Disclaimer: General meditation practice and services like Meditation Rocks are not a replacement for, or a form of therapy, nor are they intended to cure, treat, or diagnose medical conditions. Meditation can, however, be a component of an overall treatment plan, when monitored by a healthcare professional.
This week Simone Biles won a bronze in the gymnastics beam final at the Tokyo Games in an emotional return to the Olympics.
The American had not competed since last week's team final, where she performed on the vault but no other apparatus before saying she wanted to protect her mental health.
After suffering with the 'twisties', which gymnasts describe as a kind of mental block, Biles pulled out of the all-around, vault, floor and uneven bars.
The 24-year-old returned for the beam on the final day of artistic gymnastics action and scored 14.000 with a solid routine, after which she jumped up and down in celebration and hugged her rivals.
"I didn't expect a medal today, I just wanted to go out there for me and that's what I did." she said. "I was proud of myself just to go out there after what I've been through."
Lucy Stone, founder of Meditation Rocks: "Getting to know your own health is one of the most valuable ways we can spend our time. Whether that is through therapy, meditation or self awareness in another way. Knowing when to say no is more important than saying yes. Know that noone else can take that decision for you is part of the battle, learning to feel empowered to act on your health is key."
Simone biles has previously shared her own mental health rituals here.
Suzy Reading, author and "Mental health is not about trying harder or muscling through. It's knowing when to stop." We nourish our mental health by knowing ourselves: understanding when it's time to dig deep, reach and stretch and recognising when we need to yield, rest and receive. And you have every right to say no to protect your health whether it is a good moment or not."
Is it a coincidence that there has been a flurry of professional sports starts speaking out and acting on their mental health recently?
Not really.
The past 18 months have forced a complete change in so many people's lives, life patterns and routines. Athletes have been swept up in these changes and are under a huge amount of pressure to perform, often for one moment at one event, and with so much uncertainty and change around them, this can only have been added stress.
Many of us are rightly encouraging the conversation around mental health, or as I like to call it "health" . By one speaking out it encourages another and another to have the confidence to talk about how they feel, these people are not robots and have the right to express how they feel, and to say no.
This is part of a wider conversation about mental health in society generally, in homes, in schools, in workplaces. Research out today shows that workers feel under pressure to disguise their mental health struggles from colleagues despite feeling less able to cope than they did before the pandemic.
About half (51%) of respondents to a survey by Lime Insurance, said they felt under pressure to put on a brave face at work, while four in 10 said they felt less resilient since the Covid crisis struck.
Fewer than one in six (16%) said they felt their mental health was very well supported at work, despite 81% wanting their employers to give them help with their mental wellbeing.
Meditation Rocks works with employers and teams to provide mindfulness training to employers, leadership teams and staff working all over the UK. Providing live or recorded weekly or monthly 10, 20 or 30 minute online group meditation sessions. For more information email lucy@meditationrocks.co.uk
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