Today's post is about the 10-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat that I did a few months ago in Cambodia, in Kamgpom Cham. You can watch my vlog about it here, or read the transcript below! About the Vipassana meditation retreat It's a 10-day, silent retreat. Silent means no speaking, so you can't speak to…
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A Funny Pandemic Meditation
I hope this funny pandemic meditation gives you a laugh in lockdown! Read the transcript below: Beginning to bring your attention to your body and to your breath. Maybe rocking from sit bone to sit bone, giving each side of your bottom a break, for maybe the first time today. Let's take a…
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A Breathing Meditation for Stronger Lungs
Breathing meditation for lung strength This breathing meditation for stronger lungs is a beautiful practice for those who are concerned about COVID-19. It's also wonderful for anyone with asthma or lung health issues and is a great tool to use during cold and flu season to help your body recover faster from bronchial illnesses. Below…
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Amritapuri Ashram
I’m sitting on a balcony overlooking a sea of palm trees and a wide, winding canal at the amritapuri ashram. I’m second in a row of chairs outside the doctor’s office. There’s a middle-aged American lady on my left telling us she’s been feeling exhausted lately and wants to know what’s wrong. To my right…
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The Power of Mediation For Anxiety and Depression
In high school, I got into mindfulness meditation. My mom, who was an avid meditator, introduced me to a guided mindfulness meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn is one of the founders of the mindfulness meditation movement. He runs the stress reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts. Listening to the guided mindfulness meditation helped me…
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Why You Don’t Need to Clear Your Mind in Yoga Class
Have you been told you need to 'clear your mind' in yoga or meditation? Have you felt like that's asking the impossible? When you think about meditation, there’s a good chance you envision a monk sitting on top of a mountain. Her mind free from thoughts or worries, and feeling at peace with the world.…
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Breathing Techniques for a Better Night’s Sleep
Originally published on ProHealth.com Do you struggle to sleep? If so, you’re not alone. More than 75% (1) of people living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Trouble sleeping is especially harmful if you are living with a chronic illness, because it can make all of your symptoms…
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Why We Struggle To Sleep And How To Get More Snooze Time
Sleep helps us heal. We all know that. Rest is prescribed for any ailment from a cold to cancer. But even for healthy people, getting a crap night’s sleep is never fun. Just this morning I snapped at my flatmate, neglected to clean up my dishes, and put off writing this blog post for as…
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Yoga for Chronic Illness: A Review From The Pillow Fort
It feels OM so good living your dreams :). My first yoga course finished up last month (for anyone that missed my reflections you can read about it here). The course was something I was planning for a long time, and seeing my spoonie students progress and enjoy the practice made the gruelling days of…
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One Month of Mindfulness: You’re Hardier than you Think
This post is about my mindfulness challenge results. My mindfulness challenge was quite simple: do three things mindfully every day. I began imagining myself sitting zen-like on top of a rocky mountain, reaching enlightenment and spreading my healing wisdom to my fellow chronically ill bloggers. It was then that I realized; there aren’t really any…
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