Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Health and Well-Being

Often when we are stressed, depressed or struggling in life with sadness, pain or any other difficulty, we can feel out of control and unable to put our situation into perspective.

Our automatic coping mechanisms often make matters worse. We can use all kinds of strategies to avoid our feelings by retreating into our head to think our way out of our situation. Rumination and judgmental thinking tend to carry us down a path of automatic pilot where we often find ourselves dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. This mode of mind creates additional stress and agitation at our failure to make ourselves feel better. Such distraction takes us away from the present moment and life passes us by with little satisfaction and a lot of exhaustion.

When we bring Mindfulness into our lives, we are learning to acknowledge what is going on for us in each moment – noticing the activity of our mind, body and emotions and developing the skill to respond in ways that are gentler and more compassionate. We develop the ability to notice when we have engaged in critical and judgmental thinking and learn how to use the breath and body as a safe haven to anchor us to the present moment.

Instead of using energy and stress to get rid of our difficulties and uncomfortable feelings, we learn how to relate to them differently & to be more accepting of our direct experience, as it is.

This can open up a greater sense of spaciousness and clarity in our mind, together with an expanded awareness and attitude - enabling us to respond to problems with renewed focus, wisdom and confidence.

Mindfulness can help you to:

• Use your awareness to deal more effectively with stress
• Choose your reactions as opposed to being enslaved to them
• Develop breathing and meditation techniques to find a stable centre
• Connect with a place of inner calm in the midst of pressure
• Develop clarity and focus when you feel overwhelmed
• Improve self esteem
• Improve your relationships with others
• Improve your health and well-being
• Develop an increased sense of aliveness and energy
• Learn to accept and let go of what you cannot change
• Improve your health and well-being

Stress Reduction
What is stress?
Stress Inducing Attitudes
Mindfulness Courses