Bedtime Meditation

by Alison Nancye

I honestly think one of the reasons so many people wake feeling sluggish and tired in the morning is because of the toxic thoughts they go to bed with the night before.

Negative Thoughts Make It Hard To Get A Good Night's Sleep

Lets face it, it's pretty hard to get away from the economic crisis and life's daily crisis' but going to bed thinking about it, isn't actually helping you deal with it any better. Infact, it just intensifies your thoughts. And if your thoughts weren't so positive to begin with, continually thinking about them as you drift off to sleep, will just make your zzz's a lot harder to enjoy.

Daydreaming Makes You Feel Good Day AND Night

It's simple science. Go to bed 'daydreaming' on things that make you feel good, and you will wake feeling more rested in the morning.

Simple Meditation For A Good Night's Sleep

1. Upon placing your head on the pillow each night, simply choose one thought that brings warmth to your heart. It could be remembering something great in your day, your year or lifetime, something you observed or read about that touched your heart, or something you would love to create in your life.
2. Just allow your thoughts and feelings to turn to this one enjoyable thought, and then slowly and deeply, breath in that image.
3. Keep breathing in and out, while turning your attention to your positive image and when you are ready, you will quite naturally relax and drift off to sleep.

Sweet Dreams this month everyone. :)

Meditate & The World Does Too

by Alison Nancye

We're only a month in to the year, and I have already witnessed the amazing benefits that daily meditation brings to my family, clients, friends and community.

The thing is, when you meditate, you radiate that energy to everyone around you. The positive vibes you get from meditating, whether it's to reduce stress, feel more energised, chill out, practice gratitude, or create your life dreams, are enormous. The impact you have on others when you meditate is immeasurable and incredible.

I did a test on this throughout January. On the rare days I didn't meditate, every single person in my household was more stressed and less tolerant. Yet every single time I walked out of my meditation space feeling more at peace and centred, the mood shift of the family was quite extraordinary. I even did simple two minute 'belly breaths', taking time out if my hubby and I were 'sweating over the small stuff'. Whenever I came out of my meditation space, my hubby looked and acted like he had been in that meditation room with me.

Infact, my two toddlers have now asked to join me each day when I meditate. I was blown away to watch them, sitting quietly with me in my gratitude meditation (my kids never stop talking usually!). Infact, I was even further blown away, when my three year old daughter led my two year old son, through a meditation she created on the spot.

So here it is... this is the first meditation ritual my beautiful daughter Bellina has cooked up and I am so proud to share it with you. Try it and see how it feels and turns out for you.

And please, do share it with the rest of your family and community, whether it is literally or simply sitting in your own silent meditation and sending the good vibes their way.

Big Wish Meditation

by Bellina Biffone(c) (3 years of age)

1. Close your eyes.

2. Take deep breaths in and out.

3. Look to the light (imagine a white light before your closed eyes). Just look at the light.

4. Now make a wish. Make a really big wish.

5. Can you see the stars? Imagine you can see the stars making your wish come true.

6. Put your hands like this (she motions us to put our hands in a prayer position).

7. Now say thankyou.

Remember readers, when you meditate the world meditates with you. When you feel chilled, you help others feel chilled, when you're happier, others are happier, when you're feeling hopeful, others are more hopeful. Try meditating at home, work, and anywhere you are in your day, you'll be amazed at the instant positive vibes that you send and get sent your way.

Relaxing Meditation

by Alison Nancye
One of my good friends is due to have her fourth baby (OHMIGOD!). I had been feeling the vibes of her waiting for the impending birth with some sleepless nights thrown in for good measure. So I cooked up this easy and simple meditation for her to do leading up to and during the birth. Why don't you try it too. You don't need to be pregnant, just a desire to relax and feel calm. Enjoy :)

1. Turn your attention to your breath. No need to change it, just let your belly and chest rise and fall in their own natural way (you'll notice your breath starts to relax more simply by giving it some attention).
2. When ready, close your eyes and continue to focus on the rise and fall of your breath.
3. Imagine yourself now on a gorgeous Island holiday anywhere in the world. Imagine you can see the beautiful water glistening before your (closed) eyes.
4. Now imagine you are on lying on a huge sunbed in the water, safely floating and relaxing. Imagine your finger tips gently touching and splashing in the water.
5. Imagine the gorgeous sun radiating and shining down on you, warming and nourishing you from the inside out.
6. Hold that image and feeling for as long as you like. As needed, breath in and out, or simply observe the rise and fall of your breath during the meditation.
7. Open eyes and repeat as needed.

