Our wonderful photographer, Helena Rose Murphy, has shared with us her 5 mindfulness rituals to incorporate in your everyday.
________________________________________________________________________
As a yoga teacher and photography business owner, life can get a little hectic! Here are my simple mindfulness rituals that I incorporate into my days and weeks that make life feel more grounded, intentional and magical.
Movement
As a movement practitioner, moving my body is something I do every day to help me down-regulate and get out of my head and into my body.
Movement doesn’t have to be a 60 minute long appointment, it can be whatever pocket of time you have available, even if that’s just 10 minutes to put something on YouTube, dance in your bedroom or breathe with your eyes closed on the floor.
A simple breathing exercise that helps me to feel centered is breathing in for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 4. Steadily increase the length of the exhales all the way up to a count of 8, and then bring the exhales back down to a count of 4. Let your breath return to a natural rhythm and pace.
Practice Gratitude
Make time to give thanks for the things in your life that bring you love, joy, safety, peace. When we are thankful for what we have, we open the doorway for abundance.
Either write down in a notebook, or list in your head, a few things you are grateful for each day. Often the things I am grateful for are small, everyday things. The sun, a kind word said by a friend, my pet, a delicious dinner, the four walls of my home.
Cleanse your space with smoke
At the end of a long day or week or when I’m feeling cranky for no reason, I love to use sage or palo santo to cleanse the house. Smoke is a great way to clear stuck or negative energy so your space can feel cleansed, refreshed and balanced once more. You can also open a window or door to flood new energy into your space.
Using cards as a reflective tool
Whether it’s tarot, oracle cards, or LSW Mind Cards, these decks can be a really useful mirror to help me consider and move through sticky feelings. They are not magic, or designed to predict your fate, they are a self-reflective tool.
Live with the seasons
We are one with nature, not separate from it. Living a life more in tune with the seasons is so important to feel connected with the world we live in. You can do this by:
- Getting out in nature, even if you live in the city. Walk in the park, the woods, take a trip to the coast, feel the air on your skin
- Eating in tune with the seasons, warming foods like soups and curries in the autumn and winter and cooling foods in the spring and summer
- Mark the passing of the seasons with seasonal intentions that you call in for the season ahead, either writing down in a notebook or burning in a flame
As with any ritual or practice, if it feels like more of a chore than a help, discard it. Find your way to practices and rituals that slot into your life seamlessly and that make sense for you. Dip in and out of these rituals and see what resonates.
________________________________________________________________
Helena is a professional photographer based in Bristol, specialising in product and food photography. She works with ethical and sustainable brands, creating joyful, story-telling product photos.
Find out more about her work here: https://helenarosemurphy.net/