What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, staying present and responding skilfully to what’s happening in our lives. It helps people manage their thoughts, feelings, behaviours and relationships with awareness and compassion, leading to greater well-being and appreciation, as well as more choice in how to meet challenges. Mindfulness is cultivated by a exploring a range of simple meditation practices and approaches to living, as taught on our retreats. Our approach is based on the practices taught on the 'gold standard' mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course, which was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachussetts medical school and has been used for over thirty five years to help with stress, anxiety, and chronic health problems, as well as to promote resilience and flourishing. An extensive body of clinical research has consistently shown that this approach to teaching mindfulness is helpful for working with a wide range of conditions, as well as for optimising well-being, and it is now taught widely in healthcare, education, workplaces and other settings.
During our retreats we invite you to practice simple meditation techniques which can transform daily life, including sitting meditation, body scanning and mindful movement. This can help you develop more helpful responses to stress, learn to stay in touch with the present moment, and be less caught up in negative thought, feeling and behaviour patterns.