This slogan directs us to a path of discovery and interestingly from the outset to a meditation goal - awareness.

This slogan is referring to the vipassanā side of the samatha vipassanā meditation training. As I have explained previously, the Western mindfulness movement if fueled by the discipline of psychology. An as an academic subject that needs and indeed reinforces the need of the intellect, it tends to shy away from this type of 'insight' type practice. They tend to focus on samatha and calm abiding and stress reduction rather than ego reduction which would reduce a lot of stress.

What is interesting to note is why the meditation masters of old put this slogan in this tradition of awakening so soon. The thinking mind needs time to slow down. Stop hopping all over the place. But yet they have put this profound truth as number three?

At some point in your meditation practice you are going to start seeing that as your thinking mind slows down the flow of thoughts will too. This can be a huge psychological shock to people who self-identify as 'thinking beings'. Meditation, successful meditation process is quite frankly the antithesis to their self-concept.

Now don't get me wrong or get frightened but there is a lot more to our mind than just thinking. You will learn the more you delve into regular deep meditation practice that thoughts actually come from our mind. That it is mind that we need to get an understanding of not our thoughts so much. They eventually subside. Not to  the point you become a zombie but you chose when to think and not your thinking mind being in complete control of you.

As Ram Dass says, 'the intellect is a great friend but a lousy master.'

Too much thinking is a way of people dissociating. Disconnecting and is the major basis for 'dualisitic fixation' in other words 'self and other'

Why do the mediation masters instruct us to examine the nature of unborn awareness? And why do they specify 'unborn'? What do they mean?

Mediation is a journey to become more sane. Psychologically anyways. The masters are directing our focus inwards and to search and find this elephant in the forest.  Meditation is not just about chillin' out. Its deeper. Much deeper.

We are to search for the fundamental mind the awareness mind. This is not a concept but an experience and don't worry it eventually comes. As the thinking slows down and when the last thought goes and before the next thought arises there is a ...GAP!!!! Mind the gap and the gap will mind you.

This gap is free and unbounded awareness and we need a training to get to this level of meditation, more training to stay in it and more training again to start to value and identify with this experientially speaking.

Once we get to the gap, which will take a few weeks of daily meditation, how do we deal with awareness? The lojong masters tell us to examine it.   And examine its 'unborn' aspect.

This is because awareness has never died and therefore is never born and is unborn. We need to stabilise this practice and this understanding.

When we do, we find the stable aspect of our minds.

Lady Gaga advises people to look after your career as your career won't leave you and I say the same for awareness. Invest in it as it will never ever leave you

As you will always be with your own spirit you better love is and better have a good relationship with it.

The fashion industry spends millions every year on creating ads to entice us to buy their products. However using super thin models who may be anorexic is now being made illegal in France thanks to the French governments new law governing the fashion industry.

Hopefully this practice will now become a phenomena of the past and more European countries will follow suit. .

The French Government has just passed a law banning under weight fashion models. This is to act as a preventative against anorexia in  the industry and models now will have to have a certificate from  their doctor that the agency holds on file. If anyone is found in breech of this law it is punishable by six months in prison and or up to a 75,000 Euro fine. This also aims to stop extream dieting by the models who act as role models for the younger generation.

The French government  has good reason to do so as this practice does not just affect the models but also all of society that is looking on and comparing themselves to these ideals that have also been airbrushed. Mostly vulnerable young people who don't have enough life experience to see through illusion, perhaps deception, of the edited pictures. This leads to lots of low self-esteem of which faulty self-image is a leading characteristic. This is why the French Government has also enforced as part of this law that all images that are photoshopped, now have a statement saying so. 

The world is full of illusion (maya) but never so much as in the fashion industry. In Buddhist psychology the first of the five skhandas is form. In the western world we are obsessed with form especially in the fashion industry. Focusing on form gives rise to self-identification which in turn gives rise to suffering. Lets say a person identifies themselves purly through form, like a model, when that model ages, as she surly will, then the body will too. These changes will be unwelcome and cause suffering as she will resist these changes. Therefore a person needs to Discover Their Beautiful Mind of wisdom and compassion.

One thing the press has failed to mention is that this type of anorexia culture and distorted images lead many in society to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Thousands of people have ended up being very self concious about their looks in an anxious way and have hang ups about non-existant flaws. 

Dame Anita Roddick founder of The Body Shop International, my old boss,  once put it very well in the 1990's when she ran a campaign against comparing yourself to ideals and a narrow view of what beauty is. At the height of the supermodel spindoctoring she placed posters in the windows of all her stores saying "'There are 3 billion women in the world who don't look like supermodels and only 8 that do.'

This comparing yourself to unrealistic people creates a lot of confusion for people which ultimately contributes to the Lifetrap of DEFECTIVENESS. If you don't have self-esteem you will have defectiveness. Let's face it  there is more to a person than just their looks. In Schema Therapy this LifeTrap is sometimes called the Unloveability Lifetrap. A person feels that they are somehow flawed usually without evidence.

