Table of contents for Issue 12 in Planet Mindful

LIKE MOST TEENAGERS, I was painfully shy about my body. School changing rooms after the swimming lesson were especially excruciating, as I wrestled with my towel in an effort to ensure no part of my naked form was on show. Having to use the communal showers after PE was an even worse ordeal. Not only was I afraid my body would become an object of derision (a fear completely unfounded), but I was embarrassed to be surrounded by other naked forms and tried to avert my eyes. I know I wasn’t alone in such frankly bizarre behaviour. Many of us, from a young age, feel acutely self-conscious about what we hide beneath our clothes. However, my hang-ups were challenged when I attended my first contemporary dance class and discovered, to…

Establish routines The brain likes routines because they are predictable and therefore increase perception of safety. Start keeping a gratitude diary This will re-focus your brain on the good things in your life. Have a flare-up plan in place. Know that it will come to an end. Allow time to rest but no longer than two days. Have flare-up freezer meals prepped, a good film or relaxing music sorted and anything else that makes you feel good to hand. Change the sensory input If pain is getting you down, heat, cold or even gently rubbing the body part will change the sensory input and that conversation with your body. Manage stress Stress and pain are closely entwined. The higher your stress, the more pain you will feel. Calm your mind…

No matter how tired we feel, many of us have trouble falling asleep because we can’t switch off the thoughts that continue to swirl round in our minds. Try this simple routine in bed to quieten your mind and help you drift off. 01 LIE COMFORTABLY IN BED Begin by slowing and deepening your breathing. Don’t force anything – just focus on the rise and fall of your chest and how your body feels. Now breathe in to a count of seven, pause for a count of five, then exhale to a count of seven. Continue for a few minutes. 02 RETURN TO BREATHING SLOWLY AND DEEPLY Now tense and relax your muscles, starting with your toes, and working up to your head. Tense the muscles on your in-breath, and…

Loneliness can roam through our homes with more audacity than ever these days. It sits with us, on the empty chair, while we drink our first cup of tea of the day. And, though the sun may warm our faces, we watch its shadow lengthen as the day ends in the same company as it began: our own. So how do we take control and show loneliness the door for good? Even before the pandemic beached us inside our secluded desert-island homes, loneliness had found its way in. In January 2020, a study in the US found that loneliness was up seven per cent on the previous year, affecting 79 per cent of Gen Z’ers, 71 per cent of millennials and 50 per cent of baby boomers. This is problematic…

THE REWARDS OF living with less are truly amazing. You will find an inner spiritual contentment and joy that you just did not think was possible, and be happy in the knowledge that your actions will impact positively on those close to you and on the wider world. In the ancient Chinese art of feng shui, good energy (chi) flow through the home is essential for harmonious living. Chi is the invisible, subtle electromagnetic energy that flows everywhere, and within everything, bringing life force with it. In the West, there are no specific words relating to chi. We tend to use words such as ‘mood,’ ‘atmosphere,’ or ‘spirit’ of a room or home to describe our feelings when we sense it. As a feng shui consultant, my aim is to…

VEGANISM HAS BECOME mainstream. No longer just about saving animals, the once alternative movement is now hailed as the holy grail of saving the planet. Yet while animal agricultural is undoubtedly a huge factor in climate change, replacing acres of cattle grazing land with acres of rapeseed, avocado trees, or almond plantations isn’t necessarily the answer. The hundreds of toxic chemicals used in conventional farming are contributing to a devastating decline in wildlife, with more than 40 per cent of all insect species now in decline and a third endangered. And without insects, ecosystems will collapse, pollination will fail and so too will food production, whether vegan or not. Perhaps it’s time we swapped all those avocados, almonds, coconuts and palm oil-laden snacks (just because it’s vegan, doesn’t mean nothing…

‘Drop the need for everything you make to be a great masterpiece and enjoy the experience of creating’ BEING DIAGNOSED WITH rheumatoid arthritis in 2015 prompted Louise Budd to pause, take stock, and launch an investigation into routes to wellness. Initially delving into art for relaxation, within two years an x-ray showed Louise that the joint damage caused by her condition had slowed. Today she runs her business Tiny Acorn Mighty Oak, selling her positive watercolour and mixed media artwork, while encouraging others to create mindful art. Have you always been creative? “I’ve always loved being creative and have tried many different creative hobbies from scrapbooking to jewellery-making. I stumbled into mixed media art shortly after I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and instantly fell in love! From there, I…

People who ‘have it all’ can have problems too A valuable lesson for me has been seeing beautiful, successful people as clients for therapy and helping them work through their issues, patterns and problems. It’s all too easy to only see their veneer of confidence and forget the human being underneath it all who’s plagued with their own problems, fears and uncertainties. Say ‘yes’ and things have a habit of coming together My first book came about through an agent in Botswana seeing one of my articles on the web and phoning to ask for 86 copies of my book, Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain to be sent immediately. There was no book! However, I’d met a publisher at a networking event, phoned her, reworked lots of articles,…

IT’S EARLY MORNING. You’re sitting outside on a sun-warmed hillock of grass, listening to the birds calling. You hear a symphony of chirrups, among them the songs of goldfinches, firecrests, wrens, and, soaring high above, the skin-shivering cry of swifts. Perhaps you hear a cuckoo’s echoing call. Opening your eyes, you take in the glossy blue of the sky, and inhale the lemony, vanilla scent of wildflowers. Flowers bob around you, nodding in a refreshing breeze. If you choose to, you remove your shoes. Stand up, feeling the softness of grass beneath your soles. A grainy, earthy aroma rises with the fragrance of crushed leaves. The ground is cool and firm – blades of grass brush your ankles. You walk slowly, stretching out your arms wide and feeling the breeze…

