meditation

This Is What Happened When I Stopped Meditating

September 7, 2017

Throughout my life I’ve suffered from a terrible affliction experts call onychophagy. The disorder can cause deleterious effects on my fingers, my mouth and even my stomach. More commonly, the affliction is known as nail biting. I’m a stress-induced nail biter and right now it’s not the menacing bacteria lurking under my nubby nails that … Read full article »

meditation, mindfulness, My Year of Living Mindfully, stress

The Benefits of Everyday Mindfulness

May 26, 2017

I was standing at my kitchen sink, locked in battle with a determined frying pan unwilling to part with the remnants of the evening’s scorched rice paella. It was 9pm and I was exhausted, having been up since 5:30am, then worked a full day, only to face “witching hour” with my 4-year-old and 9-month-old sons … Read full article »

Jon Kabat-Zinn, meditation, Mindful eating, mindfulness, stress

Can’t Meditate? Other Proven Ways To Reduce Stress

March 30, 2017

There’s no doubt that meditation is the cool thing to do at the moment. TIME Magazine has hailed the “Mindful Revolution,” Google has an in-house mindfulness program, and lists of “outrageously successful” people who meditate regularly make the rounds on my social media feed, including Huffington Post and Thrive Global founder Arianna Huffington who champions … Read full article »

breathing, meditation, stress reduction

Lesssons in Mindfulness from a 3-Year-Old

December 15, 2016

Like most people, I’ve experienced some pretty challenging times in my life (reporting in the aftermath of natural disasters, live broadcasting, and jumping into an open ocean in front of a 30,000 kilogram whale immediately spring to mind) but by far the most difficult thing I’ve ever done is be a parent. It’s an unrelenting … Read full article »

Gratitude, meditation, mindfulness, stress

Recommended Apps

November 20, 2016

Below is a list of apps I have used and recommend. Meditation Headpsace Calm Smiling Mind Emotions Tracking coming soon Fitness coming soon Habit Forming coming soon Read full article »

apps, Chapter 01 - Stress, Chapter 02 - Emotions, Chapter 05 - Movement/Exercise, Chapter 06 - Environment, Chapter 10 - Lasting Change, exercise, habit forming, habits, meditation, mindfulness, Movement

Simple Meditation Exercises

November 17, 2016

Below are some simple meditation exercises, taken from The Mindfulness Manual, by Dr Craig Hassed. The body scan The body scan is the most widely used mindfulness meditation practice and generally the best one to begin with. Below are some instructions to take you through the practice, or you can use this audio to guide … Read full article »

Chapter 01 - Stress, Craig Hassed, meditation, mindfulness, stress

Guided Meditations

November 17, 2016

Below are some guided meditations, taken from The Mindfulness Manual by Dr Craig Hassed. 1 Minute Meditation 5 Minute Meditation 10 Minute Meditation 20 Minute Body Scan Meditation 20 Minute Combined Meditation Read full article »

Audio, Chapter 01 - Stress, Craig Hassed, meditation, mindfulness, stress

5 Simple Things I Do Every Day To Stay Healthy

November 9, 2016

I wish I had a time machine so I could go back 11 years ago when I was first diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I wish I could bump into that 24-year-old version of me who was leaving a rheumatologists office in tears, having just been told she “probably has lupus,” that her immune system … Read full article »

Big MAC, Brian Wansink, Erica Sonnenburg, exercise, Gut bugs, Justin Sonnenburg, meditation, microbiome, mindfulness, mindlessness, move more, Ronald and Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, sedentary, sit less, sitting, sleep

Feeling Blue? Three Meditation Techniques to Try

September 22, 2016

The other day I was stunned when a good friend of mine revealed that he’s been struggling with depression. I’ve always thought of him as one of the most upbeat, funny, and joyful people I know and to learn that he’s been in a very dark place was a real shock. Given that research shows … Read full article »

depression, emotions, Inner Smile Meditation, Loving Kindness Meditation, meditation, News

How Loneliness Led To My Chronic Disease

February 24, 2016

When I first got sick and a doctor told me he thought I had Lupus, one of the first things I started asking was, why? Why me? Why now? What have I done to deserve this? I’ve spent the last ten years searching for answers to those questions and as regular readers of this blog … Read full article »

loneliness, Loving Kindness Meditation, meditation, positive emotions, Roseto, Stewart Wolf

Change Your Mind, Change Your Stress

December 23, 2015

I needed to pop to my local shopping mall yesterday to pick up a couple of final holiday gifts and found myself stuck in a traffic queue as I joined thousands of others intending to do the same. As we all converged on the shopping centre car park simultaneously, traffic came to a standstill. There … Read full article »

meditation, mindfulness, News, Robert Sapolsky, stress

What A Shark Attack Can Teach Us About Reducing Stress

July 24, 2015

If you’re anything like me and the 20 million other people who have now watched the YouTube video of Mick Fanning’s shark encounter during the J-Bay Open in South Africa, your heart started pounding when you first saw it. The huge dorsal fin of what experts estimate to be a 3.5-meter great white shark rises … Read full article »

fight or flight, meditation, News, rest and digest, shark attack, stress, stress reduction, tend and befriend

Latest posts from Shannon's blog

This Is What Happened When I Stopped Meditating

The Benefits of Everyday Mindfulness

Can’t Meditate? Other Proven Ways To Reduce Stress

Lesssons in Mindfulness from a 3-Year-Old

Recommended Apps

Simple Meditation Exercises

Guided Meditations

5 Simple Things I Do Every Day To Stay Healthy

Feeling Blue? Three Meditation Techniques to Try

How Loneliness Led To My Chronic Disease

Change Your Mind, Change Your Stress

What A Shark Attack Can Teach Us About Reducing Stress

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