What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention, non-judgementally, to what is going on in this moment
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention, non-judgementally, to what is going on in this moment.
This might be paying full attention to nature, to some music, to the experience of drinking a hot drink, for example.
Or it can be more paying attention to what is going on in your brain and body.
The challenge can be that we’ve trained our brains, in modern society, to always be doing stuff. Working, reading, scrolling, watching, thinking, planning etc. So our minds will naturally try and fill that calm space with thoughts, ideas and things to do.
I try to see these things as trains arriving and leaving at a station, we can watch those thoughts arrive, and leave again, we don’t have to “get on the train” by picking up a thought and getting involved with it. We have a choice as to how we engage with our thoughts, and we can make changes to that with practice!
How I can help
My goal is to bring a kind, compassionate and bespoke mindfulness approach to each individual I work with.
As a mindfulness coach I can work alongside you, from where you are right now, to weave mindful practice into your life to help support you and improve your wellbeing.
Use the button below to book a complimentary chat to find out how I can help you. Or contact me via the details at the bottom of this page.
I think it’s important to explain what mindfulness isn’t. It isn’t sitting cross legged in a zen like state with no thoughts appearing in your mind at all. Firstly being cross legged on the floor isn’t comfortable for most people!
Secondly we all have thoughts, a fairly constant stream of them. Often by trying to ignore of push them away they just get louder. Instead you could choose to treat them kindly, say they aren’t needed now and watch them drift away again. Like watching that train leave the station, or a leaf float on past you down a river.
Mindfulness is a practice, gradually changing our brains (and it really does change the structure of our brains and how the brain regions connect to each there over time. So gradually we can find it easier and easier to just be; to be less reactive, a bit less stressed or overwhelmed, and show ourselves a little more care and gentleness.
What Mindfulness isn't
Book an initial chat
Find a slot for an initial, complimentary, chat about how mindfulness could help you
More about Mindfulness
Find out more below and on my social media channels linked at the bottom of this page
Why is mindfulness so important right now?
I feel mindfulness is increasingly important in the modern societies we have now because we seem to be in “doing mode” nearly all of the time. Work is creeping in to our homes lives with working at home and being contactable anywhere. There are apps and feeds designed to keep us scrolling. The constant 24 hour a day news cycle who make money from people watching and clicking.
More and more evidence is building to show that being in “doing mode” all the time is bad for our bodies and minds; linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, digestive complaints, mental health conditions and even some forms of caners and pain and fatigue conditions.
Our bodies and brains are not evolved for this sort of “always on” life. Going back just 20 or 30 years the news would arrive daily in a newspaper and work would stay in the place of work. Going back 100 years, most peoples evening would have been gloriously relaxing, as there just wasn’t as much to do!
It’s no wonder we have increasing numbers of people struggling with those health conditions and challenges I mentioned. Society and culture has changed massively and our brains are still the same.
Studies on Mindfulness benefits have confirmed that it…
Can reduce our perception of pain
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-020-00890-8
Can lower blood pressure
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41371-022-00764-z
Is as effective as medication for managing anxiety
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2798510/
Can improve depression
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18344909221145814
Works for preventing and improving stress, headaches and migraine
https://apcz.umk.pl/JEHS/article/view/48476
Can lead to improvement in cardio vascular health
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0239533
Can reduce mental fatigue in athletes