Here at Bliss, we believe in the power of meditation to help calm the mind and nurture positive thinking. April is Stress Awareness Month, and we know that all our ladies will have moments during their days which can cause stress levels to rise.
These moments are a natural part of life but having a daily meditative routine can allow us to approach stress with clarity, meaning we pragmatically work through our tasks and overcome the challenges while treating ourselves with the compassion we deserve.
There are so many amazing things that meditation can do for our brains. Taking the time to reconnect with our breathing helps to reduce stress while the moments of stillness allow us to calm frustrations and foster kindness both to ourselves and others. There are no ends to the power of meditation, it helps improve focus, allows us to sleep better, reduces memory loss and can even help to decrease our blood pressure!
The modern woman lives in a busy world, which can make finding the space to meditate seem impossible. We want each of our ladies to experience the amazing benefits of the practice, so we have put together a guide to help you find your zen with meditation.
Find your space
Your space to meditate should be somewhere quiet and calm. You can lay back on your freshly made bed or curl up in your favourite squashy chair – your meditation should be personal to you, so make sure you feel completely comfortable and serene in your space. The great thing about meditation is that it is a journey, and once you are at ease with the practice you will find you can meditate anywhere, on a beautiful sandy beach or on the lush green grass of your favourite park.
Start with just two minutes, and embrace your emotions
When you start your meditative journey, start small. Take two minutes in the morning before your daily tasks crowd your mind to realign with your inner self. Start by closing your eyes, and gently noting your emotions and feelings. Do you feel positive? Does your body feel tired? Is something causing you undue stress? Whatever you’re feeling, allow yourself to accept it and recognise that your practice will help to give a kind perspective to any negativity.
Count your breaths
Once you have settled and found your stillness begin placing attention on your breath. You should breathe slowly, at your own unique pace. Follow the journey of each breath in through your throat and down into your lungs, and with every breath out envisage any stresses, anxieties or negative emotions flowing out of the body. To keep your mind focused on your breathing, you can try counting each breath from one up to ten.
Come back when you wander
It is completely natural for our minds to wander when meditating, whether we begin thinking about the other people in our lives, our jobs, or even what we are going to have for breakfast or dinner! When you feel your mind wandering away, softly guide it back to your breath, and don’t place any pressure on yourself that you aren’t meditating properly – meditation is a practice that we constantly refine, and one that should be treated lovingly.
Treat yourself with love
When you are meditating you should always treat yourself with love. Each thought that wanders by should be met as friend and should never be judged or obsessed over. Meditation is your time to focus solely on you, your wellbeing and your clarity and as you grow your practice, you will find that you are also able to grow your self-compassion. The more you treat yourself with love when meditating, the less likely you are to be hard on yourself when it does come to facing challenges during your daily routine.
Close your practice with kindness
When your meditative time is over, do not jolt yourself back, but instead slowly and softly open your eyes, move your hands and your feet and give yourself a big smile. Take a moment to notice the sights and sounds of your environment. Embrace the calm that you are feeling both in your mind and body, and drift back into your day with a sense of gratitude that you have taken time out to nurture a positive, clear mindset.
We wanted to share our Bliss experience as far as it can go and so we created Bliss News. Even if you can’t go on a beautiful personalised Women’s Retreat right now, we hope you can take the time to add a bit more bliss to your life in whatever way you choose. Self love comes in all different shapes and sizes but the one thing it has in common is that it starts with you. We hope some of our ideas and laughs and wellness retreat additions are something you can incorporate into your everyday life... love Zoë xxx
Here’s what some of our amazing guests had to say about their personalised bliss experience and why they want to come back.
