8 Week Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Programme

Our work environment can be stressful, pressurised and challenging and as we are always in the “doing” mode it can mean we never have any downtime to re-balance and re-focus. This constant state of “doing” can impact negatively on performance, relationships and well-being. Recognising that there are better ways to work, to reduce stress and to increase well-being and resilience is part of the Mindfulness approach.

Mindfulness is a very simple concept which has been around for several thousand years but it is only in recent times that it has been recognised by medicine and science as having the capacity to enhance people’s lives. Recent studies have shown that the practice of mindfulness has a positive effect on particular regions of the brain important for learning, memory, and executive decision-making and perspective-taking: all important functions to have at optimal levels when you are under stress or experiencing pain.

This course is a highly experiential 8 week Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation and the main components are participation and commitment. You wouldn’t expect to learn to play an instrument or a sport merely by reading a book on the subject, likewise learning to develop a meditation practice is no different than any other skill that involves both mind and body – practice is the key. Working as part of a group helps to encourage participation, intention and a collective energy which can have a profound impact on motivation, support and inspiration.

This 8 week programme involves a blended approach that includes experiential exercises, formal meditation practices, mindfulness tips and techniques, and the realistic application of mindfulness in everyday life.

The formal meditation aspect of this course is focused practice at learning to check in, and the informal mindful activities/techniques are ways to extend that learning into our daily lives. We need both.