Bhí mo chéad rang aireachais ar líne ar siúl agam do dhaoine fásta aréir agus bhí sé go hálainn! Bhí rannpháirtithe againn i mBaile Átha Cliath, sa Fhrainc agus i dTír Chonaill agus chruthaigh muid atmaisféar álainn tríd an scáileán ón ár áitanna éagasúla. Sula dtosaigh an cúrsa fuair mé scéal as bean ag rá nach raibh sí cinnte an bhfeilfeadh cúrsa ar líne di agus thuig mise go hiomlán! Bhí mé díreach mar an gcéanna! Ach chuir sé agus cuireann sé go fóill iontas orm an méid gur féidir leat a dhéanamh ar líne!

I ran my first online mindfulness class for adults last night and it was lovely! We were joined by people in Dublin, France and Donegal and we created a beautiful atmosphere online from our respective corners of the world. Just before we started I got a message from a woman saying that she wasn’t sure if the online class would suit here and I completely understood! I was exactly the same but it still surprises me how effective mindfulness classes and creating space can be even if we are not physically in the same place.

Thosaigh muid an rang le coinneal bheag. Las muid ar fad ár gcoinneal féin agus smaoinigh muid ar an méid a bhí uainn ón rang. Smaoinigh muid faoi na mothucháin a bhí uainn le linn an ranga agus ón rang. I ndiaidh sin d’iarr mé ar gach duine labhairt ar rud éigin an ndeachaigh go maith dóibh le linn an lae, rud éicint a thaitin leo faoin lá. Dúirt fear amháin go raibh sé éasca dó smaoinigh ar drochrudaí ón lá ach doiligh smaoinigh ar na rudaí maithe. Mhínigh mé gur sin an aidhm a bhí agam. Bíonn muid i gcónaí níos dírithe ar na drochrudaí. Tá mé ag iarraidh spáis a thabhairt do na rudaí maithe a tharlaíonn dúinn nach smaoiníonn muid go leor orthu.

We started the class with a candle. We each lit our own candle and we thought about how we wanted to be during the class, we thought about what feelings we wanted during the hour that we had together. After that I asked everyone to think about something that had gone well for them that day, something that had made them happy. One participant said that he could easily have told us about all the terrible things that had happened but to think of the good things was a different story! But this was exactly my point! I wanted to give some time and space to the good things because we are so naturally focused on the negative things in our lives.

I ndiaidh sin thosaigh muid ar phíosa aireachais 20 nóiméad dírithe ar an gcolainn agus an anáil. Bhí beagán plé againn i ndiaidh faoin gcaoi go raibh sé dúinn agus bhí ar cúpla duine bogadh ó shuíochán amháin go suíochán eile le go mbeidh siad níos compordaí. Ansin d’iarr mé orthu íomhánna a chruthú ina gcloigne. D’iarr mé orthu a shamhlú go raibh siad ar an trá agus go raibh siad ag déanamh dianfhiosrú ar an spéir agus na réalta ar fad os a gcionn.

We then started with a beautiful 20 minute meditation practice. We focused on the body and on the breath. Afterwards some people realised that they needed to find a more comfortable seat or position and they shifted around as we discussed how it had been as a practice for us. Then we moved onto a visualisation practice. We imagined that we were standing on a beautiful beach examining the stars.

Bím i gcónaí ag iarraidh cineálacha éagsula cleachtais a thabhairt do dhaoine le linn na ranganna seo. Oibríonn rudaí difriúla do dhaoine difriúla. Chríochnaigh muid le píosa gairid agus dán beag agus d’fhag muid an spás fíorúla a bhí cruthaithe againn ag mothú níos suaimhní agus níos ciúine.

I think it is really important do show people the different types of meditation as different things work for different people. We finished with a short, breath-led practice and a beautiful poem. We all moved out of our virtual space feeling more peaceful and more quiet.

Chaith mé míonna ag seachaint cúrsaí ar líne agus anois tá mé ag baint an-suilt astu! Tá sé i gceist agam leanacht ar aghaidh leo agus mar sin, más suim leat féin i gcúrsa mar nó tuilleadh a fhoghlaim fúthu, cuir scéal chugam. Tá sé i gceist agam cúrsa 6 seachtain do dhaoine fásta eile a reáchtáil ag tosú i mí na Samhna agus bheadh fáilte mhór roimhe éinne! Ní gá go mbeadh cleachtadh déanta agat cheana agus má tá do chleachtadh féin agat déanfaidh seo an-mhaitheas duit. Mothaíonn tú fuinneamh na daoine eile fiú tríd an scáileán!

For MONTHS I have avoided teaching online and now I have finally started it I am really enjoying it and I plan on continuing. So if you are interested in learning more about mindfulness, this type of course or simply how effective an online course is please send me a message. I am planning on another 6 week course for adults to begin in November. These courses are suitable for complete beginners and to seasoned practitioners and it is really beautiful to have a chance to practice in a group and feel the group energy through the screen.

