"I had always wanted to try meditation but had no experience and so started the Mindfulness Meditation eight week course with some trepidation and not knowing what to expect. I need not have worried as I found it to be an open, friendly environment where many of the other students were in the same position as myself and Ruth very quickly put us at ease.
As someone with a busy mind I was looking for a way to help with concentration. Mindfulness may not give you the magic answers to all your questions but it certainly provided me with an environment and method with which to quieten my mind and to realise that I actually already knew many of the answers, I just had to learn how to listen to myself properly. Sometimes just being able to slow down and truly understand the questions you're asking yourself is enough in itself and Mindfulness taught me how to do that."
Chris from Golden Valley
"I have found the course to be very helpful in enriching my life."Pam, Monmouth
I did the course Autumn 09
I’d never done any meditation before. I had heard of it and I suppose I imagined it to be very difficult, something that might take up a lot of time, something quite alien and foreign to me, that I couldn’t really imagine or relate to. The word would have conjured up images of Indian Guru types meditating on hill tops for many years . . . but I had heard that scientists had tested all these people’s brains for happiness and scientifically declared the buddhist monks to be the happiest people on the planet – which made me think there is probably something in it, this meditating . . . but I still couldn’t actually imagine doing it myself. Was it relevant to my life? Would it really help me? Or just take up more time?
A friend emailed me a flyer for Ruth’s 8 week course in Ross. I think because he knew I was a bit of a stress head and I lived in Ross. It interested me a bit, I quite liked the clear open font on the flyer, it made it all look and sound so simple; simple, modern and easy. I left it on my email for a while with a vague interest growing somewhere in my mind. Then I called Ruth to ask a few things about it – she sounded so normal, kind and reassuring (not strange or way out!). Then a while later I decided I would do the next one (there is a rolling programme so you can pick the best time to suit you). I thought: It is on the doorstep, I’ve got nothing to loose and if I don’t like it I can always leave (I like an exit).
I went with the hope that I might learn the magical thing that would help me feel properly ‘in control’ of my life, so I wouldn’t always feel so stretched and racing around always feeling about a week behind where I wanted to be . . . I was a bit nervous about meeting a new group of people and being in a group but Ruth created a very calm and welcoming atmosphere with a lot of ease and respect.
What I discovered was that mindfulness is actually easy to learn (to get started) not a strange and mysterious thing, just simply learning to settle down and be still. For me it was like finding the ‘off switch’ (not zoning out but ‘off duty’, not feeling like I need to attend to everything, everyone and every thought! – so simple and quite wonderful.
A lot of thought has gone into the 8 week course – I found it really delivered the experience of mindfulness, in easy chunks. Each week had a theme and each week we were all successful in experiencing this new aspect of ourselves – our own awareness. I found I was able to step back, breath, connect to this awareness and remain calmer when I was going into a stressful, new, or anxiety making situation – I found as I was practising with this new awareness that life was less demanding and in a way I am more in control (perhaps not in the way I had imagined in the beginning but in a way I couldn’t have imagined – a much less effortful way).
Everyone was nervous on the first week and everyone had stress/difficulties in their lives that they were trying to deal with (like all of us). We all struggled to practise everyday, but just did out best and on the last week – what a transformation – it was clear everyone had experienced their own awareness, found a huge still calm space/way of being they could visit anytime, such easy calm stillness in the room and much gratitude. Gratitude for this break from anxiety, for this method of being with ourselves with our lives, with our difficulties – not exhausting ourselves running away from things or trying to make everything perfect . . . a genuine acceptance had been experienced. A very powerful acceptance.
If you are even thinking about doing this course I would say wholeheartedly - do it! – go to the taster? What have you got to loose going to the taster? I am sure you will feel supported, it won’t be too strange and with a bit of commitment (to yourself!) you can come away in 2 month feeling different about yourself and your life.
