Mindfulness meditation

Pause for a moment

In truth we all have busy lives—choices to make, things to do and places to be. At times, this busyness can feel exciting. At other times, it can feel like a heavy overload or even overwhelming. What we lose sight of is that there are spaces or moments of pauses between all this frenetic, frantic busyness.

Right now, take in a deep breath in through your nose and then release with a breath out through your mouth.

Now ask yourself: where were your thoughts while you did this?

Were they with your breathing or on your ‘to do’ list or noticing that you’d received a message on your phone?

Try taking a breath in and out but, this time, invite your mind’s full attention to the feel of your breath and the sound of your breathing as if this were the first breath you’ve taken in this moment.

Did you notice that, between the breath in and the breath out, there was a space of inaction or a pause? One of the simplest ways to take a pause or find that space is to take a few deep breaths in and out, bringing our full attention to the feel of the breath—giving it, in fact, the same 100% attention you would normally invest in feeling you have no time to take a pause!

Mindfulness takes practice

It’s easy to read about mindfulness and even talk about it, that’s for sure. However, to change years of the habit of busyness takes practice. That’s where the real learning about mindfulness and meditation comes in.

To run a marathon, you need to build up your fitness and your stamina. You need to invest the time to do this. Learning mindfulness meditation is no different. You need to invest time to learn how and to invest time to practice.

Your practice can consist of finding ways to be fully present in those spaces or pauses in your life or setting aside time to sit and meditate. It’s a skill and it takes time to learn; the positive benefits for your overall wellbeing, though, are almost immeasurable.

How can you learn?

You can learn mindfulness techniques and tools as part of a group or in personalised 1-to-1 sessions. I offer customised 1-to-1 sessions for both women and men; the meditation groups and retreat days are women-only.

• Book a personalised 1-to-1 session to discover how to bring mindfulness into your life. Your mindfulness sessions can be face-to-face at the Edinburgh Centre of Nutrition & Therapy, Tollcross, or on-line.
• Join a women’s mindfulness meditation group or retreat — there’s something for everyone, from complete beginners to experienced meditators:
  • Get started with a half-day introduction to mindfulness, specifically designed for busy women.
  • Join a weekly women’s mindfulness group.
  • For women who have some experience in mindfulness and meditation, deepen your understanding with the backpack series of half-day retreats.

Costs

Personalised 1-to-1 sessions:

Initial appointment (90 minutes): £75

Follow-up appointments (60 minutes): £60

Weekly women’s groups and half-day retreats:

Weekly groups: £10 per session if pre-booking two or more sessions; otherwise £15 per session

Half-day retreats: £40 with early bird discount; £50 thereafter (see Classes, workshops & retreats for retreat dates)

Not sure if this is for you?

• Get in touch with your questions, or
• If you’re interested in 1-to-1 sessions, book a complementary 15–20 minute enquiry session to find out how I can help. We can chat face-to-face at the Edinburgh Centre of Nutrition & Therapy, Tollcross, or on-line.

Ready to bring mindfulness into your life’s journey?

Learn 1-to-1

Book your first appointment or your complementary 15-20 minute enquiry session:

Learn in a women-only group

Discover more about your options or contact me with your questions: