Mindfulness Course
6 week group program with Dr Zac Elizabeth Buchanan
Join Dr Zac Elizabeth Buchanan, Clinical Psychologist, in this 6 week group program designed to help participants develop the psychological skill of mindfulness. The course is loosely based on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, developed and popularised by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The course differs from MBSR in its strong emphasis on practical applications of mindfulness in everyday life as well as an introduction to basic yoga techniques that can help participants tune into their internal experiences and get moving mindfully. Through guided experiential meditation and hands-on practice, this course will invite you to develop mindful awareness for use in your day-to-day life.
When is the next Mindfulness Course?
Dates: Tuesday evenings (6 consecutive weeks), second half of 2023 (dates TBC)
Time: 5:45-7:15pm
Where: Foundation Psychology consulting rooms (1/66 Whitehorse Rd, Deepdene)
*pending COVID-19 government restrictions, this course may run online.
Cost: $540 (Medicare rebate of $190 available with a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP)
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness that involves paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and flexibility. In practice, it’s about being self-aware, letting go of judgments, becoming fully engaged in the moment, and taking intentional action rather than just reacting. Like any skill, Mindfulness can be developed through regular training and practice. This 6 week course can help you get started; helping you to establish a good routine and find the best mindfulness practice for you (sitting meditation is just one way amongst many to cultivate mindfulness!).
Why Participate?
If you’re like most, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about what’s NOT happening in the moment: that is, worrying about the past, or trying to predict the future. Indeed, mind-wandering appears to be the brain’s default mode, and living in an age of social media, 24/7 notifications and emails especially doesn’t help! Recent research has shown mind-wandering is a bigger predictor of unhappiness than how a person spends their time. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be an effective way to combat this mind-wandering; meditation is about focussing our attention on the present moment.
This 6 week course will be small in size (max. 10 people), provide you with formal and informal strategies to cultivate your mindfulness practice, as well as a practice journal and take-home handouts.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation has been widely used to help people manage anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain and other chronic medical conditions. Mindfulness meditation has been associated with vast benefits, such as:
- Being less judgmental and better able to let difficult things go
- Being less affected by unpleasant thoughts and feelings
- Bolstered immune system and reduced stress
- Improved performance in tasks that require sustained focus
- Experiencing a sense of calmness, peacefulness and happiness
- Being more compassionate towards yourself and others
Want more information or would like to enrol?
Fill in the form below or email us at info@foundationpsychology.com.au and we’ll get back to you soon!