Library of Practices
Thrive Through Daily Practice
Pause - Connect - Breathe
Research shows mindfulness practices such as connecting to our breath or meditation LITERALLY changes our brains in as little as 10 mins a day*
Our pre-frontal cortex thickens, we create new neurons, the size of our amygdala reduces (our fight/flight/fear part of our brain) and there is a change in mylination - (meaning electrical impulses transmit more quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells).
Taking moments throughout the day to focus on breathing or tuning into bodily sensations activates our body’s relaxation response (our parasympathetic nervous system) and lowers stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
The following mindful practice can help you create a buffer against daily pressures and general stress. A daily practice will enhance emotional regulation, improve mental clarity and promote focus and calm; furthermore, regularly connecting with breath and body fosters resilience and makes it easier to navigate challenges and maintain well-being.
*10 mins a day for 8-10 weeks
PAUSE
Pausing is crucial for maintaining balance and happiness, as it allows us to step back from the demands of daily life and reconnect with our inner selves.
Prioritising moments to pause will reduce stress, help clear your minds, and help you gain perspective, mental clarity and foster emotional resilience.
Pausing allows you an opportunity to reflect, connect in, breathe deeply, reset intentions and ensure our actions align with our values.
By incorporating regular pauses into our routine, we create space for mindfulness, self-awareness, and a deeper sense of peace and contentment, essential for a balanced and fulfilling life.
As for what you do in your Pause - it comes down to the time you allot. If you only have a few minutes, I recommend you connect in or connect to your breath. If you have more time, take a meditative walk in nature, or consider intuitive journalling to allow messages from within to emerge.
Stilling the mind through practices such as meditation or deep breathing exercises allows us to become more attuned to our body's needs & this heightened awareness can lead to better self-regulation, improved decision-making, and a greater sense of emotional balance.
WHAT PHYSIOLOGICALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE PAUSE?
A pause for mindful breathing or meditation helps shift the body from the fight-or-flight response to rest-and-digest by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Slow, deep breaths signal safety to the brain, reducing the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This calming response slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and relaxes muscles. It also increases vagal tone, enhancing the vagus nerve's ability to regulate bodily functions such as digestion and immune response.
This shift allows the body to move into a restorative state, promoting relaxation, reducing anxiety, and supporting overall physical and mental well-being.
Even if you can’t find 10 mins a day to set aside for a practice, everyone can find one minute to connect to their breath and slow it down…
CONNECT
As a student of meditation for some 16+ years, I have tried a wide range of practices, and I have shared a few of my favourite practices here.
Ultimately, meditation is subjective and what works for me is not necessarily what will work for you. Thus I have provided a range of different practices that you might like to try.
In recent times, I have discovered a meditative approach that connects with me both experientially & practically more than any other practice I’ve done.
This (Heart-Full Connection Meditation) is now at the heart of all of my practices.
It provides a daily connection into every aspect of my being and provides an abundance of wisdom and information when I stop and listen.
If you can prioritise more time for yourself, I encourage you to consider how to bring some of these other aspects into your life to create more abundance and happiness.
Some of the many benefits of meditation
Reduces stress
Improve emotional health
Enhance focus and concentration
Promote better sleep
Support cardiovascular health
Reduce symptoms of anxiety
Boost immune system
Decrease symptoms of depression
Reduce pain perception
Improve memory and cognitive function
Increase emotional intelligence
Enhance overall well-being
BREATHE
Quite literally, I believe the breath is our super power.
It provides us the only direct link to our autonomic nervous system (ANS) the part of our body that controls involuntary bodily functions, such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. The ANS helps maintain homeostasis by automatically regulating these functions in response to internal and external stimuli, ensuring the body's internal environment remains stable and balanced.
You’ve probably heard about ‘fight or flight’ (our sympathetic nervous system). When somebody stays in the sympathetic fight-or-flight mode due to chronic stress, several chemical changes occur that are detrimental to our bodies ability to stay in homeostasis. Over a prolonged time this can result in long term impact to our physical, mental and emotional states.
Simply slowing down our breath and extending our exhalations longer than our inhalations sends messages to the body to switch from our sympathetic (fight or flight) back into our parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digests).
If fact, our breath is the only part of our autonomic nervous system that we can control – thus – your breath is your super power.
Breath practices offer numerous benefits for both mental and physical well-being:
Reduce stress and anxiety
Enhance focus and concentration
Promotes Relaxation
Improve emotional regulation
Boost lung capacity and respiratory health
Support better sleep
Lower blood pressure
Enhance self-awareness
Balance the nervous system
Improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
The following are some specific breath practices that resonate for me. I encourage you to give each of them a try over a week and see which you most connect with.
This library includes the following meditations, breath practices and deep rest (yoga nidras) to support you on your journey:
Give them a try and let me know which ones are the most supportive for you!
5 Minute Mindfulness Meditation
Heart-Full Connection Daily Connection Check-In - 8 or 11 mins
Future Self Meditation - 15 or 9 mins
Release and Reconnect Meditation
Receivership - Financial Abundance Meditation (Kabbalah)
20 Min iRest Yoga Nidra for Inner Strength
35 Min Yoga Nidra - Through the Our Energy Centers
30 Min Yoga Nidra - Focused on Wisdom Body