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Mindfulness
Friday 24th October 2014
Session
• A bit about Now Unlimited
• What is meant by the term “mindfulness”?
• Benefits of mindfulness
• Why might it be relevant to the VCS?
• How is mindfulness taught?
• Learning opportunities
Now Unlimited
• Social Enterprise
• Improving the health, well-being and performance of
individuals, organisations and communities
• Undertaking research and sharing the learning
• Team of associates and volunteers
Current activity
• Local authorities – stress management, leadership,
communications
• Unemployed – 6 week programme
• General public – adult and community learning and
mentoring
• Primary School – 7 week programme for Year 6
• Young people- social and emotional learning programme
• Carers – emotional resilience programme
What is mindfulness?
• A way to train the mind
• Buddhist in origin but now secularised – MBSR and MBCT
• Neuroscience – why it works
• Adaptations – mindful eating, mindfulness and addiction,
mindfulness and cancer, mindfulness in schools,
mindfulness in business
• Cross – party parliamentary group
Benefits of mindfulness
• Improved learning and memory processes, emotion
regulation and perspective taking
• Improved psychological functions of attention,
compassion and empathy
• Calms the stress response
• Improves medical conditions
• Improves psychological conditions e.g. anxiety
Why might it be relevant to the VCS?
• Improved resilience/ability to manage stress
• Heightened emotional intelligence
• Improved decision making and strategic thinking abilities
• Heightened ability to focus and enhanced creativity
• Helps people to become more engaged
• Increased ability to cope with change and uncertainty
How is mindfulness taught?
• Formal practices – body awareness, breathing, being with
difficulty, the importance of self-care
• Informal practices – adopting a more mindful approach
to everyday tasks
• Moving away from autopilot and responding not reacting
• Stopping mind-travelling
Learning and development opportunities
• In house leadership and management development
• Incorporating into other programmes
• 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme
starting 2nd December
• I day Introductions to the Application of Mindfulness
• Underpinning coaching and mentoring
For more information
Maureen O’Callaghan
T: 07939 845920
E: [email protected]
W: www.nowunlimited.co.uk
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