Meditation & Mindfulness - Ashima Living

How to Cultivate Self-Compassion & Overcome Your Inner Critic (Part 3 of 4)

Welcome to part 3 of my 4 part blog-series on cultivating self-compassion and overcoming your inner critic!

In part 1 we looked at just what our inner critic is, and how it can be extremely damaging to our mental health and sense of happiness and wellbeing.

And in part 2, we looked at just what self-compassion is exactly, how it differs from self-esteem, and the 3 core components of self-compassion: mindfulness, self-kindness and common humanity.… Keep reading...

4 Science-Backed Facts About Meditation EVERYONE Ought to Know About!

If you thought meditation was just some woo-woo fad practiced by those spacey granola-types, think again! The last few decades have seen an explosion of scientific research into the benefits of meditation, and the results have been, quite frankly, mind-blowing! These 4 science-backed facts I share in this video are among the most “mind-blowingest” (yes I jut made that word up) of all..

PREFER TO READ, RATHER THAN WATCH? HERE’S A SUMMARY:

1) It’s an effective, natural treatment for stress, anxiety and depression

A meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials has shown that mindfulness meditation is an effective treatment for stress, anxiety and depression – especially severe depression and also pain.

… Keep reading... Read More

The 5 BIGGEST Misconceptions About Meditation

If you’ve ever wanted to try meditation but worry that it’s really hard or don’t know if you’re doing it “properly”, then this video is for you! Many new or aspiring meditators often have some major MISCONCEPTIONS about meditation which can cause them to wonder if they’re “doing it properly” or lead them to giving up before they’ve realised the real benefits of meditation! I don’t want this to happen to you, so watch now 🙂

And on the comments below, I’d LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from you – tell me, did you harbour any of these misconceptions?… Keep reading...

My Top 10 Books For Cultivating Mindfulness

Don’t get me wrong now, cultivating mindfulness is a practice, something that has to be experienced and cultivated through regular meditation, it’s not a concept or a theory. However, coupled with a regular mindfulness meditation practice, some books by brilliant teachers and authors can really enhance both your understanding and practice of mindfulness…Here are 10 of my faves:

Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagan

Mindfulness is adapted from Buddhist teachings, and while you certainly don’t need to be a Buddhist to practice mindfulness, understanding some of the key concepts that Buddha taught is helpful. … Keep reading...

What I’ve Learned About Letting Go…(& How You Can Too)

Lately in my mindfulness meditation practice I’ve been tapping into a certain quality of attention….it’s difficult to put into words but if feels something like a beautiful allowance… A serene willingness to just “let be” whatever’s occurring in the moment – whether that’s shallow breathing, tight muscles, a restless, complaining mind or even feelings of bliss or rapture, just letting it be ok, without trying to push, pull or change it in anyway…and more than that even, it’s kind of like a loving embrace of whatever is showing up.