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Mindful musings

A shared journey is a pleasant journey

Music and Meditation

1/26/2015

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Meditation doesn't have to be about sitting cross-legged on the floor in perfect silence. I am a firm believer that as many people there are on earth, there are as many ways to meditate. One of those is meditating with music. 

Hospitals around the world are seeing the value of music therapy, and are implementing programs for patients. Whilst I was an in-patient at Sloan Kettering, I found the music therapy program incredibly helpful. I was very fortunate to have a wonderful music therapist who played the harp. When I was feeling too sick to even lift my head, my therapist would play her harp quietly. It always lifted my mood, and helped me to sleep deeply. 

Medical research has shown that listening to soft, classical music can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, relieve pain, and slow the heart rate. Meditating with music assists in creating a meditative state. It provides an outer point of focus, helping you stay in the present moment. It's also another way of measuring the length of your meditation without having to use an alarm or timer.

Below are some of my favorite pieces to meditate with. When I'm feeling particularly stressed or on days where I don’t “feel like” meditating, these pieces help me focus and meditate anyway. When I first started meditating, music also helped me meditate for longer periods of time. 
Meditation with Music
Select a piece of music. Press play. Sit or lie in a comfortable position. If you choose to lie down, have the intention to remain awake. Gently close your eyes. Breathe in. As you breathe out, allow your jaw and shoulders to soften. As you breathe engage your diaphragm. Gently push it out as you breathe in, and let it soften as you breathe out. Continue to breathe as you listen to the music. Be aware of your mind as it wanders. Notice any thoughts, memories, or feelings that arise. Acknowledge their presence, and return your focus to the music. When the music is complete, give yourself a moment to become aware of the sounds around you. Gently wriggle your fingers and toes. Roll your shoulders back. And gently open your eyes. 
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I would love to hear about your experiences meditating with music. Share your thoughts and favorite pieces in the comments! 
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Cancer and Meditation

12/9/2014

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Several years ago I did a meditation facilitator's course. In the first term, we learnt and practised a different style of meditation evert week. In the second term, we learnt how to apply those meditations to different situations, teaching children, meditation for stress, meditation for grief, meditation for illness. Much discussion and teaching centered around people with cancer. Although I had close family members who had been diagnosed with cancer, facilitating meditation for cancer patients was not something I felt comfortable with. 

Then in July this year, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. I was told that without treatment, I had a month to live. It was a devastating shock. If you're interested, you can read more about the diagnosis here. 

I kept asking the doctors, and myself, how does a non-smoking, barely-drinking, vegetarian runner who meditates get cancer? The answer is just plain bad luck. It happens. To people who are old. People who are young. People who are religious. People who are atheists. People who exercise. People who don't. 

We don't really know what causes cancer. There are a ton of factors at play. Genetics. Environment. History of illness. Exposure to radiation or chemicals. Stress. It is almost impossible to pinpoint the exact cause. And as I have learnt, every case is different. Every diagnosis is different. Treatment and outcomes will vary from person to person.

I have been through all the stages of grief, and back again, when it comes to my diagnosis. Denial. This absolutely cannot be happening to me. It's not. I feel fine. Anger. How did this happen? I eat well, exercise, meditate, use organic skin products and do my best to live a healthy lifestyle. Frustration.Why is this happening to me?! Why can't I live a normal life? Depression.There is absolutely no point to anything. Acceptance. I have cancer. 

Studies have shown that meditation is helpful in reducing anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain. Recent research has shown meditation changes the cellular structure of cancer patients. 

Many people come to meditation after a serious illness or life crisis. I feel extremely fortunate that I already had meditation skills up my sleeve when I was diagnosed. Meditating didn't make the cancer go away (modern medicine did that), or make me feel magically positive about the whole experience. But it does help take the edge off. It helps when I'm feeling nauseous. It helps keeps me sane when I'm facing a long recuperation. It helps me to stay in the present moment when I'm agonizing over how did this happen or what happens next? It provides moments of stillness and peace. 

I'm looking forward to sharing meditation with others again in the new year. In the meantime, this is me breathing, moment by moment, without judgement, and breathing again.  
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Color Meditation

5/14/2014

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Welcome back fellow meditators! Today's meditation is a short meditation combining a colour visualization with a body scan. Although a strange paradox, this is a useful meditation for helping you fall asleep, or if you need a little more focus in your day. 


Like what you see here? Sign up for a personalized Skype session! You'll get a 15 or 30 minute one-on-one meditation session with Luisa, tailored for your needs. To book, go here. 

Thanks for watching, and see you again next week! 
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Meditation for Stress

5/5/2014

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If you're human, chances are you have at some point (or many), dealt with stress. Meditation doesn't make stress go away entirely, but it does help take the edge off. Mindfulness can help us to face stressful situations with more calm and clarity. 

