The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) provides a training in mindfulness meditation and awareness practices which have been shown to reduce stress, and increase well-being for people with a wide range of concerns, from stress and anxiety, to chronic pain and insomnia and many more conditions. It was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn in 1979 in the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
In the last 30 years MBSR has been rigorously researched and has been found to be effective with many forms of stress; from relationships, parenting, work, as well as chronic pain, and dealing with illnesses such as cancer. The MBSR curriculum allows participants to find their own inner resources for living life with more ease and resilience. It is the most highly researched mindfulness based intervention and spans many populations and disciplines. The MBSR programme has served over 24,000 participants over the last three decades.
The course is interactive, supportive, and structured. It runs for 8 weeks, and each class is 1.5 hours. The MBSR will provide you with:
Guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices, ie: body scan, mindful movement, breath awareness and more
An inquiry process to deepen individual and group understanding to support aligning ourselves to being more present in our lives
Opportunities to discuss how to work with obstacles to mindfulness, and how we can best integrate mindfulness into daily life in a variety of ways.
Less reactivity, and more awareness – building a greater ability to respond to life’s demands and difficulties with skill, openness, and self kindness
The programme is both rewarding and challenging and requires a high level of ongoing commitment to yourself and the home practice. Home practice is a major part of the course and will involve guided mindfulness practices of about 30 minutes a day. All materials needed will be provided including mp3s of guided practices, and a pdf handbook.
I hold a MSc in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from the School of Psychology at University College Dublin and I am a member of, and adhere to, the standards set down by the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland.
The purpose of the 1-to-1 Meditation & Mindfulness Session is to learn how to meditate and experience a variety of meditation practices with the facilitator. These sessions will also provide you with a the space to have a 1-to-1 ‘check-in’ with the facilitator, to explore any obstacles that arise with creating this new habit, and to answer any questions.
Areas of Expertise:
o Mindfulness
o Meditation
o Breathwork
o Stress Reduction
o Experiential Inquiry-Based Learning
o Attentional, Emotional, and Behavioural Self-Regulation
o Scientific Research
What to Expect:
This will be a meditation session with Emily where you will practice mindfulness meditation together for 20 minutes and then have an inquiry-based discussion to further explore mindfulness concepts.
Session Deliverable:
To develop a meditation and mindfulness routine for your unique situation. Emily will provide you with tailored resources that you can use on your own time to you maintain your mindfulness practice.
Detailed Description:
Does your mind seem to have a mind of its own? Me too! The good news is we all have the ca-pacity to train the mind to be a bit more present and to also be a little bit kinder!
Mindfulness is not:
• About clearing our minds or getting rid of all of our thoughts
• Necessarily a relaxation exercise
• A fix-all pill
Mindfulness is:
• Taking a pause, slowing down, checking in with ourselves
• Kindly returning our focus of attention to an anchor in the present moment such as the breath or body whenever the mind wanders (which it will!)
• Noticing our whole experience just as it is in the present moment; practicing not grasping the pleasant and pushing away the unpleasant
• A practice, which means it does take some practice!
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to support wellbeing by alleviating symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and insomnia (just to name a few)!
By intentionally cultivating present-moment awareness we are able to change how we relate to our experiences, transform habits, and actually alter brain structures associated with stress!
