'You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf’

John Kabat-Zinn

 

 I invite you to listen to this beautiful conversation about  mindfulness. My teacher is Shamash Alidina, a trainer from London and author of 11 books, creator of bestsellers 'Mindfulness for smart people' and 'The Mindful way through stress'. In a light and 'kindful'  way Shamash talks about what mindfulness is, can you get rid of thoughts? And many other interesting information you will learn from this beautiful talk. Stay till the end because there will also be a short mindfulness meditation that you can experience.

Ps. And if you would like to work with me and participate in the course in Galway or online, you are cordially invited. You can find my approach, experience and details of the course below. Thank you for your time and looking forward to hearing from you soon, Natalia :)

 

🍀Mindfulness course (Galway/Ireland)

(Mindfulness/Movement/Music)

 

Start:  8 individual sessions

Where: online Zoom/Skype

Price: 335e

 Meetings will be held once a week 1hr 30 min

Contact: Email Natalia to make an appointment for a 30 minute free consultation beforehand.

Natalia Krause thislunarmansion@gmail.com / +353(0)876829661 (Ireland)

WHY CLASSES AND MINDFULNESS  WITH NATALIA?

As a child, I really enjoyed lying in the garden with my dog. I loved sitting in the sun on the soft lawn. I felt deep peace, the warmth of the sun and safety. I could feel my breath and the sensation of warmth on my skin. I was observing  it. This was my first meditation that I had experienced without even knowing it. Totally aware of being here and now. It was a moment of silence and stillness with my dog by my side.

It wasn't until later, after various stressful situations in my life, feeling constant sadness and lack of direction, that at the age of 29 I did my first retreat in silence, called Vipassana, which means 'to see things as they are'. I was already practicing Tai Chi by then, and became an instructor, training with teacher Niall O'Floinn and master Wang Hai Jun, Galway Tai Chi Academy. I rediscovered singing classes and wrote down song ideas. I also began delving into meditation and mindfulness training to have a better, in-depth understanding of it. I repeatedly heard feedback about their positive effects, but as with everything, I decided to see if I would find myself in it.

 My search led me to 3 more retreats and a wonderful retreat in Nottingham with Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, who found Plum Village in France to spread mindfulness in Europe.

During my personal development, I opened myself up to my creativity, singing, dance and mindfulness practice. I completed a Mindfulness course with Shamash Alidin, and in the process I realized what my strengths are. Gentleness, compassion, sharing peace and my music to support others to build up their inner peace, prevent burnout and create more joy in their lives. The mindfulness training I am currently doing allows me to pass them on to you.

 

What is mindfulness & what does it involve?

Conscious attention focused on the here and now - this is the simplest way to describe the practice of mindfulness. The main goal of mindfulness and meditation is to achieve emotional balance, but it is worth emphasizing the difference between the two.

Meditation is

• establishing time with yourself in silence (sitting meditation)

• the ability to calm yourself

• body scan

• observing the breath

Mindfulness, on the other hand, is:

• conscious mindfulness in everyday life activities/situations

• being in the present moment with difficult emotions

• real participation in what we do (without being stuck in the past or worried about the future :)

 

A drop of water  is the symbol illustrating mindfulness , which shows us time, space, present, past and future.

Mindfulness comes naturally to us when we are in nature and sink into its beauty, we don't think then just absorb what surrounds us.
The most difficult to train mindfulness skill is when something distracting happens in our lives, we are flooded with emotions, and we try not to react. Such a state of stress along with elevated cortisol levels lasting for too long can lead to the development of various diseases. Hence, a daily mindfulness practice is recommended to strengthen one's ability to calm down in any moment, even a difficult one.

 Life will always be full of challenges, however when you have developed attentiveness with kindness to yourself it  will help you to choose a solution.  This  way, instead of a sleepless night, you will cope with a flurry of thoughts and provide the body with needed rest.

Many of us spend our lives analysing our past or worrying about the future. Very often we are  lost in what has happened or plan for what is yet to come, forgetting what is now. Our mind runs off into different stories and finds it difficult to stay in the present moment - because mostly we want to be somewhere else.

 

What you are doing today is your life, so how is it possible that most of the time you are not really here? Where are you?

1. Do you often have days that you have incessant ruminations or dialogues with yourself that you need to do something better? Maybe you criticize yourself internally for something that has already happened or worry about the future?

     2.Maybe you constantly feel tension in your body caused by one recurring memory? Are you accompanied by a feeling of guilt, which for some reason doesn't want to leave you, and you constantly return with your thoughts to this state?

    3. Are you constantly looking for solutions that will allow you to act creatively, open yourself to development and what life can bring you, but at the same time you feel you can't reach for it? Do you plan, analyze, calculate, but never get to the stage related to concrete actions?

🍀If you feel any of the following emotions, I encourage you to actively participate in my Mindfulness course  which will help you not only build inner peace, prevent burnout, sleep better abut also make better decisions for yourself.

 Maybe you also experience:

• unjustified anxiety or fear

• suddenly appearing anger

• a feeling of sadness in the moment

• a feeling of chaos and difficulty finding peace

 Mindfulness practice would be a gentle way to start with to alleviate your mind and your body.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THE MINDFULNESS course with Natalia?

