Jon Kabat-Zin defines Mindfulness as…

‘awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally (in the service of self-understanding and wisdom)’

Sounds great, doesn’t it, but what does that mean to you, and how can that help you deal with daily struggles. 

In my teaching I use various kinds of mindfulness practices, these can be narrowed down to two primary types – formal and informal.  Both hold an intention for us to encourage awareness and focus on for example, breathing, or physical sensation, or of our emotional feelings, and all of these are experienced in the present moment, not the past, which we can’t change, or the future, which we can’t control.  What we can control is our perception of ‘now’.  When we engage in truly being present in the moment, then we come to know that is all we have and all we need.  We are not stuck in past guilt or trauma or anxious about the future.  This is a true gift that we can give ourselves, we can only really live within each moment, the rest is either remembering or imagining.

Mindfulness is a truly beautiful and freeing gift that only we can give ourselves.  It doesn’t take long to learn now, but it takes a little bit of effort and some kindness towards ourselves to really feel the benefit of, and enjoy the peace it gives us.

Moment by moment by moment.

So how can I help?

I completed my Mindfulness Training with the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation under their Mindfulness Now Programme.

Mindfulness Now is a is a fusion of mindfulness-based approaches including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).  In 1979 Dr Joh Kabat Zin and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre – Stress Reduction Clinic developed a psycho-educational programme which provided an integrations of mindfulness mediation with proven psychotherapeutic approaches into an accessible and evidence-based approach which is now taught worldwide.  The Mindfulness Now Programme was created by Nick Cooke in the UK.

As a Mindfulness Now accredited teacher, I offer individual 1 to 1 sessions, both in person and online as well as group sessions in mindfulness-based practices.  As well as teaching mindfulness meditation for relaxation, my sessions also cover stress reduction, anxiety, panic attacks, emotional trauma and pain control.  Also offered are mindful parenting courses and an 8-week Mindfulness Now Programme.