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What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is all about learning to direct our attention to our experience as it unfolds, moment by moment, with open-minded curiosity and acceptance.

Rather than worrying about what has happened or might happen, it trains us to respond
skilfully to whatever is happening right now, be that good or bad.

Brain imaging studies show that mindfulness practice reliably and profoundly alters the
structure and function of the brain to improve the quality of both thought and feeling.

I teach mindfulness because it is simply the best way I have found of being calm and happy in myself. I want to share its power to reshape our experience of this one, wild life that we have.

14258289_1023741027723167_1857107673332060133_oPeople who have worked with me say I create a really calm and safe atmosphere to learn the skills of mindfulness. I teach using practical exercises, guided meditation practices and gentle but illuminating enquiry into your experience. Most importantly, I specialize in teaching people to weave mindfulness into their everyday lives.

The benefits of mindfulness include:

  • A greater sense of calm, wellbeing and happiness
  • More resilience to life’s ups and downs
  • Improved concentration
  • A new way to cope with difficult emotions or physical pain

Mindfulness is now recommended by NICE, and GPs are referring adults on eight week
courses to reduce stress and help prevent recurrent depression.  It is increasingly being
used in business to improve staff wellbeing and satisfaction,and in sports training to
improve performance.

How do people learn it?

Mindfulness is always learned in a highly practical way, through experience rather than talk.
We gradually learn to direct our attention in a more focused way to whatever is actually
happening, be it our breathing, the sensations in our body, the activity in our mind,
or everyday activities such as walking and eating.

Is it difficult?

At first the mind wanders constantly, but with practice we learn to sustain our attention and
direct it more skilfully.  This helps break the grip of unhelpful mental habits, judgements
and impulses. Mindfulness clears the way for more calm, helpful, kinder and rational thinking about all aspects of life. It really helps to learn mindfulness with the support of a teacher and in a group environment.

“The techniques that Mel taught us as a group gave me a safe space to recognise and accept the many emotions  I was feeling, while the meditation, left me feeling refreshed and gave me the tools I needed…”

Julie Whyman. Carer.

9 minute film explaining mindfulness

[ult_video width=”600px” height=”400px” ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBSO41ZimNs&index=1&list=PLbiVpU59JkVaWH5kKrkSCIkg0vKLr1p9f[/ult_video]