"Partnership is the essence and the very heart of one-to-one sessions" Barbara
"Partnership is the essence and the very heart of one-to-one sessions" Barbara
There are many ways to learn mindfulness. You may already have read books or listened to on-line teaching. However time and time again participants who come to me say that it isn't until they have the support of an experienced teacher, that everything clicks into place. A mindful approach to life is one of subtle change in our attitude to ourselves and to our experience. This is an on-going change that continues only through practice. The practices take time; a little every day is the way. They are gentle and supportive of our selves. Over time they embed into our hearts and minds and our lives and the lives of those around us become enhanced as a result.
I am not currently working but here below is how it was working and for your information.
One-to-one sessions allow for flexibility. Many people find that they can commit to the process of learning mindfulness when sessions fit more easily with their own needs and schedule. There are many reasons why one-to-one can work better for the individual. For those who are often away for example, the format of the traditional eight consecutive week course does not allow the possibility of joining an MBSR group.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Working through the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course on a one-to-one basis usually means coming to my office in Oving eight times, spanning a period of however many weeks, to suit you. If you can't come to my office I also work on Skype. (Please see my Skype page). We work through the folder together and the home practice between sessions continues in the same way, even if we are not able to meet weekly. These individual sessions allow for your own questions and life circumstance to be explored in relation to the practices, so that you can be supported to bring Mindfulness right into your own life, in a way that suits you best. Mindfulness is not a quick fix and it takes time to allow this new approach to embed into your life. Exploring how you can sustain the practices in a realistic and helpful way, is part of the one-to-one experience.
For the eight weeke course we meet for a 90 minute session, based on the subject matter of the week. The session allows enough time for any unresolved issues to be clarified and explored. The practices led by me are available for you to download from my website. You are also provided with CD's of these practices (narrated by me) to take home if you prefer. The folder is comprehensive and many find that after the course they refer back to it for inspiration.
What often happens is that those wishing to explore a way to learn Mindfulness, come for an initial session of an hour so that we can meet together and find the best way forward.
Couples
I work with couples from my office in Oving and have also in the past, gone to a husband and wife's home locally as she was not well enought to travel, so - adapting to suit their needs. Here is a testimonial from a couple who came for eight weeks to my office.
"Dear Barbara, in the last few years I often meant to write to you, but never did. What I always wanted to tell you is that after coming to the mindfulness sessions, things started to change, both between J and me and for each of us. The changes are partly easy to see, and by that I mean that J is not suffering from panic attacks any longer and he has found creativity again pouring out and as for me, last year I joined a yoga class (not this year as my body found it too painful, but who knows I might start again more gently) and I feel I am freer to follow my path.
I am sure that you have unlocked the key, or taught us how to unlock the key and I think you should know that. It has been important to come to your studio and be taken by the hand into a new path and direction.
It was also very enjoyable. How are you? I hope your journey is going well and I also hope one day we will meet again. Thank you and be well". F
Learning Mindfulness to suit you
Being flexible is the mindful approach to life and I am open to working with you in a way that is not restricted by an eight week course. I am happy to meet with you to learn Mindfulness in a progression that is really is adapted to your needs. I bring the basics of Mindfulness into these meetings, weaving the teaching into your life circumstance, so that the sessions are led by the area of your focus and interest rather than a set format of a course. These sessions can be on a weekly basis or further apart, whatever works best for you.
Mindfulness Basics
I also teach a Mindfulness Basics course introducing the fundamentals of Mindfulness. Meeting three times over a period of two weeks. This mini course, devised by me also allows for home practice in between sessions, so you can quickly see how mindfulness can be incorporated into your daily life. It was the subject of some research I did through Aberdeen University and the findings show that the effect of taking the course was helpful to all participants. In addition 100% of the participants wished to continue to practice. The research also showed that it also served as a useful refresher for those who already have a practice. I can also offer this course to you on a one-to-one basis and at times to suit your schedule.