How do you think and feel about your body? This year, Mental Health Awareness Week (13–19th May) focuses on a theme that affects (or has affected) most people at some point in their life: how they see themselves when they look in the mirror. Body image issues are a common problem in a society that …
Today is International Women’s Day, so let’s celebrate women’s achievements by better understanding how they changed the world. Brave and bold women have played a part in changing history for the women who came after them, and today, they are the reason young women can dream big and feel able to follow those dreams. Teen …
At the turn of a new year, reflection often brings a raft of resolutions. It’s the perfect time for fresh starts, sowing the seeds to different habits and positive changes. No matter how much planning you do, however, daily tasks can take priority ahead of seemingly inessential goals. Instead, these get sidelined, lost in a …
What is self-acceptance, anyway? I see it as being as honest as you can with yourself. It is the ability to take a long, hard look at yourself and see the original truth of who you are, as opposed to those self-judgements that you’ve learned from others, be they parents, siblings, friends or peers. If …
When you suffer a cut or a graze you reach for the plasters, but what do you do when you’re feeling frazzled? Here’s what Breathe has put aside to soothe its mind and nerves on those off days… Your smartphone The advantage of using your phone as part of your kit is that it’s the …
When you think of mindfulness, what comes to mind? Mantras, essential oils, listening to relaxation podcasts? I used to think of someone sitting cross-legged, palms facing upwards and humming a calming tune. Assuming that’s all there was to it, I dismissed mindfulness as something that couldn’t help me. Even as its popularity grew and I …
You might remember seeing laughter yoga featured on a news programme or travel show. It goes like this: a bunch of people leaping around laughing, all looking somewhat childish and possibly a little ‘hippy-dippy’. There is no mistaking their happiness as they laugh at themselves. So we laugh at them. In fact, suddenly everyone is …
Nobody ever regrets starting a home yoga practice. It can transform your life, your body and your mind. Yet it can also seem overwhelming. Where to start? What to do? Here are some practical tips to get you on the mat and into a home yoga practice. Forty Days of Yoga author Kara-Leah Grant explains …
Gardening is a waiting game and it can take months, even years, to see the best results. However, when growing vegetables, some crops will be ready to eat only a month after sowing and there’s nothing better to motivate you to grow more. Sowing seeds is relatively straightforward. Just pop them thinly on a layer …
Cold-water swimmers say they suffer less illness, are better able to deal with stress and enjoy a boost in wellbeing with every icy dip. Breathe takes the plunge. Safety first Do not try cold-water swimming if you have respiratory, heart or blood pressure problems, are pregnant or unfit. Even if you are healthy, it’s advisable …