The first day back at school is stressful for most families, but it’s easier than you think to achieve a little inner peace. Jacqui Jones from Blissfulness shares two easy techniques to help you feel cool, calm and collected.
It is more than likely that you have heard the buzz word โmindfulnessโ and perhaps you know a little bit about this hot topic.However, for those of you that donโt know anything; mindfulness meditation is learning to bring our attention into the present moment. Generally, people tend to spend a great deal of time caught up in the mental chatter that happens in their heads. We can literally spend hours thinking about the past or getting worried about the future. Through practising mindfulness, we learn to pay more attention to exactly what is going on upstairs and try to slow things down. We will eventually create a sense of peace and inner calmness.
Research shows that if you meditate on a daily basis for a minimum of 20 minutes, you will start to reap some of these benefits.ย ย How does decreased stress & anxiety, increased focus and concentration and better emotional regulation sound?
Two simple meditations
Breathing
One of the fastest and easiest ways to meditate is to simply connect with your breath. Place your hands on your stomach or chest and really focus on both the in-breath and then the out-breath. Just bring your full awareness to your breathing.ย If you can do this, then you are meditating! If your mind starts to wander off (which it will!) simply bring it back to your breath. Use your breath to ground you and to connect you to the present moment. The reason we use the breath in mediation is because it is always with us. It travels with us wherever we go, so simply connect with it and allow a sense of calmness to wash over you.
Creative visualisation
This is a similar practice but during these sessions, we begin to use our imaginations to create our desired future. Creative visualisation can be a powerful tool and has been used by top athletes for many years! Starting today, you can choose to bring about a sense of calm into your life. Through the use of both meditation and creative visualisation you can take positive steps forward.ย ย Both of these tools are also extremely useful for children.ย ย If you have a child that is a little nervous about starting back at school, give them a helping hand by introducing meditation and creative visualisation. If they can picture themselves returning to school happy and confident now, then you are halfway there!
To sample what creative visualisation feels like, Blissfulness.com.au is offering North Shore Mums a free taster. Click here to learn more.
