What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice which involves bringing your full attention to your experience in each moment. So in this moment, right here, you’re reading these words, is it with your full attention or is your mind in other places as well? You might be thinking “boring” or “interesting”, or your mind might be distracted by other things. When you are mindful you become aware of the experience surrounding you and your inner experience.

In order to cultivate Mindfulness it means committing to a practice of formal mediation, through this practice you start to identify when you’re living in autopilot or in your head and you can bring your awareness into the present moment. This means you can actually experience life, for all it’s ups and downs and embrace it for how it is in each moment with an attitude of kindness, non judging and acceptance.

Many people think Mindfulness is associated to religion. Mindfulness meditation was derived from Buddhism but it is not spiritual. The practice itself means being aware of each moment as it is. With practice, you learn to become more accepting of your emotions, you develop a deeper awareness of yourself and your thinking patterns and with this you can choose to make choices for yourself that will be beneficial for you and your wellbeing.

What is a Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Course?

An MBCT course gives participants the opportunity to take a pause and reflect on how they live and approach experiences in their life. There has been significant research that an 8 week Mindfulness Course can improve overall health and wellbeing. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends using Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) within the NHS. Originally used to prevent relapse in depression, MBCT has been scientifically researched and has shown to also help patients who suffer with anxiety, sleep deprivation, low mood, pain and low self esteem.

The course is normally run on 8 consecutive weeks, sometimes with a week break in between. Each of the sessions is two hours long and during the session you will participate in two mindfulness practices and have an opportunity to explore and reflect on each practice. You are encouraged as part of your learning to participate in practice at home and you will be given a workbook to record any reflections you have on your practice.

During an 8 week mindfulness course you will explore varying themes related to how we live our lives and our relationships to aspects of life. You will learn a new approach to your experiences including how to approach difficult times and how to embrace and be present during joyful times.

What is a Basic Beginners Course?

In this 4 week course you will be given the tools to start your mindfulness journey. This course will help you to understand what mindfulness is, you’ll be given new tools to use in every day life and will explore a new way of living in each moment as it arises. Your teacher will guide you through a 20 minute practice at each lesson and will explore a different theme each week to get you started on your journey. You will be in a group and have an opporotunity to reflect together, this is an extremely valuable part of your learning. You will also be given a workbook and home tasks to complete to help aid you on this new liberating journey.

See FAQ’s for more information on benefits and what to expect.