My head is too full.
This is not unique to me. It's the same story in the head of every woman I know (and probably every man but I don't talk to men about that kind of stuff so I'm not sure about them.) What with busy lives and information overload, it's beginning to feel like there isn't any spare capacity left just to think. What I really need is to download it all and start afresh. Obviously this is not an entirely practical solution.
So late last year I decided to do something about this increasingly serious issue. I noticed that the world was suddenly full of gorgeous colouring books and everyone was talking about 'Mindfulness'. This meant nothing to me. I turned to Google for help and discovered a whole world of stuff about which I had previously known nothing. Mindfulness, I learned, is about paying more attention to the present moment, to your own thoughts and feelings and to the world around you. This sounded like just the ticket...
I bought a colouring book and set to. It's a lovely, relaxing activity if only one had the time! I decided a different approach was needed. I downloaded an app. This started quite well. When the family were all at school, I found a comfortable place and tuned into the dulcet tones of a rather dishy sounding Mancunian who told me to clear my head of thoughts, follow my breathing and count to ten.
I managed it for four days before I forgot all about it. Not a resounding success and I was certainly no closer to finding some quiet head space.
So when it popped up on Facebook that there was a taster session of Vedic meditation happening in my favourite coffee shop Toast House, I thought I'd go along and see what it was all about. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, you hear all kinds of stuff about meditation....or you did until the world started searching for the antidote to our busy lives.
Turns out I could put my prejudices away. The group leaders and the other people who turned up were all perfectly normal. They were simply seeking solutions. Just like me. So I signed up and during the course of this week, I shall be instructed in the basics of vedic meditation. I'm not sure what I'm expecting but I'm open-minded and enthusiastic so how wrong can it go?! Will 2016 see a calmer, more focussed, less easily distracted me? Fingers crossed.
Imogen.