• how  we generate feelings of tension in our lives

• 4 elements of  mindfulness training

• you will learn more about stress management/prevent burnout

• mindfulness practices (mindful eating/body scan/tai chi basics/meditation) you will learn how to better manage your emotions, your mind & your body

Let a set of my practical exercises help you feel peace and joy more often by paying attention to what's really around us. Enjoy the beauty of nature around you, other people and your relationships with them, thanks to the mindfulness training I've developed for people like you.

Mindfulness sessions will allow you to focus on your  state, emotions and body. You will learn to gently pay attention to what your body needs right now. The most important thing is to read the subtle signals sent by our body. Feeling of freedom, concentration and freedom of self-expression have been with us for thousands of years, but they have been covered up by the pressures, fast-paced lifestyle.

You will add 4 very important elements of mindfulness training to your practice, which include:

1. 🍀Take a step back-instead of reacting, take a step back, be an observer, see the challenge in your life from a different perspective.

2. 🍀Acceptance or acquiescence-this is different from fighting the situation you are in. In the case of quicksand, fighting only accelerates the sinking into them / Try to connect with your body and the "sand" in the situation and approach it with calm, breathe.

3. 🍀Curiosity-activates the prefrontal cortex by asking yourself questions: Where specifically do I feel the stress? Where in my body is the tension accumulating? What happens when I start breathing into that place? How can I help myself and get through this situation with peace of mind?

4. 🍀Kindness- 'warm-heartedness'/ loving kindness toward yourself, and feeling 'good enough'  when you handle difficult situations. Mindfulness training without warm kindness to yourself  would be just focus on here and now. Kindness is like a sunshine. Dalailama himself was surprised when he heard that in Western culture to be kind to ourselves  is so challenging for people -so that what we are going to practice during our course! :) ☀️☀️☀️

What is mindfulness for me personally?

For me personally, mindfulness is about commitment and authenticity in being myself in the moment with all the range of feelings I feel, positive, neutral or negative.

Time dedicated to mindfulness in my life builds my awareness and presence with whatever unfolds. I see with curiosity and accept myself, my loved ones and co-workers. With kindness, I observe all my emotional states and let them flow through me without trying to fight them. I am convinced that this is the way to feel and heal myself more qualitatively.

None of us likes to suffer, but we face difficult emotions every day. We try to push them away, suppress them or avoid to feel them at all. The practice of mindfulness allows us to carefully observe our feelings, thoughts and the unexplored paths our mind takes us. Utilizing the art of curiosity, kindness, mindfulness movements (tai chi)  you build calmness even in a theoretically uneasy environment. This is what I want to share with you so you can experience it for yourself.

 

What does the program look like?
We will meet, weekly for a 1hr 30min class covering theory and practice. Each participant will receive recorded meditations to practice at home. (this course is 1-to-1 online)

 

0. Introduction 

1. Autopilot-what does it mean?

2. Dealing with barriers & difficulties

3. Mindfulness of  breath and the body

4. Being here and now-practice

5. Exploring Acceptance - what does that mean?

6. Thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations

7. Loving kindness (Metta-meditation)

8.  The rest of your life-action plan

The following practices will occur during the course:

• body scan

• sitting meditation (sitting meditation) mindfulness directed to the breath, body, sensations, emotions, and the practice of mindfulness encompassing everything that appears.

• mindful movement exercises (elements of tai chi, singing and spontaneous dance )

• walking meditation

• awareness of pleasant and unpleasant events

• awareness of the breath 'Breathing space' along with weekly homework between classes during the week.

• Metta

Mindfulness and mediation are skills, and like any skill, the art of concentration can be learned - all you need is committed practice and an open mind.

Therefore, see the benefits of attending the course you will learn to: 

☀️increase your mindfulness in daily activities

☀️better manage and cope with stress

☀️strengthen your sense of relaxation and body awareness

☀️build so-called 'headspace', i.e. ability to observe and deal with stressful  thoughts

☀️reduce the tendency to see the world only in dark colours

☀️stop operating on autopilot

☀️meditate and connect more deeply with yourself and your potential

☀️build an 'inner observer' who will be your support, not a critic

☀️unlock hidden layers of creativity

☀️be forgiving to yourself and others

If you want to free yourself from chaos and take a step towards building inner peace within yourself, or my practices have interested you, sign up for a free 30-minute consultation. Start your mindfulness training right now, use this impulse to initiate something new.

This is a 1 to 1 individual training. Possibility to pay in 2 instalments.

Number of places limited.

Please contact me to arrange a 30 minute free consultation:
Natalia Krause thislunarmansion@gmail.com/ +353876829661

I have also experience in running an 8 week course for seniors at HSE department plus Quest brain injuries Galway.
If you are interested in a group course for your company, please contact me to arrange the details. Looking forward to working with you!

 

 'Thank you so much for a wonderful class of relaxation, something that is difficult to explain in words. Thank you for your personalized session, your approach and calming atmosphere. I have read about meditation, but it is only after I decided to try this session with you  I realised that it is such a great tool for regaining peace, dealing with emotions, stress & everyday problems.
You are extraordinary! and I am very happy to have met you, the meditation recorded after the session, especially for me, is a wonderful gift that I want to work with every day'.
All the best! Love and best wishes' Ilona Sz.