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Announcing an 8 Week Mindfulness Meditation Class in Broadstairs for Spring 24!
Are you:
· Interested in mindfulness and meditation but don’t know how to start?
· Wondering if mindfulness could help you manage your stress and impact of long term health conditions?
· Tried following online recordings or classes but struggled?
· Looking for a small and friendly group to learn with?
Broadstairs Mindfulness Group is back (after a longer than planned covid break!) now in conjunction with Blue and Green Wellness.
What:
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme is a 2 hour class run every Tuesday evening over 8 weekly sessions. See below for more information and videos on what mindfulness is and how it might help you. The course includes the guided meditations sessions plus weekly e-handout to accompany the learning. In addition you will have access to recorded guided meditations that you will use for the training. You will be invited to commit to daily practise of the meditations in-between sessions to help you develop the skills (~ 1 hour per day).
The course will have a minimum of 7 participants and a maximum of 12 so if interested please contact us to book asap.
When & Where:
Tuesday evenings in the beautiful Music Room at Pierremont Hall in the heart of Broadstairs. From 1930 to 2130 and beginning Tues April 16th and running until Tuesday June 11th (NB one break week for half term week).
Facilitators:
Diarmuid will lead this course in association with Adele Rider who has completed her mindfulness teacher training with Breathworks and used Mindfulness extensively in her previous role as a Producer and Agent.
How much?
Early bird rate offers a 10% reduction for this course for £225 instead of £250. Early Bird rate ends on 8th April and full cost is then £250
What else will I need?
It is advisable to wear clothing you are comfortable to move in. A yoga mat or similar is also useful (but don’t worry if you haven’t got one as we may be able to provide one for you, just let us know). We will do many of the activities in regular chair but if you prefer to sit on the floor to meditate then bring along any cushions or aids you like to use. We also suggest a blanket and cushion or two for comfort.
How can I book? If you wish to attend this group we will need some basic details including your GP details. If you have had any significant health issues we will need to know about these (e.g. any recent or severe episodes of poor mental health and/or any physical disabilities). This is in order to ensure you , and the group are safe. When possible we will try to adapt to facilitate your needs so it is important to let Diarmuid know).
To express your interest in the first instance please contact Diarmuid:
Or
Click here to book a free 15 min video call (Initial Enquiry) to discuss
About Diarmuid's journey to Mindfulness
I first encountered meditation and mindfulness in 2006 when I was travelling in India. I was drawn to mindfulness following my travels and have experienced the benefits of meditation in my life.
I began to see how mindfulness might be helpful for those I worked with clinically. As a physiotherapist it seemed natural to apply mindfulness approaches to my clinical skills and treatment with people living with pain. As I was developing my interest and skills in mindfulness there was also a growing body of research and awareness of the potential benefits of mindfulness approaches for many long-term health conditions.
I decided to develop my skills further and undertook several training courses including a week long teacher training retreat at the Centre for Mindfulness Research & Practice (CMRP) at Bangor University followed by completing a year-long foundations in teaching and practice training course at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre in 2014.
I have used my mindfulness training in all aspects of my life and career including adapting for people living with neuropathic pain, for the Footsteps Festival, and for my cold water swimming!
Testimonials and After-Programme-Feedback about Diarmuid's teaching of Mindfulness Courses
"Diarmuid made us all very welcome by his friendly manner, calming effect and encouragement and soothing voice"
"Calm, patient, supportive and kind. Diarmuid was brilliant. His approach was one that allowed you to really explore oneself. Soothing voice and tone, clear and concise The available resources such as the sound cloud recordings, poems, plum village videos Mindful movements and activities really helpful"
"I really didn’t know what to expect but the course was amazing. We were given so many varieties of mindfulness to consider. There was something for everyone. The course was very professionally presented by Diarmuid. Thank you"
"Brilliantly led by Diarmuid who has a great combination of medical expertise in the area of pain allied with passion for and experience of mindfulness meditation. As someone with chronic pain who finds mindfulness a brilliant way to control pain, Diarmuid's approach and skills are perfect"
"Diarmuid's good organisation, meeting leadership together with his deep knowledge and skill was a large contributory factor to it's [The MBSR programme] success"
"This is a great course of self exploration. I would highly recommend it to anyone and I would tell them that they do not have to buy into mindfulness or like it, they can just try it and see what happens :) "
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is bringing awareness to the present moment. Mindfulness offers a way to develop skills to objectively and non-judgmentally observe what is happening in the present moment. It is not about having a clear mind, instead it is about providing space in our minds to observe what is here right now in terms of our five senses, our thoughts, and our emotions.
When our mind is distracted, perhaps by a strong physical sensation in the body such as pain, a past memory, or a future worry, we tend to make decisions in a "mindless" way, reacting instead of responding, not fully present and aware.
When we are present in this moment we can make clear choices about what we need to do to best take care of ourselves.
Mindfulness training tends to focus on three main meditation practices:
Bringing awareness to the body (body scan)
Bringing awareness to movement
Bringing awareness to the breath, mind (thoughts) and emotions
The man who most consider responsible for bringing mindfulness mediation to western society, and in particular healthcare, is Jon Kabat Zinn. Click the video link below (1min 34 sec) to hear directly from him about mindfulness.
How can Mindfulness help?
How can Mindfulness help?
Below Sharon Salzberg explains the benefit of Mindfulness (2 min 21 sec)
What is the science behind mindfulness?
If you want a little bit of the neuro-science of mindfulness watch the video below (9 mins).
If you'd like a slightly longer video (30 mins) about the science and effects of mindfulness meditation then you might want to look at the following video with input from many leading figures in the field
Useful Mindfulness Resources
This list is not exhaustive but will hopefully give you some resources to build your mindfulness practice, they are ones I have found useful along the way. Enjoy!
Websites (click on the name to be redirected to the website)
Community of Interbeing
Books for adults
Prof. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Prof Mark Williams, Dr Danny Penman
Mindfulness for Health: A practical guide to relieving pain, reducing stress and restoring wellbeing
Vidyamala Burch , Dr Danny Penman
Prof. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Thich Nhat Hahn
Books for children (that are good for adults too!)
Apps
Google Sites
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