Bhí mé faoi strus ag an saol an tseachtain seo caite agus mar sin, bheartaigh mé cuid de mo chomhairle féin a chur i bhfeidhm i mo shaol féin agus thóg mé an tseachtain saor ón mblag! Thosaigh mé post nua ag tabhairt aire do pháiste agus thosaigh mé mo chéad chúrsa Relax Kids ar líne ar aon lá amháin! Bhí cara le teacht ar chuairt chugam ar an Aoine agus bhí liosta fada de rudaí go raibh orm a dhéanamh gan trácht ar an mblag agus mar sin bhí an sos uaim! Agus tá mé bródúil asam féin as ucht an tseachtain a thógáil saor! Chuaigh mo shaol ó gan a bheith ag déanamh mórán go bheith ag déanamh cúig rud ag aon am amháin taobh istigh de cúpla lá!

I felt like I went from zero to three hundred in the space of a few days last week so I decided to take my own advice for once and take a week off the blog. I started a new job minding children and on the same day I also started my first online Relax Kids family class. On Friday I had a list as long as my arm of things to get done, even without the blog and I had a friend coming over to visit so something had to give. Usually when I decided I’m doing something I have to do it no matter what! At one point last Friday I had a little bit of freetime so I thought that I would write a post but I had to remind myself that I had committed to not doing it and therefore I couldn’t do it! Sometimes not doing what we thought we would or said we would is better for us. I think it’s a balance, one that I struggle with but am clearly getting better at.  

Fiú an tseachtain seo tá mé spíonta ach tá níos mó tuisceana agam ar rudaí sílim...b’fhéidir, sure cá bhfios! Ach an tseachtain seo d’éirigh liom an blag seo a scríobh, maith mé! Tá mé ag díriú isteach ar ranganna a chur ar siúl ar líne faoi láthair agus leis sin a dhéanamh caithfidh mé an-chuid poiblíochta a dhéanamh dóibh agus ag an am céanna tá cúpla grúpa i ndiaidh teacht i dteagmháil liom ag iarraidh orm ranganna a dhéanamh leo, rud atá mé an-bhuíoch dó ach tá an-chuid i gceist leis ar fad!

I am still a little bit wreaked this week! But I think I’m getting a handle on things...maybe...bhuel...sure who knows! But I have managed to write this week’s blog so that’s a good sign! I am starting to run online classes at the minute, which means that I have to advertise classes and just as I’ve decided to do that (finally!) I have had a few organisations contact me about running classes with them, which I am delighted about but it means there is a lot of work to do!

Ó thús an dianghlasáil bhí mé ag smaoineamh go raibh sé de cheart agam mo ghnó a chur ar líne ach níor éirigh liom sin a dhéanamh go dtí le déanaí. Le ceathair nó cúig bhliain anois is múinteoir aireachais mé agus ‘sé an príomh-teacht isteach atá agam ná na ranganna ach níor rith sé liom, go dtí anois gur fiontraí mé. B’fhéidir go bhfuil mé beagán mall nó b’fhéidir go bhfuil m’aird iomlán ar na ranganna a mhúineadh agus ní ar an ngnó é féin.

Since the beginning of lockdown I have been thinking that I should be running online classes and that I should put my business online and I finally have done it! For the past four or five years I have been teaching Relax Kids and mindfulness classes but it only occurred to me recently enough that I am a business person and an entrepreneur....maybe I’m a bit slow or maybe it’s just that I was completely taken with what I was teaching and not how I was doing it.

Creidim go hiomlán sna cúrsaí, sna ranganna agus sna scileanna a bhíonn á mhúineadh agam ach bíonn sé deacair dom uaireanta glacadh leis go bhfuil daoine ag iarraidh freastail ar ranganna nó teacht go ceardlanna. Ach tá a fhios agam nach liom féin atá mé! Dúirt cara liom nach bhfuil suim dá laghad aici féin sa chuid margaíochta den a gnó féin ach an oiread! Tá sí ag iarraidh oibre a dhéanamh le daoine, tacú leo agus a saol a fheabhsú ach suim dá laghad aici dul amach ansin ag iarraidh a seirbhísí a dhíol...ach muna ndéanann sí an cuid sin dó ní bheidh gnó aici. Caithfimid teacht ar bhealach leis an dá thrá a fhreastal agus leis an domhain ag athrú chomh sciobtha seo na laethanta seo beidh orainn dul i dtaithí ar na hathraithe seo. Muna athraíonn muid ní mhairfimid!

I completely believe in the courses, techniques and skills that I teach. I really believe that they help people in every aspect of their lives but sometimes I find it difficult to accept that people actually want to come to my classes. But I know that I am not alone! I have gotten to know a lot of other female entrepreneur’s online over the last few months and it is definitely something a good few of us struggle with! A friend told me this week that she was really excited to work with a new client who came to her recently but she has no interest in the marketing side of her business! But if we don’t market our businesses we won’t have a business at all so we have to find some kind of balance! With the world changing so quickly these days you would think we would be used to change by now but I’m definitely not, yet anyway!