Christmas Presence

by Lyndal Edwards

For the first time in years I can feel myself enjoying the joyful atmosphere in the lead-up to Christmas. What?#@! Yes, it's true...I'm usually caught up in the end of year madness: spending, planning, stressing. So, what's so different about this year? Apart from the fact I've been dreaming about my first real Christmas time-out in years, the fact is I've chosen to focus on just one day at a time, rather than being caught up in the race to the finish line.

It doesn't mean I haven't been shopping and planning. It's just that while I've been planning I've been totally present and while I've been shopping, I've totally present and focused on shopping for that gift. I've found myself really enjoying it, rather than just seeing it as one of the 100 items to tick on my to-do list.

CHRISTMAS PAST

Take a moment to think about your past Christmas holiday experiences. My memories are mostly a huge BLUR. Fun, yes, but a major marathon race to the Christmas day finish line, when I seem to fall into a tired, belly-filled heap and then recover on the lounge in front of the Boxing Day test.

They say 'time flies when you're having fun.' The truth is: 'time flies when you're racing to the finish line.'

CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE

So, I'm laying down a challenge for anyone who'd like to do it differently this year - to savour every day and every moment of the holidays. It'll take a bit of practice but now's the perfect time to start.

Imagine you have your own remote control and are able to slow and pause your busy mind, even just for a few seconds. You can pick and choose your favourite Christmas moments and use your 'remote control' to practice bringing presence into your life. (Trust me, once you've tried this a few times, you'll realise it's the best gift you can give yourself and your family).

A simple way to understand what you're trying to do with practicing presence is that it's the absolute opposite of multi-tasking. Instead of thinking or doing several things at once, you find a single task or focus. 

3 SIMPLE STEPS

Choose an activity you regularly do, (ie. making a tea or coffee, having a shower, driving). For the next week, each time you do this activity, take these three steps to stay fully focused and present:

1. MIND - Make a conscious choice to focus ONLY on this task.

2. BODY - Use your senses to focus your attention fully. Watch, listen, taste, feel, smell. (Engage as many senses as you can to 'absorb' what's happening).

3. SPIRIT - 'Swim in it!' Immerse yourself fully ONLY in the moment. Let any distracting thoughts just drift away from your mind.

Notice how your mind and body start to relax and let go of any tensions/ thoughts...

Practice this exercise as often as you can in the lead-up to Christmas. Each time you feel overwhelmed or stressed, choose one thing to focus on and in just 3 steps - FOCUS, SENSE, SWIM - you'll calm yourself in minutes.

Want to sample Lyndal's 5 minute Sanity Saver meditation track?

Click here to chill out NOW

Click here to buy Lyndal's Chill Pill CD

Meditate with Music

by Alison Nancye
One of the benefits of meditation is to enjoy a quiet, still and calm mind. Yet you don't always have to meditate in a quiet space sitting still to create calm thoughts. Infact if you have a lot of head talk going on, you're probably not't going to get a lot from your meditation rituals by spending your entire time trying not to focus on the self chatter you have going on.

Sooooo why not choose a piece of music, a song you love or a CD you find relaxing or enjoyable and 'meditate' to that.

Put your headphones on and sit down or walk in nature and just be. Or if you really want to get out of your head and into your body and heart, dance to your piece of music or favourite CD. I often do this with my kids in our kitchen and no matter how much tension we had before the music goes on, we always come out of our dancing zones smiling, chilled and happy.

When you watch dancers who are purely in the zone, they are in a kind of meditative trance, feeling the music, feeling at one with nature and relaxed and in their heart.

Adding music to your meditation rituals is a great way to release stress and let go of stuff that may be weighing you down. No matter how busy or full on your world is, giving yourself 5 - 10 minutes to listen (and even dance) to music each day will really feed your soul.

Enjoy ☺