What is Mindfulness?

Back in the 1970’s Jon Kabat-Zinn saw the possibility of separating mindfulness from any religious background by testing its benefits scientifically. It is a psychological and scientific approach that has been proven to improve physical and mental health. Since those early days, it has been approved by National Institute for Clinical Excellence for use within the NHS.

Mindfulness is…

…”paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.” In this, we notice our experiences, thoughts, feelings, reactions, sensations without judging or labelling them. In the foreword to Mindfulness, a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman, Jon Kabat-Zinn emphasises that mindfulness “requires an embodied engagement.”   This is the nub of it; mindfulness is simple but difficult. We cannot simply be interested in the theory, only by practicing it will we become aware of our thoughts and feelings rather than have them control us. The evidence is overwhelming.

Through a regular mindfulness practice we develop a mindful attitude:

non-judging
patience
beginner’s mind
trust
non-striving
acceptance
letting go
generosity
gratitude

Would you like to practice mindfulness in a one-to-one or group setting? Contact me to see if we can work together.

Mindfulness Sessions

I run 6 session programs over 6 weeks where we pay attention to our breathing, senses, inner world, outer world and body sensations – using the opportunity to wake up from our autopilot and move towards acceptance and self-compassion. Moment by moment awareness. It is simple to understand but maintaining a regular practice is challenging, that’s where organised sessions can help. Contact me for more details. See testimonials below.

Testimonials

“very refreshing and good to take time to stop and breathe! Shirley guided the session with calm, reflective and insightful methods. The exercises helped me to focus on my breathing, awareness and movement; also how I might continue this at home. Learning to be more mindful will benefit me greatly in an often over-hurried LIFESTYLE!’ LL

“Really grateful for the time and space to be in the moment. Time to reflect about the here and now. Space to value our bodies, food and the beautiful things around us. Self-compassion being at the centre of the exercises. Space to explore in a safe environment” RC

“It’s good to have ideas and gain knowledge of meditations. I now see I’ve been living in the past.” SK