What do we really want from life? I’m feeling a little bit fed up of being told (by magazines, adverts and the media, to name a few sources) that what I want should be a ‘big’ life. In this life, I’m told, I would be successful, the best version of myself; I would think big […]
How To Experiment With Mindful Living
Posted on September 3, 2019 //
There seems to be a ‘mindful’ version of everything these days, but what does that word really mean any more? I think it’s become a by-word for many additional (and related) qualities. Some of the areas that seem to me to overlap might be:intentional living, the Slow movement, minimalism and voluntary simplicity. I don’t really […]
Keeping The Flame Of Mindfulness Alight
Posted on December 17, 2018 //
One of the challenges of developing a mindfulness practice can be found in those two words – ‘developing’ and ‘practice’. Most of us come to mindfulness because we want something to change, and so we tend to see it as a potential solution, and have an idea in mind of where we’d like to get […]
Making Friends With My Anxiety
Posted on October 30, 2018 //
As a wellbeing coach and mindfulness teacher, I don’t just share from the theory of mindfulness, but from my own experience too. Here’s my own story about how mindfulness and self-kindness transformed my relationship with anxiety – from outright war, to acceptance and befriending. This process unfolded for me some years ago, and I’ve included […]
Being With Sadness
Posted on April 17, 2018 //
Sadness is as much a part of life as happiness. We may wish that wasn’t true, and it can be easy to believe that loss is what happens to other people. Until it happens to you. And then you’re flung into a new world that you have no training for, feeling totally lost and without […]
3 Things We Can Unlearn To Boost Mindfulness
Posted on February 4, 2018 //
Learning mindfulness isn’t so much about taking on new skills, as it is about letting go of the things that get in the way. With increased awareness, we begin to shine a spotlight on all the unhelpful habits and perspectives that have been tripping us up in life. Some of these are deeply ingrained beliefs, […]
Clear Seeing And Discovering Freedom
Posted on October 3, 2017 //
Once Upon A Time (this is a blog about stories after all)… I was sitting in a peaceful meditation hall situated amidst beautiful countryside, alongside a group of other silent meditators. And into that stillness arose a white-hot bolt of pure anger. Where on earth did that come from?!? I’d learned to embrace many painful […]
Screw The Rules: Living Mindfully
Posted on March 28, 2017 //
by Sheila Bayliss Before I discovered mindfulness, I was on a bit of a quest. I was pretty sure I was failing at life, while everyone else was succeeding. I devoured self-help books, searching for The Answer that would guarantee my happiness. Following the advice, whether it was cutting out wheat or saying daily affirmations, […]