: Is there more to California than sunshine?

“Mindfulness Meditation” is a phrase that will bring up a series of pre-conceived ideas. What does it bring up for you? That many famous Hollywood stars have been using techniques that have been popular in the United States may or may not inspire you. Certainly mainstream psychology has only recently started to take it seriously. The Mental Health Foundation has taken up the cause and promoted the concept of Mindfulness. The American Archives of General Psychiatry has shown research showing it to be as effective as anti-depressants. Indeed, much of the research is showing it to be effective in terms of preventing relapse. Now NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) has approved it to be used for depression.  More and more research is pointing to the potential benefits of learning how to refocus our awareness can help to actually reshape our experience in any given moment.

Some people who have experienced the benefits of Mindfulness have, for the first time in their life, been able to manage anxiety without medication. It is not a quick fix and learning it requires an active approach towards practicing the skills. This enables the experience of Mindfulness to become a part of our busy life. Many feel it to be an approach that feels gentle, natural and respectful, developing a sense of compassion and change through calmness and developing emotional management skills. This may help whatever the weather.