How to make a New Year's Resolution Stick!

“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."

(Little Gidding)” 
― T.S. Eliot

We all hope for a fresh start to the New Year, especially when times are tough and the past year has been  challenging. New Years can be a wonderful opportunity for reflection and a time of hope for the year ahead. 

What will you write in the chapter ahead? What have you learned in the past year that has helped you to grow and move forward? Are there things in your life you need to change?

Are you someone who makes a New Year’s resolution? Have you made them in the past and then by March forgotten what they even were?

It’s important to set new challenges for ourselves, goals we want to achieve, maybe a shift in a behavior or pattern, because this keeps us moving forward and gives us hope. 

I’ve been thinking about what is involved when we try to make changes and the resilience required if we actually want to stick with these. … 

There are many lessons we can take from a meditation practice out into “real life.” When we sit and meditate we have to bring ourselves back to our focus over and over again to stay on the path. When sticking to a challenge we have set for ourselves, we must do the same thing. There are a number of parallels between the two actions.  

When you set out in the New Year with your resolution, or at any time you want to make a change, you might  consider these:

1. Know you may wander off course. At some point you will probably get off track. In our meditation practice when we take our seats, we know that our minds will wander. It is what the mind does. When we set a challenge, we know that it may not be a direct course. Maybe we have decided we are going to exercise every week, then one week we don’t…. where do we go from here? Give up, throw in the towel? No – we move to step 2!

2. No judgment. When we notice our minds have wandered in meditation, we do not judge ourselves harshly for this. We simply become aware. The longer we meditate the easier this becomes. With a challenge, we can do the same thing. Notice that you have strayed from your goal, but do not judge. There is no “I’m hopeless I can never do this.” Instead, there's just awareness. Use compassion towards yourself, keep an open heart, and move on to step 3!

3. Redirect. In meditation once we notice our wandering mind, we simply redirect and bring it back to our focus. When you have strayed from your plan, do the same thing, simply bring yourself back on track and carry on. No one is perfect, this is what it is to be human.

By continually noticing you have gotten off course and redirecting yourself with compassion, you may begin to be aware of what happens right before you go off course. You might start to be able to redirect or reconnect before that happens.

So for this new year ahead, let us be strong and face our challenges with kindness to ourselves, focus, and perseverance.

We all need resilience to remain active. 

Happy New Year, Be well,

Brogan

Wellness for Children - The Benefits of Relaxation, Self-Care and Meditation for Children

Meditation in nature

In education currently there is an increasing pressure on children to do well in a certain way. The confines can be very specific to certain learners. Kids need to sit still and be able to focus, they need to be able to deal with constant stimulation and with a lot of test taking and evaluation. This can be very problematic for many children and can lead to them feeling stressed out or anxious. It can also become very hard for them to relax. This can mean constant excess energy –eg ‘bouncing off the walls’, ‘meltdowns’ or the inability to fall asleep.

Contemporary children can also face over scheduling, especially in NYC. As parents we can get tangled up in wanting ‘the best’ for our child. We want to take advantage of the endless opportunities which can mean signing them up for multiple classes with little or no down time.

Down time is so important for all of us but especially the developing mind of a child. Giving the mind a break from constant stimulation allows us to have time for to take in new things, to have new thoughts. Time without goals, without plans, time just to be can be incredibly fulfilling for children and can offer room for great creativity. Boredom should not be dreaded but rather seen as an opportunity for your child to sit with themselves,get to know themselves, discover that internal voice, discover what they enjoy doing with their time, it allows them follow their instincts. Lying on a blanket looking at the clouds is not a waste of time instead it’s a time of wonder, exploration and imagination development.

Meditation can be wonderful thing for children. It is a way of giving their busy brains a break. There are thousands of studies showing the positive impact of meditation and mindfulness on our health and well-being and we must remember that children can benefit just as much as adults.  Meditation allows children to refresh their ability to concentrate, helps alleviate stress and anxiety and helps kids develop self-awareness, manage emotions and self-regulate.  It helps children find an inner stability and security.

