For the past few weeks we have been exploring what are mindfulness & meditation & how they can help you to find more peace & calm & maybe ultimately stumble across subtle but profound transformations.

For many the hardest thing is settling into a routine with their meditation & mindfulness practice. But you as your practice evolves, so will you.  When I first started I didn’t meditate everyday; then I did but at random times; then I meditated before I went to bed; then I started waking up to meditate & journal before the day started.  Now I regularly rise before the rest of the house does (I have teenagers so it’s not sunrise early!) to meditate, practice yoga & face yoga & it has changed my life again (I always credit yoga & mindfulness with changing my life but it keeps doing so!).

I also always meditate before bed & put pen to paper in my gratitude journal.

Science has proven that meditating before bed & after waking up are particularly good times, as our mind is calmer & more receptive. I can definitely attest to that. I started with short practices & over time I extended the duration & so too the frequency. Now I’m tending to move towards longer meditations for some interesting insights & subtle shifts. Overtime these become quite transformational because you just don’t get up from your meditation the same person when they happen.

So, you see, there is no hard & fast way of crafting your own practice – it’s your practice, it’s your choice, how often, how long is less important than doing it!

Meditation & Mindfulness are called a practice for a reason – it takes practice to become permanent as they say! Overcoming yourself in order to practice is part of the practice. Getting out of your own way, if you like. But the best way to practice meditation & mindfulness is to just do it.

Start small, don’t set yourself up to fail. I knew meditating in the morning was a really receptive time to meditate but when the kids were little I was already getting up at silly-o’clock in the morning with them, I wasn’t going to set myself up to fail by trying to get up even earlier. Soon as that changed I was ready to too. Now getting up early to practice is part of who I am.  Try different times of the day – see what resonates best with you.

Most of all have fun with it. If meditation becomes another ‘Thing To Do’ in an endless list, yes it will give you some respite & it’s better to do it than not, but you won’t get the same longer term benefits because the energy you bring to your practice is so important.  Try a variety of different styles of meditative practices: formal & informal, different anchors, different voices because there are lots of amazing practitioner’s out there to guide you in your journey.

Take some time daily to be present, engaged & connected, aware – this is mindfulness. Overtime it will be a more obvious route for you to take as the neuron’s in your brain wire together & you will spend more time being instead of doing.  Find yourself a space where you enjoy just being & claim this can be your meditation space, your sanctuary. You don’t need specialised equipement but I have a really simple comfy meditation   cushion & I’d highly recommend them. Comfort over perfection every time!

Crafting a meditation & mindfulness practice is all about just doing it until it becomes easier to just be it.

I’d love to know your experience of starting up your own meditation & mindfulness practice – please email me at alex@alexbannard.com.

In this week’s meditation is a return to the body scan meditation – it helps us to reflect on the journey we have been on since we first dtarted . To obtain your copy email Alex at alex@alexbannard.com quoting FROSTBSCN.

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

If you would like more information on how to practice mindfulness, meditation & yoga message her at alex@alexbannard.com.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

Alternatively please check out her website: alexbannard.com

The art exhibition of the Disciples of Dóra Maurer, a group exhibition dedicated to the young generation of artists taught by the iconic Hungarian artist, Dora Maurer

12 August – 19 September David Kovat’s Gallery pop-up space: 28-32 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JE

Knowing nothing about Hungarian art, I was delighted to be invited to view this latest exhibition, not least because viewing art on-line, or via Zoom, is no substitute for standing in front of, and getting lost in the picture that you are viewing.

Dóra Maurer, born in 1937, in Budapest is an iconic Hungarian artist whose work has spanned the past 50 years. Her work has been exhibited, recognised, and celebrated around the world including at the Tate Modern Gallery, which hosted the largest UK exhibition of the artist to date.

Dóra Maurer has been a huge influence on a new generation of artists and judging by this exhibition of contemporary art, Hungary is home to some amazing artistic talent. The artists taking part, represent different generations with different styles.

My favourite work (and yes, I know that a reviewer shouldn’t have favourites) has to be, ‘Balaton IV,’ a stunning work by Andras Zalavari, the youngest artist in this exhibition. The work, a photomontage, shows water from different perspectives, drawing the viewer’s eye both to the centre of the picture and to the far horizon.

Another photomontage work that I found myself drawn to, was another Andras Zalavari photo montage, ‘Plane-tree Allée II’. This time with verdant trees, forming a tunnel and throwing playful shadows on the ground, drawing the eye to the mysterious garden beyond.

