1.0Vicky Goodenhttp://www.vickygooden.comvickygoodenhttp://www.vickygooden.com/index.php/author/vickygooden/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="zoKGcH5fAv"><a href="http://www.vickygooden.com/index.php/2016/04/01/mind-over-chatter/">MIND OVER CHATTER</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="http://www.vickygooden.com/index.php/2016/04/01/mind-over-chatter/embed/#?secret=zoKGcH5fAv" width="600" height="338" title="“MIND OVER CHATTER” — Vicky Gooden" data-secret="zoKGcH5fAv" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=http://www.vickygooden.com/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> https://i0.wp.com/www.vickygooden.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/meidtation.jpg?fit=1170%2C6261170626For just over two months now I have been trying out meditation. I say that with no air of smugness whatsoever because I am far from a bonafide meditator, still very much learning the basics and struggling at times along the way. I am also still to master fitting it in every day. But, I’ve done enough reading to know that meditation, or regular silence with oneself is widely attributed to a calmer and more mindful existence and this is very much appealing to me at this time of my life. Over the past year in particular I have learned that I need to be kinder to myself. Doesn’t that sound twee. But it’s true. I am my own worst critic and then some. The pace of this modern life can overwhelm. Even before getting to our day jobs, if we are unfortunate enough to have to encounter public transport in rush hour this can knock our stress response into overdrive before we’ve even opened the first empty slide of a brand new deck. You see, it’s only via learning the very basics of meditation that I’ve truly realised just how much internal chatter my head has been dealing with…for […]