Alternative Mindfulness Weekend 1- Mindfulness for Health Care Staff

7:00pm 18 October 2019 - 3:30pm 20 October 2019

Cost: £150.00

Venue: Samye Ling

Once your course place has been confirmed please book your accommodation at Samye Ling by clicking here

To book, please click here.

The modern day working environment can move at a relentless and demanding pace. Increased administrative responsibilities, real time connectivity and the complexity of issues that employees in certain jobs may face, name but a few of the issues that may cause employees to work beyond their capabilities for sustained periods of time. This may in turn increase the likelihood that the worker may experience adverse health conditions as a consequence of their job. Research shows that mindfulness confers significant benefits on health, well-being and quality of life in general. This in turn has significant benefits and implications for people’s performance in the workplace; either in terms of the workers levels of stress and productivity or in the qualities of interpersonal relationships.

Mindfulness is defined as knowing what is happening, while it is happening, without preference. In the beginning we notice how our attention is like a butterfly flitting from one thought to the next. So we start by slowing down and settling our mind through regulating our breathing and counting. We then introduce practices that ground us allowing our attention to drop out of our heads and into the sensory awareness of the body. We then learn to rest in the present moment getting used to disengaging from our habits of compulsive doing. And then, when we notice our attention drifting away into thinking, we learn to work with the mindfulness support of sound to bring our attention back to the present.

We are offering this introductory Mindfulness weekend, specifically for those who work in the health care professions (doctors, nurses, therapists, psychologists, social workers, probation officers etc). Participants will be taught some introductory skills in mindfulness through presentations, guided practice and tutorial sessions. This training will be experiential and is designed as a helpful first step in developing your own personal Mindfulness practice or as a way of refreshing inspiration for your existing practice. There will also be the opportunity to explore the potential for Mindfulness and Compassion in your workplace. In particular, we will explore Mindful strategies to increase your effectiveness as a professional, promote positive relationships with clients and colleagues, and create a supportive network of like-minded professionals.

This weekend is suitable for those completely new to Mindfulness as well as those seeking to reconnect with it and to embark on the different training pathways the Mindfulness Association has to offer. This course is the equivalent to the first weekend of the Mindfulness Level  1: Being Present course and will be taught by Ian Rigg and Tina Gilbert. If you complete this weekend course you can then join the ‘Mindfulness Level 1: Being Present’ training for weekends 2-4.