation accompanies our 21st March No 8 Podcast on Managing a change. Today’s practice “Exploring a change”, it brings awareness and focuses to exploring a change that you might be experiencing now or have recently been through. Change is an inevitable part of the human experience be it at home or work, in fact, change is everywhere inside us and outside us. Yet so often we do not move through the change consciously, with awareness and focus. Meditation can also support you in managing change. This is a sitting meditation.
Happiness is a loaded concept, with expectations, hope, yearning, and confusion. What makes happiness seem so elusive has more to do with how you relate to the idea of it than with how you really feel, and it’s different for everyone. Happiness isn’t a fixed point, it’s always in flux so you can be happy one moment and that feeling is gone in the next. You can’t strive for happiness and it’s not something you can touch. Rather, it’s about noticing the ordinary moments in your life that give you joy, make you happy and help you recognise the happiness already within you.
This meditation accompanies our 15th March No 7 Podcast on Exploring Happiness. Today’s meditation is called “Connecting to the happiness within through gratitude” and practice is focused on putting your attention on all that you have to be thankful for, acknowledging it, and expressing gratitude for it. In turn, this will help you connect to the happiness that is part of your inherent nature, leading you to a sense of satisfaction and reconnection with your mind’s happy state.
The phrase “curiosity killed the cat” may be true, but in fact curiosity fuels high levels of creativity in us. This creativity enables us to lean into uncertainty with a positive attitude – relaxing and opening our minds to new ideas, skills and ways of solving problems. In mindfulness practices (either at home or in the workplace), the importance of being in the moment, the invitation to have a beginner’s mind and be non-judgmental encourages curiosity.
This meditation accompanies our 8 March No 6 Podcast on Being curious. Today’s meditation is called “Resting in Awareness” and practice is focused on bringing awareness to your breath, thoughts and sounds. Bringing curiosity to your mindful practice as you to begin to pay attention with a sense of wonder, to notice what is happening and accepting it in the present moment.
“Mindful awareness of our bodies is a portal to full aliveness, wisdom and love” says Tara Brach. Bodies already know how to sing, dance, morn and celebrate. They communicate that to us daily. But do you feel the aliveness in your body? What is between you and really being at home in your body right now? Listening to the moment to moment clues your body gives you about how you’re feeling (lightness, energy), excitement, heaviness, or dread helps you to navigate and manage your own wellbeing. Rather to just be in it, awakening to its aliveness.
This meditation accompanies our 1st March No 5 Podcast on Body Awareness. Today’s meditation is called “Compassionate Body Scan” and it focuses on your body by bringing awareness to some of the parts and acknowledging how they work. Arriving and inhabiting each part, building up your capacity for acknowledging, caring and appreciating your body assist us in being awake in our bodies.
This meditation accompanies our 22nd February No 4 Podcast on Intentions. Today’s meditation is called “Setting an intention” and offering the opportunity to explore and set an intention aligned to your life and a small intention that might serve you in a meeting, meditation or conversation.
Everything in our lives starts with an intention. The careers we choose, the places we live, the people we surround ourselves with. An intention is not the same as a goal. Dr. Wayne Dyer says, “Our intention creates our reality.” Ask yourself, “What matters most to you?” This could form a powerful intention, for which you can align your thoughts and attitude for the day, week or months ahead. Having a clear intention at your fingertips can help guide your actions as you move through the day.
We are social beings by nature. “How we bond and stay attached to others is at the core of our resilience, self-esteem and physical health” says Louis Cozolino (psychology professor & author). Connecting through friendships provides richness in life, makes us feel safe, encourages curiosity and good mental health. Bringing a mindful awareness approach to your friendships enables you to explore them; to feel joy and loss; to experience shared vulnerability with another in kindness and with curiosity.
This meditation accompanies our 15th February No 3 Guide and Podcast on Friendships. Today’s meditation is called “Attending to friendships and offering loving kindness” and offering the opportunity to reflect on friendships, explore ways to strength and nourish friendships and to send loving kindness to friends.
