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What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is not really a new thing.  Not only does it have its roots in eastern meditation practices that have been around for thousands of years, people are innately mindful. They are, when they are very young, aware of what is happening in the here and now.  With more learning - and later, more distractions - people start to operate on 'auto-pilot', and therefore lose their ability to focus on the present moment.  And that is the key to mindfulness - focusing on what is happening right now. 

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Mindfulness is being able to pay attention to your experiences, moment by moment, in a compassionate and non-judgemental way.  When you are being mindful, you are focused on the present.  You are not thinking over and over again about things that have happened in the past and you are not worrying about what will happen in the future.  Taking a moment to identify what is happening for you right now is helpful because right now is the only thing we can do anything about.

What can mindfulness help with?

There is a lot of evidence around that shows the many ways people can benefit from mindfulness.  Mindfulness can help people:

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  • Slow down

  • Become more aware of thoughts and feelings in the present moment

  • Be more creative

  • Think more clearly

  • Become more focused

  • Reduce feelings of stress and/or anxiety

  • Improve their relationships

  • Be more compassionate and empathic

  • Feel more positive about life in general

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While mindfulness is good for our mental well-being, there is also plenty of evidence that it is good for our physical well-being too.

Mindfulness is a practice, takes practice and can also become a way of being. The 4-session Mindfulness Based Approach to Caring (MBAC) course is an experiential course, introducing you to the practice of mindfulness and giving you opportunities to practice mindfulness techniques. This course is suitable for anyone with caring responsibilities, or even for those who want to take better care of themselves.

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Based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course developed by Jon Kabat Zinn, over four 90-minute sessions, participants in the MBAC course will learn to become more aware of their experiences in the here and now and will also start to develop a more compassionate perspective of what is happening right now.  This will not only help you with whatever caring responsibilities you might have, but will also help you care for yourself.

For more information about the Mindfulness Based Approach to Caring course, including costs, times and venues, contact me via e.mail, telephone or text message.

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