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October is Mental Health Month

From Mental Health Association NSW - 10 tips to stress less;

• notice something beautiful
• learn to listen and be heard
• end the day well
• remember to get your zzzzzz's
• de-clutter your life
• delegate
• do more of what makes you feel most alive
• practice compassion
• talk about your troubles
• plan date nights with your friends

Check out the website:  Mental Health Association of NSW

Aaauuumm....

When was the last time you were still? Really still?

Even when we are sitting quietly, our mind is rarely still. Just as we dash from one activity to another, our mind is in constant chatter, running from one thought to another. 

Vasant Lad (2002) tells us ‘the mind is the only sense organ that has the capacity to see itself.’  The challenge of meditation is to spend time in the still, quiet spaces between our thoughts.

There are many traditions and forms of meditation.  Some will ask you to focus your attention on your breath, others on the flame of a candle.  Still others involve walking, the repetition of a phrase a sound or prayer.  The common theme of them all is quiet, observation, non-judgment, a shifting of our thinking from habit into awareness. 

People who are regular meditators report feeling reduced stress, an increased sense of calm and happiness. Meditation gives us a chance to take some time out of the usual busy-ness of the demands of our days. 

Over the years there has been a growing body of research revealing the health benefits of meditation in relation to a variety of conditions from blood pressure to insomnia, cholesterol and heart disease and even infertility.  Every day, people are using meditation to manage pain, fatigue, mental distress and the symptoms associated with cancer treatments.

Just as it is important for our health to be physically and mentally active, it is also important to take time to stop and to just be still.