Standalone Courses
Introduction to Mindfulness
Whatever challenges or difficulties we may face, these are workable. Cultivating mindfulness helps us to reduce the negative impacts of stress and to develop more effective ways of responding positively and proactively to stressful experiences.
Course Objectives:
· Explore the concept of Mindfulness
· Experience mindfulness through meditation and mindful eating
· Reflect on the experience of being mindful
· Consider ways in which to incorporate mindfulness into daily life
Note: This is a 2-hour experiential mindfulness course.
Silent Retreat
A half-day silent mindfulness retreat to hold space within a supportive community and share practice together. Two qualified Mindfulness Teachers (from Breathe and Bien-Être Therapy) will guide you through a combination of various seated and lying down meditations interspersed with mindful movement, walking, and an experiential mindful eating practice.
#IamRemarkable
#IamRemarkable is a Google initiative empowering women and underrepresented groups to speak openly about their accomplishments in the workplace and beyond, thereby breaking modesty norms and glass ceilings.
Learn more at https://iamremarkable.withgoogle.com
The curriculum is designed and developed by Google and I am a certified facilitator in its instruction.
In this interactive session, you will participate in group discussions and exercises to develop the confidence and skills to promote yourself effectively. During the 90 min #IamRemarkable workshop I will:
● Share data and research regarding self promotion and unconscious bias
● Go through an exercise to help you articulate your achievements and practice self promotion
● Have a discussion and share take home exercises
A Mindful Hack-Your-Box Inclusion Series
Inclusion is no longer a concept relegated to Human Resources or Diversity and Inclusion teams. It is a core competency for every one of us and in every context, be it personal or professional. For us, diversity is a given, while inclusion is a choice - and it’s this choice that we mindfully explore using Jimbo Clark's concept of the “Box”.
In these two 90-minute experiential companion sessions we explore, with a Certified Box Trainer, some of the key nuances of inclusion from two perspectives - the outside in and the inside out.
Designed to raise self-awareness, increase perspective, enhance empathy, generate positive change and spark simple strategies to become more mindful and inclusive, thereby creating a more inclusive culture.
A Mindful Hack-Your-Box Inclusion Series
Inclusion from the Outside In
Environment, appearance, and context impact our inner thinking and consequently our level of inclusion. So how can we consciously adjust our thinking to allow new perspectives in and to show more of our true authentic self to others?
Course Objectives:
· Reflect on behaviours we project to the world and how they represent us (and don't)
· Understand what exclusionary behaviours can look and feel like and delve into which of these exclusionary behaviours we might be manifesting without realising it
· Discover how we can “open up our boxes" to become truer to our authentic self
Inclusion from the Inside Out
How we protect and defend our thoughts and actions, learning how to take responsibility for the way our inner thinking impacts others, and building more empathetic connection from my inner thinking to the inner thinking of others.
Course Objectives:
· Deepen the awareness of our own specific filters and those of others
· Explore the 'tug-of-war" between positive intention and possible negative impact in others
· Build empathic power to learn from, and connect to, people with different perspectives
Testimonials
Rachel W., Introduction to Mindfulness
"A beautifully relaxing course with a balance of theory and practice so you come away having learnt something and feeling better in yourself. Highly recommended".
Eva K., Introduction to Mindfulness
"This was a great introduction to Mindfulness. Even with some experience in the field, I learned something new. Jacqui has such a soothing presence and calming voice. This course gave me some pointers to explore MBSR further and how to integrate some mindfulness practice in my daily life".
Rocio D., Silent Retreat
"It was a pleasure and a great energy exchange from both hosts. Truly a great experience to start the weekend with lightness and peace".
Bespoke Mindfulness Programmes
Mindfulness workshops customised to client need
Life is messy. It’s wonderful and uncertain; beautiful and ugly in the same breath. It’s the best and the most stressful thing you’ll ever do. But we believe that human beings are resilient - they just often need a little support in finding the reserves needed for life’s inevitable challenges.
Our mission is to empower busy humans with tangible tools to manage stress, enhance wellbeing and build the mental fitness needed to not only survive, but thrive, through difficult times.
