Weekly Insights - 11 August

Hi everyone,

Here is a roundup of the topics I have covered this week. They have all been explored in recent online meditation classes in The Meditation Course. Subscribe with a zero-commitment free month by clicking on the green button.

Contents

• Insights and Images from our Summer Forest Bathing Session
• The Four Tens Meditation: A Body Scan You Will Actually Use
• Unlock The Power Of The Present Moment With Clarity Meditation
• Why It's Time To Learn How To Master Your Attention

🌳 Some Images From Our Forest Bathing Session on Sunday at Beckenham Place Park.

I had the pleasure of co-leading a forest bathing session with Marie Penrose from Penrose Meditation in the ancient woodland at Beckenham Place Park. With around 20 enthusiastic attendees, we immersed ourselves in nature meditation, nature connection, walking meditation, and mindful walking. 🌿✨

After rejuvenating, we for a lively chat and shared our insights and experiences with a beverage under the oak trees by the Mansion. It was a truly magical day, allowing us to connect deeply with the present moment, nature, and our own minds and bodies.

I shall start a series on nature meditation, walking meditation and mindful walking soon so you can all practice wherever you happen to be.

Do you struggle to relax or struggle to find the time to do a body scan?

The Four Tens Meditation is a simple yet powerful relaxation practice you can do anytime, anywhere.

Here's how it works but firstly, a quick tip to help you relax when you breathe out. Try making a soft sound as you exhale. This will naturally make your breath last longer without any effort, helping your body relax.

1. Focus your attention on the area around your eyes (forehead, eyebrows, eyes, cheeks). Relax this area on ten successive out-breaths.
2. Next, focus on the jaw area (mouth, lips, jaw, throat). Relax here for another ten out-breaths.
3. Move your attention to the shoulders (shoulders, back and sides of neck). Again, relax for ten out-breaths.
4. Finally, bring your focus to your hands and relax them for ten out-breaths.

That's it! In just a few minutes, you've released tension from key areas where we hold stress - the face, jaw, neck, shoulders, and hands.

The beauty of the Four Tens is its simplicity and practicality. You can easily incorporate it into daily life, whether at your desk, on a walk, or winding down for bed. No need to get into a special position or find uninterrupted time.

Give the Four Tens a try and notice how it shifts your state. With practice, this can become an invaluable tool in your resilience and relaxation toolkit.

Want to be guided through it? Check out the Four Tens Meditation podcast episode

Learn To Unlock the Power of the Present Moment With Clarity Meditation

An article from this week in the blog from this website.

⏰📚 It’s Time to Learn to Master Your Attention

Automatic thoughts and cultural narratives destroy the richness and beauty of the present moment.

With each tick of the clock, another moment is lost forever to a pointless inner narrative.

Happiness is gaining fulfilment from neutral experiences.

Fulfilment is the realisation that nothing else is needed to make the present moment more perfect than it already is.
Life becomes complete, right here and right now, without the need for more new things or experiences to fill the void.

It has never been more important to learn how to choose your focus and master your attention because the distracting narratives become more powerful every day.

Mastering our attention is the end of dwelling in the past and worrying about the future. It is the end of the suffering that exists only in your mind.

The only way to get your attention back is to train your brain to do it through gentle repetition.

This is meditation.