Mindful ways in busy days

George was 12 years old when his mum became unwell and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2016. He had just started secondary school in 2015. Now as a 16 year old he reflects on this time. What was your mum like before she got ill? She was like any normal mum, she used to be really sporty and active and would always play with me. If I wanted to try something or needed help with something then she would just do it without any persuasion just because she wanted to give me the best that she could. She used to help do First Aid for my rugby team too. What was she like when she became ill? She was tired all the time. She got angry quickly which was not normal for my mum. She didn't play with me so much because she had to look after herself more, which, as an only child made me feel quite lonely at times. She had to focus on trying to cope with work, with teaching. I used to get angry with some of her students for making her feel stressed and ill when they argued and messed about because...

How often do you hear "I'd love to meditate but it's not for me" or "I don't know where to start" or "I haven't got time to meditate" I have often heard it said if you haven't got 10 minutes to meditate you need half an hour! We find time to go for a walk, read a newspaper, scroll though Facebook or Instagram, have a long soak in the bath. Maybe there is a spare 10 or 15 minutes in our day to really look after our mind. My sister thought she couldn't meditate as 'that's for people who sit cross legged or hug trees!' (she has overcome that now). I didn't think I could meditate as I was way too busy and I needed to do so much. My mother didn't think she could meditate as it was all of that 'focus on your breath' and she didn't think she could change the way she breathes after all these years!! So we can all find excuses but you know it makes sense to meditate. There is plenty of research and science say...