It's been a while.

In my last post, I was saying that I had adopted the practice of Mindfulness. I used the Williams and Penman book "Finding peace in a frantic world", it was clear , easy to read and the audio material very helpful. However, I found I needed to really get to grips with this in a more structured way. I enrolled on an 8 week course here in sunny Bridgend for the bargain price of £120!
I think my motivation was to get more information but really I felt the need to be back in a group. I find I spend much of my time working alone and I missed the experience of learning in the company of others. So I enrolled and managed to clear seven out of eight evenings needed to attend.
No surprises in that it entailed practice of mindfulness, reflection on progress and homework. it was great to be back in a group and even nicer not to have to facilitate it but just enjoy it. My fellow students were a mixed bunch of people, many had health problems and real issues of stress and anxiety. I felt a bit of an interloper really as I was not in a similar place, but in the course of the programme I had a bereavement and a health scare that tested my practice.
The course ended and we were invited to attend a full day of practice at a local Friends House (Quakers). that was really enjoyable and required lots of attention. So what now?
I continue with a daily practice of meditation and find it remains beneficial. It seems preferable to be trying to be in a mindful place rather than a mindless one!
I have now offered to facilitate a Mindful Pause at the RCN HQ on world mental health day, and though I cannot teach the practice of Mindfulness I think a taster session will be fine.
I am now considering further training and possibly another formal course and perhaps a direction to consider is becoming a teacher of Mindfulness. there is a path here that could be taken and which I believe could be fruitful.
So sorry for the gap in postings, but I have been busy.

Slip , slop and slide!

Unusual title I know but kind of captures what's been happening over the last six months or so. Its been a long gap and of course I think I have eluded to my difficulty with consistency before. however, all is not lost and I have found my initial training in mindfulness very helpful. Since last I wrote I have been for a job interview (2nd place alas), and yesterday I sat in the car in the M6 for three hours going nowhere but watching my poor car get a bit low on fuel and also rather hot.
it was interesting to note how my anxiety levels were slowly rising as I considered all manner of potential outcomes and yet settled after some very brisk "noticing" to just be there and wait.
So a clear indication for me that mindfulness has everyday utility and also effective.
I will post more shortly about some more ideas (honest)

Mindfulness, getting ready

This course of learning over 8 weeks starts with a taster (literally) event to prepare you for the future work. It all starts with a meditation exercise requiring chocolate. Now its not something I really ever buy so last night at Paddington following a long day I quickly purchased a bar . I settled into my seat on the 20:15 to Swansea and read some more of the Mindfulness book.
Now I am no stranger to commuter etiquette but I did feel a bit strange sniffing and admiring the chocolate before I ate it!
Fortunately I was ( I hope ) discreet and undertook the exercise.
All I will say is that the process of noticing the various flavours as it dissolved on my tongue made this the most enjoyable chocolate bar I have ever eaten.
I think I learnt the process of being in the moment and savouring an experience rather than rushing onto the next event or idea or even task allowing myself to truly engage with the experience.
I look forward to going forward and savouring not just a raisin (all will become clear) but also anticipating an ability to notice rather than engage (especially with those pesky intrusive thoughts)