One of the major champions of this latest challenge to the fashion induistry is international model and actress Cara Delevingne who is also  a friend of Justin Bieber. She said recently on Instagram “I am tired of society defining beauty for us. Strip away the clothes, Wipe Off the make up, cut off the hair. Remove all the material possessions. Who are we? How are we defining beauty? What do we see as beautiful?”

Since 2004 DOVE have been running a self esteem project that aims like ourselves to increase peoples levels of self esteem and be more body positive. which interviewed 10,500 females across 13 countries, found that women's confidence in their bodies is on a steady decline, with low body esteem becoming a unifying challenge shared by women and girls around the world - regardless of age or geography.

Despite this, there is still a strong desire among females to challenge existing beauty norms, with 71% of women and 67% of girls calling for the media to do a better job portraying women of diverse physical appearance, age, race, shape and size.

The report is the third and most comprehensive study Dove has undertaken on the topic, building on two previous studies published in 2004 and 2010. It reveals the impact low body esteem has on a woman's ability to realise her potential, with nearly all women (85%) and girls (79%) saying they opt out of important life activities - such as trying out for a team or club, and engaging with family or loved ones - when they don't feel good about the way they look.

Additionally, 7 in 10 girls with low body-esteem say they won't be assertive in their opinion or stick to their decision if they aren't happy with the way they look, while 9 out of 10 (87%) women will stop themselves from eating or will otherwise put their health at risk.

Here are some key findings from DOVE's The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited which they published recently

• Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004)
• Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable describing themselves as ‘beautiful’
• 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful
• 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful, but do not see their own beauty
• More than half of women globally (54%) agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic

New international French pop sensation Héloïse Letissier from Christine and the Queens was very annoyed with  the photoshopping that took place when she did a shoot for ELLE  magazine. Most people would be bribing for the graphic designers for enhancement such as this but not chanteuse Héloïse. She said it felt violent to have her imperfections erased, “For me, feminism and humanism are all about ways of owning your body and finding a way to exist without being oppressed."

Men are actually affected by this in other terrible ways.  More than 40% of boys in middle school and high school regularly exercise with the goal of increasing muscle mass. 38% of boys in middle school and high school reported using protein supplements and nearly 6% admitted to experimenting with steroids. More than four in five men (80.7%) talk in ways that promote anxiety about their body image by referring to perceived flaws and imperfections, compared with 75% of women. Similarly, 38% of men would sacrifice at least a year of their life in exchange for a perfect body – again, a higher proportion than women.

The only way to guard against this DEFECTIVENESS is to study and practice Self-Esteem as a subject. Self-esteem is the greatest psychological resilence we could ever give the younger generations. 

We run Mindful Beauty Self Esteem & Self Compassion Masterclass Days to deal directly with this. These one day events are hugely popular with rave reviews from participants and continuously being booked. If your company would like us to stage this training just get in touch.

The hugely popular Strandhill Peoples Market in Sligo turns threee this weekend. This market was the brainchild of two young Sligo people who have been dedicated to the community and stall holders for the last three years. The market has added a lot of value to a visit to Sligo and the beach area. The market is full of different traders and crafts on each Sunday it takes place. The market has become a lifestyle choice for many of the people living in the region. For tourists it boast real contemporary funky Ireland and gifts from craft makers you would never get in AerRinta Duty free and the buyers can't be bothered to look further than the pale.

With a great atmosphere each Sunday copious amounts of barista latte capuccinos, freshly made gorgeous sushi, homebaked cakes there is lots to choose from for lunch or takeaway dinner for later. 

The fact that the Stranhill Peoples Market is held in a hanger at the local airport also helps if its raining. There are outside seats for sunny days so you can catch the sun but only with SPF.

Our Mindful Beauty Products that are made in Ireland with Wild Atlantic Seaweed, aromatherapy essential oils and other natural ingredients are available from our stall in the main hall at the StrandHill People's Market . We will be there whilst stocks last.  These should be of huge interest to gardeners as we use plant extracts wherever we can. We will also have our SERUM 22 with us that you can try and our Lavender Pillow spray. We will also have special offers for the show.

Make sure you check out our bestselling ArthroAroma massage oil for aches and pains. People tell us its wonderful to use and they keep coming back for more and more.

We have a fabulous new footcare range with talc free foot powders. A lovely aromatherapy refreshing spearmint footsoak that will melt aches away. Sumptuous  peppermint foot lotion made with three Wild Atlantic Way seaweeds and shea butter.

If you are a tourist reading this we also do gift boxes. These are lovely gifts to bring back with you to your country. Check out our product range online here

Come and check out the products and say hi

Woman's World is Irelands largest female retail Expo. The retail event is also host to the largest registration event for the Women’s Mini Marathon. Mindful Beauty wilI be attending as a way to present our products to the ladies who are participating. In 2017, in excess of 23,000 women will come through the doors  which is good news for Mindful Beauty fans as there are lots of promo deals available to sample our natural beauty products.
 
