Christmas is fast approaching and that means you might be experiencing quite a few emotions from excitement to anxiety, stress or depression.

Christmas has always been portrayed as a happy, joyful time, where we spend the day with family and loved ones, but it’s not always easy. If your budget is tight, then the weeks leading up to Christmas Day can be very worrying too.

Thinking negative thoughts only leads to more negative thinking, as we struggle to disconnect and move on. But there is something you can do to rid yourself of negative thoughts.

About mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you handle your negative emotions and stop them in their tracks. It’s a Buddhist practice but is used all over the world. The NHS often refers patients for mindfulness training to help with depression and anxiety.

It’s a meditation technique that involves sitting quietly and focussing on the present. It’s about being aware of your breathing, sensations, and your current emotional state without letting your mind wander. Mindfulness can help you see that thoughts are just thoughts and you can choose how to respond to them.

It can take time to learn to meditate, that is, being in the moment without thinking about anything, so start with just 10 minutes a day. But with time, you will be able to practice mindfulness as you go about your day, helping you to take control of negative thoughts whenever you experience them.  If you feel stressed, closing your eyes and focussing on your breathing can have a significant positive impact. Mindfulness is about focussing on the present, not ruminating on the past or mulling over the future.

Mindfulness can also free us of negative emotions towards mundane tasks, for example, doing the dishes. Instead of being angry that you have to do the dishes because nobody else will, focus on the warmth of the water, the bubbles and the task itself. It makes it what it is, and this simple technique can free you of the negative emotions associated with it.

You can try this Mindfulness Meditation Taster with Jon Kabat-Zinn, a 10 min video; or this Guided Meditation Nowscape (Choiceless Awareness) by Jon Kabat Zinn (30 min video):

Mindfulness can help you deal with the possible stresses of Christmas and beyond. Another way to manage a different outlook on life is to practice gratefulness, which we will discuss in the new year.

More mindfulness

For more information on mindfulness, see BBC Radio 4 Woman’s hour on Mindfulness: “A way of connecting with and seeing clearly what’s happening in our life.”  – www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p021xg6w (11 min)

Neal’s Yard Holidays has retreats specifically for mindfulness.

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Do you sometimes long for silence amidst the hubbub of our busy lives?

Previously we wrote about the rise of digital detox retreats. What’s also becoming popular is Vipassana meditation retreats also known as silent retreats, where, essentially, you don’t utter a single word for as long as you’re there. The days are filled with meditation, short breaks for meals and rest, a brisk walk – all in complete silence. Interaction with anybody else is prohibited.

Vipassana means ‘seeing things as they really are’ and is one of India’s most ancient techniques. These silent retreats are designed to help you focus on the connection between mind and body through self-observation, resulting in a balanced mind.

Overall the effect of being surrounded by silence can initially stir thoughts and over-thinking, but soon comes inner peace. We have an overload of information and too many distractions in our lives that we easily feel out of touch with ourselves. Silence can bring you back ‘home’.

Are silent retreats right for you?

While silent retreats are successful experiences for some, they are not necessarily the right thing for everyone. Sitting still in the lotus position may not be the best option for some to start with, and not for several days without speaking a word.

There are different ways to find silence that gradually help you find it easier to sit or move in silence for longer, e.g. from the meditation part of yoga classes like hatha yoga and Kundalini yoga, pranayama breathing practices, or tai chi and qi gong that is practiced in silence, or taking part in silent walks. Ironically, chanting meditations (making your own sound) can assist with finding inner silence.

If you’re looking for silence, you can simply go to a place that is off the beaten track or somewhere that is a technology-free zone. You might be surprised how much peace you find without a phone in your hand.

What retreat may be right for you?

Neal’s Yard Holidays offers a range of off-the-beaten track holidays and retreats with partial silent activities.

This hidden gem in south Wales is surrounded by natural beauty. Beaches, cliffs and historical sites are all around which provides ample opportunity to ditch your phone and get some much need peace and quiet. Yoga, Ayurveda and juice-dieting are available to help you unwind.

For more ways to clear your mind and enjoy some peace and quiet, take a look at our other retreats here.

The post Do you look for silence on retreat? appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.

Can you switch off? – Have you tried a digital detox?

STOP PRESS: This still continues to be a hot topic.
Since publishing this blog we had been interviewed by Grazia magazine about silent retreats and the need to switch off from technology. Their article was published in print in September.
Digital detox and silent retreats seem to be the latest travel trend. – Sainsbury’s magazine also contacted us and published their article in print in their October issue.

Here’s our blog on this hot topic:

Going on holiday is meant to be just that – a holiday. It’s time away from the mundane, from everything we would normally do. But for most people, we still don’t completely switch off from our lives back home.

On Facebook we often see people ‘check-in’ on holiday. On Twitter, we see endless tweets of people telling us about what they’re getting up to, and on Instagram we see the photo evidence of the fun they’re having.

Using social media, checking emails or listening to voicemails while on holiday doesn’t allow us to switch off. Sometimes we want to, but with our smartphones glued to us, it’s difficult to do, especially when sharing a photo or a tweet is so easy.

Have we become addicted to our relative newly formed habit? Doesn’t the use of our gadgets sometimes get in the way of our immediate experience of where we are and the person we are with?
So why do it? Spending hundreds or even thousands on a holiday is not worth it if you check your phone at every opportunity because you may miss things.

What are digital detox holidays?

For people who truly want to switch off and get away from their everyday lives, there are digital detox holidays available. This type of holiday means leaving your phones and tablets behind, or keeping them locked up safely in your chosen retreat. There is no wifi and there’s no ability to connect, except to connect with yourself and nature instead.  This can make for a healing and nourishing holiday in itself.

A digital detox allows us to simply enjoy the moments we experience and takes away the pressure of sharing everything online. Taking away the ability to check emails can mean you forget about work completely and not feel guilty for it. Disconnecting from this technology can allow us to just ‘be.’

There’s no need to be on your phone while on holiday because the whole point is to take a break from your routine. Having the need to always be connected to the online world is unhealthy and can stop you from enjoying what’s around you.

Give your eyes a rest from screens and give your minds a break from thinking about work, news, what the online word is saying because, while you’re on holiday, none of it matters. Instead, lock your phone away somewhere safe and take a regular camera out and about. Upload photos to your online profiles when you get home.

Digital detox holidays available

You don’t need to go far to switch off, even mobile phone reception can be tricky in South Wales at this Ayurveda and Yoga retreat. Or in tropical Sri Lanka  you need to climb onto sunset rock (8 min walk) to get reception for your mobile, or cycle to the nearby village for wifi, making it much easier to drop your gadgets, including your watch. Then you can breathe a sigh of relief, just go with the flow, and live in the here and now!

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