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Ancient Irish Sites bringing stress relief in a Covid World

In these difficult times we are disconnected from family and friends, from work colleagues, from Nature, from the familiar and the certain.  SolasVR was developed to harness the power of Virtual Reality to deliver that connection; the connection to Nature, to ourselves and to certainty.

SolasVR combines the immersive new technology of Virtual Reality and the latest learning on Microbreaks, Mindfulness and the healing power of Nature to deliver virtual visits to ancient Irish Sites and landscapes.

Whether we are transported to Glendalough Cathedral or the Stone Circle at Athgreany we can access guided meditations, music drumming, Nature sounds or silence to reconnect with Nature and ourselves.

The app is available, from September 2020, for free download on Android and iOS mobile devices and Oculus and Pico headsets. Upon free sign up, the users immediately access one free meditation, that can be played unlimited times. The selected free meditation is ideal for a micro-break, this scientifically supported small pause during a busy day that refreshes the mind and boosts creativity and productivity. This aspect of VR meditation upgrades it to a powerful tool for corporate life too, especially for those organizations that realize the importance of investing in the wellbeing of their teams.

A paid subscription, starting from €8.25 in the annual plan, unlocks all the breathtaking locations, different voices, durations and themes. The real-life sceneries trigger the same mental reactions as the actual experience, restoring, to some extent, our connection to nature and allowing the mind to unwind. This is the simplest and most feasible way to wander by a lake or walk in the mountains while living the urban life.

When we, or our employees, are under pressure, when we are stressed or anxious, when we need a break but have no time we simply step into SolasVR transporting ourselves to the scared sites or the Waterfall, Forest or Lake and reemerge calmer, more centered and energised.

The Community page provides ongoing support with an active community of like-minded people, providing reflections, scientific findings, everyday wellness hacks and weekly wisdoms to initiate and support the discussion that will bring us closer to our fuller life. The new VR app builds a new setting for everyday wellbeing on the eternal wisdom of nature and the cutting-edge technology of virtual reality. A VR app that challenges everyone to be more.

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Solas Sites: The Glendalough Cathedral

There are places that beam with positive vibes even when their time has passed and the Glendalough Cathedral is one of them. Being the largest of the 7 churches of the area, the Cathedral took a lot of time to be built- nothing is built in a day! What is also very symbolic though is that stones for a smaller earlier church has been reused, like passing a message throughout the centuries. In the 13th century, when the Glendalough Cathedral was inaugurated, pilgrims found a safe place there, to pray, to share, to reflect.

When you visit the area, especially when you know that this was a place of calmness ans togetherness, you can still sense the positive vibes. The harmony between the nature and the remains, combined with past stories that we don’t really know, yet they are somehow familiar, create a unique setting for meditation. This is how we decided to include the Glendalough cathedral as a meditation site in the app. Just go to the in app menu and travel to this sacred place of Ireland.

Glendalough (Valley of the Two Rivers) has hosted religious settlements since at least the 7th Century. The Cathedral was build form the 10th -13th Century. This site has hosted prayer and pilgrimage for over a thousand years and so much devotion and goodwill is held within its walls.

Element – Stone

In many traditions the Stone people have memories that stretch back in time to the creation of the earth herself. As such they carry a huge store of wisdom that we can access if we approach them respectfully. They also remind us that there is a time to be strong and steady to withstand all the forces around us.

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Seeking Work-Life Balance

work life balance

We are multi taskers. We are open minded. We are forward thinkers. And yet, we strive to maintain our work-life balance. Why is it so hard?

As we become increasingly more connected through technology and social media, the boundaries between work and personal time are blurred. It is like the new normal (that has to change) to check emails at all hours, take business calls at the dinner table and work on our laptops on weekends.

This huge misunderstanding, that the more we work the better professionals we are, stresses our mind and brings unwanted results. How can you keep a balanced relationship, when you live in a life without balance? How can you allow your mind to be creative and productive, when you feel guilty if you are just sitting still?  We are continuously stressed, we over-work and exhaust ourselves,  and ultimately we run every day the risk of, not just jeopardizing our personal and social life, but putting our physical and mental health in danger, as well. It’s no secret that a poor work-life balance can lead to a variety of symptoms which can affect our wellbeing overall, and that burrnout is a silent killer, right?

Work-life balance, among other important physical benefits, aids us to develop greater control over our ability to concentrate and sustain our focus on the task now, in the present. In other words, it is intewined with mindfulness.

