The present moment
Is the only moment available to us
And it is the door to all moments.
-Thich Nhat Hanh (well-known Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk)
Can there be mindfulness in a busy mind?
Since 2013 my keen interest in mindfulness has motivated me to run three workshops at my clinicfor mental health practitioners. Dr Craig Hassed, the ambassador of the Smiling Minds program, aGP and Monash University lecturer has run each of these workshops. In a gentle manner, Craig’straining incorporates strategies useful in counselling and life coaching. The most recent workshopbeing on the 21 July was a success in deepening our skills to deal with: anger, fear, hurt,communication blockers, trauma and acceptance.Craig is also the author of Know Thyself and Mindfulness by Life. These easy read books guide you through the personal practice of meditation in a way that you can pick up the books a few weeks on and still find newness and freshness.
Research shows that daily mindfulness can:
- Reduce stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms
- Build resilience
- Increase concentration, memory and focus
- Improve study and work performance
- Heal relationships
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a traditional art of teaching you to focus on the things that matter, to stay connected in relationships and to reduce the clutter in our minds from past fears and future worries. The evidence in the benefits of mindfulness is overwhelming from both eastern cultures and scientific research.
A great way to get started with mindfulness is to learn guided mindfulness meditationsessions with a well-trained clinician. Please call to discuss mindfulness in counselling and how it can improve signs of depression, reduce stress and restore a work-family-life balance. Mindfulness is easily incorporated into more focused psychological approaches of treatment.
