Life. One Breath at a Time.
This morning, a recent friend offered to sit with me in meditation.
And it was powerful and provided me with the deep healing I needed.
I’ll explain.
I am hurting.
And when I talk with my black friends, our collective hurt and pain spills out.
We are mothers, and like our parents and elders had dreams of providing a better world for our children.
It is hard to be hopeful, loving and present when in pain. [Read more…] about Healing is Justice (a personal reflection of healing)
Here’s a Simple Self-Love Manifesto for Peace and Justice, perfect if you’re a peaceful warrior and looking to create change and help build a fair and just society, – without burning out and crashing out.
I invite you to print your copy of Self-Love Manifesto; share it with your friends and repeat it silently to yourself every single day – to help you stay on track, energised and aligned with your purpose.
I promise to be my best.
To rest.
To restore and nurture my core.
I promise to look after myself.
To give myself the love I want, need, and desire.
To honour and respect my heart and fill her with musical melodies and sacred art which elevate and inspire my soul.
I promise to love myself with a fiery passion which flows from the depths of the earth.
A love. That is timeless and eliminates, doubt, worries and fears.
I promise to show up in my life, and in the world to live life fully, to walk the higher path of love, light and integrity.
And if my feet stumble and fall over the rocky terrain, I promise I will rise, stand tall as I keep my eyes on the prize and heart firmly on the higher good.
I promise to take a stand for injustice, to breathe fully in this world, to know I will fall…. yet have the grace and courage to surrender, ask for support and allow myself to receive.
I promise to be my best and love myself more and more every day.
I promise to be gentle with myself.
To honour and balance my need for rest, work, love, fun, play and sleep.
To allow you to support me and call me out, when I slip out of alignment.
I promise to shine, to glow and be a magnet for truth and justice;
to encourage others going through pain and sadness of heart to breathe, sit with their pain and still rise and create change in our world.
Most of all, I promise to serve, love, give, breathe and be my best and play my part to create a harmonious and just world for all.
Ntathu Allen
c. 2020
[Read more…] about Self-Love Manifesto for Peace, Love and Justice
We are going through a global pandemic relating to the voracious spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
In this post, I’ll share with you the power of meditation quotes to reduce stress and help you return home to peace.
During stressful and uncertain times, it is easy to fall into a negative spiral of fear, as we bombard our senses with images and words of destruction and human fragility.
We come face to face with our mortality and at our lowest point, face an existential crisis as we question the meaning of our life.
Mentally and physically we are drained as we struggle to make sense of the changes we are told to make to our lifestyle and keep ourselves and loved ones safe.
Maybe you wake up feeling drained, exhausted from lack of sleep?
And wonder how will you make it through the day without snapping at your partner and yelling at your children.
Or, maybe your job is on the line and you lay awake worried about the cost of everything and how long your money will last.
If so, you are not alone. Most people feel the same.
In this article, I would like to share with you one of my favourite ways to reduce stress – meditation and the power of meditation quotes to create a sense of peace and calm inside.
” meditation quotes or yoga quotes about peace are short sayings, often just a sentence or two, that communicates solid advice and causes you to ponder, pause and review your situation.”
To reduce stress, reading powerful meditation quotes has been a cornerstone of my journey to peace.
Many a day, when I was grieving the loss of my brother and cousin, I would struggle to get up and out of bed as my mind kept replaying images of my brother’s funeral.
Yet with three young daughters to get ready for nursery, and fulfil my obligations at work, I had to get up and ready for the day.
My cousin brought me a copy of “Acts of Faith – Daily Meditation for People of Colour ” by Iyanla Vanzant and encouraged me to read the daily passages when I woke up.
I did.
I would feel uplifted, ready to start my day feeling stronger.
Since then, reading affirmations and meditating forms the core of my self-care and morning routine.
So, if you are feeling fearful, anxious and uncertain, I hope you find solace, peace and strength from one of the 25 powerful meditation quotes to reduce stress.
