Mindfulness
Mindfulness is described as a life skill that can deepen our sense of well-being. We are all born with this natural capacity to be mindful; to be fully present to what is going on in our everyday experience.
For so many of us, we tend to live very busy and frantic lives, often driven by habit and automatic reactions, and so our innate mindfulness capacity gets neglected and becomes dormant. We find ourselves in ‘auto pilot’ where we fail to notice the richness of life playing out around us. In this modern world our attention is constantly being pulled in many directions with the demands of work, family and a host of other commitments. Multitasking, to keep on top of things, means we lose awareness of what is happening in the present moment. Left unchecked our mind tends to wander off into all sorts of thinking and we become habitually lost in thought, without even noticing. And when we are continually ‘doing’ we seldom take time to check in with ourselves, leaving us feeling stressed and depleted.
Practicing mindfulness helps us reconnect with our intrinsic mindfulness capacity. We begin by observing the activity of our mind and its strong habit to get caught up into thinking. We learn about the flightiness of our mind and how it tends to jump from thought to thought when left unchecked. So most of the time our attention is not where we intended it to be. But the moment we knowingly observe and witness this, we become mindful –this simple act of ‘noticing’ the level of our own habitual distraction is the cornerstone of our practice.
Mindfulness has been described as having two wings; the first being technique. We begin by paying attention to our transient thoughts, feelings, emotions and physical sensations that construct our moment by moment experience. It can be a real surprise when we first practice mindfulness, just how often we find ourselves lost in thought; ruminating about the past, worrying about the future or analyzing the present. Eckhart Tolle describes this as ‘...the human condition – lost in thought’. Mindfulness can be an anecdote to living our lives in auto pilot. We learn to work skillfully with our ‘unsettled mind’ by bringing our attention back to where we want it to be, time and time again. It takes time, patience and practice; much like a ‘couch to 5km’ training programme for our mindfulness muscles. And when we learn how to do this our mind tends to settle and come to rest.
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“The class has been an absolutely wonderful experience. I have gained so much. It has helped me battle my anxiety and helped me appreciate the importance of compassion for myself as well as others. The class is gentle and well structured and delivered with genuine kindest and respect from Sheila.”
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Current classes
Please check what’s on on our calendar to see what classes are currently running. You can also email us to be added to our mailing list for future classes and events.
Class information
What we offer
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Mindfulness based living courses and compassion based living courses, which run in 8 consecutive week blocks. Payment for block bookings are made in advance by bank transfer.
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1-2-1 mindfulness guided session
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Youth mindfulness courses, which run in 16 consecutive week blocks.
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Young adult mindfulness courses, which can be tailored to individual group needs.
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Please email us for more information.
Joining our classes
If you would like to join any of our classes or would like any more class information please email us.
Cancellation policy
We ask for 24 hours prior notice if you wish to cancel a class. Where we are given more than 24 hours notice, and at our discretion, we may be able to offer an alternative class, this will depend on class availability.
What to bring
You don't need to bring much to a mindfulness class.
Wear comfortable clothes which don't restrict your movement. Layers are useful if you need to add a layer during class.
Please bring your own yoga or pilates mat. Your instructor will advise of any other equipment needed for your class.
Bring a water bottle with you and make sure you're well-hydrated before class starts.
Polite requests
Do arrive on time.
Do let us know if you can't make a class beforehand (we understand emergencies happen).
Do turn your phone off before class, so you can enjoy it uninterrupted.
Do let us know about any new injuries or health changes at the start of class.
Do ask if something isn't clear during class or you would like an exercise modified, we're here to help.
“It is only when the mind is free from the old that it meets everything anew, and in that there is joy.”
Jiddu Krishnamurti