We need no reminder that we're living through challenging times.
The pandemic alone brought with it many changes and the repercussions live on: working from home, long Covid and for many, loss of loved ones, to name but a few. Many, including those who were working on the front line, are still trying to find ways to live with the trauma of that time. Added to the Covid effect many are facing worries and hardship as a result of the financial downturn, long GP and hospital waiting lists, wars, especially in Europe and the Middle East, politics and climate change fears. Quite a package of stressors to navigate. So how can mindfulness help? |
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In recent years, you can't go very far without coming across the term 'Mindfulness'.
Many apps offer guided meditations focused on the breath or nature sounds. Even the short Shavasana at the end of a yoga session might be labelled as 'mindfulness'.
While these practices can be relaxing, they often don't go beyond that.
Mindfulness-based training courses, such as the globally researched MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) and MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), offer much more.
Over eight weeks, you will learn new tools and approaches to help free yourself from our habitual tendencies, overthinking, going over past regrets and future anxieties.
Breaking free from unhelpful thinking patterns and emotional reactivity can be incredibly liberating and life-affirming—I can attest to this from personal experience.
For those living with chronic pain and illness, mindfulness training has helped many manage their conditions more skillfully by increasing awareness of habits that may worsen their situation.
There's a saying, "Thoughts are not facts—even though they tell us they are!"
Mindfulness training teaches us to appreciate the good things in life more deeply, helping us achieve a better balance and see the bigger picture.
If you're interested in exploring how mindfulness might benefit you, consider signing up for the next online Finding Peace in a Frantic World starting on Monday evenings in September.
For more information about the course, one-on-one courses and mentoring, call me at 0793 962 3566 or use the Contact Link.
With warm wishes,
Carole
Carole Lacy trained to teach Mindfulness with the world-renowned Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University and took further training with the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, Breathworks and the Mindfulness Association, among others.
She is a registered teacher with BAMBA (the British Association for Mindfulness-Based Approaches) and follows their Good Practice Guidelines.
Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash