Mindfulness

Being in the present moment - the here and now - is something we do all too rarely.  Too often we find ourselves living in the past or the future - worrying about things that have already happened, or things yet to happen, but neither of these are reality.  The only reality is the here and now - the present moment. Mindfulness is about appreciating and living in the here and now and involves an awareness and acceptance of thoughts and feelings for what they are -  thoughts and feelings expressed through words. By being more mindful we can learn to accept even negative feelings or sensations and broaden out our attention to be more connected (to others, the wider world) and less separate (focused in on ourselves and our internal experiences).  Mindfulness and attention training techniques are especially useful for 'de-hypnotising' or broadening out attention away from focused attention on a negative idea/thought, as happens with worry/rumination or anxiety/panic attacks. Mindfulness can also involve compassion for yourself - being kind to yourself, rather than constant self-criticism. I also use mindfulness within the wider context of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) approaches, including committed action to personal values.  And a more mindful approach to learning or work allows you to enjoy the learning process or the task in hand, rather than undue focus on future outcomes (e.g. exams/results/outputs).

Many mindfulness techniques are very simple and readily integrated into daily living - you do not have to meditate every day to be mindful! If your only experience of mindfulness has been meditation for e.g. 30 minutes a day and you found you couldn't keep that up, you are not alone! Key to being mindful is actually living mindfully all the time, not just for times you choose to take out to be mindful. See blog for 12 simple steps to mindfulness and keep an eye out on the blog for my occasional Practical Mindfulness for Everyday Living Workshop (2.5 hours):-

“Excellent course!”

“Really excellent workshop with rich resources and snappy, useful exercises which are easy to apply.”

“A good companion course to the self-hypnosis course, and another useful tool in my resilience toolbox.”

“Just a brilliant session!”

“Great workshop - you have a great calming presence!”

“This course was very illuminating and thought-provoking and provides practical tools to deal with stress and anxiety. Thanks Bill for this very valuable lesson.”

“Perfect introduction to mindfulness for a beginner, with practical exercises to take home.”

“Excellent quick exercises. Amazing how quickly you can relax.|”

“Great combination of theory, practical tips and practice.”

“Many thanks for this well prepared session. Worth joining!!”