1. Read through the list, pick one or two quotes which speak to you.
2. For the next 21 days, when you wake up, sit up tall, take a gentle breath in and out through your nose and read aloud your chosen quotes.
3. Sit still for a few more moments and allow the depth and beauty of the quotes to open your mind and fill your heart.
I include website links where you can find out more about the life and teachings of the authors of these quotes. [Read more…] about Meditation Quotes For Stress: 25 Powerful Meditation Quotes For Inner Peace
Welcome gentle soul to today’s blog, a self-love poem for the courage to restore hope and peace to troubled hearts.
As you know, we are on this journey from feeling overwhelmed, worn out and running on empty to learning to love ourselves, to be happy and proud of who we are, and to find peace in stressful situations.
Hands up, it ain’t easy.
I live in that tee-shirt.
The spiritual path is full of twists and turns.
Roadblocks and obstacles come in the form of divorce, loss of loved ones, redundancies and frayed tempers.
Yet, when we can “Return Home” to our core, to the quiet, still space inside, we recognise the challenge as a blessing; an opportunity to lean into a sense of gratitude, smile at our shortcoming and know all is well. [Read more…] about Self-Love Poem for Courage It is Time
Bless you Dear Friends and welcome to today’s post where I offer you 3 Simple Self-Love Practices You Can Use Today To Love Yourself More:
These three self-love practices are:
reading spiritual quotes and affirmations,
prayer
meditation.
If you are a regular reader of my posts, you’ll know my theme, Surrender to Love, looks at easy ways to explore and practice becoming more self-loving as you put your needs for stress-relief, inner peace and calm higher on your agenda.
As super-busy working women, you recognise and appreciate the value of more-me-time and self-love yet putting that into practice is daunting, especially if you have spent years, like most super-busy women, putting your family’s wants, needs and desires and work commitments in front of your own wishes.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
In fact, your desire to provide a safe, loving and secure home for your family is part of your [Read more…] about 3 Simple Self-Love Practices You Can Use Today To Love Yourself More
If you do a quick search on Google on “core strength”, you will find a lot of resources and exercises to strengthen the physical body, particularly your abdominals, lower back and pelvic regions.
On a structural level, a strong flexible back, toned belly, and supportive pelvic area are crucial in our desire to be healthy and well.
However, from a yogic perspective, your core strength relates to your inner sense of well-being and how strong you feel.
It is that fine balance between integrating your physical, spiritual and emotional needs, so you feel stable, safe, and secure inside.
When you have a strong inner core you’ll be…
Strong enough to rise above any life obstacles and bounce back again.
Stable enough to fall off the wagon and know that’s OK, that’s life; you’re still beautiful.
Safe in your trust that life has your back and you’ll get through.
If you’re going through an emotionally challenging time, maybe a divorce, an unpleasant situation at work, or worried about your child, it is hard to tap into your inner core.
Instead of feeling strong, safe, and stable, you feel stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted.
Your parasympathetic nervous system shuts down, your stress hormones ramp up and you function from a space of fear.
Lost our sense of safety and security in life, and struggle to believe that things will change and get better.
Often, we can’t change external stimuli.
Society has a way of reinforcing all that is negative in the world and unless we take steps to strengthen our core, we fall apart.
So, to support you strengthen your inner core and be calm, strong, and balance your nervous system, today’s post is to remind you to keep up your self-care practices.
Self-care is often the first thing we neglect when we feel pressurised and operating in a reactive, self-preservation mode.
If your self-care has slipped, here are five simple self-care practices to help you take care of yourself and strengthen your core, so you can respond from a space of calm confidence.
These 5 self-care practices aren’t new yet make a difference when regularly practised.
#1. “Health is Wealth, Peace of Mind Happiness, Yoga Shows the Way,” (Swami Vishnudevananda)
A regular yoga practice will help to strengthen your body and mind and improve your flexibility.
