Mind & Spirit

Two new studies show music has strong positive and negative emotional effects.

Self-control is, paradoxically, something we look to others to provide.

I was feeling a little over meditation this week. Perhaps I shouldn’t be saying that on a meditation blog (particularly when my month-long Mindful in May meditation challenge is only halfway through), but it’s the truth. It’s not that I haven’t been enjoying meditating daily — I love the space it brings to my life — it’s just […]

Engaging in a creative activity brings similar benefits to meditation and, for some, respite from long-term illness.

Ah, food. It nourishes you, it gives you life, it is the reminder of childhood memories and the protagonist of occasions that knit your life together. We all know that what you eat is the cornerstone of a healthy life — but how you eat is also important. Do you scoff your dinner in front of […]

It’s 5.30am. It’s dark outside the yoga studio, it’s dark behind my eyelids and I’m struggling to focus on anything that isn’t my stomach. It may not be the most fortuitous of starts to 31 days of mindfulness, but it can only go up from here. I’ve signed up to Mindful in May (MiM), a […]

New research shows that when it comes being happy it is quality not quantity that counts.

Learning mindfulness improves performance on exams under pressure.

To understand how hypnotherapy can help you, you need to understand how it works and what it involves. Hypnotherapy is a natural process much like the state between being awake and asleep called the hypnoidal point. It makes you more open to positive suggestions and allows you to make good changes by nudging your subconscious into the desired thought process. In this state you are completely aware of things around you but are reinforcing positive thoughts in the subconscious mind which is what drives the conscious mind in our waking state. The way you feel during a session can differ for each person but generally it makes you feel relaxed and refreshed. This makes it excellent for stress as it allows you to stop and take a break for a moment as well as teaching you new skills.

It seems there are reasons, not all bad, why we choose to watch violent films.

Mindfulness is a path to truly knowing yourself.

Thinking over stressful events can increase inflammation in your body.