What are the various life challenges can you help people with? The life challenges I help people navigate through are anxiety, stress and overwhelm. Rebuilding self-confidence and helping to find more purpose in their lives. I’ve supported people through grief, career changes, relationship breakups and starting new healthy relationships but most importantly through all of this, feeling a deep sense of self-worth so they can navigate through whatever life throws their way. What is energy healing? Have you ever sensed someone looking at you before you’ve seen them? Or felt a good or bad vibe from someone before you’ve spoken to them? That is energy. Energy healing is working with that to clear the energy field of the body and bring a more harmonious flow. I’m trained in a modality called Theta Healing that works through meditation and the theta brainwave, tapping into your subconscious and energetically creating powerful internal shifts in order to live a more positive and healthy lifestyle. How can this benefit those planning their wedding in particular? Wedding planning can be stressful, and I’ve found having meditation and energy healing as a toolkit through this process has brought calm, clarity and confidence whenever I’ve needed it most. It can do the same for you too. As little as five minutes of deep breathing can calm your nervous system, so you don’t need to go and train for hours to reap the benefits of these practices just a few simple tools can be a game changer. What is meditation? There are many different types of meditation so there’s not always one simple answer but in its simplest form, meditation is a practice of being with yourself. It’s turning the focus away from all external distractions (of which there are many) and prioritising time to observe your inner world. How do we start getting into meditation? Is it something that can be done alone, or is it recommended to join a class? You can absolutely start alone by setting a timer for five to 10 minutes and just observing your breathing. Whenever the mind wanders you just gently return your focus back to the breath. However, I personally found it easier at the beginning of my journey to join a class, so that I had guidance and learned different techniques. You can always join me at www.maudehirst.co.uk What types of meditation would you recommend to a couple feeling overwhelmed by planning a wedding? There are many different types of meditation: breath awareness, visualisations, body scanning, movement meditation, mantra meditation, to name just a few. I’d recommend starting with breath awareness for any wedding stress. When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, your breath becomes short and shallow, so anytime you feel the wedding pressure getting too much, slow down your breathing – six seconds inhaling and six seconds exhaling (all through the nose). Repeat for 10 rounds and notice as your breath calms down, your whole body will begin to calm. Huge congratulations on your upcoming wedding! What have you learned from your own planning journey that can help readers going through the same process? Thank you. I’m definitely learning as I go. I’ve found having honest conversations with my partner about what we want and not asking everyone’s opinions has been very helpful. Secondly, to not get too attached to each detail. We found a wonderful venue but sadly just as we were booking, it went into administration. Although it has been super-upsetting, it made us realise what’s most important to us, and that is marrying each other. So, whatever venue we decide on will end up being the perfect one. Lastly, remembering that you don’t have to follow traditions, it can be fun to add little bits of you into the day. I think the biggest lesson is just to take the pressure off getting it right and try to enjoy the process along the way. Can you give us any teasers about your dream day? We haven’t finalised everything yet but we know we want it to be unique and intimate. We’re desperate to know! How did you find the dress-shopping? I’ve had the best time dress shopping. It’s been my favourite part. I don’t want to reveal too much but I thought I wanted to go lace boho vibes but what I’ve decided on is totally different! Finally, do you have any top tips for the wedding morning, when the nerves go into overdrive? Yes make sure you schedule some time before everything kicks off to sit quietly and breathe deeply for five minutes. The best breath to calm the nerves is four seconds in and six seconds out. Then, find a positive affirmation to repeat to yourself before you walk down the aisle. I will be using ‘I feel calm and sexy – let’s do this!’ FIND OUT MORE Head over to www.maudehirst.co.uk, where you’ll discover lots of different tools including a members club and a meditation app with pre-recorded sessions you can use at any time. © Grit Siwonia © Justin Gardner WELLNESS INTERVIEW 81
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