Mindfulness
It's really easy to rush through life. And if you sometimes yourself not paying attention to anything other than getting things done, reaching yet another goal, or buying or consuming some new thing, you are not alone!
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But this approach to life, and the behaviors that can come with it, can have a negative impact on your mental health, and on your overall quality of life. By learning how to be mindful, you can learn to pay more attention to the present moment and enjoy your life more.
Practicing mindfulness can help you understand yourself and the people around you better. It can help you connect with your thoughts and feelings, and the world around you, and by doing so, improve your mental health.
You'll probably agree that it's easy to stop noticing the world around you when you are wrapped up in your emotions, cravings, worries, and desires. It's easy to lose touch with how your body is feeling, to end up living 'in your head', caught up in your thoughts, unable to see how those thoughts are driving your emotions and your behavior.
Part of mindfulness training involves reconnecting with your body and the sensations you experience. It helps you to wake up to the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the present moment. But another important part of mindfulness is learning to become aware of our thoughts and feelings as they happen from moment to moment.
By seeing the present moment clearly, it becomes possible for us to make a positive change in the way we see ourselves and our lives.
​How mindfulness helps mental well-being
Becoming more aware of the present moment can help you enjoy the world around you more. You become more aware of the present moment, and begin to experience things that you may have been taking for granted afresh.
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Mindfulness also allows us to become more aware of the stream of thoughts and feelings that we experience. Once we recognize them, we can understand how we can get tangled up in streams of thought that are not helpful. So by practicing mindfulness we learn to stand back from our thoughts and learn to see their patterns.
With time and practice, we can train ourselves to notice when our thoughts are taking over and understand that our thoughts are simply 'mental events' which do not have to control us. So practicing mindfulness gives us choices and greater mental freedom.
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Most of us have issues we find hard to let go of, and mindfulness helps us deal with them more productively. A simple exercise from mindfulness is to ask ourselves: 'Is trying to solve this by brooding about it helpful, or am I just getting caught up in my thoughts?'
This kind of awareness also helps us notice signs of stress or anxiety allowing us to deal with them earlier and more effectively, which is why mindfulness is recommended by many health professionals as an aid to preventing depression in people who have suffered re-occurring bouts of depression in the past.
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To learn more about how mindfulness can help you, contact me for more information.
Sound Therapy
Sound therapy is a scientifically proven method of easing physical and psychological pain or discomfort, and many clinics recommend sound therapy for boosting the self-healing process. Chronically ill patients who regularly use sound therapy say they find it easier to get through periods of low mood and exhaustion. Many also report that it helps them tap into their inner strength and be in the present moment, rather than worrying about the future.
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Sound therapy is a truly effective way to calm your mind. Once you get comfortable, space opens up in your mind and it becomes easier to let go of worries and problems.
It's sometimes a good starting point at the beginning of a consultation or psychotherapy session if you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed, and it's an effective starting point for meditation.
A lot of clients report a positive effect on their self-confidence, creativity, and energy levels after a session.
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​Not sure if a sound therapy session is right for you? Take a look at what people say about it below, or contact me for more information:
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
“It gives you the time to feel your body and be aware of yourself in a way you never otherwise take time for.”
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​“The relaxation was much deeper than a standard spoken meditation. Emotional blockages just melt away. My thoughts just passed by like clouds or they were crystal clear…”
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“A vibrating sensation in the sternum, a warm sensation spread through my body, very relaxing, made me want to go to sleep.”
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"Inner relaxation. Absolutely! I felt like my heart pressure dropped.”
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“I felt an amazing lightness in my whole body.”
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“Relaxing vibrations in the core of my body, really easy to fall asleep, no sense of time!”
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​“I was in another world. Mountains, waterfalls…”
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“It’s easier to relax with this music than in total silence.”
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“I felt light, like I was floating. Inside I felt really balanced, totally at peace.”
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“Feeling of expectation – just let it happen – relaxation – peace – wow!”