March magic

After a grey start to the year, glimmers of sunshine and the start of spring flowers can feel like a welcome shift.

But it's too easy to hit burn out at this time of year, motivated by the changing light you can opt to rush into over doing it and then you suddenly wonder why you are so exhausted. 

Here's an invitation to explore a few balancing, relaxing techniques founded in meditation and shamanic principles to truly restore that sense of 'springing into wonder' to your mind and body.

Sun soothing: we all know how sunshine can lift our mood, it's not just your imagination, sunlight affects the production of serotonin and melatonin, which impact mood and sleep. Although the spring equinox and change to British Summer Time is fast approaching, we can still forget to make an effort to 'find some sunshine' in our day.  On gorgeous holidays we always remember to enjoy a sunrise and sunset, but in the middle of work, the school run, caring demands, it's too easy to forget. Sunrise is around 6.30am now - can you get up and spot it, from a window, or better still getting outside into the rising light?  Sunset is around 6pm (and by the end of March it will be 7.35pm). Can you make time in your busy schedule to 'chase' a sunrise or sunset. Explore doing this for 7 days and if that's too much, can you make time to get into the sunshine/light every day? 

Pause: spring brings a rush of doing, spring cleaning, clearing clutter, restarting exercise regimes, end of tax year demands and business planning.  Take time to pause in this rush and you'll find greater productivity in your day. Just 10 minutes of meditation a day, can help to increase focus, improve sleep and boost productivity. A 'meditation' can be as simple as shutting off your devices and watching the flicker of a candle flame, standing watching the sunrise in silence or a gentle breath or guided technique.

Rain: spring showers are a reliable part of this time of year, but notice what rain brings to your mood and thoughts.  Try to resist the 'gloom' of a rainy day bringing your mood down and spend time enjoying watching the rain fall against a window, running, walking or dancing in the rain, and exploring RAIN as a meditation in itself: Recognise the way you are feeling in this moment. Allow all the feelings, thoughts and sensations this moment brings to be present - don't try to distract yourself. Just observe how and what you are feeling, judgements and sensations. Investigate: invite a curious mindset to these thoughts and feelings. Notice: now observe if and how things begin to shift.

Inspire: what are you doing to spark interest, get out of your comfort zone a little and embrace learning and development for the gifts they bring. Learning builds your brain's cognitive function, but it also boosts happiness and confidence and can help you foster a sense of purpose, while potentially reducing stress, sadness and boredom. Maybe you've booked a holiday to Spain and thought about learning some of the language. Maybe you've become a bit glued to the sofa of an evening and it's time to indulge in a good book, class or workshop instead. Maybe you've been curious about how AI can help you at work and it's time to test out a course. Think about what lifts your spirits and make time to learn, explore and get inspired.

Goals: Having a dream, building wishes, is the start of good goals.  How can you turn this into a SMARTIE goal?  And then break down that goal into little steps.  What small action today, this week and this month will take you closer to this.  Set this in action and go get your dreams to become a reality.

Want help with bringing less stress and more joy into your world? Tap into some of these experiences and having an accountability partner on your journey?  Drop in to this month's online and real-life events or book yourself the treat of reiki or a one-to-one mindful coaching experience to rediscover the balance you are seeking, to restore a sense of wonder and magic in your life