Barbara Nagy, Floating shapes I and II, painted engraved wood captivated me for the longest time, the etched grooves, black on black, changed perspective with every movement that I made, as the light played effectively on the art.

And yet these art works are not windows, they invade the personal space of the viewer.

This exhibition aims to bring Hungarian art to a whole new audience here in the UK, and judging by the talent on show, it would be remiss of any lover of contemporary art to miss out on this exhibition.

For more information:

Hungarian Cultural Centre London

Website https://culture.hu/uk/london | Email: info@hungary.org.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hcclondon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hungarian_culture_uk/

David Kovats Gallery: https://davidkovats.com/

Joffe’s Book of the Week:  Get the Evidence by Jodie Lawrance

Detective Helen Carter: A detective out of uniform but straight in the line of fire.  Moira McKenzie returns, from her lover’s home, to find her abusive husband washing his hands of blood.  Terrified, she uncovers yet more incriminating evidence in the form of keepsakes and newspaper cuttings from old murder cases.

When the police arrive at their home, there’s no trace of Moira to be found . . .

Spine-chilling crime thriller – which might have you hiding behind the sofa but buy it first at 99p/99c

Come to Harm  by Catriona McPherson   99p/99c

Three teen girls are gone. Everyone says they ran away, but Keiko, a newcomer to the small Scottish town, knows there’s more to it.   Her flat is above the butcher’s shop and she can’t help but feel highly suspicious of the widow behind the counter. Where are the girls disappearing to, and will she be the butcher’s next victim?

Constable along the Riverbank. by Nicholas Rhea £1.99

Constable Nick has his sights set on a promotion. But what if that means leaving his happy moorland home behind? How will they get by without their dependable local bobby in Aidensfield?

“It’s original, it’s funny . . . one of life’s little pleasures.” Yorkshire Post

The Hanged Man by Linda Mather  99c/99p

While meeting her boss for their weekly glass of wine and a catch up, Jo Hughes stumbles across more than she bargained for. It’s Seb, the college financial director, hanging from a branch.

What could have driven him to this? Jo isn’t convinced that Seb killed himself. But the question remains, if he didn’t — who did?

Now, an exclusibe cover reveal of The Abberley Beach Murders

D.E White’s brand-new crime thriller is coming this autumn and there is great excitement amongst the team at  Joffe Books who offer  a sneak peek at what’s to come. (Frost Magazine admires Joffe’s covers so much, and this is pretty close to the top of the range… Seems the book is  a crackin’ read too.)

DC Dove Milson is called out to a gruesome murder scene. Four bodies have been found after an escape room went horribly wrong, leaving the victims submerged in seawater and drowning as the tide came in. A tragic accident or is someone out to kill?

Interested? Well, you’ll have to wait  until September 7th to find out more. It will be worth it.

THE ABBERLEY BEACH MURDERS by D.E. White

To find all Joffe Books: HERE

Taking place on the intriguing Isle of Portland in Dorset, this year’s b-side Festival will bring new and unique art to resident audiences and visitors. With an exciting, playful and challenging programme led by Southwest-based and international artists, this spectacular four-day event celebrates the island’s environment, folklore and heritage. 

This year, b-side Festival has commissioned 14 new, unique artworks exploring the concept: ‘Common Lands’. The artworks on display will address pertinent issues concerning peoples’ right to public land, the power of community, and shared ownership of space through sensitive and often unexpected artistic methods.

Aiming to ignite thought-provoking discussions, this four-day festival will feature showstopping light

Please find the b-side website here: for more information:   https://b-side.org.uk/

This is not a run of the mill thriller. Rather it hovers between reality and other dimensions. Not science fiction, but – what? Perhaps faith, or a reaching for something ‘other’ but is what is found the answer?  Read it and see. Believe me the pages will be turned rapidly…

Anyway, The Follower probes into the 21st century fascination with happiness and the ideas we choose to worship.

When her twin brother goes missing in Northern California, Vivian Owens follows his trail to the town of Mount Hookey, home to the followers of Telos: a mountain-worshipping cult that offers spiritual fulfilment to those who seek it.

While trying to navigate the town’s bizarre inhabitants and the seductive preaching of the initiates of Telos, Vivian will have to confront questions about herself, her family, and everything she thinks she knows about the world.

She quickly realises that her search is about far more than her missing brother – it is a quest for the secret of happiness itself.

To that end there is only one question she needs to answer: what is really at the top of Mount Hookey?

The follower by Nicholas Bowling. pb and eBook.  ‘Gripping, compelling and otherworldly’ David Quuantick, author of All my Colors and Night Train

Self Doubt seems to stultify many people, and here is a short cut to working it out of your system.

