Hi everybody, sorry we're a bit late. We had something of a technical glitch tonight, so it was whirring and whirring. And not letting us in, but as I see people coming in now, so.
Really great to see you. It is, World Mental Health Day, and As you can see from the slide, I've kind of decided I just thought about, I, I always think about these things and, and think about what it is that people need, or what people may need. And I think that, World Mental Health Day falls as it gets darker.
And I'm involved in a little bit of, Research at the moment, the University of Nottingham, where we're looking at . Using remote therapy for group therapy, for people struggling with seasonal affective disorder. And one of the meditations that we're using as part of the group therapy, I thought would really, really fit well for tonight.
So once again, sorry for being a bit late, but, I think we've got a really nice. Meditation for you tonight because I don't know about you guys, but it feels like we're beginning to fall into something of a, a new rhythm. You know, and the darker days and.
Slightly colder weather can mean for those of us, and I know those of you in the veterinary profession will, a lot of you will be spending a lot of time in artificial light. You know, and getting into work early and leaving work late, meaning you get very little sunshine, and our mood can take something of a hit. And for some, it's just a sense of feeling kind of a bit low spirited for a while.
But for others, what we're beginning to see is that perhaps 1 in 15 people in the UK, struggle with significant seasonal affective depression, or seasonal affective disorder, as it's more commonly known. And of course, the pandemic, COVID has been really. Responsible for more interest in vitamin D than there has been in years, and we know that the decline in vitamin D is, a, a very important factor in why.
Some people really, really struggle, so, a vitamin D supplement perhaps. And I'm on one of the long COVID national groups where we have interminable meetings that I tend to stay for about 20 minutes on each time. But some every now and then we get a great speaker in and we had a speaker in talking about vitamin D and as a result of it afterwards, I, I finished, went on.
Holland and Barrett. And got myself 4000 milligrammes of vitamin D daily because I struggled during COVID and the thought of my vitamin D going low and feeling like that again was beyond me. So it's, there's a lot we can do about it, but .
There is something about what mindfulness can do as well, because I think that what mindfulness perhaps can do at this time of the year, maybe more, I, I meditate a lot better in the winter. I'm, I, I, I'm able to sit and spend more time, actually engaging in meditation. I always meditate every day, but I find myself meditating for longer and perhaps with an increased level of.
Concentration. And I think mindfulness helps us to understand maybe and. I should not understand cos I think we probably get that, but certainly embrace the impermanence of life.
You know, when we stay mindfully engaged in every moment with whatever's arising, we gain an awareness that change is the nature of all things. And understanding that truth of impermanence. Can help us to know that yeah it's cold and it's dark and this too shall pass.
Mindfulness can also help us develop a sense of perspective. John Cabot Zinn sometimes talks about change how you see and see how you change. I like that.
Change how you see, and see how you change. And I think what he's getting at there is instead of focusing on what we miss over the winter months, that warmth, the sunshine, nature in bloom. We need to shift our awareness, which is what the meditation today.
Is gonna try and do to some extent. And I suppose at this time of endings. Which to many extents, I suppose, winter is.
Our sense of Sort of opening the door for self reflection. And maybe we need to remember that we are supposed in winter to go about life with a slightly slower pace. And take opportunities to rest and recalibrate.
Maybe even to achieve a conscious change in perspective, really does matter this stuff. And Maybe we can create a greater sense of gratitude. Of, I don't know, warm drinks, woolly socks, .
The simple joy of snuggling up at night and finding warmth. You know, there are endless things to be grateful for as we go into these darker months. And we can use this mindfulness of gratitude as a buffer against negative attitudes and.
A mindsets by bringing our awareness to. The stuff of Winter that is. Absolutely special, you know, and I think it's.
Over the years I've moved from someone who loathed and dreaded the thought of winter to just not thinking I could live somewhere without the extremities of seasons, because I think I would miss it terribly. And finally, given that mindfulness and self-compassion are real. Buddies, you know, bedmates together.
