Or read here….
A lot of the time most of us are operating on auto pilot,
Not properly connected to where we are
You spend more time than you probably imagine – day dreaming
Absent in thought
Having hopes, fears, regrets, worries, wishes, playing out half-finished conversations and making judgements.
And plans.
How many times have you made a journey
A journey you have utterly no recollection of
When you reach your destination.
How many locked doors have you gone back to… to check that they’re actually locked.
When your keys, your phone or your glasses go missing
You think: “Where was the last place I had them?”
Which really means…
where was the last place I was actually focussed on them….
Was aware of my surroundings…
what I was doing and where I put them down …
When I was last mindful of them?
To practice Mindfulness (with a capital M) is a set of techniques and attitudes whic train the mind to resist distraction.
To pay attention to how things really are in the present moment.
To learn to watch all the mental traffic that passes through the mind
and to be able to watch with an inward gaze and actually see the mind quieten
Which is the start point.
But it goes further
When you train your mind to be quiet
And to focus
An opportunity arises to notice the habitual ways we think, feel and behave.
Imagine a crowded train station, full of noise, and people, and announcements;
people running and calling to each other;
late for their train
Greeting friends
Buying tickets
Checking timetables
Imagine that hustle and bustle
And with all that going on…
Trying to get clarity.
Trying to make the best decisions, stick to your goals, treat yourself well, be healthy and plan ahead.
And keep calm
And look after everyone else.
Just getting through the day would be a challenge.
The truth is – that’s every day.
When you turn the gaze inward is to get to know who you are when the world becomes still- moment by moment.
The train station of your mind freeze frames.
You can get the clarity you need to move forward – not just exist.
Practising mindfulness makes you able to become aware of the feedback that you get from all of your senses.
Practising holding your focus sometimes means we’ll ask you simply to bring your attention to your breath
or be really focussed on an object or even a simple action
And to refocus that attention when it becomes distracted by thought.
Which is where you build the mental muscle.
Which sounds simple enough.
But doing this in a properly structured way has an enormous body of scientific evidence which is actually very exciting
This research proves that
with repeated practice these simple sounding techniques
actually have some extraordinary benefits.
For example
The techniques measurably reduce the episodes of depression and shorten their duration and intensity…
and has been shown to be as effective (and sometimes more effective) than antidepression medication to stop them coming back
It significantly reduces the struggles people face from anxiety and other emotional problems. And helps you cope with those feelings
Regular practitioners also report an enhanced feeling of relaxation, wellbeing and contentment.
But let’s not get carried away.
This is not a quick fix.
GPs have limited time with patients… and have to solve problems fast.
Even though the evidence for mindfulness is widely accepted in the NHS, not as an ‘alternative’ therapy, but a solid, scientifically based, set of techniques
That can help, not just your mood, but so many areas of your life,
(And without side effects)
You are unlikely to be offered the help and training that can help you learn.
And this is where we come in.
These are the techniques we are going to start to teach you over this short course