Do you meditate?

Do you meditate? Over the years I’ve thought it was something I should attempt to get some benefit from it but have always failed dismally at it.  Since completing the Reiki course last month I’ve been giving it another go, and although not a total success at getting it or relaxing enough all the way through, I have persevered with it and am going to keep doing so.  Not sure if I’m benefiting from it wholly just yet but should follow with practice. I’m using an app on my iPad called breethe, the free version, and there are plenty of options to try, even a section for total beginners.  Sessions start at only for a few minutes to get you used to it then get longer with time.  You can pay for the premium version but there appears to be plenty free stuff to keep me and hopefully you, amused. Below is a chart with all the benefits meditation brings.  Let me know how you get on if you try it.

Yoga for better mental health

Yoga for better mental health

Yoga seems to be seeing a huge upturn in popularity in recent years and on my social media more people are going to classes or taking Yoga training courses to become instructors themselves.  This can't be a coincidence in a time when we are seeing an awareness of mindfulness and wellbeing on tv and in magazines.  Personally, I try to do at least 20 minutes of Yoga everyday at home, using an app on my Ipad if I can't make it to a class and some Yoga poses find themselves in Fitness Pilates sometimes too. 

Research in the States has been finding some great results for Yoga in treating victims of trauma or people suffering depression and anxiety.  Here are some of the findings;

In addition to you becoming more flexible physically through Yoga, your mind, mental outlook  and approach to life becomes more flexible.

Yoga appears to be particularly beneficial when it comes to mental health, with studies showing it helps improve psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia.  Some of these studies suggest yoga can actually have an effect similar to that of antidepressants and psychotherapy.

In studies with teenage participants, yoga has been found to strengthen emotional resilience and ability to manage anger.  In the elderly, it’s been shown to stave off cognitive decline to a greater degree than aerobic exercise.  Most recently, gentle yoga practice has been identified as a valuable aid in healing childhood trauma, known to be a source of not only poor mental health but also a contributor to chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Female victims of trauma were prescribed a course of yoga in the their recovery programme.  The females by the end were on little to no medication, had greater coping skills, more balanced emotions, self empowerment, and improved physical and psychological health.  Rather than constantly prescribing drugs to deal with anxiety and depression, for those who were suitable, prescribing yoga instead of pills could save the NHS millions if not more, and not just for trauma victims  or psychological conditions either. 


A study conducted in a prison showed that after 10 weeks inmates were less stressed, calmer and more compliant.

Other mind/body benefits of yoga include;

• Improved immune system
• Better sleep
• Reduced headaches or migraines
• Less stress by lowering stress hormone cortisol in the body
• Reduced food cravings/weightloss 
• Improved mood

The reason why yoga has been proven to be so effective in alleviating anxiety and depression is because it boosts certain amino acids in the nervous system that reduce the speed of nerve impulses that react to stress thereby lowering stress levels.


Yoga has also been shown to help with osteoporosis, with participants showing an increase in bone density following regular sessions.

So what's stopping you?  With so many good things waiting for you, give Yoga a try.

Til next week
MB