Growing Like a Chinese Bamboo Tree

This year like last, I chose to have a word define my year; that word was 'Growth'. 

Very much inspired by the story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree, when ever I find myself getting off path I like to re-read the story. I constantly remind myself that even when it looks like nothing is happening I am growing and one day I will wake up and things will have changed.

Oyindamola Fakeye

Founder Sound Mind Africa

How Does A Chinese Bamboo Tree Grow?

Free Mid Year Motivation Resources

We are just about to hit our 6 month mark as June comes to an end, so what better time to review how you are progressing and reevaluate some of the goals you set for yourself  at the beginning of the year?

If you are feeling slightly underwhelmed by your progress and need a little bit of a push in the right direction, or  if like some of us life has taken you on a different path than you had imagined, then take this opportunity to sign up for our FREE Dream Chaser course.

The course is emailed to you daily and you are free to work at your own pace. You can work with your already defined goals or use this time to introduce new goals, using simple exercises and affirmations to direct you.

Feeling like one has lost control/ direction of one's life has often been linked to mental health issues such as Stress, Anxiety, Depression, OCD and Eating Disorders. We first ran this course last year and had a really good response which led to to the re-release. Lets make the second half of the year much more intentional and regain control over our lives.

More information and sign up form here: Dream Chaser

Simple Techniques to Leading a Positive Life Through Mindfulness

Studies have shown that most people are either thinking about past events or planning for the future and this thought process can account for up to 45% of all our day to day thoughts. How crazy is it that almost 50% of of our lives are spent outside of the moment. Maybe its why we have come to love the Snapchat and Instagrams' of the world, as we can revisit the moments we mentally weren't being present in?

A great way to cultivate an emotionally and mentally healthy lifestyle is through the practice of Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. Involving the observation of ones' thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Living mindfully means to live in the moment, fully aware of the present experience.

Mindfulness does not require you to make a total life overhaul, we can all benefit from slowing down and truly being aware of our current experiences. Just small changes here and there can bring about greater positivity and peace of mind. Those of us (myself included) who are prone to anxiety, stress or depression about an uncertain future or a longing for the past can set ourselves the daily task of being more mindful and see the benefits begin to manifest.

If you are a complete beginner in the school of Mindfulness, Leo Babauta of  Zen Habits, has broken down 12 mindful techniques into practical applicable steps below:

1. Meditation. Meditation is where mindful living starts. And it’s not complicated: you can sit still for even just 1 minute a day to start with (work up to 3-5 minutes after a week), and turn your attention to your body and then your breath. Notice when your thoughts wander from your breath, and gently return to the breath. Repeat until the minute is up.

FREE GUIDED MEDITATION SESSIONS IN LAGOS TO MARK WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2015

Dear Friends, 

As part of of this years World Mental Health Day campaign Sound Mind Africa will be holding a FREE Guided Meditation session from 8-9am on Saturday 10th October at A Whitespace 58 Raymond Njoku Street, SW Ikoyi. For more information email: soundmindafrica@gmail.com or call: 09095329022.

In the fast-paced world that we live in, we often do not take the time to clear our heads and be truly present in our surroundings. Meditation is a mindfulness practice that allows you to “let go” and be present in the moment. With all the demands of work and home we’re often placing large amounts of stress on not only our physical but mental health.

Benefits of Meditation

Because practicing meditation helps you to slow your breath, quiet your mind, and find peace, it can be beneficial physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Physical Benefits

•       Stimulates your nervous system, which help your body return to a calm, relaxed state after the threat of danger, or even daily stress, has passed. 

•       Clears your mind for better quality sleep.

•       Improves performance by refining your ability to focus on a goal or situation (another term for meditationused in this way is visualization).

•       Boosts your immune system by slowing the production of the stress hormone cortisol.

Mental and Emotional Benefits

·      Reduces anxiety and depression by enabling your body to balance its own neurochemical system.

·      Allows you to make better decisions and improve critical thinking.

·      Breaks unhealthy habits by helping you detach emotions associated with an action from the action itself.

·      Improves communication with yourself. When you better understand your thought processes, you have more control over what you think.

·      Helps you stay in the present moment. When you let go of the past and the future, you live 100 percent in the now, which affects all aspects of your life and relationships.

P.J. Okocha will lead the meditation session. PJ trained in Hong Kong and has been meditating for 8 years. He recently began leading sessions in Lagos as an opportunity to share his knowledge.

Further reading

World Mental Health Day

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/world-mental-health-day/world-mental-health-day-2015/

Money Management and Meditation: 

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2014/09/26/ask-the-readers-would-you-try-meditation-to-improve-your-finances/

Meditation and Heart Health:

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/Meditation-and-Heart-Disease-Stroke_UCM_452930_Article.jsp

Stress Relief and Meditation:

http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/p/profilemeditati.htm

Nikisha Talks About Suicide & How She Was Diagnosed with ADHD & Anxiety ...

You tube remains an amazing tool for learning and for shared experiences. As such when we came across this video we felt it important to share as a means of encouraging people to talk.

The below exert is from Nikisha in relation to this video:

I wanted to make a video talking about my diagnosis of both ADHD and Anxiety Disorder (GAD) at the age of 31. I was professionally diagnosed by a brain specialist (Doctor). Mental illness and brain disorders aren't easy to talk about because there are a lot of stigmas and strong opinions that oppose each other. I feared opinions that opposed mine until I realized that no one can be me, no one knows the torment and hardships that someone else has to live through day in and day out. It’s very debilitating and many beautiful people have taken their lives. Many people don’t understand unless they're experiencing it themselves. I believe we need to educate ourselves, have more open dialogues, and be less judgmental and more open minded. I wasn’t able to cover everything I wanted to talk about in this video, but maybe I will do another video if people have anymore questions.

If you have been struggling with anxiety and/or depression your whole life, don’t feel like it’s happening to you because you haven’t prayed enough or don’t have enough faith, don’t believe that all medication are bad, don’t take advice from people who aren’t knowledgeable on mental illness or disorders unless they are presenting you with concerns and suggesting you get professional help, or have actual experience with mental illness and disorders.

I hope this video and sharing my own personal journey with ADHD and anxiety disorder/depression will help someone who really needs the help.

To learn more about ADHD and how the brain works while being effected by mental illness and disorders, I recommend two videos by leading brain Doctor, Dr. Amen:

 Healing ADD http://youtu.be/UWnJ4wjVu9k & Change Your Brain Change Your Life http://youtu.be/MLKj1puoWCgThey are wonderful and more than insightful!!!

Email: nikisha@urbanbushbabes.com 

Mental Health, Why Nigeria, Africa is losing The War.

Culled from: http://africadevelopmenttalk.com/policy/mental-health-why-nigeria-africa-is-losing-the-war/  

When it comes to health care system, many nations in Africa have no structured and functional means of addressing pertinent issues for people who are considered ‘fit not to now talk of people who are considered’insane’ or being troubled by the ‘gods’ or through personal misdeeds.

As an individual,  I used to think mental health cases are hopeless and must have been caused by misdeed of the affected person. Unfortunately many grew up here with such an erroneous belive that all mental health issues are not redeemable and all we could do Is to allow individuals to go through whatever experience they are experiencing. Like others, ignorance had led many into selfish orientation of not acknowledging the need for emphaty  with mental health patients because we do believe  the causes may be as a result of individual misdeeds or effect of  ‘god, traditional cultscults etc ‘.

The Siwe Project: Choices (PSA 1 of 4 starring Bassey Ikpi)