Mindfulness and meditation can change your life:
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention on purpose in the present moment, without judgment. It is simple but not easy. It is innate but underdeveloped. It is the heart of the body/mind connection. Put even more simply it is just awareness. Mindfulness is not a new idea, it is as old as humanity, however the practice of mindful awareness is several millenia old no matter what faith or religion you wish to investigate, the notion of quiet reflection has always been present.
Today, mindfulness is a business and as such in my humble view it has been diluted to the point that it is seen as a cure all for mental and emotional issues, a dip your toe in the water experience. This is not mindful awareness: to truly understand mindfulness you need only do one thing, sit and meditate every day, even once a day, for the rest of your life, and then you may get it.
Mindfulness is a part of meditation practice and only through regular practice will you begin to get how this awareness can begin to alter your life for the good. Big claim I know, but if there is anything that is unworkable in your life right now, habits, relationships, sense of stuckness, then by stepping back daily and bringing attention to what is real, then we may begin again to get a sense of control, choice and ultimately some freedom.
To find out more about this please contact Simon for
- either a 1-1 session or
- to join in on his weekly online meditation classes
- to join the introduction to meditation class in September
- to sign up for the 8 week MBSR course
Simon Heale
Meditation / Mindfulness
Phone: 07932 393972
Email: info@corehealthsuite.com
Simon Heale has been offering free twice weekly online meditation sessions since the start of lockdown 1 in March 2020, as a short refuge during these challenging times. Every practice is recorded and uploaded onto his podcast The Snowglobe Project, here you have access to a growing number of short meditations based on Buddhist insight practices. These meditations will continue. to sign up to join the weekly sessions email Simon here
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Courses: MBSR and ACT
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programme was devised by Jon Kabat-Zin during his tenure at the University of Massachusets Medical Centre to assist people with pain and a range of conditions and life issues that were initially difficult to treat in a hospital setting. It uses a combination of mindfulness meditation body awareness, and yoga to help people become more mindful.
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program consists of four or eight 1.5 -2 hour sessions over 8 consecutive weeks. These sessions are a balance of didactic teaching, experiential practice, and small and large group processing.
There is approximately an hour’s worth of daily homework assignments which include guided relaxation & meditation practices, reading, and written reflection exercises. What is important to understand is that your success in the program, whether that is to diminish your pain levels, stabilise your mood, or be less stressed, is directly related to your commitment to fully engage in the entire 8 week process, inside and outside of the classroom.
The essence of the course is the development of a more aware, engaged, and a values based fulfilled way of living.
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention on purpose in the present moment, without judgment. It is simple but not easy. It is innate but underdeveloped. It is the heart of the body/mind connection. These eight weeks are a special opportunity to slow down and pay attention to how the body, mind, and emotions actually operate in real time, in each moment.
Through the formal practices of the body scan meditation, breath awareness, mindful movement, and mindful meditation, attention is directed inwardly. These are called formal practices as they require time and space outside of daily activities. They are restorative and help physiologically regulate the nervous system.
From the formal practices we increase our capacity to bring mindful awareness to ourselves in our daily life. This is sometimes called the informal practice of mindfulness because we don’t have to stop what we are normally doing to be mindful. This is key to the transformative potential of the program.
Stress reactivity, the feeling of being stressed and pressured, is in many cases a bad habit. The MBSR process encourages us to investigate our direct experiences of living, working, and relating and recognise the habit patterns that may be contributing to our suffering.
Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl sums up the MBSR learning process well by reminding us, “Between stimulus and response there’s a space, in that space lies our power to choose our response, in our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
The power to self-regulate the nervous system and the power to re-pattern our neurological pathways is now known to be measurable and teachable. The MBSR program has pioneered bringing these inner resources into a learnable format. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is an investment in your health and wellbeing long into the future.
Simon Heale’s unique addition to this programme is the application of ACT or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a mindfulness based model employed by psychotherapists and counsellors to treat mental health issues. the essence of ACT is to teach individuals a new framework to be with their thinking and physical symptoms including feelings, to change the relationship with them and to ultimate guide them towards a life of meaning and fulfilment. See Russ Harris for a good outline of ACT
When is the next MBSR course?
The next 8 part MBSR course over 8 weeks will begin in late September 2021. The course will most probably be an online training with hopefully some face to face work if regulations permit.
Corehealth: Cost £300. Concessions are available
Chelsea Natural Health Clinic, SW10 9PJ: Cost £350
I teach in small groups of 8-12 so places are limited and will go quickly.
If you are interested in finding out more about Mindfulness and how it can help you be with thoughts, feelings and sensations in a more helpful way, you can find articles here or you can call me on 07932 393972 and we can arrange a meeting..
To reserve your place or for more information contact simon@corehealthsuite.com
I hold a taster sessions throughout the year so please contact me to reserve your place on the next one.
The next taster is on Sunday 12th September 10-1130am
Simon Heale
Meditation / Mindfulness
Phone: 07932 393972
Email: info@corehealthsuite.com
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NEW Weekly online Meditations
Online Meditation Classes for All
Simon will be commencing with his popular weekly online insight meditations from the 1st September. These sessions began at the beginning of lockdown 1 with the intention of providing a 30 minute haven of stillness through simple guided practices based on the Insight tradition. Each session is recorded so you can still access it and practice later. All recordings make their way onto The Snowglobe Project podcast
Sessions are on Fridays at 6-630pm and on alternate Wednesdays at 6-7pm.
Dates and price:: Wed 1st, 15th, 29th Sep at 6pm 60 mins £10
Fri 3rd,10th,17th, 24th Sep at 6pm 30 mins £5
Places on each session must be reserved and block bookings are discounted.
To join in these meditations please email me here saying which days you would like to be put on.
If you would like to learn to meditate or to deepen your practice then these short weekly sessions will serve you well.
Introduction to meditation and mindfulness class
Don’t believe a word about Mindfulness: Just do it: an online introduction to Mindfulness, meditation and the 8 week MBSR training with Simon Heale
There has been and continues to be a vast amount written on mindfulness. Mindfulness is not a new fad, it has been around as an idea and practice for several millennia, but only written about by the Buddha’s followers after his death. In my brief stint on this earth so far, i have found a very helpful and healthy piece of advice to be: Don’t believe it, just do it and experience it. So it is with mindfulness, don’t believe what is written, you need to sit and do it to get it.
In this 90 minute introduction class we will explore meditation, mindfulness and the 8 week MBSR training We will try to get to grips with how and why our minds work, not by discussion, but by sitting, breathing and exploring our own experiences, in other words through meditation.
You will leave with enough to start a daily practice, the key to any potential change, as well as an idea if you would like to partake in the 8 week MBSR training the gold standard of mindfulness courses for anyone needing to be with anxiety, stress, unworkable habits and behaviours in a more flexible and healthier way.
To book your place on this 90 minute online introduction email here.
Date: Sunday 12th September 10-1130am
Prices: £20 (concessions are available, please just ask)
contact Simon at info@corehealthsuite.com