A day in the life of a mindfulness practitioner

I was introduced to breathing and relaxation techniques by a wonderful community psychiatric nurse when I was 21 and suffering with anxiety. She taught me about the connection between the mind and the body and how they influence one another. I really immersed myself in that process and it has served me so well over the last 30 years.

I then started to introduce these techniques into my music workshops. I never voiced to participants that I was using mindfulness techniques, but I became acutely aware of the positive impact that mindfulness had on the creative process. I read lots, practiced the techniques lots and over the past three years I have also immersed myself in Reiki practice.

I believe that society is now accepting that stress is not our natural state and is indeed responsible for much of our ‘dis’-ease. People are waking up to the power that we all possess to have much greater control over our mental, physical and spiritual health than we previously believed.

Solid, peer-reviewed science is backing this up. We want practical things that we can do. Establishing a mindful practice is now becoming very much a part of the canvass of modern life.

My latest project is a six-week course called Take Control Tuesdays that covers many areas of mindfulness, including breathing and relaxation techniques, voice work, realistic goal setting, creating a personal positive affirmation and an introduction to Conscious Language.

The language aspect is based on the work of Robert Tennyson Stevens and challenges many of the words we use and the ways we use them. We can only think in the language that we use and so if we keep using limiting language then we keep our thinking limited as well.

Reiki is an energy healing system. Developed in Japan by Dr Usui in 1922 (although some people believe that it has existed in many forms throughout human history), it is based on principles of Qi/Chi energy and akin to the practices of Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Reiki aims to establish good flow of energy throughout all the body’s systems.

There are sceptics and proponents of Reiki as there are with all non-medical therapies, but it is interesting that cancer patients at St. Richards are offered Reiki to help with the side effects of chemotherapy and for its benefits as an emotional support.

Take Control Tuesdays start June 11, 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Draper’s Yard, Chichester. Visit www.facebook/svmsouth or email [email protected]