On-Going 8-Week Mindfulness Meditation Groups
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, without judgment. It’s about bringing awareness to what we are doing, while we are doing it. Mindfulness teaches us not to worry about the past or the future, and to let go of negative thinking that may lead to depressive spirals.
By paying attention to what is happening right here, right now, we learn how to develop responses rather than automatic reactions. We learn how to manage our lives in a calmer, clearer way.
What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines cognitive behavioural techniques with mindfulness strategies. Mindfulness encourages present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness through simple meditative practices such as attending to one’s own breath. Mindfulness assists people in understanding and managing their thoughts and emotions. Participants who suffer from a variety of conditions, including anxiety, panic and depression, learn to identify and work through negative thinking.
MBCT has been clinically proven to be as effective as medication for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms. People have also reported Mindfulness helping with high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, cancer, heart disease, asthma and chronic illness or pain.
MBCT was developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program.
What can I expect in the Mindfulness Meditation course?
If you are interested in learning how to work with Panic, Anxiety or Depression, this group can help. This group is also for people who have been struggling with meditation and want to perfect their techniques.
The MBCT Group meets weekly over the course of eight weeks. Each weekly session is two hours in length. Participants are introduced to techniques that help with anxiety/panic and depression.
A variety of meditation techniques—breathing meditations, sitting meditations, body scan meditations, walking meditations, and gentle stretching—are used to help facilitate mindfulness. Cognitive concepts such as the association between thoughts and feelings are introduced, and participants learn to develop a deeper understanding of Depression and Anxiety.
Fees and Schedule
Please contact Heidi for further information about fees and upcoming dates. Fees may be covered by your personal healthcare plan through your workplace, or a separate health insurance plan that covers psychotherapy.
