It is not often leading scientists, A Grade celebs, psychologists and Deepak Chopra are on the same page when it comes to a current health trend.
However, a wellness jewellery concept that has taken off in the USA is about to make waves here in Australia with its mission to reduce anxiety and promote mindfulness.
Meet the MindTuner ™ the first Breathing and Mindfulness tool designed here in Australia to help you destress, calm down and be present.
Recent statistics from Beyond Blue indicate that one in seven Australians are experiencing an anxiety condition with 14.4% of Australians aged 16 to 85 years having experienced an anxiety disorder in the last 12 months. This is equivalent to 2.71 million people today.
Visits to Therapist, wellness retreats, daily yoga and meditation sessions have become the ‘norm’ in our society. The quest for inner peace has surpassed a trend; alarmingly in some cases it is a matter of life and death. The deterioration of mental wellbeing has escalated since Covid_19 entered our vocabulary and bought with it the dreaded lockdowns. Consequently, mental health and suicide prevention is one of our governments highest priorities reflected in its record investment of an estimated $5.9 billion in 2020-21.
No stranger to these challenging times is Sara Hawkins the Aussie Mum bringing a potentially life-changing piece of jewellery to Australia
“Even as a yoga teacher I went spiralling after a turbulent divorce. I found myself anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed.” Sara explains. “My mind was all over the place with negative thoughts so powerful they almost drove me to the point of taking my own life. Not only did I have to deal with all the stress and negative self-talk but the guilt of feeling like an imposter. How could a Yoga teacher forget to use her mindful breathing practice to stay calm, clear, and connected? However, with extreme overwhelm it is easy for the most practiced of us to forget.”
With Sara’s knowledge and practice of mindful breathing and extensive research on the topic, she decided to create a therapeutic devise that would naturally help people discover and harness the missing link that can both help and hinder mental health, that superpower that connects mind and the body, our breath. She knew though that whatever tool she designed, it had to be easy to remember and practical to use. After a lot of experimenting with her students using straws and other devises the MindTuner was born.
Years ago, this notion may have been reserved for those ‘hippies’ in society but is now continually being backed by leading scientists and Universities around the world.
Dr. Andrew Weil is an integrative medicine physician and author and an advocate for breathwork. He says “Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. There is no single more powerful – or more simple – daily practice to further your health and wellbeing than breathwork.
Practicing a regular, mindful breathing exercise can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”
Sara agrees “Most people do not give a second thought to the 23,000 breaths they take each day, but when you do you have the power to transform your life. MindTuner is a self-soothing breathing tool that is natural, easy, and fun to slot in everyday life. It puts the control back into people’s hands to empower them to become their own self-care practitioner. This beautiful piece of affordable jewellery means they can take wherever they go to help create inner peace whenever they need.”
A similar devise in the USA is the current go-to for A Grade celebrity such as Denise Richards, Actress and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. she told USA publication, The Strategist. “I know it might sound odd, but if you try it, you will see that it immediately changes your state of being. It’s very calming, Anytime I am feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, it helps ground me.”
Dr. Deepak Chopra, one of the most well-known names in alternative medicine is a spokesperson for the American product understanding better than anyone, the importance of tuning into yourself to create a safe living space, within your own body.
It will be interesting to see if Australians take to this ‘jewellery with a mission’ concept with the same enthusiasm as the Americans. However, with all things considered in 2021 and the reality that we simply cannot control everything around us there are going to be stressful days ahead. Perhaps a tool that helps us control how we react to them, to pause, breath, smile and reset throughout your day can empower us in stressful situations to respond from a place of calm and clarity rather than chaos and confusion.
Sara concludes. “If I can help just one person find peace through being present and harnessing the power of their breath, my job is done.”
