Sunshine Coast Mindfulness

13/04/2022

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf"
Reflections from one the participants of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course:
"Why did I attend the MBSR course with Astrid? I'm a highly sensitive person and because of that my perception of the world can create some anxiety (along with a family history of mental health challenges, thanks parents!). So what does a person do when it's all a bit overwhelming? Unfortunately they tend to limit their life in various ways instead of managing their experience of it. Shut out life, shut down emotionally, limit stressful situations etc etc. So now we have a small life! We become anxious of being anxious!
What if we can become more aware of ourselves both internally and how we react to our environment. What if we can have a process in our life that enables us to ride that rollercoaster more smoothly, more evenly, more stable. Yes I know rollercoasters are scary fun, but not when you ride it your whole life. Life can become less frightening and more peaceful and enjoyable. One of the key processes I took from this MBSR course which has changed my life was the technique of observing my emotions in my body. They used to be scary so I wouldn’t look at them, try not to feel them. I now have a process I use to be able to objectively observe them so I'm not overwhelmed, and also create awareness and insight as to why they are happening, the reason behind them. Then I can make change. Awareness is the first step to change. MBSR does that. "
https://www.sunshinecoastmindfulness.com.au/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-

26/04/2021

If this is a bit like you when you are trying to meditate.... come and check out THE Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course!

It is starting again on Wed 5th May at Buderim. This is THE original mindfulness course developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn that has led to the huge popularity of mindfulness nowadays. Learn and practice mindfulness in a supportive and inspiring environment and find more peace, focus and connection in your life.

The course runs for 8 weeks, with a Retreat Day on Sunday 6th June, and is facilitated by a professionally trained and highly expeienced teacher, who trained with jon Kabat-Zinn himself.

This course is suitable for both beginners and those (more) experienced with mindfulness meditation.
Weekly sessions run from 6:30 - 9 pm
You can trial the first week (and receive all the course materials) for just $50.
More information: https://www.sunshinecoastmindfulness.com.au/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-

29/05/2020

Free Online Movie Premiere of 'My Year of Living Mindfully' now on, untill 3rd June.
A bit of background information: Overwhelmed with insomnia and an incurable autoimmune disease, Shannon Harvey needed to make a change. But while the award-winning health journalist found plenty of recommendations on diet, sleep and exercise, when she looked for the equivalent of a 30-minute workout for her mental wellbeing, there was nothing.

Worried for the future mental health of her kids who were growing up amidst epidemics of stress, anxiety, depression and addiction, in a world-first experiment, Shannon recruited a team of scientists to put mindful meditation to the test. But after a 30,000 kilometre journey from the bright lights of Manhattan to the dusty refugee camps of the Middle East, what begins as a self-experiment, transforms into a life-changing experience.

My Year of Living Mindfully is filled with compelling stories, interviews with 18 leading scientists, and unexpected insights that go to the heart of what it means to be human in the twenty-first century.

Overwhelmed with insomnia and an incurable autoimmune disease, Shannon Harvey needed to make a change. But while the award-winning health journalist found plenty of recommendations on diet, sleep and exercise, when she looked for the equivalent of a 30-minute workout for her mental wellbeing, there....

23/05/2020

I'm looking forward to watching this...!

Award-winning health journalist Shannon Harvey faced a troubling paradox. Despite unprecedented progress in modern medicine, 140 million people around the wo...

06/12/2019

Tomorrow (Sunday), my lovely friend and mindfulness colleague Heather Albrecht will be offering a (free) workshop in Kenmore Hills: "Facing Climate Change with Active Hope". Facing the reality of climate change can be emotionally and psychologically challenging, and with this workshop we want to support people in this difficult but important process. Our aim is for you to leave the workshop with a sense of Active Hope (a phrase coined by Joanna Macey). Active Hope is about feeling alive and hopeful, and being active in support of the future we hope for. We are very much looking forward to it and hope you will join us! Please register via link below:

https://www.openground.com.au/mindfulness-workshops/facing-climate-change-with-active-hope/

18/11/2019

People sometimes say to me that they are just ‘too sensitive’, or ‘too emotional’. This is often said with an air of self-judgement and dislike, and a bit of despair at having been unable to change themselves. When I inquire a bit further with them, it often turns out that the ‘too sensitive/emotional’ bit is what their parents and other family members would communicate to them when they were young. Sometimes this would be said explicitly, but often also implicitly, through their behaviour and attitudes, e.g. ignoring the child when they were upset. I personally think that there is no such thing as being ‘too’ sensitive or emotional, that there is nothing wrong with being more sensitive or emotional than the people around you. I think sensitive people are almost always also very caring and compassionate people who can do a lot of good in the world – because they deeply care.
But admittedly, it is often not easy to learn to live with yourself and navigate life when you are more sensitive and emotional than most people around you. The idea that their is something wrong with you when you are having a (strong) emotion can also easily leading to us trying to deny, suppress, control or get rid of these emotions. Which usually does actually make them worse or leads to other problems. So it can be very valuable to get some help and guidance with learning to manage and live in harmony with ourselves and our emotions. Mindfulness-based counselling and psychotherapy can be very helpful with this. Do be in touch via PM or my website if you would like to find out more. https://www.sunshinecoastmindfulness.com.au/psychotherapy