Maybe tonight's meditation will encourage you to use this winter period to get into a regular self-care practise, where you're upping your meditation, where you're nurturing habits such as long walks, outdoors. Whenever there's sunlight, you know, warm baths, nourishing meals, and if we do this, then. Perhaps we can stay buoyant for.
These darker nights and on. This World Mental Health Day, I think we really should be thinking about how we look after ourselves. So as we move into our first.
Our meditation tonight and I'm just calling this . Meditation, silent witnessing. Silent witnessing and and the key to freedom.
So if we can just get ourselves into. A place of deeper stillness. And find a position or a.
a way of sitting. That We feel snug and warm. And we also feel dignified.
And we find that Just that quiet maybe close half an eye. And Let's just think about the darkness. Outside As we sit here in our Rooms that may be lit.
Or maybe you're sitting with the lighting down. And I've turned the lighting right down. In the room I'm meditating in today to try and get a sense of You know, Moving away from artificial light as the evening progresses.
So as we sit, I'd just love you to get a sense of the temperature. Outside And to use That winter Coolness So just very gradually. Quieting your thoughts.
And to send your attention to the present. So right in this moment now. Let's just remind ourselves.
That we're sitting As winter begins to take hold and The October Chill and the darkness. Begin to become more prescient in our minds. I'm just gonna ask you to fill your focus.
With wintry imagery. That can Have a positive effect on you. And if you're struggling with that, perhaps just have a look at my slide.
Of the snow on the ground and. The crisp Beautiful day that that slide shows. And Just quietly.
Acknowledge that During this time of winter, perhaps we have a job. To Sort of fill us ourselves up with good. Positivity To replace where other elements of your day today.
May have left you feeling tired. Noticing that we can use. Our brain to create images.
And places that you already know have a restorative effect on you. So as we sit, Just getting a sense of intent about. The beauty and the The wonderful gifts of nature that.
We can make the most of in autumn and winter. And we Begin to feel our minds clearing. And get a sense of this opportunity as the nights come in.
And the pace of life begins to slow. Of recharging And as we do so, let's Just measure our breathing. So let's breathe in, counting 1 to 4 on our in breaths in our mind.
34 and the same as we exhale 1. To 3 4 Just breathing in on a slow count of 4. And breathing out on that slow count of 4.
That's good. And once again as we half close our eyes or close our eyes, finding some of that beautiful imagery. That accompanies the seasons.
The autumnal leaves. We're beginning to see as we take our walks now. The Feel of the colder air.
And The natural stillness of things. Maybe even that Pocket of light that fills what appears to be the random spaces. Just carved out of the early morning mist as there was this morning.
And it's there one minute and it's gone the next. Perhaps the low gurgle of water. And just let your Dark winter images.
Just gently float across your mind. And observe them Don't disturb them. Just objectively.
As if we were watching her. A film on a loop. Just let's find the winter.
And the autumn And the mornings. And the early dusk. And let your images float across your mind.
Looking closely. And with patience. Out there Pictures as our mind sends them.
And see them as Things such as thoughts. And feelings Maybe We can learn to use the light switch technique where we just interrupt our observations of autumn. And we turn them off.
As though we might a light switch. In the same way we can use that light switch technique. To keep turning off distractions.
So if we get distracted. We just switch off that distraction. And we notice that we can switch an image back on again and bring back our autumnal leaves.
Or a white snowy crisp wintry scenes. What we're doing is we're just training our mind. To stay focused.
And By using the light switch technique where we switch off an image. And switch on another one. So we switch off that wintry scene.
And we switch on a scene of dawn. Breaking over a A beautiful crisp cold morning. And we switched that off.
And we find ourselves walking. In the woods full of autumn colours. And if we can just choose one of those.
Scenes Let's just choose one, whether it be autumnal walk. Or winter scene. And we switch that one on and we hold it.
In our mind's eye. And as we view our chosen scene. Maybe there are subtle changes.
It's a car here. This takes some patience. Perhaps the one brown leaf that moments ago was still.
As a brush stroke on a painting. Drops from the tree. And maybe We noticed that The colours Of our autumnal scene do change.