And now, this is needed more than ever.
One of the key tools we use is Mindfulness. Mindfulness provides a gateway to change. And mindfulness coupled with emotional intelligence can have dramatic impacts on leadership, performance and engagement.
We develop bespoke programmes to meet your strategic business objectives in the areas of leadership, wellness, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
Using experiential mindfulness techniques, your employees can learn to improve:
· Empathy
· Motivation
· Self-awareness
· Focused attention
· Emotional regulation
· Listening skills
· Self-compassion
· Resilience
· Performance
All this leads to healthy and happy employees, healthy clients and ultimately, a healthy bottom line.
Workplace burnout is estimated to cost the global economy £255 billion a year (World Economic Forum, 2020). But what if you could turn back the clock on stress-related absenteeism and, by the same token, invest in the leadership potential of your team?
Join the growing list of companies embracing Mindfulness as a technique for developing high performing, compassionate leaders.
What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?
MBSR is a standard 8-week stress reduction programme based on intensive experiential mindfulness training. It is a secular approach taught globally and due to its consistent methodology, is now the most scientifically tested and well-established mindfulness meditation program in the world.
Individual sessions explore the concept of mindfulness, the role of perception in stress reactivity, mindful movement, how the body shows up in stress, mindful communications, active listening and lifestyle choices supportive of a mindful life. Through greater awareness of thoughts, sensations, emotions and habitual stress reactivity patterns, participants are better able to learn how to respond rather than react to stress.
No prior meditation experience is required to participate. Courses are therefore welcoming of beginners up to all levels and each course is restricted in size to facilitate a more intimate space for experiential learning.
The origins of MBSR
In 1979 Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme at the University of Massachusetts to treat the chronically ill. This sparked a growing interest and application of mindfulness ideas and practices in the medical world for the treatment of a variety of conditions in people both healthy and unhealthy...
Testimonials
Bren D., MBSR 8-Week Course (December 2020)
"I went into this course with a sense of "I know what mindfulness is all about but it will be good to have a refresher." How wrong I was! I did know the basics but Jacqui took us on an amazing journey to understand the concept of mindfulness. We were encouraged to explore all the elements she introduced to us and to find the practices that were a good fit for us. The focus wasn't about trying to squeeze us all into the same box but encouraging us to explore for ourselves. I learnt so much about myself and how I react to things. I learnt how I could use mindfulness to better manage those reactions. Jacqui is a compassionate, skilled teacher and gave us the space to explore and question throughout the course. My biggest take away was that there is no set formula on how to be mindful. It is an intimate, personal thing that we can all do no matter our lifestyles or personalities. Thank you Jacqui!!"
Helen K., MBSR 8-Week Course (March 2021)
"I’ve found MBSR to be a real game changer, and I’ve come out of it certainly happier, more content, less anxious than I’ve felt in a long time. There is a clear structure to this course. Every week there is new module that builds upon knowledge and experiences of previous weeks. And what a lot of knowledge and experiential learning there is! But it is gentle learning, anchored in our everyday lives. This makes it really relevant, and I certainly had many ‘ah hah’ moments during the 8 weeks. I always looked forward to our weekly Zoom meet-up with Jacqui and my fellow students, and we always had a laugh. The live guided meditations also felt like such a luxury, as I’ve previously only worked with recordings. The half-day retreat was a highlight for me. I’d been daunted by the prospect of meditating for so long. But there was so much variety of experience within the half day, I actually found it went too quickly. I’ve come away from the course with an established mindfulness practice that I look forward to and enjoy. I also notice that I go about my day with much greater awareness and appreciation. I certainly feel more steady and grounded. The experience has also been a tool for helping me take stock of where I am, and where I want to be. I’m making powerful choices to move towards a life that works better for me. I don’t think I would have done so without this subtle shift in mindset I’ve gained from MBSR. I thoroughly recommend this enjoyable, well run and really helpful course".
