By Craig from Clear Mind Meditation.
Hello! I’m Craig, founder of Clear Mind Meditation, and I’m delighted to be writing a monthly column for Northern Insight. Each month, I’ll share practical tools and insights from the world of meditation and wellness – designed to help you live with more clarity, calm, and resilience.
Let’s begin with a question: why is it so hard to feel calm?
The answer lies in our nervous system. Most of us are stuck in “fight or flight” – the body’s ancient stress response. To understand why, let’s rewind 50,000 years to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Life was simple, but dangerous. Imagine you are faced with a sabre-toothed tiger, the body would respond instantly: heart racing, muscles tensing, adrenaline and cortisol flooding the system. Once the threat passed, the body would return to baseline.
Back then, this stress response activated maybe 1-5 times per week. Today? It’s triggered 20-50 times per day. Not by predators, but by deadlines, traffic, financial pressure, and the constant hum of digital noise. Our bodies react as if we’re under threat – but we rarely get to “fight” or “flee.” Instead, we stay stuck in tension, dysregulating our nervous system and affecting sleep, focus, and overall wellbeing.
So how do we shift out of this state?
Meditation is one of the most effective tools we have. Start with just 10 minutes a day, ideally in the morning. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and rest your awareness on the breath. When thoughts arise – as they will, gently let them dissolve and return to the breath. With patience and consistency, you’ll begin to notice your triggers, regulate your responses, and find a sense of inner stillness.
One technique I love is Black and White Breathing. Take a deep breath in and imagine white, warm light filling your body – bringing peace and calm. Hold for a few seconds. As you exhale, picture thick black smoke leaving your body, releasing tension, stress, or anything you’re ready to let go of. You can use this on the spot (say, stuck in traffic or before a big meeting) or as part of a deeper meditation practice.
In a world that rarely pauses, these small rituals can really help us reconnect with our true inner essence, of stillness and peace.
Be kind to yourself, see you next month….Craig.