Paula Vale Mindfulness Space

20/11/2022

So I have just sat in my meditation practice. It was full of uncomfortable physical sensations but instead of what people normally tend to do which is go distract themselves or move I have learnt to sit with these sensations to witness them and feel right into the eye of them. There is no judgement or pushing away of what’s there instead just accepting that this is how it is right now in this moment I have a body with painful MS symptoms. The longer I sat the more I became aware of, not just discomfort but also space around pain moments of softness and non pain.
I find mindfulness such a blessing it allows me to live in relative peace with a chronic condition.

Maybe mindfulness could help you?

15/11/2022

When we are stressed. Anxious or upset our breathing changes we take much shorter sharper breaths activating our alert state. When we are relaxed our breathing is more even and longer in pace. When feeling particularly anxious or stressed try alternate nostril breathing it helps balance the brain.

🧠👃Interestingly the left and right nostrils are connected to different systems in your body.

👃The left nostril triggers the rest and relaxation response activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
👃The right nostril triggers your sympathetic nervous system fight or flight.
Alternate nostril breathing can be extremely soothing
Give it a go:
1) take a deep breath in and out through both nostrils
2) close your right nostril with your thumb
3) breathe deeply through your left nostril
4) cover your left nostril with your ring finger
5) breathe out through your right nostril
6) inhale through your right nostril
7) cover up the right nostril and exhale through your left nostril
Remember to always finish on an exhale on the left nostril. When practiced regularly this technique helps bring you back into balance reducing anxiety, offering more focus and helping with your overall well-being.

12/11/2022

Planning my school session this week.
Mindfulness when delivered in a high-quality structured way can be beneficial for children but it also needs to not be an add on or something that is done as a one off or a tick box activity, practicing in that way devalues the practice and the associated benefit. It is also helpful for the teaching staff to have an understanding of what mindfulness is and how it feels for them to sit with themselves they need to walk the talk so to speak.
I have seen it used too many times as a way to manage behaviour (this is not the purpose). I’m happy to say that within the schools I have supported, many staff have taken my 8 week mindfulness course or attended well-being sessions. These are a great way to introduce the concept of mindfulness and enable staff to gain a deeper understanding from a personal perspective. This ultimately results in the practice rippling out to the class in a natural holistic way.

10/11/2022

09/11/2022

I have needed to practice what I preach over the last few days. I have given myself space to be okay with not feeling okay, I found myself battling with my mind and the inner critic; recognising moments when I am criticising myself for feeling flat that my life is good so what am I complaining about! This being okay with not being okay is a practice in itself; I have surfed many emotional waves (menopausal waves 🌊 anxiety waves 🌊 confidence waves 🌊 MS symptom waves 🌊 ) I am feel like the waves are starting to settle. I have offered myself rest nutritious food and plenty of walks in nature along with a big dose of compassion. I realise that since losing my fur baby I haven’t walked much (it’s so easy to find a reason not to go out when it’s wet outside). I am reminded how much I need walking in my life, my body likes to move and my mind enjoys the natural sounds, sights colours/textures nature has to offer. I have given myself time to enjoy the things that fill me up (although when you feel flat it can take a while to remember what they are!) I’m feeling my emotional systems (fear, drive, soothing) coming back into balance and a more peaceful state settling in.

Forever grateful for knowing how to use my mindfulness practices in my life not just for practicing on the cushion. Remember mindfulness isn’t a magic cure for life it is instead a tool to allow you to hold the messiness of being a human with emotions and a very tricky brain 😂 it’s not about never feeling flat it’s about how you hold that flatness with acceptance, kindness and compassion.

07/11/2022

02/11/2022

Maybe the wounds give you the opportunity to heal yourself, love yourself we all have something that we have been suffering from. We have two choices of how we see it we can see it through the lens of fear or through the lens of hope and optimism. The part of you that blocks this is your belief that your not worthy of better, or a different situation. As a child you got shut down you got No’s you experience feelings of not being good enough, feeling inadequate, this is the human condition from our early years. This is where over time we build up a protection mechanisms one of those mechanisms is the belief we are not worthy it’s a feeling inside of us (even if externally it looks different) this internal condition is where we need to do the work. It’s not that we are not worthy it’s that we have a part of us that feels that, what we do with it is push it down hide from it! What would happen if you decided to move towards it to befriend it to get curious with it instead of distracting yourself; you moved towards and recognised “here we go here is that part of me again” and instead of running I’m going to give it a compassionate space with some caring and understanding. How different would that feel? Well I personally know the answer to this, you get to soften around the edges of this belief and it isn’t as bad or scary; you see that this is a protection mechanism that’s in the way of being able to work with this core belief system. So when you notice this arising in yourself you can lean into the energy of self compassion and listen to what that part of you needs, maybe kindness, excitement, strength. 👋Place a hand on your heart ❤️ witness this part of you and just say to yourself I’m willing to be compassionate and to see this part of me” what does that feel like? When we stop running and pushing things away when we give our feelings emotions outdated stories time and space things change. Finish by taking a few deep breath’s in and out what does that feel like?

01/11/2022

Just what I needed………

25/10/2022

I love Tuesdays!
Tuesdays for me are filled with what I love and what I’m passionate about.
Tuesday is the day filled with delivering and sitting in meditation and connecting with like minded souls, in these moments I feel so fulfilled and rich. I’m realising that feeling rich is not about money it’s so much more that I can’t articulate it but only feel it.

What are you feeling rich in today?

20/10/2022

Have a wonderful day make sure you place your heartbeats on things of value 🙏