Breathworks Mindfulness Introduction:
One Day Course with Chris Joseph
Saturday 3rd February 2018 – Cardiff
PLACES AVAILABLE
To book now please click HERE
Event details:
| Title: | Breathworks Mindfulness Introduction: One Day Course |
| Date & Time: | Saturday 3rd February 2018, 12:15pm – 5:45pm. |
| Venue: | Cardiff Yoga Studio, 12 St Peters Street, Roath, Cardiff. CF24 3BA. |
| Tutor: | Chris Joseph. |
| Fee: | £67* (Includes CD with 7 Guided Practices) |
*Limited concessionary places available. Please contact us.
If you would like to attend but can’t make this date please take a look at the right hand column for other events coming up, or join the newsletter to receive early notification about future mindfulness events.
Why practice mindfulness?
If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, work more effectively with the stress of pain or illness, or simply wish to live well and further enhance the quality of your life, then practicing mindfulness can help you.
Some of the recognised benefits of practicing mindfulness include:
- Feeling more centred, focused and calm
- Managing difficult thoughts and emotions
- Being able to set aside worries and find greater peace of mind
- Developing greater acceptance, kindness and compassion towards yourself and others
- Increasing your awareness of pleasant events and surroundings so that you can live a far richer life
- Being able to live more fully in the present moment
- Achieving greater levels of contentment and happiness
- Increasing your confidence to take the initiative whatever life brings
“If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are… If we don’t really know where we are standing—a knowing that comes directly from the cultivation of mindfulness—we may only go in circles, for all our efforts and expectations.”
(Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of ‘Wherever You Go, There You Are’)
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness (or mindful awareness) is a state of present-moment attention in which you can clearly perceive thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and events at the moment they occur without reacting in an automatic or habitual way. This means that you can make choices as to how you respond to things and have a rich and fulfilling life, even when experiencing difficult circumstances.
Mindfulness-based practices have been gaining significant media attention of late. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), on which the Breathworks approach has been developed, are well respected and proven approaches that have already helped thousands of people live in a far more open, confident and relaxed way.
There have been extensive research studies proving the effectiveness of mindfulness based approaches in dealing with many things including low levels of stress and anxiety, recurring episodes of depression, and also for helping people live well with pain and illness.
You don’t have to be ‘ill’, however, to benefit from practicing mindfulness, and various mindfulness-based approaches are currently being taught in schools and within many workplaces including the NHS.
Breathworks CIC (Community Interest Company) is an independent not-for-profit organisation that provides mindfulness-based approaches to help people living with pain, long term illness or stress of any kind, so that they can manage their condition and improve their quality of life. For more information about Breathworks visit: www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk.
What will the introduction session include?
This introduction session will include:
- An introduction to mindfulness, and the Breathworks approach to mindfulness for stress reduction and living well.
- Led mindfulness practices, including a body scan, some mindful movement and breath awareness.
- Some simple, fun, yet very effective mindfulness activities that you can easily incorporate into your life right now.
- A practice CD with 7 guided mindfulness meditations that you can begin using at home.
There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions about any aspect of mindfulness and your experience of it (no matter how limited, or extensive, that is).
Who’s the introduction session suitable for?
This introduction session is suitable for:
- Beginners who want to experience a taste of what mindfulness is and what practicing it can offer them.
- People who have previously attended a mindfulness course (Breathworks / MBSR / MBCT) and who want to re-engage with their mindfulness practice, and remind themselves of the benefits of meditating.
- Anyone who simply wants to take a little time out for themselves, relax, and enjoy being led through some mindfulness practices.
Who will be your trainer?
Your trainer for this session will be Chris Joseph. Chris is a fully qualified Breathworks Mindfulness Trainer, and has been practicing mindfulness regularly since 2007. He is married with two young children, and lives in Caerphilly, South Wales. You can read more about Chris by clicking here.
What have previous participants said about the Breathworks mindfulness introduction course?