Bridie Walker has shared in Unstoppable how to silence  self doubt and turn up your power. Crikey, the Amazon ladies are on the move.

Bridie asks if you’ve ever felt your life is scripted and you are playing a starring role where you have no control over what actually happens?  Perhaps the harder you try the further you fall as if somehow life has a hidden agenda?

In Unstoppable, Bridie Walker shows you how to take control of your life and teaches you how to create and reinvent yourself, your way.

Bridie uses her own experiences at overcoming failure and tragedy eventually  beating the odds that seemed stacked against her. It teaches you how to create an Unstoppable Mindset, build Unstoppable Confidence and achieve Unstoppable Success.

For details of this book, go to www.bridie-walker.com where you will also find details on all her courses and coaching packages.

Such a wonderful cup of tea today at Chez Graham with Williams’ oat biscuits dipped in chocolate. Dick has his dipped in white chocolate, I had milk chocolate. Then we had to try one another’s. Well, of course we didn’t have too, but we simply needed too. And very tasty, gorgeously so,  they were.  Should we have a further test, run it again in other words? No, really, that’s too piggy.

I felt forced to to catch up with Williams Homebaked to tell them how much we had enjoyed the biscuits, oh, and the shortbread, and on and on.  During the conversation they told Frost Magazine of a story of another of their fabulous local stockists.

Based in Samlesbury, Huntley’s is a farm shop that prides itself on being the place where quality matters. The large  site is made up of a collection of small independent businesses, including a tradiitional butchers, a delicatessen, bakery, wine merchant, fishmonger, ice cream parlour, and to top it all off, an antiques shop and furniture shop

Is that it? Well not quite. There is also a fantastic team of chefs at the onsite restaurant who take pride in delivering locally sourced, seasonal dishes.

It seems that the popularity of psychological thrillers continues unabated. Joffe has a couple of good box set offers, one of which fills the psychological thriller bill, the other is mystery and romance. Either of which should satisfy readers for a while, and both at the knock down price of 99p.

The first box set contains THREE chilling psychological thrillers by Susanna Beard for only 99p/99c
“I found myself frantically turning the pages, desperate to uncover what happened!” Tracy Buchanan, author of Wall of Silence

Here we have nother bargain box set: a series from bestselling author Faith Martin writing as Maxine Barry in the thriller romance vein, and let me tell you, they’re  real page turners

A Slice of Murder Brian Battison 99p/99c

A young woman is strangled and dumped in a lake.Then another young woman is found dumped in a river, and then a third victim turns up killed in the same specific way.   Chief Inspector Jim Ashworth knows he has a serial killer on his hands and it’s a race against time to stop him.

Standing Still by Caro Ramsay £1.99/$2.99

In Glasgow, the West End Festival has come to town. The sky is blue and bustling crowds engulf the city as the carnival gets into full swing.  The only problem? People keep disappearing . . . and now a body has been found.

Join detectives Anderson and Costello as they dive into the bustling festival crowds to catch a killer before anyone else gets hurt.

 Frost Magazine was thrilled to be introduced to new Joffe author, Jon Barton. Joffe Books  have .acquired three books in screenwriter Jon Barton’s debut crime series, which will follow Metropolitan Police diver David Cade, as he uncovers deadly secrets lurking under the surface. Commissioning editor Emma Grundy Haigh acquired world English and audio book rights from Justin Nash at Kate Nash Literary Agency. The first book with the working title Dive, will be published in early 2022. 

Gundy-Haigh says: ‘I leaped on Jon’s debut as soon as it came in. Being a screenwriter, he has an in-built filmic quality that’s just irresistible. I love the brilliant new perspective — the police diving squad who pull bodies out of the river. And in doing so, Jon’s turned the Thames into one of the novel’s most intriguing characters. Between a cast of impeccably strong characters and Jon’s cinematic narrative style, this is definitely a page-turner. I’m delighted to be working with him’

Barton commented: “I’m thrilled to be working with Emma and the team at Joffe Books. They are passionate champions of crime fiction; their insight is going to prove invaluable in introducing the murky world of police diving to readers.”

This audio  offer is available until 4th August. Hurry hurry.

One moonlit night, the bodies of two young people are discovered lying on a blanket in the woods. It appears to be a lovers’ suicide pact . . .Until Detective Nikki Galena looks more closely, that is. They were murdered somewhere else and brought to the woods. But why?

Then another young couple are found dead, again beautifully posed as lovers. And Nikki knows they have a twisted serial killer on their hands. Who will be the next victims?

Find more treats on offer at Joffe Books here