What is Mindfulness?

Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre,

‘mindfulness means knowing directly what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment’.

Mindfulness is one of the tools I use in my MindfulDoc Programme. The concept of mindfulness is very simple, it means paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way.

Mindfulness is about reawakening. We break free from the current way of living to bring about profound, positive changes in our lives. Just noticing our thoughts and feelings, can help us improve our well-being and other areas such as:

• over-analysing

• worrying

• relationships

• self-confidence

• self-esteem

• over-thinking

• resilience

• negative thoughts

We know the human body is controlled by the mind, so by focusing on it you will benefit emotionally AND physically. Your body will follow the mind. Changes will occur just by reprogramming your thoughts. Problems are often rolled into one, so healing in one area and addressing things that are causing you stress, will have a ripple effect on all aspects of your life.

Mindfulness is backed by abundant scientific research, in fact, MRI scans of patients who regularly practise mindfulness show structural changes in the brain. There are chemical changes in the body that also occur. Those who practice mindfulness meditation have less cortisol and adrenaline - two hormones which are released when you are stressed. When you are constantly stressed, too much of these hormones are in your system causing increased heart rate, raised blood pressure, sweating, anxiety and palpitations.

Mindfulness is recommended by the government body the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the NHS. As founder of MindfulDoc, I offer a unique Mindfulness programme, a fusion of two very well-known clinical research pathways: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Everybody can practice mindfulness; it is a completely natural and effective method. My programme will give you the tools to live the rest of your life, finally experiencing true joy and happiness.