I find this very powerful. Listening to the words as Harry moves. Watching his movements along with his colour choices. Linking words with movement and colour. Shyness can be crippling. Coming out of your shell - when you feel safe to do so - and being you releases the suppressed enery and allows for more authentic living. Bullying can be behind shyness and can leave lasting damage. When we become aware of this then, perhaps, it is easier to begin healing.

Having self-compassion is not the same as being selfish or self centred. Acknowledge your pain, your failure, your difficulty. It is part of the human journey. It will lessen, it will pass and it will teach...in time. What kindness would you give your friend suffering as you are now? Be that friend to yourself. If we cannot look after ourselves, we will not be strong enough to look after others.

Maysoon Zayid saying it as it is. Yes, she is inspirational for many reasons. She is also funny and self deprecating. Struggling with New Year resolutions? Well, if she can then I can can...

People are often surprised that there is laughter in the therapy room. Lets face it, life can be absurd and laughter is a very effective coping strategy and a way of bonding with others. How infectious is a baby's giggle? And yes, it can bring us right into the present.

Sadly the celebrated poet, playwright, professor, memoirist, historian, director, screenwriter, activist and actress, Maya Angelou, died last Wednesday May 28 aged 86. Although particularly well-known for her poetry and memoir books, her fifty year plus career in a number of creative disciplines explains her wide influence today. Born Marguerite Johnson in 1928 in St. Louis, an unsettled childhood moved her between Missouri, Arkansas and eventually to San Francisco. Here during the 1950s as a dancer, singer and actress she changed her name to Maya Angelou. Her life up to age 17 is described in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" her first book from 1969. By the time she wrote "I Know Why" she had already led a full life that included having met and been friends with Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, James Baldwin and Billie Holiday. Among her achievements and countless awards, she was also Bill Clinton's inaugural poet in 1993 - the first poet to recite at a presidential inauguration since Robert Frost at John F. Kennedy's in 1961. She was indeed a phenomenal woman. She may no longer be with us in body but her words, wisdom and inspiration will stay. How blessed are we to have such people in our lives?

After an extremely stressful week and a particularly horrible day I need to self soothe. My mind is racing and I'm struggling to quieten it so I'm going to focus on some art... I love the way mandalas seem to grow out of the page - from the seed. The music here is especially peaceful. I intend to let my mind wander and create what it feels like doing:-)

Time to Change is doing so much to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Even that term 'illness' jars with me. Sometimes it is our body’s reaction or defence mechanism to life events, what the wonderful Irvin Yalom calls 'life's givens' that causes us to shut down or self soothe in a potentially harmful way. Whatever, it is time to talk. Get the support you need and remember that most people will experience some form of mental health problem during their lifetime. Fight that stigma! 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year. (Mental Health Statistics, 2001)

A fabulous GIF for you, created by BreatheAware and featured on the wonderful Blurt Foundation's website. I find these really help to steady breathing when feeling anxious. It gives us something positive to focus on too when our thoughts are hurting us.

When is the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? Not texting, talking or even thinking? Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just that: refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day, simply by being mindful and experiencing the present moment. (No need for incense or sitting in uncomfortable positions.)

Ash Beckham: We're all hiding something. Let's find the courage to open up,

How caught up can we get in dramas - our own, other peoples? How many of us feel we are not living unless something is 'kicking off'? By creating disturbances I can test others out, get my adrenaline running, be at the centre or just start it off then retreat... My mind is busy thinking about what is going on - trying to predict, explain, justify, blame, deny... All this is hard, hard work and maybe, maybe I am avoiding asking for what I really want; really need. However, if I want peace and harmony I must first look to myself and my behaviour. What can I do to prevent disturbances? Can I assert myself in a non aggressive way - a different way? Different to that which doesn't seen to work?

Maybe because it is 'Black Friday' I just don't want to buy anything. The thought of the crowds sends me running in the opposite direction. And do I really need this stuff? Do I need to get more stuff just because it is Christmas? This year my family have agreed a £10 present limit on each person to open on the big day...and then we are going to plan a day out. I don't know what yet but we've decided shared experiences might be more fun and fulfilling than yet more stuff. Perhaps less bah humbug and more hey, ho than I thought