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“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Why Mindfulness?

People attending mindfulness courses report lasting benefits such as:

•  More energy

•  A greater capacity for joy and happiness

•  A quieter, calmer, more focussed mind

•  An increased ability to relax and sleep well

•  More self confidence

•  An increased ability to handle stressful thoughts, feelings and situations

What is Mindfulness?

“To see the world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower…”  William Blake

While the mindfulness practices and skills which are learnt on the course have their origins in Buddhist meditation, they are now taught in a non religious way.  Mindfulness approaches have been recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) due to the growing body of scientific evidence which supports their effectiveness in working with stress, anxiety and depression and promoting well-being and enthusiasm.

Mindfulness is:

•  Simply a way of paying attention, in the present moment, to yourself and others and the world around you, in a non judgemental way.

•  A way of taking time to pause and come back to the present moment, again and again.

•  A skill which helps us to step out of constantly doing and to allow ourselves time for simply being.

•  A way of recognising when your mind is caught in unhelpful thought patterns, skilfully untangling yourself and coming back to the present moment.

Using techniques such as meditation, breathing and simple exercise, mindfulness helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we’re better able to manage them.   Mindfulness has been called “affectionate attention” and it deepens our potential for kindness and understanding by cultivating new ways of being which are less about judging ourselves and our experiences and more about noticing what is actually happening in any moment.

This approach can significantly change the way we relate to all of our experiences.  We learn to pause, step back and see our situation more clearly and this allows us to fully appreciate the positive and beautiful in our lives and to make wiser, more supportive choices in times of difficulty.  Bringing moment-to-moment awareness to our pain, anxiety, stress, obsessions or worries helps us to cope more effectively, to step beyond them and to live life more fully.

Mindfulness is not a relaxation technique, about making the mind go blank or suppressing unpleasant thoughts or emotions.  It is not about achieving a particular state or outcome.  It is about learning the skills to meet your life the way it is.

Please follow the link below for details of the next 8 week mindfulness course available.

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