I work with children both in schools and privately and I have seen first hand just how much Meditation can help them. Despite what we may think about children’s abundant energy –a meditative state is quite a natural for children. They are enriched by learning about the connection between mind and body, focusing the mind, relaxing the body and not being overwhelmed by emotions. 
How can you get your child to meditate or relax? Children learn by what they see. If you are stressed out, always on your phone, not making time to self-care, relaxation and meditate then they will not place the importance on it that should be.

I have meditated throughout my children’s childhood (they are now 10 & 13) and they often just come and sit beside me (when they were younger in my lap) when I meditate in the mornings or just enjoy that quiet time. From a very young age they knew that it was an important time and they adjusted their energy naturally.  

In the evening in the build up to bedtime can be a wonderful time to practice relaxation with children. Reading together, some restorative yoga, breath work or a guided meditation. *I’m working on some projects at the moment to help with this!
 

Instant Fire Cider

Ok we all wish we'd made the 'proper' fire cider 6 weeks ago before we started to feel that cold coming on.....but maybe we didn't! Here is an 'instant' version -which I think works pretty well.  *Just don't plan on kissing anyone for a while after you drink it -unless they LOVE garlic! 

Ingredients

1/3 cup - Apple Cider Vinegar

1/3 cup - Lemon Juice (approx 1 lemon if it's juicy!)

1/3 cup - Honey (being from New Zealand I recommend graded Manuka honey)

1 tsp - Ginger (fresh or powdered) 

1 tsp - Garlic (fresh or powdered)

1 tsp - Turmeric (fresh or powdered)

1 tsp - Cayenne powder

Black Pepper

Now the ingredient quantities are flexible -if you are not a hot n spicy fan lessen the Cayenne, etc- personalize it. Same goes for fresh v powder -if you don't like 'bits' I recommend using powder, it more or less dissolves. 

Use a jar with a lid, add lemon and apple cider, honey and rest of the spices. Shake it up! 

If I feel something coming on - you know, that 'sort of' sore throat, or 'sort of' achey feeling -take a tablespoon every 15 mins for an hour or two. Then every half an hour / hour. It's not an exact science, but I think it can really help reduce cold time or help you avoid one altogether. The ingredients are high in vit c, and anti-inflammatory properties. 

It can be kept in the fridge for a several weeks. Just shake each time you use. 

Go brew! 

Quick Smoothie Recipe

I generally use what ever fruit and vegetables that I have in the fridge but I do always put in a banana as it helps with the blending consistency. 

I usually chop up the fruit and hard vegetables first and put them in on the bottom near the blade. Leafy greens on top. This just helps to mix more easily and you are not having to constantly open and mix or shake up. 

Ingredients

x1 banana - I use about 3/4 and then use the rest on top

x1 beet - depending on the size, half if its a big one. 

x1 handful of blueberries

x2 big handful's of spinach

x1 other leafy greens -this may be whatever you have - kale is great but is very fibrous and will change the consistency so play with the amount. Start with a handful and go from there depending on your taste. 

x1 apple -  or half and then use the rest on top or on the side. 

A bit of whatever you fancy or what is in season. The above is generally my base and then I add in a little bit of whatever I have e.g., cabbage, carrot etc etc. 

Mix it up to the consistency you like. Some people put into a glass and drink - I find the consistency too thick for that and like to eat with a spoon -but there are no rules and regulations about these things! If you like the consistency a bit more fluid you might like to add a little water, coconut water or aloe vera -all good ways to give it a little more fluidity. Add little bit by little bit though - a little goes a long way.

Toppings can include nuts and seeds. I like to lightly toast mine -cast iron pan on the stove top. Coconut is lovely on top - just make sure you get unsweetened version. I love pomegranate at the moment - it gives a lovely crunch. Sometimes I add in oats if I feel like I need a little more sustenance. 

Go ahead give it a try and enjoy! Play around with amounts and what you put in until you find a mix of what works for you. Let me know how it goes!