30 Sam Meditates: Christmas outfits, emotions over the holidays & exercising your focus

In this week’s episode, Chloe chats with guest, Sam Healy, the man behind Be and Co Meditation. 

Before we get to Sam’s chat, Steph and Chloe get together on the couches! We riff on:

• Christmas preparations: Christmas morning swims, grief & how we remember our passed loved ones this time of year
• Chloe and Steph discuss how Christmas can be a difficult time for those who have lost loved ones, and they encourage listeners to be gentle with themselves and find ways to remember and honor their loved ones.
• Receiving gifts: What to do when you receive a gift that you may not have chosen for yourself
• New Moon Sag 12/13th December

Our guest, Sam was until 2019, a proud skeptic of mediation until a few experiences changed his view and led to major transformation. Sam became a certified meditation teacher in 2020 and his mission is to teach people how to 'Be' and normalise it in their day to day. “When you're Being, the Doing comes effortlessly. Be first. Happiness, calmness, fun, adventure...all these types of things are the benefits of learning how to Be” - Sam Healy

Here’s what Chloe & Sam chat about: 

- Sam shares their personal journey of discovering the benefits of meditation, from feeling burnt out as a teacher to developing a program for staff and students.

- Meditation vs Mindfulness: Meditation is the practice of exercising focus. It helps train the brain to focus on one thing at a time. Mindfulness is awareness - it's noticing what your focus is on within the present moment.

- Supporting kids to meditate. A guide is their age + 2 minutes 

- Daily dose of Meditation: Aim for 20 minutes of meditation twice a day for best results. Start with 8 minutes if needed & build up

- Best way to Meditate: Sit upright for meditation so the brain doesn't associate it with sleeping. Keep the spine straight and neck free.

- Support yourself during Meditation by asking "What is my next thought going to be?" This creates space to notice thoughts without getting caught up in them.

- Consistency is important for meditation to become a habit and see benefits. Don't be hard on yourself for missing days - gently get back into the practice.

- Community and accountability can help with consistency. Consider meditation groups

- Sam lead’s a short meditation to demonstrate how to focus on calm spaces in the mind, even when thoughts arise.

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Thank you again and see you next week xx Chloe & Steph