Striking that perfect balance between career and personal life has always been a challenge, but today numerous studies have shown that people who achieve a healthy work-life balance, do a better job at work, and they are happier and more fulfilled.  Microbreaks, also, facilitate this balanced way of life, as they allow the mind to unwind for a while, to restart and to see things in a new perspective- as if you have just returned from vacation. After all, our mind is the greatest traveler, isn’ it?

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Waiting for the sun: The Autumnal Equinox and its symbolism

The Autumnal Equinox, as well as the Spring Equinox, also known as St Patrick’s day, are seminal dates for the ancient Irish. As the day and the night are equal, the equinox is a milestone for balance and reflection. One period ends, a new begins and at this brief moment in time, the sun and the moon are in perfect balance.

Archaeologists have discovered that years before the Great Pyramids, back in 5.000 B.C. the ancient Irish had built complex structures, such as Carnbane West, Loughcrew and more, that were related to the Autumnal and Spring Equinox. These amazing findings highlight how strongly related we have been to nature, as human beings, since the beginning of times- a bond that remains significant in our lives.
The symbol of autumnal equinox is Corncupia, an element found in different mythologies, symbolizing abundance. In fact, in the middle of September, all crops were collected, so people hoped that the stocks would last throughout winter. Notably, Corncupia is also related to Thanksgiving, although much later than to the Autumnal Equinox.

From a more symbolic viewpoint, though, the upcoming Autumnal Equinox can be a chance for reflection, as a small pause. Summer is gone, a new season is coming, so we can now reflect upon our decisions and lifestyle. Are we still connected to nature? Do we give our minds the time and space to unwind and refresh? Do we pursue the balance in our lives?

Perhaps, for this Autumnal Equinox, you could try something new: wake up early, grab a cup of coffee and go to watch the sunrise. As the sunbeams appear, think that they inaugurate a new era. The one that you can be more.

 

Photo: www.carrowkeel.com

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Science Talks: The benefits of Microbreaks

microbreaks

Do you know what is a microbreak?

It is a short break you take from work (or anything that calls for your unhindered attention) in order to help your mind refresh, hence perform better.

Working for many hours straight, without any break or at least some stretching doesn’t signal a hard-working professional. On the contrary, there is academic proof now that our brain ceases to focus after a while, so we stop being productive or creative.

Do you know what the Troxler effect is? Try to pay continual attention to a non-moving object. In about 20 seconds you will be surprised to realize that the object has “disappeared” from your view. This is how our brain responds to intense focus- and how it can filter reality by the way. The work of University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras supported though that the Troxler effect can occur when we focus on any cognitive item. In other words, if you pay many hours thinking about a problem or a project you mind starts losing focus and after a while you stop being intuitive or critical. After some point, you brain just stops being productive. But, if you take a short break and you allow your mind to let go of the project and engage to anything else, then when you return your interest and focus ability are refreshed and restarted.

We used to believe that these microbreaks could be a quick lunch, a short work, any other type of cognitive process, or whatever works for each one. But another research tested the effect of different types of microbreaks- lunch, relaxation, cognitive tasks, social activities- on the relationship between work demands and negative affect. What they found is that performance actually increases only after microbreaks including relaxation or social activities- nutrition intakes, with the exception of caffeinated products or cognitive tasks actually aggravate the negative effect. Additionally, a Stanford University research stresses the importance of letting our eyes wander for a while during the microbreaks.

When we put all these scientific findings together, we build a strong case for the benefits of the Solas VR meditations as micro-break activities. The VR experience triggers the mind to react like we really are in nature, while the eyes wander among trees and rivers, while at the office. The guided meditation allows the brain to relax and let any thought go, so when you take your VR headset off, you find yourself refreshed, with a new interest and viewpoint in the task you have been working at.

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What Is mindfulness?

Einstein used to say that if you can’t explain an idea simply, then you haven’t fully understood what you are talking about. Let’s put this to the test, with the example of mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Can you answer this with just a few words? Let’s make it a bit easier (or harder) by saying that mindfulness is not meditation and it is not any kind of hypnotic trance. Have you made up a simple definition?

Well, mindfulness is about thinking your thoughts and emotions, while they happen. Like you can hack your automated thinking and feeling processes in order to identify patterns, to avoid irrational thoughts and to smoothly talk yourself out of panic and distress. This is why we say that mindfulness is closely related to science, as its starting point is the complexity of mind functions and how it can lead to faulty judgements.

