This Taster session presents some of the basic principles of mindfulness and how it may help teachers, children, youth workers,parents and sports coaches, within educational frameworks. It gives participants a chance to try some mindfulness practices for themselves and to learn a few  mindfulness skills that they can use in daily life and understand how mindfulness can help in them in  both their personal and professional life.

The practice of mindfulness can have an influential effect on health, wellbeing and resilience, as shown by scientific and medical evidence. This experiential Taster Session will enable you to understand the main elements of secular mindfulness, current research and the evidence base for the Mindfulness programs based on Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) along with how these particular mindfulness programmes can be used to enhance your personal wellbeing. You will be introduced to a range of skills that have the potential to help you relax, improve memory, focus, problem solving and improved performance as well as reduce stress. The techniques are part of a programme developed at Oxford University where brain scans before and after the mindfulness training show that it may open up new neural pathways and alter the density of grey matter in the brain. Most people report lasting physical and psychological benefits including an increased ability to experience calm in a stressful situation.

This Taster session will include several mindfulness practices, during which you will try bringing attention to the breath and the body. Full instructions will be provided and there will be time for discussion along with the opportunity to have a taste of how mindfulness practices work. If you wish to develop your own daily mindfulness practice then you would be able to join the introductory course.

The cost of this session is $29.00. If you are interested in joining this group please email Jean Watson at info@mindfulnessmatters.org.uk.