Note to Self: Breathe

Sounds pretty simple, yet so frequently we forget to really breathe. Fortunately for us our body has the ability to do this for us, or I am sure many of us would be in trouble! So breathing is one of the simplest forms of meditation. It’s not uncommon the hear people say “I’m not good at meditation” Well how about starting with your breathing?

Meditation is a word used for multiple purposes to find a source of relaxation, lets dig deeper to find out what is REALLY is all about and how it can help you to calm the clutter in your mind, focus and gain clarity for you. 

By dictionary definition, meditation means to reflect, ponder, or contemplate. But these actions can look different from person to person, and as such, meditation is much more. 

Tracing the Roots from Age-Old Tradition. (a brief history)

Today’s modern iteration of mindfulness meditation is derived from a tradition first depicted in ancient Indian wall art dating back to 5,000 BC. When meditation got its start, Indian sage Patanjali referred to it as a transformative experience of fundamental unity, advaita, designed to help humans find the interconnectedness of all living things. 

The practice of meditation was then adapted as a staple in other cultures, eventually finding its way to Buddhist teachings. Buddhists emphasised the mindful and personal aspects of meditation, focusing on the practice’s ability to affect two major qualities of the mind: vipassana (“insight”), a clear awareness of exactly what is happening as it happens, and samatha (“mind calming”), a state of calm and tranquility that can be experienced throughout the body. 

Modern Buddhist practitioner Jack Kornfield is one of the key teachers who integrated these original teachings of vipassana and samatha, developing mindfulness meditation, which is practiced widely today. 

Now it’s time to bring your meditation practice to life. 

We could all use a bit more mindfulness, so if you’ve never tried meditation but have always wanted to, let this be your sign to finally say yes and try something new! You may be surprised by its impact on many aspects of your daily and weekly routine. 

Need help to create your meditation practice, general well-being or a particular health challenge, let's talk as the lack of attention to your breathing could just be the trigger to deeper health issues.

Sally x