The Guide this week focuses on Breaking Patterns. This guide accompanies our 8th February meditation called “Understanding Patterns”.
This meditation accompanies our 8th February No 2 Guide and Podcast on Breaking Patterns. Today’s meditation is called “Understanding Patterns” and it guides you to identify and choose one pattern, to understand this pattern a little bit more and then to rest beneath the pattern in just being.
The Guide this week focuses on Self-Care. It is the first guide for 2021. The spotlight is on adding kindness and self-compassion to yourself.
This meditation accompanies our 1st February Guide and Podcast on Self-Care. Today’s meditation is called “Noticing your self-critical thoughts” and it enables you to notice your thoughts, to label them, be curious and non-judgemental adding a touch of kindness and self-compassion to yourself. This is a sitting meditation.
This meditation accompanies our Supporting Others No 9 Guide. Today’s meditation is called Recognising Ourselves in Community and it’s been adapted from a Rhonda Magee meditation. This meditation enables you to explore how you are embedded into your community. Exploring how you might recognise yourself as a member of a community and what that looks like for you. This is a sitting meditation.
The Guide this week focuses on Supporting Others and it’s No 9. The spotlight is on providing an opportunity to reflect on how you supported others and how you were supported by others.
Today’s meditation is called Working with Anxiety. It offers you the opportunity to work with the energies of anxiety and worry and to explore a more healthy and constructive response. This mediation can be done anywhere or anytime. It can be done lying down or sitting.
When we bring awareness to the energy of anxiety or worry, we allow ourselves to experience the feelings and make a choice as to act or not. Without awareness such feeling may automatically set habitual habits to be followed and with awareness you have a choice in how to act or stay with your feelings. Relief, can come from working with your thoughts, observing without accepting them and opening fully to body sensations and emotions. Experience the feelings and choose the next step.
This meditation accompany’ s Being Mindful Guide No 9. With the New Year approaching, you might like to do this meditation to identify your purpose or update your purpose. The meditation focuses your attention on your breath and then your thoughts. It guides you in exploring your purpose and what gives you joy. Identifying any feelings associated with purpose and where in your body sensations resonate. This meditation can be done sitting or lying down.
The focus of Being Mindful Podcast No 9 is aligning with your purpose. With the New Year coming, for many it’s time to revisit personal goals, purpose or vision. Having a clear vision and connecting with your purpose helps you to grow and thrive. Having a clear sense of purpose can both anchor and guide you in those times when things do not go as to plan. Times when the job, your health, relationships, COVID-19 or when life feels a bit unclear. Being in tune with your mind, heart and body helps to recognise those times when you need to find a way back to you.
The Guide this week focuses on Mastering Stress and it’s No 8. The spotlight is on finding ways to manage your distress whilst recognising that some stress is required.
Today’s meditation accompanies Mastering Stress Guide No 8 and is called Awareness of Breath and Thoughts. In this meditation we are going to focus on our breath and thoughts with an invitation to be open, curious and patient. Can you sit without reacting to your thoughts, through the discomfort to relate in a different way. This meditation can be done sitting or lying down. Let’s begin by taking a moment to settle your body into a comfortable position.
The information for this is: Supporting Others No 8 Guide focuses on self-compassion. Self-compassion is a positive attitude you can have towards yourself. Having self-compassion means you can relate to yourself in a forgiving, accepting and loving way when situations might not be great. Dr Kristen Neff, identifies three separate constructs to it: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Dr Neff has many free self-compassion resources available from www.self-compassion.org/category/exercise
Today’s meditation is called G.R.A.C.E. and it accompanies Supporting Others No 8 Guide. GRACE is an acronym which may assist you to support yourself, focus your attention and consider what would serve you well. Perhaps, it’s self-care, compassion or your capacity for increased kindness. This meditation can be done lying down or sitting.
Dealing with Anxiety No 8 Guide takes a look at how to stop getting lost in the dense forest of your life and to connect back into what matters most particularly in times of turmoil, anxiety or feelings of overwhelming.
