Vibe-Raising Activity!

·      Go to a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, and switch off all media, phones, etc. Outdoors is ideal if you have a quiet-ish environment, or otherwise open a window –assuming there isn’t a motorway or noisy construction work going on outside!

·      Sit comfortably with your back straight if you can, and your feet flat on the floor.  Close your eyes and take a deep but comfortable breath in, and then let it go. Consciously take control of your breathing throughout this exercise, breathing in deeply and comfortably, then letting it go at a pace that feels good to you. Feel your system becoming more oxygenated, and notice that you are already beginning to feel calmer and better (your vibe is already rising!)

·      Get a sense of your physical body… your feet on the ground… your bum in the chair… notice if there is any tension anywhere in your body (especially check your butt, stomach, neck, shoulders and face), and allow those muscles to let go and relax

·      Feel the play and temperature of the air on your skin. Notice any scents round you. Bask in the awareness of your senses, and feel your vibe rising even more. Notice the corners of your mouth feeling relaxed and wanting to turn ever so gently upwards

·      Now think of the good people in your life, and all the wonderful qualities that they have. Silently (or out loud, if preferred) say thank you for each one: “Thank you for Max and all his love, support and hugs… Thank you for Joe and his amazing way of seeing the world and how people think… Thank you for Edd, for his strength, his warmth and his love… Thank you for Nacho, and his soft fur and peaceful purring… Thank you for Emma and Jackie and Aarti and Iva and Sarajane for their friendship, laughter and support”… and so on. Feel the love you have for these people/pets, and feel the love that comes back to you

·      Now think of yourself, and all the things you are grateful for about yourself, and that are wonderful about you. Name them and say thank you for each one: “Thank you for a strong and healthy body which responds so readily to what I put in it… Thank you for the self-healing mechanism that allows my body to heal, repair and rejuvenate when I provide the right conditions for it to do so… Thank you for the strong legs that carry me wherever I want to go… Thank you for the magic within me that has grown, fed and nurtured my beautiful children… Thank you for this face, these eyes and teeth and hair that I sometimes find fault with, but which I accept and love and am grateful I still have!… Thank you for my sensitivity and my strength..., my kindness and my goodness and the bottomless well of love that I have for everyone and everything”… and so on

·      Now think about every good thing in your life, and the benefits they bring. Again, name them and say thank for each one: “Thank you for this beautiful planet that we live on that sustains us in every way possible… Thank you for my lovely home and the safe and peaceful neighbourhood I live in… Thank you for my warm and comfortable bed, and the hours of deep and restful sleep it offers… Thank you for the rain that keeps things green and growing… Thank you for the sun that warms my bones and brightens up my days… Thank you for the water that’s there whenever I turn the tap on… Thank you for my car, which takes me everywhere I want to go so safely and reliably… Thank you for the food that’s so freely available at the supermarket… Thank you to all the workers that clean the water, grow the food, drive the trucks, stock the shelves”… and so on. Feel the gratitude you have for everything in your life that enables you to do what you do. Get a sense of how fortunate you are, and how easy life is for you in so many ways

·      Get a sense that you are connected to everyone and everything in the universe (maybe even to something bigger than humanity – to ‘God’, or a higher power that holds everything in perfect order (despite appearances to the contrary). See that, despite our differences, we are all made of the same stuff… all having similar experiences that we learn and grow from… all having our struggles, our successes, our highs and our lows. Realise that this is not a competition. We are here to help and support one another. We thrive collectively, not independently. Picture a future for humankind where pretty much all people live with this awareness, and recognise the power of your mind to help create this new reality

·      Set an intention to notice all the little things you have to be happy and grateful for at any moment during the day – for electricity when boiling the kettle… for the peaceful cows that provide the milk… and so on. Don’t reserve your gratitude for exercises like this, and when something goes wrong (annoying though it can be) appreciate the reminder that there’s something there that we generally take for granted, and be thankful for that too :)

:)