Mindfulness and Meditation

Why practice mindfulness?

There is a wealth of research on mindfulness-based therapies and the benefits of meditation in the fields of neuroscience and psychology. Mindfulness has proven benefits for mental and physical well-being.

Practising it increases your ability to cope and build resilience in all aspects of your life. Evidence-based studies have shown lasting benefits for anxiety, stress reduction and depression, and physical and mental health improvements for many conditions including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic pain.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is ‘the intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.’

Most of us are mindlessly caught up in our thoughts, listening to the constant chatter of the mind without conscious awareness. Mindfulness is about pausing to experience the present moment while letting go of thought. It helps us cultivate a particular quality of attention towards present experience and a particular quality of attitude towards that experience.

There is no ‘right way’ to be mindful. It’s not about striving for some blissful non-thinking state. It’s about the practice of observing, without judgement, even when it’s uncomfortable — a mental shift from judging what you experience and trying to change it, to curiosity, compassion, and acceptance.

It takes time to learn to recognise when we are thinking and getting caught up in our emotional responses to those thoughts and to turn our attention instead to the senses. To step back, observe and accept our experience, instead of reacting to it. That’s where I come in.

Coaching for individuals or groups

Meditation doesn’t have to involve lengthy retreats and hours of silence. You can easily incorporate being mindful into your every day once you know how.

I help you get in touch with your present experience and provide practical strategies for incorporating mindfulness into your life.

I offer individual tuition and group training tailored to your needs, whether you want to reduce stress, build emotional resilience, or improve your mental and physical well-being.

• Work at your own pace
• Be guided through your practice in an easy to understand format
• Incorporate mindfulness into your every day
• Education and training tailored to you

Learn to relax, to be present, and experience the life-long benefits.

Resources

Head on over to our Resources page to download a free guide to mindfulness and a meditation recording to support your practice.

About the author

Christine offers hypnotherapy in beautiful Byron Bay. Zoom sessions are also available. Learn more.