At Koru Mindfulness, we offer a range of services to meet your individual needs. Our experienced and trained professionals provide one-on-one coaching, group workshops, and online courses to help you develop mindfulness skills that will enhance your daily life.
Our approach to mindfulness is based on the evidence-based curriculum developed at UK College of Mindfulness Meditation, which has been shown to improve resilience, enhance well-being, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Whether you are looking to improve your mental health, reduce stress and anxiety, or simply live a more present and mindful life, Koru Mindfulness is here to support you on your journey. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you cultivate a more balanced and mindful state of being.
Many Mindfulness courses end with a gift day, but this can be experienced as a one of enjoyable day or as an introduction to mindfulness.
Here is an example of a gift day, but it can include just about any activity and can be specially designed to suit the participants.
1. What does sitting still with my eyes closed have to do with my job, or my life in general?
Formal sitting meditation with your eyes closed while paying attention to the breath or sounds is a training; like other activities we practice with repetition, it helps to strengthen our ability to focus. Developing focus is one of the four fundamentals of leadership excellence; without it, we perpetually skim the surface of experience, never resting long enough to understand what is truly before us and what response is called for now.
2. How can paying attention to brushing my teeelp? Isn’t it better if I use that time for planning my day?
Most of us have spent years reinforcing this habit of not paying attention to our lives as they are unfolding. So, the bigger picture is that you are learning to shift from a habit of continually projecting into the future or ruminating about the past, to a habit of being aware of what is really happening now. Training the attention to stay with experience as it is really occurring supports the mind’s ability to see clearly and learn. create the space we need to lead from our deepest principles.
3. Yesterday my meditation was easy and today it was hard: My mind just kept drifting away to my weekend plans. What am I doing wrong?
The practice is to use that recognition to gently redirect the attention back to our intended focus. Some days our mind will throw a lot at us, and we get a lot of practice redirecting; others, our mind will be settled and content to sustain attention on whatever we intend. Either way, our practice is to be with whatever our experience is, with as much self-compassion and curiosity as is available to us. You are not doing anything wrong.
4. How long will it take before I notice a difference?
Not surprisingly, there is a good deal of variability in how this practice impacts people’s lives and when they start to see those changes occur. That said, it is common for people to report within a couple of weeks of dedicated practice that they were able to meet a situation with a new sense of having choice in how they respond. These are the early signs of developing a degree of freedom from our automatic and habitual tendencies. Something else to consider: Co-workers, family and friends sometimes notice these changes before we ourselves are clearly aware of them.
5. Can I listen to music while meditating?
This depends on what you are looking to develop through this practice. The inclination to put some music on to meditate with, at least in early stages of learning the practice, might be coming from a wish to be entertained or to “chill out.” In other words, a wish to get away from whatever is happening now. The aim of mindfulness practice, however, is to strengthen our ability to stay with what is occurring in our experience, and to see clearly what’s true for us now. Over time, if incorporating music into formal practice still interests you, then experiment, remembering to notice if this seems to support your ability to remain attentive and curious, or not.
6. I cannot sit still for 10 minutes, is it OK if I move around?
Through mindfulness practice we begin to learn more about the inter-relationship between the body and the mind. Just as we have developed the habit for our minds to spend a great deal of time jumping into the imagined future or rehashing the past, so too, we have developed the habit for our bodies to continually shift position in response to the slightest uncomfortable sensation, usually without our being aware of it. Quieting the habitual jumpiness of the body supports us in aiming and sustaining attention, which in turn, strengthens the mind’s ability to focus.
7. I am fine with silent meditation, but once I open my mouth, I’m not mindful at all! Does this ever get better?
Bringing mindfulness to communicating is a bit more challenging than paying attention to the sensations of the breath. This is where purposeful pauses can help us: By establishing the habit to use the common occurrences of our day to remind us to bring our attention to the present, we are eventually able to weave mindfulness into more complex activities, such as speaking and listening. It is also helpful to recognize that the attention and focus we bring to these complex activities is much lighter and broader than the close attention we may place on the sensations of breathing when we are sitting still with closed eyes.