8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course @ balance

8 weeks: Sundays, 18/09/11 - 06/11/11 at balance, 118/122 Napiershall Street.
The first week (18/09/11) will be from 14.00 - 17.00, wk 2 - 3 & wks 5 - 8 will be from 14.00 - 16.00 and wk 4 (9/10/11) will be from 16.00 - 18.00.
There will also be a 5 hour retreat on Sunday 13/11 from 14.00.
Special offer of £170, instead of £190, is extended.
The cost includes the eight-weekly sessions, the retreat, two CD's and a course booklet.

What Is MBSR
MBSR is an eight-week secular (non-religious) programme devised by Jon Kabat-Zinn's Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre which has been internationally approved by the medical community. Its popularity and effectiveness has recently led to the Mental Health Foundation in the UK launching a campaign to increase access to and awareness of, mindfulness-based courses (www.bemindful.co.uk).

Anyone who wishes to learn to take better care of themselves and is prepared to engage in the maintenance of their health and general well-being will benefit from engaging in an MBSR course.

Research has shown, however, that MBSR courses are of particular help to people suffering from stress, anxiety, panic states, depression, hypertension, insomnia, chronic illness and pain. More specifically the evidence base has also revealed it to be particularly effective in the following conditions: fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, cancer and health-care-provider self-care.

MBSR Courses can help us develop greater awareness of the way the mind works, and learn how to cultivate new and effective ways of handling challenging feelings and physical sensations.
Often when we feel anxious or depressed it is because we have been 'swept away' by our thoughts and are either thinking about the past or worrying about the future. We may also have got into the habit of attempting to 'fix' our problems by avoiding difficult feelings and clinging to pleasant sensations, which often increases the feelings of stress and anxiety rather than alleviating them.

By practicing mindfulness meditation techniques, and learning to live in the present you will learn to override this 'autopilot' which often leads your mind away from the here-and-now, and replace these habitual thought patterns with the ability to direct your thoughts appropriately and respond to any difficulties and challenges you may be experiencing with choice, awareness and insight.

Each course consists of eight-weekly two hour sessions and a retreat. You will also receive two CD's and a course booklet to guide you in your practice at home, which is an integral part of the course.

By practicing in the sessions and at home you will gradually learn, through various meditation techniques and discussions to integrate mindfulness practice into your every day life. By the end of the course you will have learnt how to:

• Let go of negative thought patterns
• Stay in touch with the present moment
• Become a better listener
• Develop more positive and helpful responses to stress, depression, anxiety and physical discomfort
• Distinguish subjective thoughts from objective facts
• Incorporate simple meditation techniques into your daily routines, which through regular practice will help you to change your outlook and transform your life for the better

For more information regarding Mindfulness Meditation please go to www.mindfulnesstoday.co.uk

Please see links to recent articles regarding Mindfulness Meditation:

The Scotsman - Mindfulness Meditation

The Independent - The Benefits of Meditation

Science Daily - Mindfulness Meditation Changes Brain Structure in Eight Weeks

The Guardian - Stars Meditation Techniques Gains Mental Health Experts' Approval

The Guardian - Meditation on Prescription