And the leaves drop And the trees become bare of leaves. And we realise that our lives are in constant flux. Just slowly, slowly evolving.
Flowing into the next brand new moment. And we observe this. Characteristic of change with acceptance.
And flow Feeling the peacefulness of the movement. Just guiding it to that same characteristic in us. That we too in this dark winter period.
Can start to find acceptance and flow. And we observe also. Perhaps The intelligence of the seasons.
You know, the new tree. In its first winter season or the oldest tree. The bird or the squirrel.
The snow Piling up And even big change. Sometimes subtle. Until you freeze it.
And look closely, and there's a reason for everything. We can sit with that and marvel at it. And we can bring our mindful attention to this shift towards darkness.
This shift towards a slower pace of life. And we can either push it away. Or we can just roll our shoulders back.
And find that mindful half smile. Of acceptance. And find a commitment.
Maybe I can really enjoy. This winter. As it begins to roll towards us.
Maybe I can Enjoy the darker nights. And we can ask ourselves. How does the sky look different?
How do the mornings change? And perhaps we can visualise. That all around us, the wisdom of nature.
As the animals slow down. And they Prepare To batten down The ants, Trees the Bugs burrowing up under the tree bark. Just getting a sense of the birds that are migrating.
And those that aren't. Just using the feeling and the message. That We're supposed to slow down.
You know, So we slow down our bodies and turn up the positivity naturally. Finding opportunity. To witness the changes that are coming so that we can successfully.
Maybe even Dare I say it joyfully. Navigate this shift. And now think Of all of the good.
Elements that have entered your life in the past year. And maybe they're playing. Underneath the more obvious or the louder.
Programmes that ran in our minds. And by Just recognising and Be grateful for the Good elements in our lives we're cooling down. And we're restoring our mental physical energy.
You know, just taking our time. And if you stopped And thought now Let's see if we can create a mind picture. Of ourselves As we move through.
Autumn Into winter And gently and slowly. Welcoming Into spring Noticing that we don't get to spring with a. Sigh of relief any more.
Because spring is just another season. And it will come And if we can be in this moment. As we are now Maybe winter has a lot to teach us.
Maybe this season. Can be our finest. Dark season.
Of our lives, maybe this is our opportunity. To have A really wonderful. Mindful Later part of the year.
And we just sit And recognise the lessons that nature gives us about the impermanence. About the shift About the need to adapt. And move with the seasons.
And when we're ready, Very gently. Just begin to open our eyes. Maybe when I finish the meditation.
Take yourselves outside. As I can see outside from where I'm sitting now. And we've got a beautiful, crisp.
Cloudless sky. And Maybe it would be rather lovely. To just go outside.
Stand quietly. Just allow. The darkness and the seasons.
And the coolness on our face. Just welcoming these dark dark nights. Taking the opportunity as it arises.
So well done, everybody. So Hillary said, I'm not sure if I'm doing this correctly as my winter scene is. Carving down a wide slope with good light, each turned perfectly executed to give the feeling of flying.
No, no, you're doing it perfectly, Hilary. It's just different. You know, absolutely, just different.
And As a non-skier. I think I can almost kind of understand that. Yeah.
Oh thanks, Katrina, yeah. I, I, I, I think you're right, you know, I always seem to take a mental dip in November. I love the seasonality of Scotland, appreciating it all the more now that she's started her open water swimming.
Oh my goodness me, yeah, the joy of cold. I'm a big fan of the wonderful Wim Hof. So, Yeah, I think cold has got something for us all, hasn't it?
So let's enjoy that. Thank you, Hillary, thank you. Thank you all.
No wetsuit yet. I catch you and I'm well impressed. I'm off to Cornwall on .
The 16th next week, so I will be swimming in the sea, but I will be wearing a wetsuit. Thank you very much. So, on this mental health day, thank you all for joining Dawn and I sorry once more, we had a technical glitch, just.
Once it whirs and whis like that, you'll know you'll get there in the end. So. Yeah.
Thank you, Hillary. Thank you, everybody. And good night.
Good night, Dom.