4/11/2020

Introduction to Mindfulness
3 main concepts:

1. Awareness
2. Non-judgement
3. Living in the Present

Awareness

- Being aware of your place, of what you are doing and of what you are saying
- Observing yourself and your thoughts
- Having a mindful attitude to yourself

Non-judgement

- In daily life, as we grow up, we become more and more judgemental

- We want to go back to our child selves to accept everything as it is

Living in the Present

- “The Butterfly Mind” flutters round and round, backwards and forwards
- We are often referring ourselves back to our past (which isn’t always positive as
things may be different from the past)
- We fear that the past will repeat itself
- We try to refer to our future but we imagine, causing anxiety… We imagine a
negative future, invest emotion and belief, which then causes a negative feeling
within you

The course

- Our minds are energy generators

- Mind, body and soul are interlinked
- The minute we think a thought, whether positive or negative, there will be an effect
on us physically, mentally and emotionally/spiritually
- If we remember something wonderful, immediately we smile and our breath
quickens
4/11/2020

- If we think or remember something negative, we can start to feel very flat,

emotionally we will feel different
- Living in the present stops the mind from fluttering around and brings a stillness
within us, to significantly reduce anxiety and stress
- Mindfulness may be used in the workplace, as a form of therapy, and how to
manage our own anxiety and stress
- The course will talk about the ego; how to recognize it and not let it rule our
behaviour, compassion, meditation
- We will be doing exercises, extra reading and will
- I will need to apply what I’ve learnt

What is mindfulness?

- A modern concept that describes the adoption of a new mind set which can
measurably alter one’s outlook and mood
- It is used as an empowering tool in the self-management of anxiety and stress
- It is not a quick fix (like medication) and takes time and application to achieve
permanent results
- If the guidance, mind set and exercises are applied and reinforced on a daily basis,
the result becomes a feature of your life and therefore does, over time, create
permanent change
- “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present
moment, and non-judgementally” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

A deeper understanding

- Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present

moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and
bodily sensations – used as a therapeutic technique
- It is the practice of being aware in every possible moment, while keeping a non-
judgemental outlook and, at the same time, observing your own bodily and
emotional responses
4/11/2020

How to practice mindfulness

- You should begin to observe the ‘self’ and any reactions to situations and others in a
dispassionate way
- You should not be a slave to your own thoughts and the emotions they generate;
instead, step back and assess before the usual reaction takes place (respond rather
than react)
- Mindfulness is about taking a holistic approach to the self (i.e. the mind, body and
spirit)
- To practice mindfulness fully, it is important to look at oneself as a spiritual being
- Practices such as meditation, Yoga and Thai Chi can also be utilised to bring calm and
peace to the mind and body, while employing a more detached and philosophical
spiritual outlook