relaxation | Good Medicine

Using Williams & Penman's book "Mindfulness: a practical guide" as a self-help resource (3rd post) - first week's practice

Originally added on 22nd December 2011
Last updated on 12th January 2012

Time to roll up our sleeves and start turning Williams & Penman's book's "meditation recipes" into genuinely nourishing meals. I have already written a first blog post on why we have good reason to be optimistic about the benefits we can achieve with this kind of self-help venture. The second post encouraged us to get ready for the mindfulness practice. We are now at chapter five in the book - "Mindfulness week one: waking up to the autopilot".

Learning MBSR: what's likely to be the most effective way to teach the bodyscan (general orientation)?

Originally added on 8th October 2011
Last updated on 5th November 2011

What is mindfulness?

Originally added on 28th September 2011
Last updated on 3rd November 2011

New NICE guidance on the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia)

Originally added on 10th February 2011
Last updated on 7th June 2017

In January, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published their new evidence-based clinical guideline on the care and treatment of adults with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) or panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia). This guideline updates and replaces their 2004 one (which was itself amended in 2007). The full 56 page guideline is available as a PDF and in Word format. It also comes as a 24 page "Quick reference guide" for health professionals, and as a 16 page "Treating generalised anxiety disorder and pan

M: Life skills for stress, health & wellbeing, session 12

“ If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito. ” - Anonymous

Yesterday we had the twelfth & final session of this "Life skills" evening class. There was scheduled to have been a bit less than a three month gap since the last - eleventh - session. However the heavy winter snow we'd experienced had resulted in this last session being postponed.

L: Life skills for stress, health & wellbeing, session 11

“
Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
” - Rumi

I: Life skills for stress, health & wellbeing, session 9

“
Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto. I am human, I consider nothing human alien to me.
” - Terence

Yesterday was the ninth evening of this "Life skills" training. I wrote about the eighth session last week. The sequence of regular weekly classes now moves on to increasing gaps between sessions - so it's three weeks until the tenth, a further five weeks until the eleventh, and then an additional eleven weeks until the final twelfth session. My hope is that we will be able to arrange occasional follow-up meetings even after that.

H: Life skills for stress, health & wellbeing, session 8

“
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.
” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

G: Life skills for stress, health & wellbeing, session 7

“ It is possible that the entire healing relationship is actually founded on friendship. ” - Saki Santorelli

F: Life skills for stress, health & wellbeing, session 6

“ My house having burnt down, nothing now impedes my bright vision of the moon. ” - Zen saying

Yesterday we had the sixth session of this twelve evening "Life skills" course. I wrote last week about the fifth session. A dozen slides covering material we explored are viewable/downloadable at slides 1-6, Powerpoint or slides 1-6, PDF and slides 7-12, Powerpoint or slides 7-12, PDF.