I am a useless meditator, if meditation demands I sit still doing nothing with my eyes closed. I would far rather lose my time in crochet, or knitting, reading or walking. But I recognise that time spent out of time is really valuable to a being.

Meditation can:-

• Reduce stress
• Improve concentration
• Increase self-awareness
• Increase happiness
• Slow aging
• Benefit cardiovascular and immune health

Seriously, what’s not to like?

So when I seek to meditate I often use one of the many aids available now. I love the apps, Buddhify and Headspace, both of which are on my phone and available for free on IOS and Android. Choose your time, choose the issue and away you go with a guided or unguided meditation. Grand if you’re on the move.

But at this time of year I very often feel the need to disconnect from everything electrical. I don’t want my meditation to rely on a battery, or to be guided. That’s when I grab a candle, find a quiet space in the dark and practise a candle meditation. At its most basic, it’s sitting looking at a candle in silence or sound (you decide). The article, The Hypnotic Lure of Candles, gives you several other ways to use a candle meditation, such as burning off stress, clearing out impurities or contemplating the infinite nature of a flame. It’s very centring, and sets me up for the next step in my life.

Want to meditate about life and read a good book at the same time?

How about a book on hygge? My books are all available from Amazon.

50 Ways to Hygge the British Way  is available in Paperback and Kindle version and so is How to Hygge Your Summer, again in Paperback and Kindle form, from Amazon.

Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas was released in September 2017 and is available again in paperback and ebook version.

If you purchase through the links on this page, I get a couple of pence extra per copy, and if you’ve already read them and enjoyed them, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I have a Goodreads Author’s Page!

My blog is on Facebook as How to Hygge the British Way and you can now follow me on Bloglovin as well. I’m personally also on Instagram and as a member of The Hygge Nook on Facebook.

****How to Hygge the British Way Blog isn’t monetised. I have taken the decision that I want to remain neutral and not to promote things just because. I will only ever review items that I have bought myself, or that I think will help to promote hygge in a busy life. To do this, I need support. Even just the price of a coffee adds up to a book over time, and it means I can stay independent. Would you help? Please consider clicking through to paypal.me/HyggeJem and leaving even a small amount. I’d be very grateful. Thank you.***