Tuesday 29 January 2013

Irish Independent News: Keep calm and de-stress

The online newspaper Irish Independent featured an article in the Lifestyle > Independent Woman > Health & Fitness section on Monday Jan 28 2013, titled: Keep calm and de-stress.

Here a few quotes:
"Josephine Lynch, who teaches mindfulness at the Irish Institute of Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies and helps run mindfulness.ie, explains that it's all about being physically and emotionally present and "being aware of the moment in a kindly, friendly way".
She stresses that it's simply about recognising and acknowledging your thoughts, not trying to change things. "You're not trying to manipulate anything, but a change in how you view things is created."
[...]
The beauty of mindfulness lies in its simplicity; there are no expensive fees or strict class schedules to stick to. "You can mindfully make a sandwich, paying attention to what you're doing as you butter the bread and slice the cheese," says Susannah. "You can tune into your surroundings as you walk through the park. You can sit quietly and pay attention to your breath, even if you're sat on a bench in a busy part of town."
[...]
Being mindful is free, but it's something you have to work to cultivate. "The brain responds to experience and can make new pathways," explains Josephine. "But it won't happen out of the blue and does require effort." It's all about creating pockets of time during the day to be mindful and aware of your surroundings. Stopping to smell the flowers – literally – really can reduce stress and increase calmness."

No comments:

Post a Comment