Here in the northern hemisphere, autumn is definitely starting to settle in. The days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing colour and a distinct change is taking place in nature’s colour palette. And you may be noticing these external shifts are being mirrored by some internal adjustments – physically, mentally, or emotionally? This seasonal […]
Modern life is so busy and fast-paced. For most of us, it feels nearly impossible to slow things down and create the sense of calm we may be craving. And the constant busyness can result in a build-up of clutter – mental as much as physical – in our lives and homes. To make matters […]
Amidst the complexities of life, the idea of home holds a deeper significance than mere bricks and mortar. It represents a sanctuary where our souls find solace, a haven away from life’s storms. In this blog post we will delve into the art of crafting your personal sanctuary right within the walls of your home […]
An altar is a sacred place. Sacred in the sense of displaying items that are meaningful and symbolic to us. Not necessarily sacred in a religious sense, although it can be if we so wish. And while most of us probably grew up associating altars with churches, temples, and more religiously-inclined locations, it is becoming […]
Meditation is a process of quieting the mind. But—for most people—the mind will not be perfectly still during meditation. In fact—for most people—the mind will be quite active throughout. There will be moments of stillness and those moments are of the utmost importance. During those moments healing takes place—on the physical, mental and emotional levels. […]
Although I’m a certified meditation teacher, I grew up a skeptic and I understand where the skeptics are coming from. I respect their wariness of various spiritual practices, especially if it falls into the “new age” category—I once was very wary too. And in fact, I still remain skeptical of certain modalities. I don’t blindly […]
The short and simple answer: yes, absolutely. There are some schools of meditation that are more austere than others, where meditators are encouraged to sit in absolute stillness for the duration, in order to facilitate the mind reaching deeper levels of stillness. And that is a wonderful ideal to aspire to. However, we often find ourselves unable […]
I am usually wary of “life-changing” claims. But when it comes to meditation, I can confidently assert that—given regular practice—five minutes a day can change things. It’s widely accepted now among Western medicine practitioners that meditation isn’t “woo-woo.” It has been shown, over and over, to improve our physical, mental and emotional well-being. But people who […]
We had a full moon at the start of this week, and the energy of the full moon can be supportive in consciously choosing to release what no longer serves us. Having said that, we don’t need to wait until the moon is full to do that either. On Sunday evening the full moon inspired […]
The simple answer to this question is: yes. Meditation can help you deal with your anxiety better, and it can gradually lead to reduced levels of anxiety. The slightly less simple answer is: it depends! There are no guarantees with this practice. Everyone has a different experience with meditation, because we all have different and unique life experiences—and […]
One of the top reasons why people give up on meditation is the belief that their minds are too busy—therefore, it is not working for them. Because meditation is (rightly) billed as a process of quieting our minds, there is a widespread misconception that it should result in still minds. And for most people, their actual experience […]
Meditation can be safely and beneficially adopted by most people. But sometimes, it might not be the best course for us. Mostly people experience an improvement in their mental, emotional and physical health. However, the practice is not suitable for people suffering with schizophrenia or who are going through a psychotic episode. New evidence is also coming […]
Image: Deniz Altindas/Unsplash There are so many schools of thought teaching different meditation techniques. And then, there are all the myths around how you should sit, how long you should sit for, and how still your mind should be. I know so many folks who’d like to meditate, but—for various reasons—can’t seem to get started. Getting bogged […]