Embodied-Relational Living^® Counselling, Psychotherapy & Supervision in Bristol & Online

Mindfulness - a Way to Be Fully Present in Your Life.
Between us we have 46 years combined experience of awareness practices, much of it grounded in mindfulness. Michael has over 30 years' experience with mindfulness (including a number of years as a Buddhist monk in the Therevada tradition), whilst Louise discovered vipassana 'insight' meditation over 16 years ago before fully embracing mindfulness - she has subsequently taught this to many groups.  In addition, we both engage in embodied practices such as yoga, dance, tai chi and qi gong. So in facilitating these courses we blend all our skills, knowledge and experience (including some of our psycho-therapeutic skills) to support you in the best possible way.

Becoming more present lies at the heart of living a fulfilling and meaningful life.  When we are truly present (to ourselves and others), we can make wise and skilful choices in every moment, which are in alignment with who we are.  Developing a mindfulness practice to become more mindful throughout your day, can be a real foundation for this.

Mindfulness can help with:

• managing mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression
  
• relieving stress and it's associated symptoms e.g. tension in the body and disturbed sleep 
  
• regulating emotions and increasing the ability to surf life's 'ups and downs'
  
• managing negative or intrusive thoughts, about the future or the past
  
• meeting low self-esteem and confidence with increased kindness and compassion.

The course is aimed at anyone new to mindfulness or anyone, having met it before, who needs a reminder or 'fresh' persepctive to re-engage with their practice.  The emphasis throughout will be on embodied (rather than mind-based) learning - an invitation to come out of your head and into the present moment!

This is an 8-week course comprising 2-hours per week sessions. It is delivered in two 4-week blocks, with a week's break in between.  Each session involves - time to 'arrive', space for practices to be introduced, some guided practice time, followed by a question and answer session before departure.

Maximum group size will be 10 people as we believe small groups allow people to get to know each other better and reduce any self-consciousness about asking questions.  Plus, it enables us to be more responsive to both individual and group needs, as they emerge on a week-by-week basis. 

Like all things, benefits increase with practice. To gain the maximum benefits we encourage you to use a breathing exercise daily.  As the course progresses, you may add to this with other practices. We suggest a minimum of 20 minutes per day - although this can be broken down into bite-size chunks e.g. four 5-minute periods. It is a good idea to keep a journal of your experiences as this may help you track progress and identify questions to bring to the next session.

Block 1 introduces you to key concepts and encourages your daily practice:
• Welcome - overview and introduction to 'breathing practice'
  
• Working with Grounding - standing and walking practices
  
• Working with the Body - scanning (standing, seated, lying positions)
  
• Working with the Senses - exploring these as gateways to presence

To reserve your place please email Michael - payment secures your place.
We have suspended our course program due to Covid-19 - please check this page for updates.

Full payment is required to secure your place and complete your booking:

• Early-bird rate - £120 per person
  
• Standard rate - £150 per person

• over 4 week's notice before the start date - 100% refund
  
• less than 4 week's but more than 2 week's notice - 50% refund
  
• less than 2 week's notice - no refund (as we may not be able to fill your place).

Venue details will be sent upon receipt of payment.