Perhaps you recognise some of these scenarios?
- feeling extreme anger or frustration and then acting on these feelings
- finding yourself spending a lot of time worrying about the future
- inability to sleep at night
- acute body tension
- overwhelming feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness or grief
- feeling unable to cope
- feeling lost as your body changes
- feeling stressed about having hot flashes
The journal of The International Menopause Society in 2019 highlighted research showing that mindfulness results in women experiencing fewer menopausal symptoms.
The study involving 1,700 women aged between 40 and 65, showed the higher the women scored in mindfulness, the fewer symptoms they experienced.
The symptoms included memory fog and hot flushes to irritability and anxiety, sleeplessness and depression.
Researchers working on the project found that with mindfulness the women could manage their symptoms much better.
Mindfulness is an invitation to stop trying to escape the present moment, but instead paradoxically lean towards these experiences. With practice it's possible to allow thoughts, feelings and body sensations to "just be". Once we stop fighting, we find there is space to allow this natural process to unfold.
Maybe it's time...
to practice something new. If you find yourself repeatedly stressed or anxious then this courses in mindfulness may be the launch pad you need. Learn to work with the changes and challenges the perimenopause brings.
In this 4 week course* you will be given tools to help you work with the moments of stress in your life:
- The over-thinking mind
- Difficult emotions
- Dealing with body discomfort, including hot flashes
And learn to be more compassionate to yourself when these moments occur.
Created by Emma Reynolds, accredited Mindfulness teacher. ** The course consists of short videos, downloable audios of short mindfulness practices (2-5 minutes), longer meditations (20 minutes) and lots of clear, practical information on what causes stress, why we have it and how we can help ourselves out of old unhelpful habits.
*This course is self-paced but 4 weeks is suggested time frame
** MBSR teacher (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)
How does the course work?
In each week/session we will focus on a different aspect of our daily experience:
1) The reasons for stress and how focusing on the breath helps us to be calmer
2) Focus and perception and how this affects how we view life
3) Difficult Emotions and how we can look after ourselves
4) Negative Thoughts and how learning to question them can enhance our well-being
Ideally you take around 4 weeks to complete the course as real change needs both time and repeated practice. However how you manage this is up to you.
Also included is a once-monthly, online Zoom meet-up. In this session we will go through some practices together and share experiences.
Materials
There will be a 45 minute video to watch each session, which includes short guided practices you can use in daily life.
- 4 downloadable audio meditations (20 minutes each). Ideally you would practice these meditations daily. For all the audios there are 2 versions, with or without music.
- 7 downloadable audio mindful practices (2-5 minutes) to help you in moments of stress and to be more present your daily routine.
- A guide to Mindful eating
- Poems to inspire you on your journey
- Manual with Writing Prompts to encourage you to consider how, when and where you will practice.
- A LIVE Zoom session once a month guided by Emma Reynolds. We'll practice a meditation together and have time for sharing and questions.
- A Downloadable PDF of suggested reading and links to other Menopause professionals for your onward journey.
**Bonus Materials
- Guided Meditation for Sleep
- A guide to balancing your hormones naturally
- A guide to relationships when you're 40+.
All materials are available for an unlimited time.
Coming back to the here and now
Mindfulness is non-judgemental present moment awareness. This means not getting stuck in the unchangeable past, nor the unknowable future, but instead being right here, right now - without judging the experience.
New possibilities
Instead of being stuck with the "same old", Mindfulness offers practical tools to see and act upon new opportunities. It also fosters a sense of compassion for one's self and others.
More presence, more connection, more joy.
So instead of being lost in thoughts we learn to become more focused and connected to all our moments, helping us deal better with difficult thoughts, feelings and body discomfort.
We also become more aware of what is already good in our lives - so calm and happiness is not some elusive experience in some other "better" moment, but right here, right now.
Example Curriculum
- Session 3: Difficult Emotions (45 minute Video)
- Session 3 Course Manual
- R.A.I.N. Practice (3 minute Downloadable Audio)
- This is a moment of Stress (1 minute Downloadable Audio)
- Labelling Emotions Meditation (20 minute Downloadable Audio)
- The Guest House (Poem)
- Week 3 Practices
- Mindful Eating Instructions PDF
Testimonials
Coming soon
More courses and coaching will be available shortly. These include a course for teachers on Mindfulness in the classroom for themselves and students, Mindful parenting and the full 8 week MBSR course (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)