often habitual responses with meditative
and mindful attention, the more we can find
quality of life in our days and the health
and happiness we would like.
A new relationship
with time
The quality of the time we have depends
on how much we’re really there. So often
we are off somewhere else, musing and
ruminating on the past or planning and
projecting into the future. To be still, in the
present and truly noticing it without the
need to change, judge or comment is a
skill that often gets buffeted away by the
noise and velocity of other distractions.
Being still, quiet and even slow are
qualities that are often less appreciated in
our culture; ‘less is more’ is often a novel
concept and there are tendencies to miss
the more subtle and rich moments when
we’re quickly rushing through to the next.
It can even seem uncomfortable to be
silent and still after noise and bustle, but
the more we become accustomed to quiet,
the less we feel the need to fill it – you know
that ‘uncomfortable silence’ you can have
sitting with someone in a car or at lunch?
Rather than feeling the need to fill the gap,
om mind
simply being with and feeling another
person’s presence can allow you to feel a
whole lot more connected to them.
When we truly turn up to the moment,
we can notice that time seems to fly. We
drop into meditative alpha brainwaves
(shown to reduce cortisol) whenever we
become truly absorbed in the moment- gardening for some, knitting, painting
or golf for others – but also allowing
ourselves to be ‘bored’ and with time itself.
Expanse over contraction
Stress has a contracting effect; we
physically and mentally recoil from the
shock, hardening and shutting down to
protect ourselves in the first instance. Over
the next few breaths, if we can stay in the
moment and recognise that the stress
isn’t actually life-threatening, we have the
choice to allow ourselves to expand, soften
and release the tension accumulated, even
shaking it off if need be.
It can help when either meditating or
in the face of events, words or situations
that make you feel ‘locked in’, to gather
courage with the inhalation and use it
to feel an expanding out through your
whole being with the exhalation. In thisway we can soften our outer shell and
feel awareness rather than self-defence
as we meet the world. Soon we can begin
to accept that it’s actually more self-
protective to stay pliable and intuitive than
hardened and reactive and can become
calmer in the face of stressors.Letting go
Noticing what we’re holding on to and
what’s ready to leave is a flow that we can
drop into through a mindfulness practice.
It’s very human to want to hold on to
thoughts and evaluations, as we can often
believe that these make up who we are.
Being open to change takes trust that our
brain chatter isn’t ‘us’ – try writing down
everything you think for 10 minutes and
you’ll soon see that there’s an awful lot
of noise! Letting go doesn’t mean losing
ourselves, but it does mean releasing
things that no longer serve us and being
open to more rewarding patterns.^In her new book The De-Stress Effect,
Charlotte Watts explores how we can instill
new mind and body habits that help us make
the most of each moment. Find out more at:
charlottewattshealth.coml Continually look at the
world around you. Noticing
the little details of trees,
buildings, situations, helps to
bring you out of the constant
noise of your head.l De-clutter your
environment (desk, bedroom,
cupboards) and therefore
your mind. Having lots
of stuff just serves to keep
us feeling locked in
and disengaged.l If work seems
overwhelming, step away
from tasks that are creating
stress and do something
mundane and simple that
‘needs doing’. Filing, tidying
or organising can switch
brain mode and have a
meditative quality.l Find a bit of space daily.
We can get into the trap
of waiting until holidays or
weekends to relax, but our
bodies and minds need to
restore continually and lifeis to be lived now. Try sitting
on a bench in the sun, lying
in the bath, or anything that
encourages you to stop and
gather in. Look for the space
between thoughts.l Talk less and listen more,
not just waiting for your turn
to speak.l Try not complaining
or gossiping as often as
possible; look at the intention
behind your words.l Mindful Eating: Spend
time sitting, eating and
chewing your food to feel
truly satisfied by what you
receive, give your digestion
a full chance to break down
and absorb your food and
to actually taste the flavours.
In this way, healthy choices
simply start to make sense
to your body and mind;
we learn to want the foods
that make us feel good,
because we become
aware of how positively our
bodies respond.How to find mindful peace amid all the noise