Mindfulness Meditation for Well-Being

8 Week Programme: January 15th, 22nd 29th. Feb 5th, 26th,

March 5th, 12th, 19th.

£220 for the whole programme, includes a free follow up session. Gift vouchers available

7-9pm Gusto Cafe, Ashbrook Park, Wendover

What is Mindfulness?

Now approved by NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) as a treatment for recurrent depression and other health conditions. Mindfulness is increasingly recommended for a whole host of psychological and physical conditions. It is particularly helpful for:

· Stress management

· Reducing effects of Anxiety and Depression

· Strengthening the Immune System

· High blood pressure

· Chronic pain

It can improve emotion regulation and increase response flexibility and can even reduce the rate of ageing with consistent practise.

Mindfulness is being present in the moment, with mind and body connected. It sounds so simple, but it can have far-reaching consequences, and often mind and body are so disconnected in the busy lives we lead. To book your place please contact Kristan at Gusto: execs@gusto-world.com

John Lingley: MBACP (accred) john@mindfulnesstherapies.co

Benefits and Evidence

There is now extensive research verifying the benefits of mindfulness from around the globe. These include:

· Symptoms of depression and anxiety are reduced or minimised

After just 5 days of meditation training at 20 minutes a day, a group of undergraduates reported less anxiety, depression, and anger.

· Those practising Mindfulness are less affected by stress

A study showed office workers who practiced Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for twenty minutes a day reported an average 11% reduction in perceived stress. Another example of improved handling of stress was shown by a group practicing mindfulness meditation during light-treatment for psoriasis, known to be exacerbated by stress, revealing four times the speed of healing for the chronic skin condition.

· Improved concentration

Psychologists tested participants in a mindfulness programme and found that after only four days of twenty minutes practice per day, they exhibited significantly improved concentration skills.

· Strengthening of the immune system

A 2003 study focused on how an 8-week meditation training course affected the brains and immune systems of individuals. This investigation showed increased activation in a region of the brain correlated with positive feelings, as well as evidence that the immune system reacted more robustly in antibody production after meditation training.

· Greater resilience around negativity

Mindfulness meditation practice makes people less prone to taking on another’s negative attitude or emotion. A study of an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course for nurses showed that their mindfulness practice facilitated a decreased tendency to take on others’ negative emotions.

· Improved relationships at work and at home

Studies of mindfulness-based programs have revealed that medical students experienced improved empathy and physicians had decreased burnout and enhanced attitudes to their patients.

Parents that practice mindfulness show less family related stress, and report an increase of positive social interaction within the family.

Research shows that the ways we intentionally shape our internal focus of attention in mindfulness practice induces a particular state of brain activation during the practice. With repetition, an intentionally created state can become an enduring trait of the individual as reflected in long-term changes in brain function and structure. This is a fundamental property of neuroplasticity—how the brain changes in response to experience. In Mindfulness, the experience is the focus of attention in a particular manner.

“Mindfulness is a deceptively simple way of relating to all experience that can reduce suffering and set the stage for positive personal transformation” Dr Daniel J Siegel Professor UCLA

To book your place please contact Kristan at Gusto: execs@gusto-world.com

John Lingley: MBACP (accred) john@mindfulnesstherapies.com