The Balance Blueprint: Simple Mind-Body Tools to Stress Less and Find Calm

Do you feel a little hard done by?
A heaviness in your heart because you felt someone let you down.
Perhaps you had a disagreement, or felt unsupported by a loved one or a colleague you thought knew you better.
Feeling unheard, misunderstood and well, even a little bit angry having bumped up against an uncomfortable situation or conversation that went down a road you might now regret.
This happens us all. You are human! And this short mindful meditation will help you feel into this moment with care and kindness and help you repair.
It will guide you to a place of allowing things to be the way they are and to let go of having to feel the weight of your emotions so tightly.
If this helps you feel lighter and less controlled by your heavy thoughts, I have more to offer you in my new Ultimate Guide to a Balanced Home and Work Life. It gives you 4 steps to help quieten the noisy mind, build resilience and strengthen relationships so you can unlock the balanced lifestyle you deserve.
Access your FREE GUIDE HERE
And if we're not already connected, come find me on Instagram @the_mindfulguide for more ways to live a beautiful balanced life, you love

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

This is a guided mindful meditation called a Moment to Forgive.
It offers mindful guidance if you’re coming through conflict and feel you've been harmed or hard done by, and it feels like ALOT.
Take this moment to pause, quieten the body and mind and give yourself this momentary sanctuary of peace- which is what Forgiveness will also offer you.
But forgiveness is hard and typically, we’re not able to forgive because we’re holding on to a lot of pain. This forgiveness practice shines a spotlight of awareness on how it feels right now, and invites compassion to the pain you're holding onto.
It's not easy to forgive but you can start by opening up and creating a little more space.
Allowing anger, bitterness or resentment to be here, but loosening the grip they have on you. Forgiveness is really the release of the emotional charge that comes with the bitterness and even vengeance towards the person that may have harmed you. Regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.
This brave and gentle practice of forgiveness can help you turn toward the future instead of resenting the past. To realise you don't need to keep torturing yourself, with sleepless nights, being physically sick, exhausted, panic attacks. This is already enough - let go of the pain and consider the possibility of freeing your heart and untangling the knot it's managed to wrangle itself into.

Forgiveness is not condoning what's happened, or agreeing with it. You don’t even have to like it. It’s the realisation that holding onto what happened is in itself painful.

‘'Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future’', Paul Boese

Forgiveness can be a practice, and one worth practicing because it can be so liberating and freeing. Letting go of resentment and grudges and bringing more compassion, more love and more care to the world.

[credit to Dr Diana Winston for her inspiration for this guided meditation and thoughts]

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

This conversation is a treat.
It will inspire you and hopefully, give you much food for thought as you navigate the big decisions in your life.
Gerry (originally from Ireland) completed a four-year Masters in Mindfulness-Based Teaching (with me!) at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University in Wales, one of the most renowned institutions for mindfulness research and practice in the world.
Before this he was a Vice President in a large American entertainment company based in Amsterdam, and has worked in marketing for almost thirty years. He and his wife, Christina (from the Netherlands ), are now living in Vilanculos in Mozambique, where they run MindWise (www.mindwise.me) offering mindfulness and yoga-based retreats in Mozambique, South Africa and in Europe, teaching mindfulness to local schoolchildren, running face-to-face themed workshops and teaching mindfulness to corporate companies. Together they also offer mindful holiday retreats to their little home in Mozambique overlooking the Indian Ocean, which I hope one day to experience!

We hear how Gerry faced burnout in his executive career and after much reflection and struggle made some very big changes in his life. He shares his experience and weaves in some beautiful poetry and images to highlight the beauty and strength of mindfulness in navigating this one precious life we all have.
There is so much to unpack here and here are the top three takeaways of the discussion:
1. Life is Change and the essence of our experience is change. It makes us who we are. The more you navigate, the stronger you become, each decision and opportunity preparing you for the next
2. Flow like a river. Be open to what's here, without judgement, blame or pushing it away. Realising that it's already here. Instead, unfold like a river, bending and twisting around it's undiscovered bends. Be carried away by the surprise of your own unfolding path
3. Embrace the groundlessness. Like the birds who have to leave the nest to learn how to fly, take that chance and jump into the unknown. You never know, it might just be the best thing you ever did!

You can find Gerry on Instagram HERE
DECISION MAKING MASTERCLASS
Are you grappling with a decision right now? Or maybe you're facing a big life transition? Come spend an hour with Mindful MariB and I where we work through your decision and offer mindfulness based approaches to taking the first step and unblocking whatever it is that's holding you back. Uncover the clarity and confidence you need to start your next chapter.
Join us online ~ 11 June at 8pm BST. We can't wait to see you there.
SIGN UP FOR THE MASTERCLASS HERE

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

How to start a Mindfulness Practice
Today's episode has actionable steps to just start now - to take you from thinking that mindfulness isn't for you, or that you don't have time, to realising it's for everyone.
Finally understanding that you don't have to add another thing to your to-do-list to be mindful. It can happen naturally, and all you have to do is sit back and observe.
I explore these 5 steps to starting a mindfulness practice. Listen to the episode to hear how:
1. Setting Intentions- define your purpose for practicing mindfulness

2. Beginning to notice your breath – mindful breathing for stress reduction

3. Practicing a body scan- scan the body from top to toe tuning into what's here, connecting the mind and body

4. Embracing mindful observations – opening to what's here without judgement or striving for things to be any different to what they already are

5. Bringing self compassion – and loving kindness

Want more help?
If you are inspired to bring mindfulness to your one precious life - download my FREE 'Mindful Living Starter Kit'. It's a wonderfully supportive resource for this episode and continues my step by step actions to make positive change in your life - starting TODAY
GET YOUR MINDFUL LIVING STARTER KIT HERE
Date for your Diary:

• Free Guided Mindful Meditation
• Thursdays 8pm GMT
• Tune in Thursdays
• On Zoom
• No meditation experience needed
• Join our friendly meditation circle
• Relax, restore and find your moments of calm

Email [email protected] for detailsCome find me on Instagram @the_mindfulguide for more mindful ways to stress less and find more calm in your busy life

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

In today’s episode you are going to hear how to set yourself up for a joyful day ahead! I’ve got 5 simple mindful ways to help you create a morning routine that will start your day off feeling calm, intentional and in control. Follow these steps to get you closer to enjoying mornings that are definitely less stressful, and much more nourishing.

• Hear how planning the night before is the first step to the morning after
• How just sitting on the bed will get you so clear on the day ahead
• Uncover simple ways you CAN find that illusive 'me' time in the midst of it all
• And ways you can secretly move the body without having to get to the gym
• Lastly, learn how transition rituals will allow you to step into the next moment of your day with ease, intention and beautiful presence

If you liked todays 5 steps to a nourishing morning routine, come find me on Instagram, where I post similar tips and techniques helping to bring more Balance into your life.
You can follow me HERE

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals