
Mindfulness offerings
What is it?
Mindfulness simply means awareness. The origins of mindfulness come from Buddhist traditions, but there is no religious component to mindfulness courses and they are suitable for people of all ages, from all walks of life.
The most frequently used definition of mindfulness is this one by Jon Kabat Zinn, who was instrumental in bringing mindfulness to the West, and in particular into healthcare settings:
Mindfulness is…..paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally.
How do we do it?
Mindfulness practice uses our sensory experiences – our body sensations, sounds, tastes, sights and the breath to ‘anchor’ us in the present moment.
Mindfulness practice includes both formal meditation practice and informal practice of mindfulness of daily living, things like drinking a cup of tea mindfully – feeling the warmth of the cup, the smell, the taste, really noticing all of our experience.
An example of a short formal guided meditation, a three minute breathing space, is given here http://www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk/3-min-breathing-space
Other free meditations can be downloaded from here: http://franticworld.com/resources

How is it helpful?
With regular practice, mindfulness:
- Increases awareness which allows us to make better choices
- Gets us off autopilot and in touch with our direct experience right now
- Allows us to be truly present and spend less time worrying about the past or anticipating the future
- Actually frees up time! When we are with our direct experience we are not on automatic pilot, or daydreaming, or worrying, or anticipating, each of which can take up a lot of time ….
- Enhances our wellbeing
- Reduces stress, anxiety and depression
- Reduces the impact of long term health conditions
- Helps us to manage life’s pressures
- Improves memory, attention and decision making
- Allows us to be more productive and creative
- Helps us to make the most of each moment
- Helps us to develop self-compassion and compassion for others
- Changes our brain in positive ways
Mindfulness also helps by allowing us to tap into our own inner resources when working with difficulties and helps us to change our relationship with them.
When you practice mindful breathing, you become truly present. If you are here, life is here also.
What do I offer?
My training has been with an organisation called Breathworks (www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk), a participating member of the British Association for Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA) whose courses include a core component on developing compassion. I offer their 2 courses:
Mindfulness for Stress
This course is for anyone dealing with stress of any kind, whether associated with work, relationships, finances, loss or other factors outside your control. On this course you will learn mindfulness strategies and approaches within a supportive environment.
This 8 week course is offered either weekly or as double sessions fortnightly. Each session comprises a different theme to help participants to understand how mindfulness can reduce stress so they can incorporate this into their own lives. There is a combination of teaching, meditation, enquiry and discussions. Each week there is home practice of formal guided meditations and one small thing to do mindfully to support mindfulness of daily living.
In the Mindfulness for Stress course you will learn:
- Ways to reduce stress and become more resilient, calmer, happier and inspired
- How to apply mindfulness to all aspects of your life, giving you more choice in how you respond to life’s challenges
For an overview of the Mindfulness for Stress course please follow this link: Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress overview
Mindfulness for Health
This is also an 8 week course offered either weekly or as double sessions fortnightly. This course is suitable for those in pain or dealing with other health complaints. Similar principles are covered as in the mindfulness for stress course, but there is more emphasis on overcoming resistance and acceptance of health complaints and the course also introduces the use of pacing to prevent the boom and bust cycles of doing too much or too little.
In the Mindfulness for Health course you will learn:
- To live in the present moment and breathe into your experience, rather than tensing against it.
- To respond rather than react to our life's circumstances
For an overview of the Mindfulness for Health course please follow this link: Breathworks Mindfulness for Health overview
I teach courses to groups and individuals in Leamington Spa. I also provide sessions for individuals online to those further afield - as well as taster sessions and follow-up sessions and bespoke courses/workshops for groups and organisations.
Our capacity to make peace with another person and the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves.
When and where is the next course, and how much does it cost?
For Groups:
Please contact me if you are interested in participating in Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress or Mindfulness for Health courses in a group setting. Ready established groups are particularly welcome.
When the mind goes back to the present moment, it also goes back to the body; body and mind are united. Breathing is the bridge between body and mind.
For individuals and couples (come with a partner or friend):
Mindfulness for Stress and Mindfulness for Health courses are offered for individuals and couples (come with a partner or friend) throughout the year. Please contact me if this is of interest and we can time sessions to suit you.
Fees for group courses, and courses for individuals and couples are outlined below and include workbooks, practice books and CDs of guided meditations or MP3 downloads.
Fees:
For groups
8 week Breathworks mindfulness courses from £240-280 dependent on numbers and venue (2.5 hours/session or longer for fortnightly sessions)
For individuals
For an 8 week course the rate for individuals is £400 (1.25 hours/session). One to one sessions are held in Leamington Spa. Sessions can also be delivered online for those who live further afield.
Each moment of our lives, each moment that is given to us to live, we have to live very deeply.
Two together rate
Come with your partner or a friend for £500 for the two of you for an 8 week course (1.5 hours/session). You can support and encourage each other throughout the course and with home practice.
Introductory sessions
Do you want a flavour of what mindfulness is all about before committing to an 8 week course? I offer one to one introductory sessions at £50 for a one hour session (or two together rate of £60 for the two of you for a 1.25 hour session). Introductory sessions make fantastic gifts (please see below). I also offer introductory workshops for groups, tailored to meet your needs - for details please contact me.
Follow-up sessions
After an 8 week course some people really appreciate coming together again as a group to support their continued mindfulness practice. I offer regular follow-up sessions to groups and also half day/full day retreats which allows us to take our practice deeper by introducing periods of silence. Follow-up sessions are also available for individuals and couples. For details of follow-up sessions and retreats please contact me.
Gift ideas
Why not consider giving mindfulness sessions as a gift? Please contact me to discuss further.
Costs for organisations and bespoke courses
I can tailor the content and timing of courses to suit your group or organisation. To discuss further please contact me - karen@yourlifebalance.co.uk

Get in touch!
If you require more information please email me and I will contact you as soon as possible.