Tag: Self-care

Bringing you home to your spark and balance: 6 benefits of daily meditation

Bringing you home to your spark and balance: 6 benefits of daily meditation

Every day I talk to people in my community and I notice how many of us are struggling with overwhelm and burn out.

As a society, we bought into the idea that the natural progress of adult life is a slow decline in joy levels, peppered with struggle and loss of vitality.

We make things more palatable with all sorts of stimulation, distractions and quick fixes. 

The best we can expect is to do well inside the limitations, responsibilities and burdens that adulthood has on the menu.

Have you noticed how many people around us have subscribed to that idea and live exactly like that?

With little room for joy, wild dreams, excitement and fun…

The world is organised around the energy of survival. And it’s easy to get sucked in.

But you and I (and every person on earth) are meant for radiance, love and beauty.  We’re powerful creators, so full of potential, capable of so much.

We’re meant to be in love with life and radiate out our beautiful gifts, quirks and unique expression of our true essence. 

Deep inside we all know this, that’s why the world around us feels SO OFF!

But the radiance we try to get from external sources lives right inside of us. And it can be so easily accessed. 

This seems so counter-intuitive because our model for collective mental health convinced us that it’s hard to feel well on a daily basis. The western way of life is also constantly steering us in the opposite direction.

Day in and day out we activate the chemistry of survival (think cortisol, adrenaline, elevated heart rate), but this can be reversed through a simple daily practice.

The (not so) secret to experiencing bliss and turning on your radiance is a harmonised mind-body system. Daily meditation is a powerful way to achieve this.

By activating the right chemistry and priming your state of mind for expansion and creativity, life will feel like it’s meant to; a gift that keeps getting better and better.

One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself today is start a daily meditation practice.

The benefits are simply astounding and they explain why I became a certified meditation instructor.

6 [science-backed] benefits of meditation

1. It’s a powerful antidote to stress

One of the many benefits of meditation is its stress-fighting superpowers.
Our body responds to stress with fight or flight response. The fight or flight response pulls us into a state of constricted awareness—it limits our capacity for thinking creatively, for broadening our perspective, or accessing our purpose.

This state is useful to react to actual threats, but when it becomes chronic, it causes physiological changes:

  • heart rate increases
  • blood pressure goes up
  • stress hormones increase
  • we breathe faster and heavier; anti-aging hormone production goes down
  • the clotting of blood platelets increases
  • our immune system weakens.
  • undermines the areas of the brain that feel gratitude, compassion, and connection.
  • suppresses the flow of energy and information through our mind-body system. The more stress we accumulate over time, the more constricted and less efficient the system becomes.

Releasing this stress is something very important we should all consider and meditation is a great tool for doing this.

Meditation induces a state of deep rest and in this state the body heals itself by eliminating stress, fatigue, and toxins in an easy, effortless and natural way.

As we meditate, our heart rate decreases, breathing slows down, immune function improves, anti-aging hormones increase, inflammation reduces; blood pressure normalises. All the other factors that were leading to ill health start to be reversed.

Also, our prefrontal cortex—the more evolved part of the brain—becomes more active, awakening a sense of gratitude, compassion, and connection.

The deep rest gained through meditation releases us from our constricted state into a state of expanded awareness. Where we can experience more creativity, equanimity, vitality, joy, and purpose. And this opens the doorway to a healthier, happier life.

2. Feel more bliss

Deep states of rest prompt the brain to release dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. These neurotransmitters are linked to different aspects of happiness, and meditation choreographs their simultaneous release. Meditation has also been linked to significant decreases in rumination, a cognitive process which plays a role in depression and other mood disorders.

Studies have linked mindfulness training to greater neural activity in areas of the brain associated with self-awareness and emotional regulation.

3. Meditation and mindful awareness heal the body

What happens in the mind affects the body (for better or worse). 

Chronic stress can cause disease, deteriorate mental health and accelerate ageing. Meditation helps your body release stress, reverse fight-or-flight damage and improve healing processes.

Research suggests that meditation can increase parasympathetic nervous system activity and decrease stress-induced inflammation levels. Studies have even shown that mindfulness training can change the brain and immune system in a way that may strengthen resistance to disease. 

4. Awaken your creativity

 Meditation is a powerful practice for going beyond conditioned thought patterns into a state of expanded awareness. We connect to the field of infinite possibilities and open to new insights, intuition, and ideas.

Meditation helps you achieve a flow state: you do less and accomplish more. You aren’t burdened by the past or worried about the future—you’re flowing with the present moment.

5. Rewire your brain

Meditation is a powerful tool for creating new neural connections in the brain. By meditating, you can tap into your brain’s deepest potential to focus, learn and adapt. 

Researchers have documented meditation-induced changes in the brain’s gray matter, noting marked alterations to brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. Mindfulness training is also linked to gray matter concentration changes in brain regions related to learning, emotional regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking.

6. Enjoy healthier relationships

A regular meditation practice helps you develop witnessing awareness. It gives you the ability to calmly observe yourself in a situation and creating the space to respond, instead of react.

It also helps you let go of counterproductive beliefs and past experiences that might be getting in the way of enjoying love and connection with others.

It also dissolves a sense of separation from others and awakens a sense of love and compassion.

There are so many other amazing benefits of having a daily meditation practice, but these alone show how much of our wellbeing and quality of life is in our hands.

So today, I challenge you to meditate (even if for just a few minutes) and notice how you feel. Do this for the next few days and notice what shows up.

Your radiance awaits you. And it’s so needed in the world right now.

With love,

Goddesses in the world - Celebrating the Goddess within

P.S. If meditation feels challenging to you, I created this guided meditation to make it easy for you. After you try it, let me know how it felt 💛

9 ways to cultivate joy and wellbeing in your life, right now

9 ways to cultivate joy and wellbeing in your life, right now

I don’t know about you, but the chaos of the last few years has been hard to digest.

