Expectant Escapes x Mindfully Hannah
It was lovely to see you at the Expectant Escapes Pregnancy Wellness Day!
Scroll through this page to see some of the take-home information from the workshop and some exclusive offers just for you.
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Mindfulness vs Meditation
What are they and what’s the difference?
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a way of living, being present, accepting what is, without judgement and then choosing how we place our attention. It is based on ancient Buddhist principles but popularised as a concept in its own right by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s. It incorporates these 7 core pillars:
Non-judging
Patience
A beginner’s mind
Trust
Non-striving
Acceptance
Letting go
In life, we are not used to being mindful of our thoughts and experiences, so we need to practise in order to train our minds to be more mindful — in the same way that training your muscles increases physical strength to allow you to lift a heavy weight.
Meditation
Meditation is one way we can practise mindfulness. Meditation is a much broader term which incorporates a variety of different types and techniques to help one achieve a sense of inner calm, bring greater self-awareness and build resilience against the stress of the modern world.
Some examples of types of meditation include:
Mantra and Chanting
Visualisation
Breath meditations
Contemplation
Buddhist meditations such as Lovingkindness and Gratitude
Meditations can be thought of as the gym workouts for the mind — regular training must be done to achieve longlasting results.
Benefits of a regular practice
In pregnancy and general life
Physical benefits
- Activation of your Relaxation Response — reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety
- Improved sleep
- Reduced perception of pain — especially helpful for those with chronic pain conditions
- Boosting of the immune system
Psychological benefits
- Improves mood
- Reduces depression and anxiety
- Improves self-awareness and management of emotions
- Improves focus, concentration and productivity
- Helps prepare your mind for birth and motherhood
- Strengthens relationships with others, including your baby
Spiritual benefits
- Stregnthens connection with yourself
- Increases self-compassion and self-esteem
- Deepens connection with the world around you
- May help you find meaning or purpose in your life
Stealth Meditation Techniques
For you to try when you just need a moment to pause in your busy mind. Here are the 3 we covered in the workshop, as well an another visualisation technique for you to try.
4-7-8 breathing
A stealthy way to activate your Relaxation Response:
Breathe in for a count of 4
Pause for a count of 7
Breathe out for a count of 8
Remember these don’t need to be seconds — only count at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Box breathing
Repeat as many times as you want/need to help you feel a little calmer:
Use a count that feels comfortable for you, making sure the inhale, pause, exhale, pause are each for the same lengths of time.
Leaves on a stream visualisation
As we practised in the workshop, imagine yourself standing on the banks of a stream and place your thoughts and worries on leaves that you can observe floating past you on the stream.
This visualisation helps demonstrate how we are separate from our thoughts — that it is possible to observe the thoughts and allow them to pass, without getting caught up in them.
Pebbles in a lake visualisation
This can be another similar visualisation to help you imagine throwing away troubling thoughts or worries.
Imagine you are standing by a lake. Around your feet are stones with words written on them. These words represent your current worries and troubles. Anger. Fear. Sadness. One by one, imagine or get a sense of picking them up and throwing them into the lake.
You can try this as a meditation practice, spending time throwing away multiple pebbles with different things currently worrying you — or as a stealth technique in a moment of anxiety, for example imagining throwing away a pebble saying ‘overwhelm’.
Tips for your own meditation practice
Start small
It’s all well and good setting a goal to start meditating for 20 minutes a day, but if that’s unrealistic in your actual life, you’re only setting yourself up to fail. Try setting a goal to do 2 minutes of mindful breathing each day as a starting point and building it up from there. You can even try attaching this 2 minute practice onto an activity you already do everyday, for example doing mindful breathing while you wait for the kettle to boil for your morning cup of tea. This is called habit stacking and is a good way to make a new habit stick.
Try lots of different techniques
There are many different types and techniques of meditation — some will suit you, and some won’t. It’s well worth ‘shopping around’ and trying out different techniques to find ones that work for you. A simple online search will bring up hundred of examples of guided meditations that are free to listen to.
Let go of any expectations
Remember one of the pillars of mindfulness is letting go. It’s very easy for us to get caught up in the idea that practising meditation will gives us all these wonderful benefits and turn us into a beautifully ‘zen’ person — but then this becomes an idea we strive towards, and we stand to be disappointed if we then don’t reach that ideal. Let go of that expectation and allow yourself to experience whatever comes up for you in your meditation journey.
Reach out and ask for support
If you’re keen to meditate or implement mindfulness in your life but have lots of questions or aren’t sure where to start with it all — reach out! I can provide support and guidance both formally as part of a class, course or coaching session, or informally via email DM. See below for some exclusive offers for Expectant Escapes customers.
EXCLUSIVE OFFERS
50% off ‘Basics of Meditation’
If you want a more in-depth introduction to meditation, why not try my self-guided, online course ‘Basics of Meditation’?
Broken down into bite-sized video lessons, this course includes:
What meditation is and isn’t
Why practising meditation can be beneficial to your health and wellbeing, along with the evidence behind this
An in-depth look at 4 different types of meditation: Breath, Visualisation, Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness
Plenty of guided meditations to follow along with plus standalone audio meditations
PDF download meditation journal
Lifetime access
Get 50% off using code APPLEDORE at checkout*
*code valid until 31/12/2025.
1:1 coaching at an 80% discounted rate
Would you like a more personalised approach to learning about meditation and mindfulness?
I am opening up space for 2 pregnant or postpartum clients to undertake a 5-week 1:1 meditation coaching course with me as an introductory offer. This will include:
- 5 x weekly 1-hour zoom sessions with teaching and guided meditations
- Personalised document shared between us with session content and progress
- Audio recordings of bespoke guided meditations
- Additional messaging support available between sessions
In return, I ask for your honest feedback and a testimonial
I have one space for a client in November, and another in January
Total Price: £30 (usual £150)
Please get in touch if you are interested. Places will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
