Debbiemindful Blogs

    During our long, cold, dark winters it is quite common to feel a bit down – perhaps a bit “blue” even. With the busyness of the festive season adding to stress levels it can feel overwhelming a dding to a desire to hide under a cosy duvet until Spring starts appearing. While there is nothing wrong in having the occasional duvet day how about truly having a self-care day with some mindful movement, breath-work and meditations. Here are just a few ideas to get you started …. W henever possible go outside as the sun rises (even if it is hiding in the clouds). Take a few moment s t o notice your posture, feeling into your feet making contact with the earth beneath. Take some lovely deep breaths and take in the morning sunlight to reset your circadian rhythm, give a boost of serotonin and vitamin D and improve your mood ready for the day ahead.     How about dedicating some time to new activities or re-visiting old favourite hobbie...

    You may have noticed lots of references to “September Reset” and seen my recent post on Instagram and Facebook where I outlined my September RESET which is: R - Rejuvenate (I have a yoga retreat in Crete coming up) E - Energise (lots of gardening and walking now the weather is cooler) S - Simplify (time to clear out stuff, unsubscribe from unwanted emails, weekly meal plan) E - Embrace (welcome the new season and opportunities to try new hobbies) T - Time management (focus on priority and important activities, reduce time scrolling) As we’re approaching the half-way through September I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my progress so far and share some of my thoughts ... Rejuvenate: in preparation for my yoga retreat I have been practising a new yoga sequence on a daily basis – this is only a 10 minute practise which I do before breakfast but I think it’s improving my strength in readiness for 5 hours of yoga a day. I enjoy my Tropi...

Take a few moments to check in to see what impact the hot weather is having on you. It is easy to become dehydrated and over heated which can give rise to stress and anxiety as well as reducing tolerance levels.  How are your  • energy levels?  • sleep quality?  • emotional state? Here are a few Debbiemindful tips for keeping cool in the summer weather ...  • slow down and pace yourself  • take a drink of water with a pinch of good quality salt (Celtic or Himalyan) to improve your electrolytes  • ask yourself do I really need to do this now or can it wait for a cooler time  • reduce commitments and manage expectations • make some mindful, gentle stretches to start and end the day - child's pose is a great pose to practise before going to bed as it is a restorative pose which calms the mind and relieves tension in the back and neck  • sit in a chair with your feet in a bowl cool water while meditating  • spritz your fa...

  I'm very excited to be hosting a luxury 10 day Yoga and Mindfulness retreat from 26 April to 6 May 2026 in partnership with an inspiring yoga teacher - Debbie Curran. We will be staying at Jim’s Farm Villas , a 50 acre organic spice farm in the lush hilly heart of Sri Lanka. Kevin and Janet Abbott, the UK owners, opened Jim’s Farm Villas boutique hotel 10 years ago, and with their attentive and caring local team they have been running yoga, fitness and wellness retreats with teachers from all over the world.  This venue receives excellent scores and reviews on various platforms and you will feel truly nourished and nurtured during your stay here.    In addition to the yoga and mindfulness sessions, this trip includes visits to three local major Cultural Triangle sites and you will also be offered 2 x 30 mins Spa treatments of your choice with a highly qualified and experienced Ayurvedic Doctor. Further treatments can be booked at an extra cost.  ...

I would like to share a recent experience of when I recently realised I was feeling anxious ...  At a recent networking event I found myself becoming very anxious with a racing heart, sweaty palms, overthinking when listening to everyone else’s engaging and often humorous pitches. There were about 30 or so inspiring women in the room and I was going to be the last person to have my few minutes to speak. Thoughts were racing through my mind – what was I going to say to get everyone’s attention; why didn’t I prepare more; what am I even doing here?!  I realised I needed to practise some mindfulness as I was connecting with my ego and not being in the moment. I consciously took some deep breaths, felt into my feet making connection with the ground beneath and checked into my emotions. These simple actions soon bought some benefits and made me to see how quickly I was jumping to conclusions and judgements - feeling it was a competition (it really wasn't). This networking group (Fo...

  1. Give yourself some precious time out and practise a 5-10 minute meditation (I enjoy using the Insight Timer app) to build up your own store of contentment or find a local mindfulness group. 2. Make the most of waiting time - when in a queue in the inevitable busy supermarket, or at traffic lights, or waiting on the phone - notice where your body is holding onto tension, breath in and out of these areas encouraging your bod y to soften and release, notice your thoughts and give yourself permission to let go of them (this does take practice!)  3. Relish the festive food - eating mindfully and really savouring and tasting your food will give you nourishment and satisfaction in more ways than one! 4. Christmas shopping – rather than shutting down and battling through the crowds, notice the sensation of walking, your feet on the floor, breathing into your shoulders, appreciating lovely Christmas displays, acknowledging your fellow shoppers and shop assistants with a warm smile...