It seems as though, just as some things seem to get better in the world, we get thrown another collective curve ball.

I’m an optimist at heart and I have a full toolkit to help keep me grounded and my spark and love for life alive and well.

But I see that society is not organised in a way that promotes wellbeing and the full expression of our potential as human beings.

It’s quite the opposite.

We’re socialised on a diet of violence, fear, drama, disenchantment, insecurities and addictions.

The message that you and I (and life itself) are not good enough as we are is exploited for profits and power.

My kids are 5 and 7 and I’ve been noticing how against the grain it is to create an environment of love, empowerment and expansion for them.

Even an innocent game of Minecraft has an underlying level of violence and addiction to it. Children’s movies too.

Some call it low-level, but is there such a thing? And is it actually needed?

Every day we receive thousands of disempowering messages through our screens, the media and other powerful institutions.

No wonder millions of people worldwide feel depressed. Our culture is geared around dimming people’s sparks and it’s time for a change.

That’s why you and I must REBEL! And do everything to empower each other to shine bright.

If enough of us insist on cultivating beauty and power in our own lives, the more this will become the way we all relate to each other as human beings.

Imagine a world designed to keep you vibrant, joyful, creative, connected and in your power.

And I see signs of this materialising all around me. There’s a real yearning from people to live from a place of love, compassion, vitality and creativity.

And the good news is that there are very simple things you can do to have this right now in your daily life.

Today I want to share with you my simple go-tos to experience more joy, love and beauty in my life every single day.

Simple changes in your daily life to have you grounded in a beautiful state

1. Create an uplifting morning routine

From the moment we wake up, we’re either setting ourselves up for joy, or making way for stress and anxiety.

A lot of us start our days with disempowering habits:

  • Looking at our phones (checking emails, social media and other notifications)
  • Watching/listening to the news
  • Snoozing until the very last minute, then rushing out the door
  • Get through our routine in auto-pilot

All of these habits activate our stress pathways. What’s worse, we’re allowing ourselves to be highjacked by negativity and for external sources to set the tone for our day without our even realising.

Instead, try this:

  • Start with meditation. If you can’t do 20 minutes, start with 5 and build up to it. This will have you start the day in a state of calm, bliss and spaciousness, before you become exposed to the demands of daily life.

  • If you have a partner or a pet, enjoy a moment of tenderness with them and really savour it. A good hug does so much for the soul!

  • Hydrate with water and notice how it feels. This is soooo underrated. Hydrating after a night’s sleep replenishes your body and gives you a chance to pause and be present to its needs.

  • Keep notifications off on your phone until you’re ready and grounded. This time is yours. Don’t let anyone/anything highjack it.

  • Set an intention for your day. Use affirmations or simply say out loud how you’d like your day to go. My favourite intention is “I am worthy of the best that love and life have to offer.”

  • Incorporate movement – from a full-on workout to gentle stretching, dancing to music in the kitchen, going for a walk. Moving gets you present in your body.

  • Take a mindful shower. Practice noticing the water running through your body, how it feels, notice your breath, inhale the scent of the soap.

  • Read/listen to something inspiring.

  • Play uplifting music

  • Eat nourishing food (if you have an appetite in the morning)

  • Add yours!

This doesn’t have to be huge or complicated. It can literally take 20 minutes. I have two kids and need to get them to school. Yet, the time between waking up and getting out of the door is infused with joy most of the time.

2. Tweak your day for more joy

Throughout the day we have tons of opportunities to shut down fear and stress and make way for joy and wellbeing.

You already know this, but here’s a reminder of some of the main ways you can explode joy in your day.

  • Cell Phone usage. Have clear boundaries with news intake, email and social media notifications. Have set periods for checking these and have notifications from apps turned off. This minimises fight or flight response.

  • Be present to your food. Before preparing or buying your food, ask yourself: what’s the most nourishing food I could give my body right now? After choosing it, be fully present. Eat with someone whose company you enjoy, savour each bite, notice the texture and how it feels in your body. Turn off devices during this time.

  • Be present to your surroundings. When you notice you’re not present, do a noticing exercise. Name 5 things you can see, something you can touch, something you can smell, sounds you can hear.

3. Swap device time for soul nourishing options

It’s so easy to grab our phones and start scrolling aimlessly as a form of relaxation/entertainment. Because of its addictive nature, it takes a real effort to choose other ways to wind down.

There’s certainly a place for Netflix and scrolling in our lives, but there are 1000 more fulfilling ways to unwind that will leave you feeling wonderful. Here are some of my favourites:

  • Playing board games (preferably funny ones)
  • Phone call with a dear friend (not text!)
  • Reading an uplifting book
  • Listening to an awesome podcast/audiobook
  • Taking a long bath
  • Handwriting love notes and gratitude lists
  • Dancing in the lounge (see a theme here?)
  • Picking up a hobby you’ve always wanted to try
  • Having a meal at the table with our favourite company
  • Walking in nature
  • Writing/ drawing/ colouring in)
  • What’s yours??

Beauty, connection, joy, love, compassion and creativity are on the menu every single day, no matter what’s going on.

But we MUST insist on cultivating it. It’s a choice.

If we don’t do it, we’ll keep being steered, by default, in the direction of fear and hopelessness.

And your spark is too precious and needed to be dimmed that way.

So, what are YOUR ways of stoking your inner fire and getting out of hopelessness?

I’d love to hear what you do to keep your vibes high.

With love,

Goddesses in the world - Celebrating the Goddess within

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, I’d love to invite you to sign up to my mailing list here. Every week I share loving insights & tips on how to reignite your inner spark and I’d love you to join our community.