Mindfulness is a skill and a practice of present moment non-judgemental attention. Learning and practicing this can interrupt the habit of automatic pilot, allowing us the space to make wise choices in response to whatever we are facing.

There is evidence for the benefit of specific mindfulness skills to help people manage a variety of mental and physical health challenges including depression, anxiety, chronic pain and stress, as well as helping individuals to flourish and thrive in their daily lives.

There are many ways to access mindfulness skills learning - there are a number of Apps and online learning tools which can offer a useful taster. For those who have specific health concerns accessing an appropriate course designed to address these concerns is generally safer and more effective - mindfulness isn't always the best choice for everyone. Your mindfulness teacher should be able to advise you about this. The NHS offers MBCT programmes to patients with a history of recurrent depression, usually accessible through your local IAPT service.

I offer a variety of ways to learn these skills and find out if a mindfulness practice might be for you; group courses, one-to-one sessions (both on-line and face to face), taster sessions and retreat days - see courses for more details and the current calendar or get in touch via email or telephone.

The mindfulness courses on offer here are aimed at the general public and are not always suitable or appropriate for everybody. The courses require a commitment to regular practice, and in some circumstances it may be preferable to defer entry onto a course. Similarly if you are experiencing difficult life events, or physical or mental health difficulties it may not be the right option for you.

To try and minimise the risk of harm to participants prior to entry onto a course a brief conversation with the course facilitator is required to establish if the course is likely to be both appropriate and beneficial, or whether exploring alternative options may be more helpful.

There are some challenges that can make it less likely that a course will be beneficial for you. Some of these are listed below, but we do understand that everybody’s experience is different and if you have questions or concerns about whether the mindfulness courses may be right for you please do contact us to discuss this.

Non-exhaustive list of things that can make participating in a mindfulness course difficult or damaging

Current symptomatic depression

Recent (last 12 months) psychosis, mania or suicidal thoughts

Recent (within last 12 months) self harm

Current drug or heavy alcohol use

Recent bereavement of close family member or friend (last 12 months)

Current other psychological therapy

Unstable /rapidly changing/new or severe physical health challenges

Current stressful life circumstances

The booking form will ask if any of these may be relevant to you, with the intention of establishing if participation in a course is practical and likely to be safe and beneficial for you at the present time. Any discussion is completely confidential. Mindfulness practice isn’t always the right solution and in some circumstances we may suggest deferring a course or exploring other options.