“Today’s session has really given a thorough introduction to mindfulness, and as a result I would like to attend a course. I can see that it could help me to try and change habits of a lifetime and improve my quality of life. I felt instantly calmer after meeting Chris. He gave a very warm reception and very clear communication.” (Helen)
“Exceptional. The amount of knowledge and experience Chris can draw from, including scientific research, breathworks and his personal journey makes mindfulness easier to understand and he’s able to explain it to a wide variety of people… I think so many people could benefit if they just did it. Thank you very much – I hope that I can do a longer course soon.“ (Medi)
“The session was informative and enjoyable, and I’ve learnt that there’s more to learn than I thought! Very good. Diolch yn fawr / Thank you very much.” (Geraint)
“From this session I’ve learnt how to meditate without feeling annoyed and more stressed about my mind wandering. I’ve also learnt strategies that will helpfully start to ease my anxiety in certain situations, and to focus on the pleasant rather than the unpleasant. Chris was really friendly and put me at ease in a situation I haven’t been in before. The group was really open and inclusive. Thank you for an interesting and informative afternoon.” (Charlotte)
“Chris gave great instruction before the session via email. He was very welcoming and I felt at ease from the start. Good introduction to mindfulness meditation. I’ve learnt the importance of being kind to myself, and ‘coming back’ to my breath.” (Rachel)
“I’ve learnt about letting go of thoughts and bringing back focus to my breathing. Chris gave good explanations and useful examples. He has a great voice – very mellow. Thank you for today – an opportunity to focus on myself.” (Sheila)
“I’ve learnt a lot in a short time from this mindfulness introduction session. The main thing I’ve learnt is to stick with mindfulness! Chris was excellent – clear and concise, understanding and non-judgmental. Thank you.” (Marion)
“This introduction to mindfulness session is a good starting point, and I’ve learnt to start switching off from the clutter in my brain and to focus and accept the ‘here and now’. I think this will be very useful.” (Rebecca)
“I think this is a good way to experience mindfulness for the first time. Chris put concepts across in a meaningful way. I want to practice more and come on future courses!” (Bernard)
“The main things I’ve learnt is that I can control my breathing when my chest is tight and stop a panic attack. I’ve also learnt that I can choose which ‘secondary experience’ to have. Chris’s teaching was very good – Light-hearted moments, not too heavy, very informative and beneficial. I am so glad that I came. Highly recommended.” (Deanne)
“Today has reminded me how much I’ve missed the practice over the past 2 years, and the session has stimulated my awareness again. Chris is a good communicator, calming and engaging. I am pleased I came.” (Christine)
“I’ve learnt how to be mindful in stressful situations… and give myself a break. The session has given me ‘food for thought’ on how to choose – because you have a choice on how much ‘stress’ you take on. I found it easy to understand and digest – the session was pitched ‘just right’. Chris is calm and easy to engage with. Thank you for giving me the ‘surf’ to hold on to!” (Dawn)
“This session has taught me to pay more attention to what my body is doing and my physical responses to a situation, and to slow my mind down and try to clarify my thoughts. It’s enabled me to gain a better perspective and to find time within the day to calm down and gain distance from what is going on. Chris was very clear and gave practical examples which illustrated his point very clearly. He was very open to all questions. Thank you!” (Rhian)
How do I book?
To book your place please pay using one of the two options below:
Space is limited so we recommend early booking to avoid disappointment.
Option 1 – By Debit/Credit Card (via PayPal)
Pay securely by debit/credit card using the PayPal button below (You do NOT need to have a PayPal account to do this as you can select ‘Check Out as a Guest’ on the payment page).
Option 2 – By Cheque
Alternatively, you can pay by sending a cheque for the correct amount made payable to:
Dr Christopher Joseph, 42 Ffordd Erw, Castleview, Caerphilly. CF83 1RY.
Please write your name, contact number and email address on the back of the cheque so we know who the payment is for.