Rachel T., MBSR 8-Week Course (March 2021)
"I really enjoyed this course, particularly the half day silent retreat! The emphasis on a compassionate approach makes it very accessible, and there is a good balance of theory, practice and group discussion. Jacqui is a very inclusive guide and the materials provided were useful to support practice outside the structured sessions. I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to deepen their mindfulness practice".
The Benefits of Mindfulness
Physical Health
General Wellbeing
Physical Health
Mindfulness can lead to lower blood pressure, heart rate and improved overall cardiovascular health. It has proven useful in better managing symptoms associated with pain by facilitating less reactivity and improved quality of life. It results in improved immune function and can also improve sleep. Those regularly practising mindfulness h
Mindfulness can lead to lower blood pressure, heart rate and improved overall cardiovascular health. It has proven useful in better managing symptoms associated with pain by facilitating less reactivity and improved quality of life. It results in improved immune function and can also improve sleep. Those regularly practising mindfulness have also proven more inclined to adopt overall healthier life choices such as decreased nicotine and alcohol consumption and a greater uptake of physical exercise.
Mental Health
General Wellbeing
Physical Health
Mindfulness can result in higher brain functioning and cognitive improvements i.e. greater engagement of the prefrontal cortex (logic and reasoning) rather than the amygdala (emotion and behaviour); increased awareness (of self and the world around us); emotional regulation (better mood); attention regulation (better focus); increased cl
Mindfulness can result in higher brain functioning and cognitive improvements i.e. greater engagement of the prefrontal cortex (logic and reasoning) rather than the amygdala (emotion and behaviour); increased awareness (of self and the world around us); emotional regulation (better mood); attention regulation (better focus); increased clarity in thinking and perception (ability to alter ones' self perception and perceived ability to cope); decreased stress and anxiety; and bias reduction.
General Wellbeing
General Wellbeing
General Wellbeing
Mindfulness can induce general wellbeing benefits such as the experience of internal calmness, feelings of greater connection, increased empathy and self-compassion, enhanced coping skills and overall resilience. It allows one to evolve habitual stress reactivity patterns into more effective adaptive responses i.e. cultivation of heighte
Mindfulness can induce general wellbeing benefits such as the experience of internal calmness, feelings of greater connection, increased empathy and self-compassion, enhanced coping skills and overall resilience. It allows one to evolve habitual stress reactivity patterns into more effective adaptive responses i.e. cultivation of heightened awareness, leading to choice and thereby creating freedom in the ability to respond rather than react to stress. Mindfulness can improve our ability to sit with thoughts, sensations and emotions that are pleasant, unpleasant and neutral.
Jon Kabat-Zinn and the MBSR Mindfulness Programme
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme uses the body scan as well as sitting meditation to manage pain. The body scan is derived from a traditional Burmese meditation practice called sweeping, from the school of U Ba Khin that S. N. Goenka teaches in his ten-day Vipassana retreats.
Much of this was inspired by teachings from the East, and particularly from the Buddhist traditions, where mindfulness is one of the eight constituents of the Noble Eightfold Path taught by Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha, who founded Buddhism almost 2,500 years ago. Although originally articulated as a part of what is known in the West as Buddhism, there is nothing inherently religious about mindfulness, and it is often taught independent of religious or cultural connotation.
Thich Nhat Hanh first brought mindfulness to the attention of Westerners. It was on a retreat he led in the United States that an American doctor, Jon Kabat-Zinn, first realized the appropriateness of mindfulness in the treatment of chronic medical conditions. Kabat-Zinn later adapted Hanh’s teachings on mindfulness into the structured eight-week MBSR course, which has since spread throughout the western World.
Mindfulness and other Buddhist meditation techniques receive support in the West from figures such as the scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn, teachers Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein, psychologist Tara Brach, writer Alan Clements, and the teacher Sharon Salzberg, who have been widely attributed with playing a significant role in integrating the healing aspects of Buddhist meditation practices with the concept of psychological awareness and healing. Additionally, psychotherapists have adapted and developed mindfulness techniques into promising cognitive behavioural therapies.
Adapted from: The Mindful Academy, Solterreno.
Photo Credit: Guilford Press
