Behind the scenes: Rescues Restore

24th August 2022 @ 6:40pm

On Wednesday, 24th August we had our final session out of three total Rescues Restore evenings. Short sessions to meet some of our residents and have a little quiet time with a little mindfulness.

We had a comfortable sized group join us for our first relaxation technique (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) taking place in the barn accompanied by the ever friendly faces of Laurel, Susie, Lydia, Cyril, Tilly, Diana and the many others.

Once we came back to earth, we all floated over to the cat cabin and had what we refer to as a "personal massage". This wasn't a physical thing, but a mental one. Feeling all your tension and stresses melting away with the power of your own mind - a much cheaper option than paying a masseuse for an hour!

Of course we weren't on our own in the cabin, with the cats keeping us entertained before joining us for a little relaxation.

If you weren't lucky enough to get involved in our latest 3 sessions, make sure and keep an eye out for any new dates. You will not regret it! Don't just take our word for it, check out how relaxed both Amanda and Simon were as the night came to a close.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, without being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s easier to master when we practice on a daily basis. There’s growing research to show that when you train your brain to be mindful, you actually remodel the physical structure of your brain. Mindfulness is available to us in every moment, whether through meditations and body scans, or mindful moment practices like taking time to pause and breathe when life becomes overwhelming and flustered. Here are some simple steps to tune into mindfulness throughout the day:

1. Give yourself some time.

2. Observe the present moment as it is.

3. Let your thoughts pass by, letting go of judgement.

4. Return to observing the present moment as it is.

5. Be kind to yourself, don't worry if you can't fight your wandering mind. Learn to recognise it and bring yourself back.

That's all there is to it. Whilst it sounds fairly easy, it can be incredibly difficult for a lot of people so the main take away is be kind to yourself.

Would you get involved in more of our Rescues Restore events?

• Count me in!
• Not for me, sorry.
• I'd like to know more about what happens...

You can vote for more than one answer.