Ways to Wellbeing

'Realise deeply that the present moment is all we ever have.' Eckhart Tolle.

Most of us spend our time focused on the past or the future and miss the beauty that surrounds us. I start my days with a meditation and a forest walk. Both give me a chance to disentangle myself from my thoughts and encourage me to stop and recognise how wonderful life truly is. The beauty of a flower, the sound of a bird, the touch of our pet or loved one, the taste of our first meal of the day... all these things are much more enjoyable when we slow down to really experience them. 

My go to setting when I was in pain was to close myself off and avoid others as much as possible. Now I recognise the value of going to groups, classes or events and I choose the ones that really resonate with me. If you're experiencing mental, physical and/or emotional pain , connecting with people who will listen and offer support is invaluable. If you feel your loved ones don't understand, reach out to support groups or agencies who specialise in whatever it is you're experiencing.  

As a species we have become unnaturally sedentary, hunched over our laptops and sat at our desks all day. Movement creates a release of all those feel-good hormones from our brains. Any kind of pain, be it chronic or temporary, can leave you feeling safer curled up on your couch with a warm cuppa. Movement is essential for our energy and emotions to flow through our bodies. Finding the strength and motivation to do a short walk, dance around your living room, or even just some gentle stretching, can make a huge difference to your mental and physical wellbeing.

EFT is a powerful holistic healing technique which helped me to heal from years of pain. It's based on the principle that our emotions can get in the way of our balanced energy, causing blockages which cause physical and emotional pain.  The EFT Tapping technique involves focusing on a negative emotion or problem and using your fingertips to tap 5-7 times on 9 specific meridian points of the body. 

Tapping can help to regulate the nervous system, overcome fears and phobias, and reduces stress and anxiety. It helped me overcome the chronic pain in my arms... allowed me to clear out bucket loads of anxiety, guilt, fear, sadness and hopelessness... and even helped me to summon the courage to go gliding!

I have a list of things that really make me smile... things I know will help clear away any dark clouds. I have separated them into things that help to calm my nervous system down when I'm anxious, and things that really lift my vibration when I feel low. My calming list includes: writing, reading, stretching, forest walks, yin yoga, baking, yoga nidra, meditation,  gong baths and taking a hot bath.

My raise the vibration list includes: kundalini yoga, dancing, painting, laughter therapy, running, high intensity interval training and time with loved ones. 

Both lists of course include time with Bodhi!

When we're in constant pain we can feel so down on ourselves that we forget who we truly are. We listen to all the negative thoughts in our heads and believe them. Take a deep breath and try to step back from all of the chaos. Try to achieve  something small. For me it was getting off the sofa and trying a short walk... then longer walks... then fundraising walks and eventually running. Sometimes even getting out of bed is an achievement. Try to focus on what you CAN do, rather than what you can't.