Bhuel! Thosaigh an mhí seo le pléascadh mar is ceart! Tá mé thar a bheith sásta go bhfuil fuinneamh na gealaí láin thart don tréimhse seo! Uaireanta ní chuireann an ghealach lán isteach orm mórán agus in amanna eile cuireann sí isteach go mór orm! An mhí seo chuir sé isteach orm go mór!

Bhuel! This month has started with a bang! A bang that has subsided I am glad to report and I am very happy that the full moon energy has passed. Sometimes the full moon doesn’t bother me at all and then other times it completely knocks me off my feet. This month, it was definitely the latter that happened!

Thosaigh sé an tseachtain seo caite nuair a thosaigh mé ag smaoineamh ar an todhchaí – drochrud le déanamh sa lá atá inniu ann! Smaoinigh mé ar na scoileanna agus an ligfidh na scoileanna isteach mé agus bíonn ranganna príobháideacha níos neamhchinnte domsa agus tá mé ag déanamh neart oibre ach an bhfuil aon fiúntas leis agus ar cheart dom fíor-phost a fháil agus ar aghaidh liom mall san oíche agus luath ar maidin. Ansin an tseachtain seo, thuig mé maidin Luain go raibh duine éigin i ndiaidh imeachta ó mo shaol, gan tada a rá liom. Bhí mé gortaithe agus ní raibh mé in ann m’aird a choinneal ar aon rud.

It really started last week when I started thinking about the future – ever a good move these days! I was thinking about the schools and would I be allowed back in to teach, I was thinking about courses I am starting soon and how much less certain my own courses always end up being, I am doing a lot of work at the minute but I was wondering if there is or was any point to it all as I’m feeling a bit like I’m jogging on the spot sometimes, I was then wondering if I should just go and get a real job and throw all of this in the bin...and on my mind went late into the night and into the morning. This week then started badly with someone I was seeing deciding to disappear without a word. Great.

Anuas ar sin ar fad tá an dianghlasáil ag cur isteach orm anois. Tá mé braon di anois. Tá sé in am di imeacht. Tá mé ag iarraidh a bheith in ann dul amach mar a ndeachaigh muid cheana. Tá mé ag iarraidh nach mbeidh orainn boird a chur in áirithe agus nach mbeidh orainn fanacht ar shiúil óna chéile. Níl mé ag rá nár cheart go mbeidh an dianghlasáil go fóill ann, díreach go bhfuil mé réidh di imeacht agus ag dul as mo mheabhar beagan.

Being ghosted really just felt like petrol being thrown in the fire that is lockdown. It really started to get to me this week. I’m not a bit partier and I really do enjoy being on my own but we’re taking the piss now. It’s time for it to end, not that I don’t believe that it shouldn’t be there anymore and it should be lifted, just that I’m struggling and doing my best to not go completely insane...

Sin ar fad ráite, d’éirigh liom rudaí beaga a dhéanamh agus uaireanta ní airím ar nós go ndearna mé aon rud le linn an lae ar fad agus bíonn orm cur i gcuimhne dom féin céard iad na rudaí a rinne mé agus mar sin; seo chugaibh iad!

All of that being said, I did manage to do some things this week. I find that, all too often I berate myself for not doing things and the only solution to that is to make out a list of what exactly I have done so here is my list for this week!

• Leag mé plean amach don rang do theaghlaigh atá ag tosú dé Máirt. Tá cúpla spás go fóill ann más suim le héinne agaibh ann. Seo chugaibh an t-eolas ar fad anseo.
  
• I have a plan for next Tuesday’s family classes that are starting on Tuesday. I still have a few places available if anyone is interested. All of the information is here.
  
• Tá mé ag reáchtáil mo chéad dúshlán 5 lá ar Facebook sa ghrúpa seo. Réitigh mé gach rud de sin Dé Luain sula ndeachaigh mé MIA...
  
• I have and am running my first free 5 day challenge on Facebook in my group here. I sorted and scheduled everything on Monday before I went MIA...
  
• Cuir mé nótaí le chéile i gcomhair cur i láthair ollscoile atá agam Dé Sathairn
  
• I prepared notes for a presentation I have to do for college on Saturday.
• D’fhogair mé cúrsa aireachais do dhaoine fásta a bheith mé ag reáchtáil agus tá na sonraí ar fad mar gheall ar sin anseo.
  
• I launched an online mindfulness practice course for adults. All the details are available here.
  
• Rinne mé searmanas don ghealach lán oíche Chéadaoine ar Facebook live agus is féidir libh breathnú air anseo.
  
• I did a Full Moon Ceremony on Facebook live on Wednesday and ye can watch it here.
  
• Scríobh mé agus phostáil mé an blag seo!              
  
• I wrote and posted this blog!

Mar sin, má bhíonn éinne agaibh crua oraibh féin maidir leis an méid a ndearna tú nó a dhéanann tú, déan cinnte go ndéanann tú liosta amach de na rudaí a fad a rinne tú! Bíonn muid i gcónaí níos crua orainn féin ná gur ceart dúinn a bheith!

So for anyone who is being hard on themselves, thinking that they haven’t done much or anything I challenge you to sit down and really think about what it is you have done and write out a list. In my experience we are normally a lot harder on ourselves then we need to be!