This practice accompanies Mindful Monday Podcast on Dealing with Anxiety No 8. Using RAIN (an acronym for being mindful and being self compassion to oneself), it invites you to engage with your negative self-beliefs, to discover who you are beyond your thoughts and beliefs; and loosen the grip of beliefs that may cause you suffering. This mediation can be done anywhere or anytime. It can be done lying down or sitting.
Being Mindful No 8 Guide focuses on Mindful Eating. Bringing mindfulness to the food you choose and the experience of eating, helps you manage your own hunger and satisfaction. Included in today’s podcast are many tips and practices that will assist you in developing healthy habits towards eating mindfully. Remember that everything that nourishes the body and the brain comes from the food you eat and drink.
This practice accompanies Mindful Monday Podcast on Being Mindful No 8. It might provide the opportunity to expand your attention to explore body sensations, sounds, thoughts, and when you are ready to open to these - to the full range of events within and without as they move and change, appear and disappear in awareness. Awareness assists you in connecting with your body’s hunger signals and the senses responses to food.
The evidence is mounting that strongly suggests that mindfulness gently builds an inner strength, so that future stressors have less impact on our happiness and physical well-being. How… it helps manage stress by switching on your being mode which is associated with relaxation. When you become aware of your thoughts and step back your stress responses are not initiated and you have the opportunity to use your “wise mind”. Your amygdala is central to switching on your stress response, your amygdala’s activity is reduced through mindfulness.
This practice accompanies Mindful Monday Podcast on Mastering Stress No 7. Mindful movement shows you a way of coming into the here and now, by focusing in on the range of feelings and sensations in your body, through mindful movement. It allows you to explore with curiosity and without judgement all the sensations that arise moment-to-moment and may enable you to connect with any stress responses present in your body. Remember throughout to coordinate breath and movement and to let this practice be a time of mindful care for you. It’s important that you only move in a way that works for your body.
This meditation helps us to establish contact with the body, is effective for developing both concentration and flexibility of attention. It’s like taking an internal shower; it helps to remove some of the inner blockages to the body, and helps both the mind and body feel more at ease. Meeting each body part with loving-kindness is a way to reconnect, and make friends, with your body. This meditation can be done lying down or sitting, but is best lying down.
Anthony De Mello says, “When you serve people, you help, support, comfort, and alleviate pain. When you see them in their inner beauty and goodness, you transform and create”. Being present, conscious and intentional in your thoughts and actions with others is important. It’s also important that you are kind, caring and compassionate to yourself.
We all experience emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement, anger and anxiety. These are an inevitable part of life. They do serve a purpose – although this might not be too clear. It’s only natural that you might fear that something will happen to you. But letting emotions take over and helping the mind find the worst-case scenarios it can imagine – is not a healthy option for your mental health and wellbeing. Rather, can you take the opportunity to build and strengthen your mindful skills – take a deep breath, recognise what is happening, investigate it and move forward?
The intention is to help you identify your feelings to give some space around them. When you name or label difficult emotions or feelings, the brain becomes less active and less likely to trigger a stress reaction in the body. Rather than reacting, by pausing and giving space, helps you respond differently. This mediation can be done anywhere or anytime. It can be done lying down or sitting.
Today’s Mindful Monday Podcast’s focus is on Being Mindful and its Guide No 7. The spotlight on today’s podcast and accompanying meditation is Nature. Research indicates that nature is really good for us, so today we offer some interesting ways to experience nature in your daily life.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W).
Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Monday is a series of meditation sessions from M@W.
With an empowering, future-focused culture, WSP challenges the status quo and anticipates trends to deliver innovative outcomes for clients.
Professionalism is inherent in our service to clients and our work often requires problem-solving in complex environments while maintaining a high-performing culture.
In 2019, our Learning & Development (L&D) team proactively sought internal consultation with employees to gain insight into their challenge to find balance across professional delivery, wellbeing and growth. Out of those consultations grew Mindfulness @ Work (M@W). Mindful Mondayis a series of meditation sessions from M@W.