Mindfulness in a cuppa

I have great intentions of setting time up for myself to meditate or journal or stretch. Yet, those intentions fall into spiralling negative guilt patterns when they’re not achieved.

Then, I discovered I can take 30 seconds a day to reset myself. Sometimes, I’d come home from work with a headache or stomach pains because I’d stopped breathing while typing away at the computer. It was becoming more obvious that I needed to change my approach. This is when my workmate taught me how to take deep breaths in through my nose and out through my nose and mindfully drink a cuppa.

The practice of savouring the taste and feeling the warm tea sliding down my throat was novel at first. It felt weird. I kept looking at my workmate as she truly enjoyed every sip of her tea and it looked wonderful. I wanted that wonder and to let go of all the deadlines I had, even if it was for only five minutes.

My workmate gave me a gift. When I was taught laughter yoga, nugget of gold was the permission to laugh for no reason for 30 seconds at anytime during the day. It’s changed how I approach life.

Every time I see a stressful bill or have big deadlines or decisions. I just let the laughter rip. My whole body fills up with bubbles of excitement. It’s a mindfulness that I’m ok and that worry only creates more worry so I’m going to do the opposite and convince my mind that I’m relaxed. I create mindfulness all throughout my day. These days I have the most hilarious cups of tea with myself. To call my morning break enjoyable is an understatement.

Isn’t it time to take a break from our mind?

I invite you to make a cuppa. Take a deep breath. Sip your tea. Smile. Laugh for 30 seconds and enjoy every sip of your cuppa this way. Every cell in your body will thank you.

Laughter yoga

Laughing for life

Finally! I’m a yoga teacher. I’m not athletic or flexible but I can laugh. Nearly six years ago I stopped drinking and smoking. I stopped overnight. Cold turkey and was convinced I could do it with no help at all! Turns out I was wrong.

The most amazing moment in my sobriety journey is when I was with friends and I laughed at a joke. I felt the laugh rumble from my belly and convulse my body. Fizzy feelings of fun felt through every cell. I thought, wow, this is what feeling my feelings can do.

Laughter yoga is about breath and convincing our body we can laugh without finding anything funny. It’s the ole’ fake it till ya make it concept.

With the pandemic making life become so uncertain with the ongoing ongoing-ness of it all, breathing has become something we know we can focus on and enjoy.

Laughter yoga explores breath, laughter and connection so we can help our nervous system rest and calm our brain. All this helps our immune system.

Time to take our mask off and have a laugh together. Contact me today to join the online laughter club. ha ha. Hee hee. Ho ho.