“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favourite day,” said Pooh. AA Milne
Mindfulness can help us slow down and learn to live in the present moment. It has an impressive research base showing it can reduce stress, anxiety and improve health. Even with just moderate practice, people find they are able to switch out of automatic pilot and appreciate the richness of their lives more. It is a skill, with a little diligence and patience, we can learn like any other.
I am a trained Mindfulness Teacher and have been a mindfulness practitioner for over 20 years. I teach a combination of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Based Training as taught by the ‘fathers’ of modern day Mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn and Mark Williams.
MINDFULNESS COURSES
I teach 1:1 and group mindfulness courses in a specially adapted peaceful space at my practice in Hampstead, London.
Mindfulness can be incorporated into therapy sessions.
I teach 8 week Mindfulness courses to professionals wishing to enrich their working lives and reach their potential.
I teach one-day ‘taster’ courses and workshops to professionals and organisations.
Therapeutic Mindfulness sessions
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” Viktor Frankl
In therapy we aim to go deeper inside ourselves. But opening up to what is happening in the present moment can be hard. Even more so when we are depressed, anxious or unwell. Emotional difficulties can make us contract internally in our efforts to resist what is happening. It is an understandable way of protecting ourselves but it causes us to suffer more and stops us from expanding into ourselves and fulfilling our potential.
Mindfulness, if skillfully used, can offer a ‘soft landing’ into the present moment; gently helping us to provide some space for the difficulties we are experiencing. It can also help us develop inner wisdom so we notice when we are being triggered and before we get dragged further in. This can help break painful cycles of negative thoughts and feelings of unworthiness and shame and for us to be able to live more fully.
Mindfulness can be combined with talking therapy.
15 minute sounds and thoughts
Listen to the sounds around you and begin to sense the silence that is always there for us to connect with.
9 minutes being in the present moment
Connect with the stillness inside yourself that is always present.