A journey to greater happiness, contentment and well-being
“I am calmer, more in touch with my emotions, thoughts and sensations. I can detach from situations that are disturbing me more easily and asses them better” Spring 2017
Over this 8 week course learn mindfulness tools to help you feel happier and more confident. The course is designed to help with depression, anxiety, worry and stress.
We meet in a group of up to 14 participants and learning is through instruction, guided practice and group discussion.
Think of the mind as being like the ocean, sometimes calm, sometimes full of waves of conflicting thoughts and feelings. Telling the ocean not to have waves is as hopeless an undertaking as telling our mind not to have thoughts. As we meditate we are not telling ourselves to have no thoughts, but we are learning how to choose where we place our attention. Rather than getting pulled into unhelpful thoughts or fighting them, we allow thoughts to be there, whilst also bringing our attention to the breath. As we keep bringing our attention back to the breath this creates an ability to disengage from unhelpful thought patterns and feel a sense of spaciousness.
It's a bit like a surfer learning to ride the waves rather than be consumed by them. Once they know how to keep their balance even the largest wave offers no fear as they surf it rather than be washed away by it. Mindfulness is like leaning to find our balance in the choppy waves of the mind.
Stress, worry and anxiety can all feel overwhelming in our hectic modern world. Over the 8 weeks you’ll be introduced to a series of meditations that build up into your own tool box of practices. Each participant finds different practices most relevant to them and by themed of the course have their own bespoke approach to mindfulness.
Over the course of the 8-weeks, you will learn how mindfulness can help you to recognise when you become entangled in worries, self-criticism and ruminative thinking. As you recognise you automatic thinking and the story telling mind you’ll find a way to be more free, spontaneous and happy.
This is not an exclusively gay course and is open to any to attend but mainly consists of gay men.
This course was very powerful and has been life changing. It has really helped me to focus on the ‘Here and now’ rather than getting caught up in ruminative thinking. I have a tendency to worry about the future and about events that have not yet occurred and this was making me feel very stressed. Applying the techniques and mindfulness strategies I learnt on the course I feel better able to cope and although I still feel anxious this tends to diminish more quickly.
Kensington Council 8 week course participant, 2016
Course Format
The course consists of eight, two and a half hour sessions, and will include mindfulness meditation practices, gentle stretching and movement, group dialogue and discussion, home practice assignments, and guided audio practices. There is also a full-day retreat that will include a variety of soothing practices, a silent lunch and an afternoon of meditation and sharing.
You’ll receive a course workbook and guided meditations to download and keep. Weekly emails will offer guidance and support and remind you of the practices for that week.
“The course has really helped me gain more insights into thought patterns and how our mind works. Key for me are the use of practices such as Loving Kindness, nourishing activities, creating mind space with meditation and being open to our experiences” Richard, Spring, 2017
Dates:
14th, 21st, 28th February, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th March, 4th April 2019
Time:
7.00 – 9.40 pm
Venue:
Chadswell Healthy Living Centre
Chadswell
Harrison Street
London
WC1H 8JE
MAP
Nearest tube: Kings Cross. The venue is a ten minute walk from Kings Cross station.
Fee:
£295
£199 – concessions for unwaged, students and those in need
Booking confirmed on receipt of full payment.