In this meditation, learn to check in with your breath and body, and use your breath to help alleviate the physical symptoms of stress. 
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Eating Meditation

4/8/2014

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A regular sitting meditation practise is wonderful, but we don't always have time, despite our best intentions. Practising meditation while you eat is a great way to incorporate meditation into your every day life, and it can positively effect the way you eat, digest, and enjoy food. 

For this particular meditation, start off something small, such a date, raisin, or a grape. Once you've learnt the pattern, you can apply it to a full meal. Try just one meal a day, or even a week, where you eat mindfully. No tv, no screens, no newspapers. You could light a candle to make it extra spesh! 

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Cheers, and here's to eating mindfully! 
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Breath Meditation

3/25/2014

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Quite a few friends have recently asked where to find videos and guides for meditation, so I've created a short guided meditation on breath. Nice and easy! Take a seat and start meditating today! 
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Seeking the Silver Bullet

1/26/2014

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Labyrinth
We want 

A solution

An answer

A pill

A medicine

A magical being

To make suffering end


In order 

To be 

Skinnier 

Healthier

More wealthy

Successful

Lovable 

Make life easier


If only we could wave a magic wand

Or stick to the diet

Or do the affirmations

Or follow the right guru 

Or read the right books 

Or do the exercises

Or make the bad people go away


We desire 

Quick fixes

Instant solutions 


We wanted to be better yesterday

Last year 

Ten years ago


And still we’re waiting.


Meditation 

Doesn’t make you better

It doesn’t provide 

The silver bullet

To curing life’s ills

It is not the be all and end all 

To achieving happiness


But it does take the edge off 

Allows for moments of clarity

Moments of peace 

Moments of stillness 


It is free

You don’t need any special skills

You don’t need to be any kind of person

You don’t need to believe in anything or anyone


Just pay attention

Without judgement 

And repeat. ​
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The Black Dog

12/9/2013

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I highly recommend this excellent video about depression, what it is, and how we can learn to live with it.

​The illustrator, Matthew Johnstone, is creative director at The Black Dog Institute in Sydney. Learning mindfulness at The Black Dog Institute literally saved my life. I am immensely grateful for their work. 
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The Silly Season 

12/3/2013

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Pointy head
We cannot deny the festive season is upon us. The fairy lights are up, every store is reminding us that Christmas is drawing ever closer, and the present buying and baking has begun. 

In Fort Collins, we’re in the middle of a delicious snow storm. It is seriouslycold outside. It wasn’t until I moved to London two years ago that I was able to appreciate the magic of snow. And it really is magical. The way the world turns into sparkling white, the way air smells crisp and fresh. You come across snow-people built into the footpath. Grown-ups are outplaying. It’s awesome. 

In London, snow brings an element of inconvenience too. The lack of regularly falling frozen precipitation means the infrastructure can’t really cope. Public transport becomes a nightmare as train lines are closed, and buses become overcrowded and slow. If you’re lucky, a snow day will be called, and you can skip school for the day or “work” from home. 

There is something to be said for a season that simultaneously demands stillness and quiet, and play and frivolity. After all, ‘tis the season...!  These kind of opposites are the heart of meditation. In meditation we’re actively doing nothing. It’s a fascinating contradiction. Yet the practise comes in finding the space in the contradiction. 

May you be able to find some stillness in the hectic pace leading up to the festive season. Hopefully, at least for most of my northern hemisphere readers, you'll have some snow to help you find it. 

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Sunrise/Sunset 

12/2/2013

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Tonight's sunset in Fort Collins
When I first started blogging about moments of lovely a few years ago, over at Breathe Just Breathe, I promised myself I would never write about something as cliched as a sunrise or sunset. Puhleeese! 

Living in London for the past two years has meant I haven't seen all too many sunrises or sunsets, as the sky is usually covered in grey clouds. When I did happen to catch a sunset, it almost always blew me away. The colors in the sky, the glow of the city skyline, the fleeting nature of being able to witness those moments between light, twilight, and dark. 

Something my sister posted on facebook yesterday caught my eye and attention. She had posted a gorgeous picture of a Sydney sunset, captioned it with "sunset report," and tagged a few of her friends. The idea of checking in with a lovely sunset, observing the end of daylight hours, and reveling in the loveliness of something as everyday as a sunset is a pretty profound meditation. And without getting too existential, meditating on the fact that we are on a life-supporting rock rotating around a giant ball of gas is fairly phenomenal. 

What moments of magic can we find in the everyday? How can we use the everyday to support a regular meditation practise? 

I would love to hear your thoughts. 
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