Present Mind Blog

I recently went on a seven day retreat in the south of England. Going on retreat is one of my favourite things to do. In fact, most registered Mindfulness teachers are required to attend at least one week-long retreat per year in order to deepen their own practice and...

As we approach slowly coming out of lockdown there will undoubtedly be a mixture of feelings to experience. Excitement and joy for many being able to see family and friends. Apprehension and even fear for many of us too. Fear of change, worry about infection rates and...

We are living through a time in human history where familiar routines and rhythms have been disrupted. A dizzying flow of news from around the globe, and extended periods of waiting for change, have left many of us feeling unsettled and disorientated. The danger is...

I’ve noticed recently that a strong sense of impatience regularly arrives in my body - a tightness in my tummy, clenching in my throat, jaw and face, with stifled restricted breath accompanied by thoughts about wishing time would pass by quickly so that we can all...

Everyone feels stressed or anxious at various times. For many this can impact sleep, have unpleasant physical symptoms like digestive issues, skin complaints etc and it can impact on our relationships with others. Not forgetting our relationship with ourselves too,...

*Meditation is the bit of Mindfulness that is sometimes called the ‘sitting practice’ bit. It can of course be done lying down, or even standing up… “I meditate sometimes, but I don’t have the discipline to do it every day.” “I meditated for a while, but I always seem...

I recall at the beginning of the pandemic and first period of lockdown in March, being thrown into a tailspin as I tried to make sense of how an invisible and silent virus could sweep through the world causing so much suffering.  Closer to home, the sudden loss...

Some years ago now, when my children were in pre-school and primary school, I co-ran an after-school club for young children called “Art in French”. The idea was that the children would learn French through arts and craft activities as at the time there was no...

There have been lots of reports of heightened anxiety now that the lockdown restrictions are being lifted. Whilst the Coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly been the cause of anxiety, worry and stress, there are a number of people who may be struggling with the easing...

Feeling Anxious due to the Coronavirus? Here are some tips and techniques to help. Many of us, including myself are feeling at the very least unsettled by the changes in our lives due to the Coronavirus.  The first thing that I say to myself when I notice this...

As the nights draw in, we may well find ourselves entertaining those not so helpful thoughts about longing for the long summer days to return and fighting against the natural inevitability of the changing seasons, with the arrival of autumn. Perhaps it’s too dark, too...

Hi Everyone, I love this quote by Tara Brach. "If I move half as fast, I notice twice as much" Tara Brach Many people feel frustrated that their good intentions of pausing and practising formal mindfulness just doesn't seem to happen because life tends to get in the...

Hi Everyone, The weather is so unpredictable isn't it and it keeps on changing? One day it's glorious sunshine; the next it's so much cooler and it rains!! We cannot control the weather and maybe, instead of getting upset by engaging in thoughts of complaints about...

Hi Everyone, Thoughts naturally arrive in the mind, just like our body naturally breathes. So, thoughts are just a natural state of being human and are not a problem. Our relationship with our thoughts however can become a problem, when we start thinking and...

It feels like the end of holiday season now that autumn is approaching. In my courses I often talk about how, as humans, we often are on countdown to our holiday, wishing it here as fast as it can be. We often rush around beforehand to get everything done. Do you tend...

Hi Everyone, In my experience, acceptance is one of the most helpful attitudes to bring to mindfulness practice. We all experience physical and emotional pain in our lives - it's just part of being human - but so often we fight against or try to ignore the pain and...

I find there’s something comforting about knowing that everything that arises passes away. We learn this from nature. When a flower blossoms, it will eventually wilt and die. When a storm rages, it will eventually pass and calm will be restored. One of the amazing...

Have you noticed that even when you're on holiday, or spending a lovely summers evening with friends and family; that you can still find yourself feeling emotions that you find difficult, such as sadness, boredom, anxiety, disappointment... As human beings, we all...

Hi Everyone, I love this simple quote. See if you can remember as often as you can, to acknowledge unhelpful thoughts and leave them alone. Wake up to the present moment even if its just for a short while: Feel the breath Listen to sounds Taste food Feel the body...

This has been one of the most useful pieces of advice I’ve ever been given! In a book I read this was offered as a helpful tip to manage physical and emotional pain. The chapter was all about pacing and how, as humans, we tend to go through boom and bust cycles...

Hi Everyone, Practising spending more time aware of your present moment reduces the time spent obsessing about the future which creates anxiety. It also reduces time spent replaying broken scenarios from the past which causes anger or sadness. See if you can create a...

Hi Everyone, I love the quote below. It's so easy to believe that emotions will remain forever, especially when we are experiencing difficult emotions. Remember that all emotions are temporary and just like the weather, they will keep on changing. With mindfulness...

HI Everyone, Life can be so busy that we can find it really hard to sit on our own in a quiet room for ten minutes (or more) each day to practice formal Mindfulness. This can then become a source of stress or regret and it doesn't have to be this way. There are also...

It's often said that the hardest part about practising Mindfulness is remembering to do so. We are so habitually caught up in our busy, thinking, doing world that we forget to bring our awareness into the present moment. We can feel exhausted before our day has even...

Have you ever found that after a busy day, you get into bed, feeling exhausted from living in this fast paced, high tech, crazy world, ready to sleep and then.... you're wide awake with a head full of thoughts about the past or the future, spinning around like a fast...

Feeling Disheartened about your Mindfulness Practice?  Here are 6 Mindfulness Myth Busters that will help you to Practice Many people say that being mindful is the easiest thing in the world - it's so simple that even children and dogs are doing it all the time! Yet...