October is Mental Health Month. At ACMM we are all for supporting the movement to take the stigma out of looking after our mental health.
My hope is that it will become more commonplace and seen as ‘normal’ to receive mental health support and to attend to our mental and emotional health needs. Just like we would take care of our physical health by going to the doctor, naturopath, or other health professional, do exercise or be aware of what we are eating.
We have so much available in our culture today to support our mental health, including:
- Modern psychology and psychiatry and the availability of a range of complementary mental health therapies.
- Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi-Gong and other mindful movement practices.
- Increased uptake of mindfulness and meditation as a means of stress relief and self knowledge.
- Dedicated organisations such as Beyond Blue and Head Space that work to increase public awareness and education around things like depression, anxiety and suicide.
- Through education and availability of resources, our increased awareness of the effect of other activities such as work, relationships, food and exercise on our mental health.
- And much more..
Thanks to the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass and many others, the message is spreading. We can take responsibility for supporting our own mental health to a degree by practicing meditation and mindfulness. We can gain benefit from the wisdom of meditation masters of the East. In this way, we can tap into ancient knowledge and practices.
There are so many online recordings, free and paid groups and the fantastic variety of meditation teachers out there. It has never been a better time to explore the benefits of meditation and mindfulness as a self care practice to support our mental health.
As with any foray into our inner world, a word of caution. If you have a diagnosed mental health condition, please check with your treating professional before embarking on a meditation practice. Do let your mindfulness teacher know so that they can better support you. Go gently and begin slowly and with shorter practices (5-10 mins).
To celebrate Mental Health Month, ACMM is offering a meditation and mindfulness giveaway each week of October!
Here is our first give-away! A FREE 21 Day Meditation and Mindfulness Program for Teens.
We hope you enjoy this and that it supports the mental health of the teens in your life. Look out for more weekly giveaways on our social media channels:FacebookInstagram
With love
Lisa
We provide a range of post graduate training options and support. Certificate, Diploma and Masters courses in Meditation and Mindfulness Teaching. An optional addition to any course is our Community Work Placement Program. It supports new meditation teachers to begin or expand their teaching practice. Download a prospectus for all the details or book a discovery call with us here to find out more!
