Breathing into your pain.

Pain was never a huge part of my life, maybe just a really heavy menstruation cycle, where I got on well with loads of painkillers and after 5 days it was all over...until the next month.

For 6 weeks now pain is a part of my daily life and I wanted to talk about mindfulness And pain.

Finding out that I got scoliosis (unnatural spine curve Which places an abnormal strain onto the spine causing pain) really got me by surprise and a lot of frustration as I've always been an active individual who cannot sit still if not studying or meditating, and that was a real test of how mindfulness can help me.

In the past my believe was that it is impossible to be mindful in the times of crisis or pain, how could you? It's painful, it's hard, you don't want to be in the present moment but back to happy, easy times - but yet, article after article, various research and studies, shows how mindfulness is helpful with chronic pain, cancer, and other extremely hard and challenging situations.

I couldn't get it, how?

Well, now where I am in this situation I might as well dig deeper and understand. From my findings I see that mindfulness is not taking your pain away, but you are befriending your pain, and you learn how to accept it - changing a narrative in your brain about this situation.

I've decided to use mindfulness to be able to feel better specially knowing that this pain might stay with me untill the rest of my life... Things I've noticed and work on at the moment:

1. My first step was to acknowledge how I feel about all of this, not to sound like a victim but more to hear myself out how it is for me, not to pretend I'm all OK - it's new and it's uncomfortable for me and also my family who always seen me super energetic and enthusiastic...

2. Finding small joys in simple everyday life - it's super easy to just let it become all of you, focusing on the things that cannot be done, instead trying to find small joys like smelling the flowers, seeing the light dancing in the kitchen, tasting delicious cake, observing a smile of your child.

3. Knowing and trusting that this is happening for a reason, as hard as that is to accept I know that everything that is happening for us is for something. Maybe I was comparing myself too much to others on my yoga journey and by having this specific condition I cannot do that anymore as my spine can only do certain variations of the poses.

4. It is teaching me that actually I was doing a lot, but never seen it myself until I couldn't do those things (eg, around the house) and appreciating what I can do instead - it's asking me to slow down even if my brain doesn't want that - and that's beautiful.

5. Breathing to my pain is incredible to stay with it, first time I've heard about this was on my yoga session - teacher always would say "breathe into the discomfort, breathe to the muscle that feels really tense" and I couldn't understand that until I was in real pain of a period I've tried to take an inhale and imagine it's going to that pain, at first it's hard to get a hang of it but when it click in your head how it's helping it will made a lot of sense. Only by practicing we can use it as helpful tool.

6. You are not your thoughts! That one came to me when I was having that negative inner chatter "how can your back hurt you are young, you are probably just making it up, oh stop being so dramatic" etc, and then I've decided not to believe in those thoughts - they just are passing by, and I can choose not to get into this chatter, acknowledge them and let them go.

I hope that post will help you some way and if you are struggling with accepting your pain, I see you - it's incredibly hard and even if I practice those different techniques and mindful approach i do have days that I am absolutely sick of it all, rashes from the painkillers, nausea, dizziness and pain if I won't take the tablet on time, my son asking me to play with him when I can't stand up - but even then I am forgiving myself to feel this way because I am only human - and so are you so don't be too harsh on yourself ❤️

Sending loads of love,

Greta.

www.littlemindfullife.co.uk

Thoughts on heart & soul desires

I had those thoughts lately about the jealousy - Or how i prefer to call it, heart & soul desires. I've noticed, specially with social media that we see other people doing things and we automatically compare ourselves and if its good, or bad, or if we should label it at all.

This text came to me yesterday while I was at home, laying on my painful back, watching so many people doing cool things to celebrate summer solstice.

I was taught that jealousy is bad and we should feel ashamed of feeling it, so as soon I had that sigh of "why I can't do those things" I was trying to hide it - even from myself, this moment gave me a great realisation...

In my opinion our heart desires are important, it means we wish something that it's not here - yet... That's how our soul is like "hey, i think you would like that" it doesn't mean we wish someone else bad, or that we will "kill" to be there. In that moment we should stop and think... "Oh yes that would be lovely, I am not there yet in this reality but if my heart wants it, I might look up to get there..." slowly, with patience. Watching how awesome this day is, this life is, as 5 years ago we were dreaming of this reality.

So today's message is, stop labeling your human feelings as bad or good - observe them and treat them as signs, signs of where you will go, a road to your future... And stop judging yourself for feeling those, it means you are a healthy human.

I am sending loads of love your way and I hope this post will leave some value to you.

Vahuiah meditation Part 2

A part two of a blog post for rising run community.

This meditation I am sharing today is self-led, with loose directions to help you understand that you can do it and start believing in yourself on a deeper level.

You will need a quiet space where no one will interrupt you and around 20 minutes or more – don’t put the timer on, let your body tell you how long it needs to be.

I recommend a dark room without any lights for the best result and nothing around you so you can easily spread your arms without hitting anything, if you don’t have this kind of space, a sitting position will be enough. Read all of this first and then go and do it intuitively, there is no right or wrong here – whatever you need is enough, trust it.

The main point of this meditation is that you don’t follow anything and check the boxes but truly learn how to trust yourself and know what is right for you.

Okay, let’s begin.

1. Choose a song – it can be any song, a meditation, chanting, instruments – anything you need in this very moment, songs you don’t know works best. (This will change every time you do it and that’s ok) – maybe avoid songs that can give you strong emotions as it may influence the meditation.

2. Put the music on and lay down in meditation – get fully absorbed by the music you hear, if your mind wanders without judgment - just simply return to your breath and music, and put the critic aside you don’t need him at this moment.

3. When you feel ready stand up and start moving slowly to the music, move how you feel is what your body needs right now, jump, move really slowly, whatever comes to the body – not the mind, don’t judge it, don’t analyse it. Do it as long as you feel is right.

4. When you are ready come back to your starting position – notice the energy moving through your body and imagine it is black smoke that is coming out from every cell of your body. (This was my visualisation but feel free to see the light or anything else that your mind created for you)

Let it all out – all negative, all that doesn’t serve you.

5. When you are ready to move take a Balasana – child’s pose and the last stage of this meditation.

6. Imagine that you are an island – a living breathing island, that people are coming to see the beautiful views that you have to offer, imagine giving them all of your love and positive energy, welcoming them and giving them safety.

7. Now feel like you are the human on this island, how do you feel seeing the views, feeling the fresh air on your skin, the energy that nature gives, the healing that you are experiencing.

8. Be the Island, the human, the nature, the ocean, the birds, plants, and angels, and imagine how you feel being each one of them – you are them, and they are you. Breathe slowly and stay there as long as you need.

9. Open your eyes, and journal about your experiences.

Why Vahuiah?It is called Vahuiah guarding angel meditation because while I was finishing this article, I had a missing piece, something didn’t feel complete, I knew I needed artwork for it and a strong need for creation, after a few minutes of deep mediative state I had a figure in front of me of child’s pose from the last part of meditation and strong connection with it, time on my clock was 00:09.

Usually, I don’t check the angel numbers when I see it just one time but I felt I should in this given moment, so I did and my search led me to the Vahuaiah – the angel guard of love & wisdom, the guardian angel of people who were born between 21st and 25th of March (My birthday is on 24th of march!) and the exact angel that the figure is near my bed since I was about 16…

I believe he gave me this meditation and art channelling so I will finally be able to meet him and finish this work.

So here I am – his mission is to push me into action and start believing in myself so I can do the same for you.

All is well, all is very well.

I believe you meant to see this just when you need it the most.