A way to learn to be mindful is to attend an 8 week course to systematically learn how to wake up from auto-pilot, how to tune in to your body and come home to the present moment, how to gather our scattered mind and learn that our thoughts are not facts, learn to approach difficulty with courage and wisdom, develop self-compassion and bring mindfulness into your everyday life. The course lasts 8 weeks with each session lasting 1.5hrs to 2 hrs per week (depending on the curriculum) and lots of ideas and resources for practicing at home. This is the evidence based ( including NICE recommendation) way to learn mindfulness.
"It's easy to stop noticing the world around us. It's also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living 'in our heads' – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour," Mark Williams
Attending a Mindfulness course can help us wake up to our lives. It can build our capacity to be present, calmer, happier, more resilient, kinder to ourselves and others and more able to respond rather than react.
Mindfulness is a basic human ability. It is nothing exotic or obscure. It is when the mind is fully paying attention to what’s happening. However, so often we are far away from the present moment, carried away by our own thoughts. This can rob us of really appreciating the good bits in our lives and makes us vulnerable to getting carried away into worry and rumination, which can lead to unhappiness, stress and anxiety. John Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness as ‘paying attention on purpose in the present moment without judgement’. The good news is we can all learn how to do this. It is not about sitting crossed legged for long periods and emptying your mind. The 8 week Mindfulness course is a training in cultivating present moment awareness, noticing the thoughts that pass through, and guiding attention to where you intended it to be. This can be practiced whilst sitting, walking, working, or even when cleaning your teeth or washing the dishes.
In 2023, myself and a team of associates are offering various opportunities to individuals, groups and teams to learn how to become more Mindful. Many courses are online or in person if in the workplace. In person silent retreat days are regularly offered in Stroud, Gloucestershire (or elsewhere by arrangement) to deepen practice. Please get in touch to express your interest and find out more.