Inhale good, exhale bad

Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday! 

It's been a busy week for my little family this last week, between working, projects and family time it's been all go go go!

As mummas daily life is chock full of busy times.Stress comes with the territory when you are trying to juggle so many things in a daily basis. It's easy to feel like your fighting a loosing battle with household chores, work, and general life. Sometimes it is important to remember just to BREATHE. To really breathe, deeply, and let go of the tension you are holding in your body. It will instantly give you relief. I see so many people coming into my work, holding their shoulders so high and tight, completely unbeknownst to them. Stress and tension are physically draining and can take a toll on your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Have you ever had a particularly stressful day, and then the slightest thing sets you off, and afterwards you feel so much better, albeit slightly crazy :)

On a daily basis it's so important to take time out just to BE. Weather it is 1 minute or 15 minutes or an hour - if your lucky. Breathing deeply right down to your little toe and exhaling, releasing all the negative energy and emotions and thoughts. That niggle of annoyance about the towel that your other half left on the bathroom floor. Let it go. The stress you feel over the ever increasing laundry or dishes. Let it go. The exasperation you feel when your little humans empty the toy box everywhere, seconds after it has been tidied away. Let it go. If it does not serve you let it go! 

When I'm feeling particularly stressed I find a quiet corner in the house or take a walk outside and breathe. Inhale good energy, fresh air, positive thoughts. Exhale your gripes, annoyances, negative energy and stress. Let your shoulders relax. I bet you didn't even realise you were holding them tight?

 When you are finished you will feel ready to put back on your mummy hat and take on the world again. So when it feels like it's all getting too much, just remember to take a step back and just breathe .

Much love,

Rachael x

Wellness Wednesday

Hi all, 

I thought I would start a thread for wellness Wednesday's that, hopefully il be able to post every week with a positive little message!

 Being a mum (or dad) is one of the most amazing and rewarding jobs that there is. Getting to watch your little ones grow and develop and achieve their goals is such an amazing feeling but being a parent is also such a hard job at times too. It is so important to be aware of this and to accept that it isn't always going to be lovely and easy! 

As a mum your day starts at crazy o'clock in the morning, you don't get lunch breaks, double pay, holidays or time off. When we are feeling tired or run down, or if we have a busy schedule it can be a little overwhelming. Being mindful does not mean to be positive all the time, it does mean to be aware of how you are feeling at that present moment and seeing the reasons that may be making you feel like that.. And to accept it!

When I'm feeling overpowered or low on energy, or if I'm having a tricky moment with Ollie there are a few things I like to try to pick our moods up! 

•Go outside; fresh air and the outdoors are known to increase your mood. Especially in Ireland when the weather can be so wet. Just wrap up well and get outside for even a few minutes! 

•Nourish yourself; you know those days when you have a take away and instantly feel sluggish and tired. Rarely do you feel like this after a salad or fruit. Keep it in mind next time you go to fix a meal. Eating well will nourish your body and mind. 

•Meditate and Stretch; if you have time take 15 minutes or even 5 minutes to meditate and focus your thoughts. Deep breathing or sun salutations are great for increasing energy and positivity. I try to set aside time in the garden while Ollie is playing for this. If yoga or meditation is not your thing light excersise will help too. Often when you have taken time to be with your thoughts you will realise that what was stressing you is not that important (the dishes will wait)

• Take time out for yourself; this is so important for self wellness to just take time out to do something you enjoy, by yourself! Wether it's going for a walk in the evening while your other half watches baby, Meeting friends or just having a bath in peace. It's important not to loose sight of you as a person outside your role as a parent.

And sometimes the only thing that will help on those days where you feel like you want to pull your hair out is a good nights SLEEP! :) Keep in mind what an amazing job you are doing mummy's and how much your little ones appreciate what you do!

Rachael x

Stop to smell the roses.

Firstly I just want to say sorry for my complete absence from the blog lately. I have been taking time out to really focus on Ollie and embrace our time together. 

I mentioned in a previous post I got tickets for  a mindfulness workshop and myself and Billy attended it in March. It focused on mindfulness with parenting and really helped me to become more aware of the present moment, not to be anxious about the future or regretful for the past. 

As adults we are looked at as the teachers to children and to set a good example yet it is children who show us how to embrace the present moment. Our little ones are determined, they don't give up until they get what they want and they see the beauty and wonder in the world that we have become so accustomed and blinded to. They teach us to live every day to the fullest.

So lately I have been spending a lot of time with Ollie outdoors and learning from him. We do yoga, we have our breakfast in the veggie patch (when it's not raining) and mostly we play 😊.His latest hobby is smelling every single flower he sees. When we are out walking he picks all the dandelions and daisies, I'm trying to teach him not pick "planted" flowers. Even with the dandelion, which is basically a weed, he takes a long sniff and says WOW. Our cherry blossom tree bloomed in the last week and the fragrance off the flowers is so beautiful. That tree has been in the garden for years and I don't think I ever really even saw it! One aspect of mindfulness is beginners mind which is basically seeing the world through a child's eyes. 

Im really going to try and practice this on a daily basis. Our little ones have so much to show us and open our eyes to the important things in life. I'm going to make a big effort also to post more regularly on this but I keep the Mayalu Facebook page updated more quite often so check that out.

Rachael xx