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 […]
Photo by Cristian Escobar on Unsplash I relish the energy of renewal that lingers in the air this time of year and the sense of opportunity between one year ending and another beginning. I typically embrace the new year with optimism and usually have in mind some things I would like to improve in my […]
When we’re stressed and anxious our breathing tends to become shallow. We may even unconsciously hold our breath. A simple way to restore a sense of calm in our bodies and minds is to deliberately and consciously breathe fully and deeply. With thousands of students in Ireland beginning their state exams tomorrow morning, I did […]
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 […]
In Ireland, we have a saying: “It’ll be grand.” It’s used to deflect questions or concerns around the readiness or perfection of a situation. We say it to get people off our backs. And we say it to convince ourselves it’s ok to proceed despite a lack of preparation. Sometimes things will be grand anyway. Other […]
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 […]
Love is available to all of us, whether or not we happen to be in a romantic relationship right now. Yet, thanks to the commercialism surrounding Valentine’s Day, many people feel unloved on the one day of the year set aside to celebrate love. Feelings of loneliness, grief, and regret can be amplified. Memories of good times […]
According to studies, while 75 percent of people hold to their resolutions past one week, that number drops to 64 percent past one month—and only 46 percent are still making progress with them half-way into the year. It’s a familiar problem, but why is it that we can’t maintain our commitment to ourselves? The obvious answer […]
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 […]
