Mindfulness is a beautiful mediation which involves your senses and how you are feeling in the present moment.
I first discovered mindfulness when I was struggling to control my anxiety. Anxiety is a fear of the future, but we all have different ways our anxiety manifest. For me, my thoughts just keep coming, one after another and I start to imagine all sorts of scenarios. Mindfulness helps me to control my thoughts by focusing on what is happening right now.
I now use mindfulness daily and recently I completed a mindfulness champions training course with Breathworks, to enable me to share it with other people and add it into my aromatherapy practice.
As well as using mindfulness in my daily practice I also use it as my thoughts start to spiral. I have two mini mindfulness meditation I’d like to share.
· If I am at work or a public place, I find a quiet room, I put my hand on my heart and feel my chest going up and down and enjoy that sensation. I then close my eyes and take my focus to my breath, inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth, letting my breath flow at its own pace. Once I begin to feel the calmness wash over me, I open my eyes. Inhale and exhale one final breath. This quick exercise is great if you are feeling your stress levels rise.
· When I’m outside on a dog walk or doing something like hanging the washing out and my anxiety is taking hold, I take a moment to focus on what is happening around me, by zoning in on my senses.
o What can I hear? It could be a buzzard overhead or the sound of traffic in the distance
o What can I see? A cat stretching in the sunshine or a leaf dancing in the breeze
o What can I taste? Can I still taste minty, toothpaste from brushing my teeth or can I taste the sweetness from a tomato I’ve just picked from my greenhouse
o What can I feel? Rain drops on my skin or maybe the warmth of the sun
o What can I smell? The smell of freshly cut grass or the aroma of lavender, drifting in the breeze
These mini meditations can last as little as two minutes, but I’ve found they really do help with my ongoing battle with anxiety. Over on my Instagram account @sageandbellflower I plan on sharing some of my mini meditation in my reels, for anyone who would like to be guided through a meditation.
Aromatherapy and mindfulness also compliment each other and work beautifully together. There are many essential oils, which can help with anxiety, worry and overthinking. Receiving a bespoke massage with mindfulness in mind or using an aromatherapy product such as a meditation mists, to help you focus on your senses and prepare you for meditation.
Over the next few months, I will be sharing my tips on how aromatherapy and mindfulness can work together, via meditations, recipes, and a brand-new product to help with your meditations.
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