What is mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a way of developing both some calmness and also some insight into what is going on within one's self and in one's experience in such a way that well being can be enhanced. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as 'paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgementally'.It involves both sitting and move
ment meditation(including some elements from Yoga and/or Qi Gong/ Tai Chi), a body scan -becoming more aware of sensations and feelings in the body) and other meditations-on eating etc. All such practice help us become aware of how often we are not present to our actual experience and help us return to or experiences overcoming barriers to such awareness such as depression and anxiety. We see this in some of the early Christian writers such as Evagrius Ponticus and John Cassian.But it was in Buddhism particularly that mindfulness was developed into a formal meditation. While meditation has been generally associated with religious practice or thinking this is not necessarily the case. A European from of philosophy called phenomenology developed in the West in the twentieth century. This was particularly concerned with the notion of experience and how we relate to experience. Jon Kabat- Zinn , a medical doctor develop a form of mindfulness that anyone whether they had a religious commitment or not could practice.This was developed into an eight week course.It was particularly used for people suffering from pain, depression and anxiety and found to be helpful. I first came upon mindfulness when studying existential and phenomenology psychotherapy and psychoanalysis at The Philadelphia Association in London in the late 1970's where The well known psychiatrist and psychoanalysis R.D. Laing and some other therapists were incorporating forms of mindfulness into their therapy. I had up to that point had some experience with various forms of mediation-Christian and transcendental meditation (put together by a psychologist). I next came across mindfulness meditation while in South East Asia in the 1980's and underwent an 11 day retreat run by a well known teacher of mindfulness, Buddhadasa Bikkhu. I have incorporated mindfulness into my therapeutic work for some time.I have worked with mindfulness approaches with people, some of whom were suffering from extreme anxiety and depression and also other problems such as eating disorders, post traumatic depression etc. I was instrumental in introducing mindfulness meditation as well as Qi Gong/Tai Chi into a psychiatric hospital where I was working for a number of years.I have also used mindfulness to help people with both general well being and spiritual well being. Graham
I was born and raised in New Zealand but have lived for a number of years in the UK where I worked as a mental health social worker, manager of a counselling centre and as a psychotherapist in a psychiatric hospital. I have a BA(Hon) degree and MA (from Victoria University where I studied philosophy, religious studies and majored in anthropology particularly in the area of medical/psychological anthropology and the anthropology of religions. I studied existential and phenomenological psychoanalysis at the Philadelphia Association for a number of years. I trained as a psychoanalyst at The Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research, London.I was fortunate to be given a place at University College London where I could further my interests in psychotherapy, religion and social issues by way of undertaking a PhD in medical anthropology under the well known professor of psychiatry/anthropology Prof Roland Littlewood. My thesis pertained to therapeutic,social and religions concerns by studying popular Chinese Taoist healing rituals in Singapore.I also did an MA in theology in the UK. I gained a post graduate Dip in Inter cultural Therapy from UCL and a two year post graduate Diploma in the teaching of Mindfulness from Bangor University. My wife and I now live on a beautiful three acre property, The Wayfarer's Retreat' in the country near Levin in New Zealand. We have established an organic garden have a few sheep and chickens and one dog.We run a small homestay where we can take in people who just want a quiet place to stay or who want a more formal retreat involving meditation/Qi Gong/Tai Chi and maybe some help with issues such as depression and anxiety.
