You are not alone

The last few years have been an initiation in resilience; since early 2020, we have been immersed in ever-changing objectives. The lockdown of March 2020 presented us with a lot of challenges and, for many, evoked a fundamental seed change, suddenly reconnecting with the importance of family and the nature surrounding us. We reflected on life quality and instantly reassessed how to navigate work and home. Overnight, we all took a pause and became more mindful. Our lives were challenged at their most fundamental level; fear and anxiety loomed menacingly as we all questioned our next steps.

Working remotely became the norm, and isolation for some became very real. It's true to say that in the West, we're less comfortable with stillness, and for many years, we have lived by the code of Doing rather than Being. Many turned to Eastern practices such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness to promote greater self-care. Indeed, we as a business saw an exponential increase in demand for our products as uncertainty swept across the country (stress and worry lower our immunity significantly), and so grew the self-care revolution, where online yoga, mindfulness, gratitude and manifesting became common parlance.

There are huge benefits from all these practices; they foster peace of mind and dramatically increase our general well-being and health. However, in a recent review published in the Journal of Psychotherapy, research indicated that though mindfulness had significant mental and emotional benefits, it was never only a practice to be done solely about self-care. Somehow, it's evolved into another self-improvement tool, omitting other people and the world, and has lost many of the practice's origins, especially the spiritual and collective elements.

One of the key missing elements of mindfulness is the opportunity it gives people to look beyond themselves and gain a profound sense of their relationship to community and nature and the interconnectedness of it all. Research shows that mindfulness can be a fantastic tool in the face of collective adversity, such as climate change, the rising cost of living, war and homelessness. It can be a tool to cultivate greater compassion and connection, to reduce suffering in critical pressure areas.

We all accept immense benefits are to be gained from these disciplines, but embracing your practice to see how you could use it to foster greater harmony within your workplace, family or friendship group and make our world a better place for everyone, not just for yourself. The first step may be to start a loving kindness meditation practice to focus on yourself and others.

In a lockdown, my solace and resilience came from the Chopra app; I've always meditated and journaled, but this was my introduction to chanting. It has become my daily companion with short daily meditations, insightful reflections and numerous deeper dives into allied themes. It is a genuinely gentle but potent way to heal, learn compassion and gain a greater connection to the whole.

Five Mindfulness practices for you to use in the world:

• Apply a little zen to your daily commute; being courteous and smiling can change someone's day.

• Actively listening to a friend or family without interruption.

• Volunteer for a local community gardening or park project.

• Can you do something to help the environment? There are many like-minded people cleaning up rivers and ponds.

• Could you work on a bad habit or attitude that bugs friends and family?

We at Therapie Life are always here to support you. Explore the following:

If you find yourself struggling with isolation or feeling overwhelmed, try THERAPIE LIFE Cocoon Bath Oil to offer soulful solace. 

If you feel fear around connecting with others, try a spritz or two  of THERAPIE LIFE Restore Aura Spray, inhale deeply to feel more grounded and centred.

Too many racing thoughts affecting your sleep? Use THERAPIE LIFE Slumber Pillow Spray to quieten the mind and encourage deep, restorative sleep.