Hi there, I hope you are doing well today.  If you are anything like me, life can be pretty hectic sometimes.  It's all go go go.  I'm taking some time out this morning to enjoy the sunshine streaming in through the window as I sit here with my cup of early morning tea.

I have a morning routine that includes meditation and exercise and I am usually up early so that I can set myself up for the day.  I love it when the house is quiet and I can tune into the still peaceful energy that comes before the activities of the day.  This is part of my self care routine.

Self care is not about being selfish, it is about giving ourselves a little time and attention too.  Everyone who has ever flown on an airplane knows that if the oxygen mask drops down, you have to put yours on first, before you can help anyone else.  This is such a good analogy for looking after ourselves.

Some of the people who come to see me say they suffer from stress, they feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life and find it hard to switch off.  When they are supposed to be relaxing they are thinking of work or trying to solve some problem or other.  One of the skills I teach them is a mini-meditation, a brief relaxation exercise that has the power to reduce stress and bring balance and harmony to the mind and body, when practiced regularly.  I encourage them to do it at least twice a day for at least a couple of weeks to see the difference it makes.

As well as things like going for a walk, sitting in the sunlight, having a lovely bath or a nice cup of tea, anything  that you enjoy doing, a brief meditation can give you the boost you need and restore a sense of calmness. The steps are simple and once you have done it a few times you can use it in many different scenarios.

I recently did a podcast with Dr. Sammy, a medical doctor in the U.K.  (see my last blog post for more details).  In the podcast I guide you through a Heart Focused Relaxation exercise, and teach you how to do it for yourself.  The audio extract is linked below.  It  is just 10 minutes long, and when you have learned the steps you can do it for yourself anytime, taking as long or as little time as you need.

There are three main steps in the exercise:

1. Shift your focus from the thinking mind to the feeling heart.
2. Breathe a little slower and a little deeper than normal, and find an easy comfortable rhythm.
3. Activate a feeling of love, care, appreciation or gratitude for someone or something in your life.

From here, I encourage you to spend a few moments connecting to and feeling the elevated emotion, and then radiate this uplifting feeling to every cell in your body.  Then, if you want to, radiate the positive feeling to the world around you.

When you complete the three steps,  you can add some positive affirmations or imagine yourself doing something that you want to do - achieving a goal of some sort, or just sit in the calmness until you are ready to move on with the day.

Click on the link to access the audio: Guided Heart Focused Relaxation Exercise

I love this quote from Carl Jung, it's a good one to remember at the beginning of every day:

"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become"

Feel free to let me know how you get on or if you have any questions.  I'd love to hear from you.

Inner Space - Your Safe Place.