If you don’t have time to practice a full 60 minutes class, check out the simple Chair Yoga stretches in my book, which you can do at your desk, in bed or even on your train commute home.
A strong body gives you physical stamina and endurance to navigate the demands on your time and energy.
#2. Sleep Like a Baby
Like many people, I short change myself on sleep;Especially when the pressure is on, we struggle to unwind, go to bed and get a good night’s sleep.
Lack of sleep disrupts your nervous system and you wake up tired, exhausted, and irritable.
A few rounds of yoga breathing exercises as you settle into bed helps soften your nerves and makes it easier for you to fall asleep.
And when you get a good night’s sleep, you wake refreshed, energised and have the energy to get up and go.
#3. Mindful Eating to Feed Your Spirit
When you are feeling low and lack energy, our natural inclination is to eat high sugary snacks and meals to improve our mood.
Instead, a more calming and compassionate way to boost your energy naturally and improve your core strength is to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Avocados and mangos are my favourite fruit!
If you are a snacker and graze through your day, snack on sunflower seeds or oatcakes instead of candy bars and cakes.
#4. Put Your Feet Up
Rest and relaxation are essential to help your body heal and repair from the stress and pressure of daily life.
Whenever you can, take a break during your day and practise Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra is the perfect anti-dote to support your core.
You’ll regain your sense of calm and balance and easily reconnect with your core.
#5. Calm Your Mind
A daily meditation practice changes the structure and function of the brain.
When we spend our time fighting and putting out fires, our brain is on hyper-vigilant mode, we don’t feel safe.
Meditation reduces stress, improves focus and clarity, and increases the brain’s capacity for happiness, empathy and compassion.
Regular practice helps slow down the calm and clear your mind, which aids focus and improves decision-making.
When your mind is calm and clear, you feel decisive, steady, and can respond from a space of strength and certainty inside yourself.
Closing Thoughts…
Remember, when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and going through a hard time, it is vital to keep up your self-care practices.
You’ll notice it becomes easier for you to bounce back and find your balance when things fall apart.
Practising yoga, meditation, yoga breathing exercises, eating well and getting more sleep won’t change your situation overnight, you’ll still go through troubled times.
But they can help you regulate your nervous system, help you settle down after a fright – without numbing, avoiding or stressing out even more.
You will lose loved ones; things will crop up at work – they may make you redundant and you’ll have mounting debts to clear.
So, whatever is going on in your life, take your time.
Practice loving-kindness and be gentle with yourself.
And slowly, one morning you’ll wake up and feel strong, safe and secure inside; ready to face your troubles with a steady heart and stronger inner core.
Sounds good, right?
Till next time, remember to look after yourself.
Hugs, peace and blessings.
Ntathu xxx
P.S. Just to let you know, I adapted today’s blog from an article I originally published on Ezine Articles, which you can read here> Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ntathu_Allen/18803…
[Read more…] about 5 Simple Self-Care Practices To Improve Your Inner Core Strength
Do you feel like you’re always rushing around, caring for others and doing things for everyone else – but have no time for yourself? If so, today’s post, 5 Quick Reasons Why You Should Try Meditation Now! is just for you!
How many times have you laid awake – stressed-out as you mentally go over what happened at work?
Or have you ever woken up, frazzled and frantic as you gaze at the clock and realise you have overslept! and there is no way, you will complete the report you took home to work on, and get to work on time?
Maybe, you are anxious and concerned how your daughter is getting on at college, you want to call her yet don’t want to get in her way!
I know from personal experience how “bad news” can quickly turn your world upside down!
Stuff happens.
Life gets in the way of your best-laid plans and ambitions.
Priorities change overnight and you either sink or swim.
No matter how much you try to control a situation and force things to happen, sometimes the only thing you can do is to “go with the flow”, give your best and hope things turn out for the best.
[Read more…] about 5 Quick Reasons Why You Should Try Meditation Now!
