As I have mentioned in my 'About' page - you find yourself on a Roller Coaster Ride and you will want to get off.  We all know, that there is no getting off until you have reached the destination.  No matter how awful, terrifyingly scary this is going to be, how sick you feel, you just have to go with it.

So close your eyes and hang on in there. 

Believe it or not, Mindfulness Meditation has huge health benefits and why more practitioners out there do not recommend it, is beyond me.  I suffered with mind blowing immense excruciating pain (there aren't enough words to describe it).  The muscles covering my head and neck had constricted so severely post surgery, that washing my hair made me feel incredibly sick, accompanied by a feeling that I would pass out at any moment.  The suggested course of action was to have physiotherapy, but this only made the muscles constrict even more.  I tried every path imaginable to treat my condition, until one day I walked into a Mindfulness Meditation group and from there on in, my life changed.

There are important health benefits to you, whilst you focus on your breath, breathing deeply and releasing slowly.  As we breathe well, we are taking in fresh oxygen that pours into our cells and rejuvenates all organs, improving health at cellular level.  Mindful breathing helps to flush out toxins from the lymphatic system and due to the enhanced oxygen supply, more endorphins are released which help calm the body and ease pain.  Regular practice of Mindfulness Meditation support pain management.

Meditation empowers us to train the mind to accept the pain and the worry, allowing us to establish a better connection between the brain and the body.  This in turn helps with coming to terms with the situation and allowing us to find a coping mechanism that helps navigate us back on our path.

Most of the stress, anxiety and inability to concentrate are created by our minds and what we think about ourselves and the relationship with the world around us.  Meditation is a tool to be used to rest the mind.  Through this practice you can cut out the incessant chatter from thought conversations that interfere with your ability to perceive reality as it is.  Resting the mind helps to fight or prevent disorders, such as Alzheimer's and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and is an incredible tool for releasing repressed emotions, toxic thoughts, release of anger and resentment associated with past memories.   Through the practice of Meditation it reduces the likelihood of developing hypertension, it can also boost the immune system, boost imagination, creativity and memory.  

Mindfulness Meditation helps reduce resistance.  To practice Mindfulness, you practice staying in the present.  This helps you to cope with the situation far better as you are not constantly reflecting on the memories of the past and projecting future outcomes that may or may not ever happen.  Mindfulness Meditation helps to focus on the task at hand and assists with coping more easily.

The great thing about Mindfulness, is that you can do it anywhere.  There's no need to sit on a pillow with your legs crossed with thumb and finger together resting on your knee's, you can be mindful in the garden, in the bath, listening to music, enjoy the moment whilst painting or singing.  Because mindfulness meditation is all about being in the present moment and not thinking about what you will be cooking for dinner or rushing off to do the next thing on your list.  It is all about the moment, the here and the now.  Life is a gift and that is why it is called the present!

Unfortunately, high levels of prolonged Stress, increases the level of Cortisol and Adrenaline, which are the hormones that flick the 'fight or flight' response switch. This in turn raises blood pressure and heart rate.  Imagine keeping your foot on the peddle constantly, it's not going to do the engine much good over long periods of time.  As with your body, if you don't come to rest and switch off, your immune system will eventually weaken and this will have a detrimental impact to your health.

CALM, RELAX, REST, REJUVENATE &  FIND PEACE.

Regular Meditation is known to help with the following positive outcomes:-

*  Reduction of toxic lactate, which has been linked to increasing the likelihood of anxiety.

*  Improves energy levels.

*  Improves muscular tissues.

*  Regulates blood flow and reduces stress, decreasing the risk of heart disease and strokes.

*  Reduces and can reverse plaque build up in the artery walls, if accompanied by a healthy diet and                exercise.

*  Can also restore natural biorhythms, which means you are less likely to overeat or smoke due to a               reduction in your stress levels.

*  Aids the release in neurotransmitters, such as oxytocin and dopamine, which reduce stress and calms        reactions.

*  Restores balance, helps with relaxation, aids with sleep, slows heart rate, dilates blood vessels.

*  Boost creativity, cognitive ability and reduces depression.

*  Helps reduce hypertension, which can lead to strokes, heart attacks or a brain haemorrhage.  On-going 

    hypertension causes the arteries to distend, due to having to accommodate increased blood flow.