8-week Mindfulness programme for Trinity staff
Next course is due to start end of January 2024
College Health Service with the support of HR Learning and Development offer an 8-week Mindfulness programme for Trinity Staff.
“The more challenging the outer world is, the more important it is to draw on inner strengths such as coping and resilience.” (Dr. Rick Hanson)
When: Wednesdays at 8 PM to 9.30 PM for 8 consecutive Wednesday evenings
Where: Zoom (group limited to 25 people, some group discussions in smaller groups)
Cost: 50 euro for Trinity staff members ( an affordable fee with thanks to HR Learning & Development).
To register your interest, please email the course facilitator College Physiotherapist Karita Saar Cullen
The commitment required from the participants is to free up 1.5 hrs on Wednesday evenings and 30-40 min daily for meditations and reading/watching/listening relevant materials. (And a curios open mind of course:)
The Format of 8 week evidence based programme:
Participants meet together as a group on Zoom and take part in:
- 'Formal' mindfulness meditation guided practices including the body scan meditation, mindful movement and sitting meditations.
- Group discussion relating and exploring direct experiences of the home practices, the obstacles that inevitably arise, and exploring ways of dealing with these challenges skilfully.
- Each week, participants also have the chance to share their experience of ‘informal practice’ – how mindfulness can be integrated into day to day living.
- The group offers one another support, an opportunity to share and learn, move towards greater awareness/ engagement and balance, gain confidence, cultivate compassion and recognise strengths.
- There is a weekly theme, which is explored through mindfulness practice, group inquiry and other experiential exercises. (smaller break-out groups on Zoom )
- Participants learn a different way of being with experience, bringing attention to what is happening here and now and staying with that direct experience.
The eight weeks of the Mindfulness program helps you to:
- Become more aware of how your mind works
- Notice the times when you get lost in automatic pilot / thinking / old negative patterns that activate downward mood spirals.
- Practice a different way of being with experience
- Get more connected to yourself and your body and attuned to what is happening in the moment
- Wake up to life happening inside of you and all around you, savouring moments instead of ‘being lost in thought’
- Develop kindness and compassion for yourself and others and acceptance of how things are right now
- Let go of the struggle, force, resistance and cultivate attitudes of patience, trust, non-judgement, non-striving, openness, acceptance
- See options and choices in every scenario.
- Mindfully respond to thoughts, emotions and experiences as suppose to react
Benefits of developing mindfulness include:
- Lasting decreases in anxiety, stress, worry and increase in calm and seeing things for what they are
- Greater energy and enthusiasm for life and more able to lighten up and live a little
- Better more fulfilling interpersonal relationships
- Improved self-esteem, confidence, emotion regulation
- Enhanced ability to cope with stress and challenges of all kinds
- Less tension and increased ability to manage mind states / low moods/ anxiety and depression
- Sounder and more replenishing sleep
- Deeper sense of purpose in life
The book used in teaching the course is “Mindfulness, a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world” by Mark Williams and Danny Penman.
It is not necessary to purchase the book.
Video by Jon Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness 4.32 min
Video By Mark Williams on Science of Mindfulness 3.34 min
10 Mindfulness and Meditation questions answered
Article by Trinity's Sarah-Jane Cullinane Demystifying mindfulness in the workplace