Arjun Kumar of our 28 Days service is a Certified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Facilitator and has kindly volunteered his spare time to deliver an 8 week experiential program for Thrive Tribe employees, based on a donation to our charity partner - Shooting Star Children's Hospices. Details from Arjun are below, and you can contact him on [email protected] for more information.

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About:

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program is the most established, application of mindfulness for healthcare which has been scientifically proven to help people not just cope with, but also learn new ways of relating, to stress, depression and anxiety. More detail here: verywellmind.com/benefits-of-mindfulness-based-stress-reduction

• The program will introduce and guide you through essential principles of mindfulness techniques through a completely secular approach.

• MBSR trains the attention to help you cultivate self-awareness, allowing you to make more fully informed and wise decisions in day-to-day life.

• The invitation is to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine and notice how it helps you to remain focused on the present moment – whatever you may be doing or is happening.

• Mindfulness strategies help to avoid rumination (past or future). We learn to respond to stress, rather than reacting to it – by becoming aware of habitual reactivity patterns, we may be able to change them.

Structure:

• 8 x 2-hour sessions + a half-day retreat (5 hours).

• Consisting of guided meditations (formal & informal), group & partner discussion and home assignments*

*Home assignments: each week has 45 mins per day home assignments (6 out of the 7 days). There is no official handing in or assessing of homework. Though it is certainly advised to give it a go as best you can – mindfulness is experiential. Carving out time in your day, also part of the process. Although in the seat of the facilitator, I’m very much a participant too and will be going through the practices and home assignments alongside you!

Key learnings:

• A variety of formal and informal mindfulness meditation practices, which involve using the breath and body as a focus for being aware of our experience in the present moment;

• Understanding the physiology of stress and how to self-regulate our moods, so that we are better able to pause in challenging situations and manage our responses more effectively.

• Recognising the patterns of worrying and self-criticism that often generate more stress; and learning to relate to ourselves with a more accepting and kinder fashion.

• Learning to have more mindful communications, connections and relationships.

• Developing practical self-care tools to help us thrive, perform at our best, and build resilience.

Course Materials:

• Weekly session pdfs covering the theory behind each session and details of home assignments

• Downloadable audio; guided meditations for home practice;

• Facilitator available for any urgent questions that come up between the sessions.

Online Format:

• The sessions will all take place on Zoom

• The teacher and participants will be live and visible at various times – it is important to have your video switched on for the sessions.

• Partner and group interactions, facilitated by ‘breakout rooms.’

When:

The program will take place outside of work hours, either:

• Monday - 6:30-8.30pm

• Wednesday - 6:30-8.30pm depending on majority interest / availability

Cost = Free upon £40 donation to Shooting Stars Charity

*The usual cost of the program is £295 The course and the practices have deeply supported me and continue to. And so I am providing this course free (the donation simply a way to show commitment to the program) as a way to give back.

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