OUR HEADS, NECKS and faces carry a huge amount of tension. Holding on to this tension is not only bad for our general wellbeing, but over time, it begins to take its toll on the face through the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. There are huge short-term and long-term benefits from taking the time to perform relaxation techniques. Luminous Facial Yoga founders Camilla Bankes and Philippa Mitchell call this facial yoga, as opposed to ‘facial exercise or facial massage’, because they take a holistic approach to facial health. Facial yoga comprises face exercise, face massage, acupressure, relaxation and wellbeing – the massage, acupressure and energy work techniques they practise are rooted in ancient Chinese and Indian medicine and designed to improve blood flow, release tension and release energy flow…

Less time spent caring for possessions The more goods you have in your home, the more time you spend mending, cleaning, tidying, and maintaining them. More kindness Giving time or money to charities, or supporting good causes in the community, is far more satisfying than buying something new. Less environmental impact. By reducing the amount you buy, you are reducing the quantity of packaging you are responsible for. More contentment You may take up that hobby that you have never previously found time for, passionately pursue a new sport, or just spend more time with your family.…

1. Salad leaves Forget the stuff in bags and grab a packet of seed. Choose ‘cut and come again’ or loose-leaf varieties, which are ideal for containers. They don’t form a central heart, so you simply snip the leaves when you need them and more will grow. 2. Tomatoes So much tastier than ones you can buy in shops, tomatoes can be grown both indoors and out depending on the variety. Opt for bush types which don’t need pruning and are perfect for hanging baskets and containers. 3. Kale Ridiculously healthy kale is surprisingly easy to grow. Sprinkle seeds into trays filled with compost, then transplant the strongest seedlings into the ground, or a large container a few weeks later. Just keep an eye out for caterpillars! 4. Watercress Super…

COLOURING IN IS a great way to forget about your worries for a while and enjoy the present moment. Focusing solely on colour and quieting other noises is a great way to release stress and have a few minutes of relaxation. You can enjoy the feeling of holding a pen or pencil in your hand. Observe the different shades emerge on the paper, creating various patterns, effects and textures. Enjoy the peace of a simple task. This pretty design by Louise Budd is waiting for you to bring it to life with a garden of colour. Why not put it in a frame and display it in your home, or give it to a friend to brighten their day? How to channel your inner artist: 1 You can bring colour…

1 MINIATURE WORLD Have you ever paused and spent a bit of time watching insects? Some of their activities are fascinating – bees flitting from flower to flower, ants rushing about carrying tiny pieces of food, spiders hiding under blades of grass. Try grabbing a magnifying glass or pair of binoculars and focus it on the ground. We think this is the very definition of finding joy in the little things and you never know what you might discover. 2 Nine-minute miracle Recent research by The British Academy of Sound Therapy showed that there’s a recommended daily allowance of music for various mood states. They tested 7,581 people and found that you only need nine minutes of music to feed the soul and make you feel uplifted. The type of…

Living with long-term pain can be an emotionally and physically draining experience. It’s widely recognised that there’s no quick fix but there are ways you can change pain and your relationship with it to live a more fulfilled, purposeful, productive and active life. I first became interested in pain when I began running a therapeutic knitting group in an NHS pain clinic in 2005. Those attending had a range of painful conditions from back, hip and knee pain to more widespread pain such as in fibromyalgia. Listening to the life stories in this group made me want to discover as much as I could about pain. A different perspective Most people believe there is a linear relationship between injury or a medical condition, such as arthritis in your knee or…

Scent of the sea Already pining for your summer holiday? Saint Iris Adriatica Wake-Up Droplets (£46) will whisk you away to the balmy Adriatic Sea while drenching skin with welcome hydration. The brand is named after the Sweet Iris of Dalamatia, a delicate bloom that thrives in the rockiest outcrops, symbolising resilience and grace. All products are 100 per cent natural, free from synthetic fragrances, parabens and silicones. They’re also certified cruelty-free. The droplets are vegan friendly too. It could be time to add these beautiful products to your bathroom shelf. siadriatica.com Jewellery from nature Adorning yourself in natural jewellery is a wonderful way to carry the outdoors with you wherever you are, so we love the range from Ahavi. Based in Lithuania, Ugne makes all her resin jewellery with…

FAJITAS DE CHAMPIÑONES (MUSHROOM FAJITAS) There’s something captivating about sitting in a Mexican restaurant when a sizzling fajitas platter moves its way through the dining room. Guests hungrily follow their noses as they turn their heads to see the platter find its way to its chosen eater. I’ve ordered plenty of those show-stopper platters, and for some reason, I have found that most times, the show outperforms the flavours on the plate. I want to eat the same flavours that I’m smelling as the dish permeates the room, but that hasn’t always been the case. For this recipe, we’re going to focus as much on the seasoning and ingredients as we do on the presentation. We’re using hand-shredded oyster mushrooms for this recipe, but feel free to use your favourite…

THE IDEA IS simple but powerful: take a break and spend a few minutes doing something creative. It’s the ideal way to de-stress. Our dot-to-dot design will relax your mind, improve your wellbeing and give you a sense of achievement. You can lose yourself in the simple task of joining the dots and revealing the picture, in the same way as you might join the dots within yourself during meditation and discover a new self-awareness. Once you’ve finished joining the dots, you can also colour in the design if you wish. Remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s all about going with your flow. Get your ‘dot on’ with these pointers: 1 It’s a good idea to complete the dot-to-dot in pencil to start with, in case…