What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness can be defined as
“… the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally to things as they are”
Williams, Teasdale, Segal & Kabat-Zinn (2007, p.47)
Your Presence
Makes a Difference
The PlayfulMonk in Residence Program
at
St Bernards Care Home
Take the “mindfulness challenge” for the week with the drop in mindfulness sessions.
Take a break
What is Mindfulness?
Some facts on Stress in the workplace
The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health in the US estimate that stress-related ailments cost companies about $200 billion a year in increased absenteeism, tardiness, and the loss of talented workers.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK, echo these findings. In 2008/09 an estimated 415, 000 workers in Britain, believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill. The 2009 Psychosocial Working Conditions (PWC) survey indicated that around 16.7% of all working individuals thought their job was very or extremely stressful.
The annual incidence of work-related mental health problems in Britain in 2008 was approximately 5,126 new cases per year. However, this almost certainly underestimates the true incidence of these conditions in the British workforce. Estimates indicate that self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 11.4 million lost working days in Britain in 2008/09.
The Benefits Of Mindfulness
There has now been a huge increase in research on mindfulness and it is even approved by the NHS (1) and is increasingly being used in diverse areas.Last year I spent a week living in a hospital sharing with staff the benefits of mindfulness (2). Research (3) on the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace suggest the following:-
More present workforce
Improved well-being
Improved productivity
Improved creativity
Improved self-regulation
Less absenteeism
Better communication & interpersonal relating
If we reverse the list, then the cost of workplace stress both finically and on the well-being of communities and country is huge .
Presence is the ability to stay with any given situation both within oneself and others, it allows one to be authentic, have clear boundaries , communicate effectively and flow with life. Mindfulness supports presence and is a secular practise that anybody can learn and it is not dependant on a place, position or silence.
Mindfulness is just like any other body based routines it needs to be exercised, most of the research shows a daily practise based over several weeks, will help to establish a mindfulness.
If you are asking what is your ROI of allowing mindfulness in your workplace for me its very simple, happy staff makes a happy workplace, a happy workplace makes happy customers, happy customers make a happy company. When we focus on well-being everybody wins. What would you choose?
1)http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Counselling/Pages/Talking-therapies.aspx
2)http://www.amaranatho.com/the-mindful-experience/
3) (Baer, 2003; Chu, 2010; Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000)
4)http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress/stress.pdf
Workshops
Introduction to Mindfulness:
21st July
2.30-3.30
Mindfulness is an attitude one takes towards life by accepting the way the present moment is. With this quality of attention, we can understand our stress, anxiety, pain better and feel more alive, responsive to what life presents to us. Why not come out find out the playfulmonk approach through explore, play and love.Mindfulness is an attitude one takes towards life by accepting the way the present moment is. With this quality of attention, we can understand our stress, anxiety, pain better and feel more alive, responsive to what life presents to us. Why not come out find out the playfulmonk approach through explore, play and love.
Interpersonal Mindfulness
22nd July
3-4pm
The world is too complex to solve with simple management techniques based on a few good practises. To be able to respond authentically to each situation, we need to be able to vulnerable and to learn from our mistakes. Find out why mindfulness is interpersonal and how to apply it challenging and complex situtation.
Mindfulness based community
23rdth July
3.00-4.00pm
This workshop will explore the art of staying present to life’s challenge and joys. Whatever is present in the group will be explored through mindfulness and facilitated exercises, giving us a deeper understanding of who we are and the mystery of life. You need to be comfortable in sharing you emotions in the group.
Professional Stressed
24th July
3.00-4.30pm
Are you professionally stressed?
This workshop is open to anybody experiencing stress in their lives. Particularly it may be beneficial to those experiencing stress working in the helping professions eg doctors, nurses, counsellors and therapists.
Additionally those in other often stressful occupations such as ambulance crews, police & fire fighters, as well as those helping others in a voluntary capacity, such as carers, may also find the workshop helpful for managing stress in their lives.
TRE (Tension/Stress Releasing Exercises) is a simple technique that uses exercises to release stress or tension from the body. The exercises aims to release deep tension from the body by evoking a self-controlled muscular shaking process in the body called neurogenic muscle tremors.
Testimonials
Thank you again for last Sunday`s TRE workshop.
Your dedication to passing on your detailed knowledge in a lively accessible and interesting way was much appreciated. I found the way you taught the Trauma Release Exercises ( TRE ) clear and easy to understand so I also found them easy to do.
Your dedication to passing on your detailed knowledge in a lively accessible and interesting way was much appreciated. I found the way you taught the Trauma Release Exercises ( TRE ) clear and easy to understand so I also found them easy to do.
I achieved a very noticeable result that left me feeling very pleasantly more relaxed in my body afterwards. I`ve been able to replicate & build on this since returning home. Thanks again for an excellent workshop.
John (Psychotherapist)
Coming to this workshop provides a safe way to deal with stress and understand how stress affects the body and mind. I have been running these workshop around the world and have trained hundreds of people in this technique including many therapist. I have trained with the founder of TRE in levels 1 and 2.
I am confident in continuing with the exercise myself. The information on stress was very engaging and was new information for me. It is a short and thorough look at the biology of stress and trauma and it’s effect on humans. An enjoyable session followed by a hands on practice of a stress release exercise to take away. I enjoyed it all.
Jenny Lynch Manager
Training and Education Services at Richmond Fellowship WA
Together We Build Dreams
Open sessions
Anybody can come ask a question, chat one to one or in a group.
Amaranatho looks forward to your questions.
All black out areas are one to one, or small group meetings.
PlayfulMonk Programs
are developed by Amaranatho a former Buddhist of 15 years who has had a complex and uncertain life, he has learned how to deal with this through presence and clarity. He has run large residential retreats, corporate coaching programs as well as spent long periods alone contemplating the deeper questions in life.
Whether you meet Amaranatho in a workshop, retreat or personally, his approach is to respond to the situation as it unfolds. He facilitates a safe space enabling you to recognize your own wisdom, through co-exploration, playfulness, and love. He is interested in finding ways of being authentic whilst recognizing that everything is already okay. By exploring the dynamics of the way we relate to each other, we can start to recognize the limitations we impose on ourselves and access more energy, abundance, peace and wisdom.
You can find more about what he trained and about his background here
90
Workshops/Retreats
Completed
Amaranatho was the first facilitator to run a year long mindfulness in education program from Eton College.
He has recently completed a coaching program for a large family business in the Netherlands
Disclaimer:
Amaranatho is not a licensed psychologist/mental health or nutritionist provider and his services are considered complementary to normal medical and psychiatric care. Please discuss medical or psychiatric concerns with your physician or mental health provider. All information provided is for educational purposes. You accept full responsibility for your choices and experiences and release Amaranatho from all liability for such.
Insurance
Amaranatho is fully insured for public liablity and the work he does.
