This month Nottingham Yoga teacher Caroline aka Caroline Inspired joins the Last Night I Dreamt tribe as guest blogger to talk about the value of self-care and how jewellery and the practice of meditation can come together to create a beautiful synergy that calms the soul. Over to Caroline…
So when the lovely Rebecca asked me to collaborate, it was a soul yes from me! And even more so when I discovered the story + intention behind the design + concept.
How do three of my favourite things come together? Well, it’s been beautifully created + put together by Claudia Bradby’s pearl power! The stunning meditative pearl spinner necklace is not only a new favourite of mine to wear but also a new loved daily touchstone. Inspired by Tibetan Monks use of spinning items, the pearl spins 360 degrees on its axis + can be used in lots of different ways to bring peace, calm + clarity.
When we’re anxious or stressed, we tend to become restless with our hands. Our fingers + hands become an expression of that anxiety. We mindlessly fidget, grip tightly, wriggle our fingers, bite our nails, pick at loose threads on our clothes, play with buttons + zips, tap or click a pen lid. Sound familiar? We all have our unique + quirky habits. Body language + body movements are POWERFUL - if you saw somebody doing any of these things, you’d soon recognise + observe that they are giving off a lot of anxious + nervous energy. We’re quick to recognise these habits in others, but don’t always recognise them within ourselves. These habits don’t always serve us. They add to the anxiety + stress. Rather than holding space, doing something about it + journeying through it.
Modern daily life is distracting us more than ever. We’re losing connection to body, mind + soul, through endless distractions, pressures + to do lists. The disconnection means we’re not always aware in the first place of how we’re feeling. Our bodies are always in the present moment but often of minds aren’t. Our bodies are expressing anxiety, overwhelm + stress through movements with the fingers, yet we’re not even aware of it.
That’s where mindfulness + meditation spinners help. They help bring us into the present moment - whatever the feels are. In my teachings, I always remind my students, to welcome in ALL the feels - there aren’t any good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative. We often label stress + anxiety as “bad” when really, you’re a human being feeling a human emotion. What’s important is HOW you journey through + take action, rather than ignoring + supressing. Instead, can we take action in a positive way to support your well being? THAT’S an act of self-love + soul care.
You can use meditation spinners when you’re walking, standing, laying down, sitting - anywhere! That is what is so beautiful about the necklace - it’s literally going with your throughout your day as tool to help you ride the waves of daily life. If it’s possible + safe to do so, I always encourage closing down the eyes as it naturally begins to let the mind slow down (your eyes bring in SO much information for the brain to process!) Relax your shoulders + lengthen through your spine so you have space for your belly to move as you breathe.
Okay, so how? Let’s dive in! (You can also dive in by following along to the guided meditation practice!)
Join Caroline and Rebecca in a meditation practice and follow along with the video
OBSERVE + BECOME AWARE - the first step is to recognise that you’re doing the action of fidgeting. Get to know yourself on a deeper level + what’s normal for you + how it shows up. When we make this observation, it then becomes mindful, however you’re expressing yourself!
TAKE ACTION - the awareness then triggers us to take action. We can use + connect with an item that symbolises peace + calm AKA Claudia’s meditative pearl spinner necklace. Consciously move your fingers to explore + physically feel the sensations of this sacred object. It doesn’t matter how you’re exploring, you’re doing it consciously so it will help to ground you into the present moment.
CHECKING IN - begin to find stillness with your hands, creating stillness in the body - a perfect home to start creating calm + mindfulness in the mind. How do you feel physically, mentally + emotionally? Maybe now that you’re still, your mind is far from stillness. That’s totally okay + natural, be gentle + compassionate with yourself.
BREATHE - observe your breath. Is it fast or slow? Shallow or deep? Spacious or restricted? Through the nose or mouth? Then begin breathing in + out through your nose, breathing lightly, slowly + deeply.
INTENTIONALLY BEGIN SPINNING - now begins the spinning the Claudia Bradby pearl spinner! Spin the pearl or sacred object on the inhale + again, on the exhale. You can change this up by spinning after every full cycle of breath (inhale + exhale)
MANTRA - a beautiful way is to also spin after every mantra. Mantra’s are a beautiful way to show yourself kindness + respect as you’re speaking to yourself in a loving way. One of my favourite mantra’s is simply…
COUNTING - counting is a fantastic way to give your busy mind something to focus on. It’s SO hard for our minds to slow down in modern day living. They’re constantly trying to do ALL the time because of the never ending to do list we place upon ourselves. Counting helps to slow down this burnout + overwhelmed part of your mind. Start at 1 + count up to 10. When you finish at 10, begin again at 1. And hey, guess what: you might not make it to 10. No worries, simply start again (with compassion, of course!). A wandering mind is natural + normal - tap into your inner cheerleader + cheer yourself on instead!
STILLNESS - begin to still your movements. You can either continue holding your necklace or sacred object or lower the hands. Notice how you feel now. Maybe feeling like you’ve been able to let go of what is no longer serving you or maybe feeling no different. Maybe still anxious + stressed, but just know your mind, body + soul will be doing you a HUGE thank you. We’re then able to ride the waves of how we’re feeling with peace + calm, rather than adding to our stress + anxiety.
Why does it work? Movement within our fingers helps to stimulate our senses, helping to bring us into the present moment + out of the past + future. We have no control over the past + future but we always have control over how we respond in the moment. Our minds are incredibly powerful - they associate items with a memory + we can use healing items as a way to tap into memories. So for example when you touch the Claudia Bradby pearl spinner, it will remind you of feeling calm. When you’re wearing it, you have access to calm your mind wherever + wherever you are, just like buddhist monks have been doing for over 2500 years!
Claudia Bradby Pearl Spinner - £135
Claudia Bradby’s pearl spinning necklace helps us to take action in a high vibe way. I love Claudia’s words: “It allows me to feel some of the peace I find in the water.” Just like Claudia, the water is always peaceful for me, too. It brings me great healing + growth, not just when I’m physically in it, but how it can metaphorically represent the ebbs + flows of life: life is like an ocean, a spiritual representation for the state + vastness of our emotions, energy, vibrations, moods + choices. Mindfulness can help you surf them all: the calm, the peaceful, the stormy, the unpredictable. All beautiful + all necessary.
I look forward to using this stunning new addition of the Claudia Bradby pearl spinner within my mindfulness practice, helping me to surf the waves of this beautiful journey called life.
Love Caroline x
Shop the Claudia Bradby Pearl Spinner necklace this week and receive a…*FREE LNID candle + Caroline Inspired guided meditation with every purchase*
SHOP NOW!Find out more about Caroline yoga classes at www.carolineinspired.co.uk and follow her on Instagram @carolineinspired
Here is a discount code for Caroline's online ‘Soul Care Club’ for all our lovely LNID customers. Use Code: LNID