Womans World 2017 takes place on Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th of June in the RDS Simmonscourt from 10am to 6pm each day.

Our Mindful Beauty Products that are made in Ireland with Wild Atlantic Seaweed, aromatherapy essential oils and other natural ingredients are available from our stall in the main hall at Woman's World 2017. We will be there whilst stocks last.  These should be of huge interest to gardeners as we use plant extracts wherever we can. We will also have our SERUM 22 with us that you can try and our Lavender Pillow spray. We will also have special offers for the show.

Make sure you check out our bestselling ArthroAroma massage oil for aches and pains. People tell us its wonderful to use and they keep coming back for more and more.

We have a fabulous new footcare range with talc free foot powders. A lovely aromatherapy refreshing spearmint footsoak that will melt aches away. Sumptuous  peppermint foot lotion made with three Wild Atlantic Way seaweeds and shea butter.

If you are a tourist reading this we also do gift boxes. These are lovely gifts to bring back with you to your country. Check out our product range online here

Come and check out the products and say hi

FREE tickets are available by clicking here

International Nurses Week starts saturday 6th of May and is an annual celebration to mark the contribution of nurses everywhere. It runs from May 6 to May 12 each year, International Nurses Day falls on Fri 12th May, a significant date as this is the Birthday of Florence Nightingale who had a pivotal role in the development of modern nursing. So if you are looking for nurse gift ideas for gifts for nurses look no further. We have a brilliant nurses gifts here.

'Save one person you are a hero save a hundred and you're a nurse.'
                                                                                                                                        - Anonymos 

Our Nurses Beauty Box is a lovely gift for the nurse in your life this week or a nurse who has cared for you or your family member.

There are over 6 million nurses in the European Union. Imagine? They have in times of austerity done a lot more on less so it's lovely to say thanks. Don't underestimate the power of valuing a nurse. A recent study from The University of Aberdeen found that nurses who felt valued an appreciated were much less stressed. So why not get them a nurses week gifts aromatherpy beauty box?

The Mindful Beauty - Nurses Beauty Box contains: Lavender Pillow Mist, ArthroAroma aromatherapy massage oil, refreshing spearmint Foot Soak and our other bestseller Organic Orange, Frankincense and Myrrh Face Cream made with shea butter and three Wild Atlantic Way seaweeds.

Not only will you be treating a nurse with these made in Ireland products, you will also be supporting us to support HSE nurses who finish our Learning to Exhale Mindfulness Meditation training to go on a Mindful Beauty Day with our partner Limerick College of Further Education Beauty School for a half day spa where we sponsor all the products used. On the Mindful Beauty Day nurses are treated to a half day spa of hot stone massage, reflexology, facials and manicures.

Nurses do some great work caring for all the people in our communities and are exposed to three extra occupational health hazzards: burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.

So get ordering now so that we can post them out to you to arrive in time. Last orders are Wed 10th of May for delivery Friday .

Spread the word, repost, Twitter and email this info to all the people you know so that this week, we as a national community who depend on nurses can go and thank them for all the hard work they do, in all our hospitals, caring for our entire community.

This year’s Balmoral Show will provide an exciting mix of food, farming excellence and showmanship alongside an exhilarating entertainment schedule from 10th – 13th May 2017. With many new additions to the Show, news of a fourth day is proving the most highly anticipated development. Rhonda Geary, RUAS Operations Director commented “We are very excited to bring our amazing Show offering to a fourth day, on a Saturday, which has been called for, for many years. The four days of the Show will include all that is brilliant about Balmoral, grassroots agriculture alongside a mix of shopping, entertainment and attractions. We are delighted to see a marked increase in many livestock sectors including equine and beef, and are looking forward to a full house in May competing for prestigious Balmoral titles”.

The Balmoral Show provides a day out for all the family with great food and entertainment available and is a treat for all gardeners. The venue features a huge indoor arena as well as outdoor spaces and plenty of parking is conveniently located just within walking distance.

Mindful Beauty will be in this years new marquee of Health & Fitness.

Our Mindful Beauty Products that are made in Ireland with Wild Atlantic Seaweed, aromatherapy essential oils and other natural ingredients are available from our stall in the main Health & Fitness Marquee at The Balmoral Show. We will be there whilst stocks last.  These should be of huge interest to gardeners as we use plant extracts wherever we can. We will also have our SERUM 22 with us that you can try and our Lavender Pillow spray. We will also have special offers for the show.

Make sure you check out our bestselling ArthroAroma massage oil for aches and pains. People tell us its wonderful to use and they keep coming back for more and more. see bottle below.

If you are a tourist reading this we also do gift boxes. These are lovely gifts to bring back with you to your country. Check out our product range online here

Come and check out the products and say hi
www.mindfulbeauty.eu