Conditioning, risk aversion, our need to predict the future sometimes based on really poor evidence, there are all processes that we have internalized at early age and now they feed a vicious circle. We regret about the past , we worry about the future and amidst all these we forget to experience the presence. Mindfulness practice teaches us how to connect with the present by focusing (usually) on the breath and then kindly and without judgement to really notice how we feel. During a mindfulness session you will allow your mind to unwind and you will be able to notice your thoughts and their physical manifestations.

What makes mindfulness so valuable is that it resonates with science and spirituality and it is a great approach to dealing with challenging times, to connecting with ourselves and to tame panic and anxiety, by breaking the pattern. So, even if you are not an experienced meditator, the next time you feel anxious or tensed try to focus and your breath, put you hand on your heart and calmly tell yourself “it is just my thoughts and my thoughts can’t hurt me”. The more you practice, the easier will be for you to identify your thoughts and emotions and to label them without criticism or self punishment.

So, mindfulness is a state of better self-understanding that drastically impacts our well-being. Although it is a kind of mental exercise, you won’t need to sweat or to push yourself; it will come naturally, as all things that are right do.

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What about affirmations?

Are Affirmations useful? (Affirmations are useful)

Affirmations are a popular tool among meditators and wellbeing seekers, as they seem to be effective, in a subconscious and subtle way. When we talk about affirmations, we refer to small, positive sentences in present tense that we repeat to ourselves. In other words, affirmations are our wishes and goals rephrased as if they have already become true. Check this post’s title for an example in the parenthesis. Instead of wondering or doubting ourselves, when embracing the affirmative language, we engage to positive self-talk and motivational thinking. As we repeat to ourselves phrases like “I am safe”, “I am loved” etc, we persuade in a way our subconscious that this is our current state. Hence, we start acting like we really are safe and loved, putting aside insecurities and fears.

These short and clear sentences can be written in a journal or repeated daily, for as long as you need to internalize them. They are not panaceas (nothing is) but they can be really transformative if we select the right phrases, that directly address our fears and aspirations. Meditation is also a great time to repeat your affirmations as you are in direct contact with your inner self. As most experienced meditator already know, during the loving kindness meditations we repeat soothing phrases like “May I be Safe”, “May I be loved” etc, doing the exact same thing as with affirmations. The key to success is consistency and clearness: You don’t have to affirm several different things at the same time, it is better to focus on few. And, choose a time during your day, even put a reminder, to repeat your affirmations to yourself. If you only do it once in a while or in times of emergency only, you cut back their effectiveness. After all, affirmations try to change hard wired beliefs about ourselves and the world that we adopted probably as children. Isn’t it only natural that this effort will take time? (Yes, it is).

 

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We are born to be in the nature

Look around you: how much of nature do you see? Perhaps some trees or the sea? Or it is all concrete and urban living? Don’t worry, we also live in the heart of big cities; but is it the optimal state for humans? “Are they going to ask everyone to move in the woods?” you might wonder. Well, no, the solution of a problem is not to move it to a new setting. But, we are designed to live in nature, and there are tones of research to prove it.

Anthropologists and medical researchers have spent years and years living among the indigenous populations of Australia, Peru etc. The role of the observer is to be discrete and avoid any interference, so these outstanding scientists have lived other people’s lives, with sole scope to understand them. As you might predict, life out there is hard and challenging: they work hard, they are awake and moving 15 hours per day, they have limited medical resources. Yet, they have dramatically less cardiovascular problems and minimum depression rates. Why? What do they know that we don’t?

Following these studies, a new stream of thought has been introduced, supporting that Movement Is Medicine. Living close to nature, and following the natural pace of day and night- sleep when it’s dark, wake up when this sun is out- is an optimal state of being for our bodies. The mere exposition to natural light is so beneficial for our neurological system that in our modern life, we tend to consume supplements instead of going for a walk. Being close to the soil, sharing life with trees and animals nurtures our soul and keeps our body vigilant and strong.

You see, civilization is faster paced than biological evolution,  so we live now in the bodies designed for the life of our ancestors. The sooner we realize this, the better our lives will be. In fact, with this inherent need of humans, to be close to nature, we have decided to recreate the VR natural meditations, as it is the next best thing of really being out there.

 

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