Mindfulness and meditation app reviews

Mindfulness and meditation app reviews
Smartphones aren’t always a big timewaster where you end up in pointless arguments on Facebook or Twitter. Sometimes they can be put to good use and help you to achieve inner calm. Here are some apps that I’ve tried out. Calm – Meditate, Sleep, Relax This app has both guided meditations and various sound effects ...

Why tai chi is a great, practical mindfulness tool

Why tai chi is a great, practical mindfulness tool
Mindfulness is becoming very popular now, the art of being in the moment. One of the problems with mindfulness is that many people find it difficult to just sit still with their eyes closed and concentrate on themselves. One way of getting round this and still applying mindfulness techniques is by learning tai chi. The simple ...

How a wandering mind can impact happiness

I wrote an article some time ago (He said, she said) on the wandering mind. Today, I received the following email from lumosity.com (a brain training app website): How many times a day does your mind wander? Whether you’re thinking about an important meeting or your next vacation, mind wandering may be a distinctly human ...

Great music for tai chi and yoga

Great music for tai chi and yoga
As a tai chi teacher, I always play music when I am running a class because: it helps to set the right mood it can hide any background noises such as things going on outside the room. For these reasons, I would also recommend that if you practice tai chi, yoga or meditation, then you, ...

Top 3 yoga gifts for yoga nuts

Top 3 yoga gifts for yoga nuts
It’s that time of year again where we get to treat ourselves and our loved ones so here’s our top 3 yoga-related gifts. Print Yoga Mats Is your yoga mat getting a little tatty? Then perhaps it’s time for a real treat. Make all your friends jealous with one of these amazing yoga mats with ...

Tips for a good night’s sleep

Tips for a good night's sleep
Why you need to get a good night’s sleep Rest is important for many reasons: it boosts your immunity it’s when the body grows and heals (particularly if you play sports) it’s just nice! 8 tips for a good night’s sleep make sure the room is not too hot or cold; if necessary remove the ...

Beginner’s guide to abdominal breathing

Beginner's guide to abdominal breathing
Abdominal breathing is a type of breathing whereby you breathe into the abdomen and appear to fill it with air. What actually happens is that instead of breathing so that your lungs force your shoulders upwards, you push your abdominal area outwards as your diaphragm moves downwards. To perform this type of breathing, you can ...

10 tips for chi kung and tai chi

10 tips for chi kung and tai chi
There are a lot of things to consider when practising tai chi and chi kung. The numerous rules added to the movements and breathing can be quite overwhelming. Here are my ten tips for beginners practising chi kung, tai chi and meditation in general: breathe through the nose – the tip of your tongue should ...

He said, she said

He said, she said
Relationships, whether between friends or lovers, can be a source of joy and happiness but they can also bring stress and anxiety into your life. A badly-phrased sentence or something said in the heat of the moment can lead to bad feelings and result in the conversation echoing around in your head for hours or ...

Can meditation really re-wire your brain?

Can meditation really re-wire your brain?
Yes, according to the latest scientific research! One of the many emails that drop randomly into my inbox mentioned a recent article by Dr. Marsha Lucas, an American psychologist and neuropsychologist describing how meditation can rewire the brain. The article is particularly concerned with how the brain handles relationships but reading between the lines (which ...