“Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t

more complicated than that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or

unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.”

- Sylvia Boorstein

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Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention and being in the present moment, and doing it intentionally and without judgment.  Mindfulness meditation practices refer to the deliberate acts of regulating attention through the observation of thoughts, emotions and body states.  Originating form Buddhist traditions, it is a form of meditation that has been rigorously researched and evidenced to show that it can reduce stress levels dramatically when practiced regularly.

 

In todays fast paced world with the social, economic and personal pressures that we all experience, our minds are invaded with anxiety, stress and fear. We are therefore as a result left in a state that we are unable to relax/ cope with the regular day to day pressures. 

 

Many studies have shown that practicing Mindfulness can reduce anxiety and stress. In 2010 Hoffman et.al conducted a study that explored the use of mindfulness based stress reduction and mindfulness based cognitive therapy. The researchers found that these participants who experienced Mindfulness based stress reduction had significantly less anxiety depression and somatic distress compared to the group that did not. 

 

Some degree of fear and anxiety is inevitable in life. But for some people, these emotions can become truly debilitating, keeping them trapped in cycles that can lead onto other mental health challenges. This cycle keeps us  stuck in own minds and it often feels impossible for us to have the capability to move on and start enjoying the present, even though the past is over. The same can be said about the future. As much as we may like we cannot assume what the future is going to be and have no control over it. We should therefore neither live in the past nor think too much about the future. 

 

By being in the present, in the here and now we can relieve ourselves of any apprehensions, enjoy each moment and with a clam and focussed mind make our future. 

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In our treatment programmes we help you learn how to let go of all the  tensions and stresses of life so that you can start living in the here and now. Although these mindfulness exercises are built into out treatment plans you can use them individually by doing some very simple 5- 10 exercises on a daily basis. By doing these you will find that you are able to stay more focussed and be able to respond more positively to life’s challenges.   You will learn to  become less uptight and less anxious  feeling more relaxed and in control. 

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