Please excuse my shameless attempt to shoe-horn a Carry On reference into the Blog, but here at the Elephant house we are celebrating. Yes- I've done it- I have finished the Mindfulness for Health online course provided by Breathworks!!!! Bananas all round!!!
'Carry on Regardless' is what you need to do, to be a successful meditator, and this is particularly true if you feel crappy on any given day, and on the worst days, feel like something even crap wouldn't deign to go near.
Every meditation is a victory, every moment of awareness ( aka Mindfulness), is a success no matter how grumpy/sick/ uninspired/unspiritual/unwilling you are feeling. Keep on carrying on and, as I have discovered things will start to feel less stuck, and you will feel more empowered to manage.
If you would like to catch up with the other parts of this series, here are links to all the Blogs I have done during THE BREATHWORKS MINDFULNESS FOR HEALTH COURSE:
PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5
I thought I would sum up and end this series with some FAQ's and extra info for you.
Has this course been helpful?
It has surprised me that the routine of having to do 2 guided meditations at the same times every day, has been really helpful. It has shown me that I can set a goal and I CAN achieve with steady patience and persistence. I am now more aware of the changing nature of both my pain and feeling ill: both can fluctuate from minute to minute, as can my ability to cope.
Has this course been 'ME/Chronic illness friendly'?
Yes, both the structure and the meditations themselves ( i.e. only 10 mins and can be done lying down- as it always is, by me!) I downloaded some of Vidyamala's guided meditations ( for free) from Soundcloud, so when I am not well enough to use the PC, I can still meditate at set times.
What if you get too sick to do the course?
There is no time limit on this course so can really do it at your own pace. I was away for a week and as I did not have computer access I downloaded some of Vidyamala Burch's meditations, so I could continue with my twice daily routine. I tried to treat myself kindly if I was too ill to do the course...but it was important to mostly keep going. The course has 8 parts and took me 3 months to complete. If I had only participated when I wanted to, I would still be on Part 1!
What do you get for £55?
A multitude of guided meditations, an online ( private!) diary, so you can give yourself feedback, a Q and A section on the site, extra ideas for reading, a weekly mindfulness exercise, and a moderator to answer any questions via email.
There are resources on the training site that I did not use, including worksheets to enable learning to pace. I confess I am not a big fan of timing my activities, but if you want to learn more about pacing see the link at the bottom.
Is this course value for money?
The Breathworks course is well worth £55 ( there are bursaries for those on low incomes). After I 'graduate' I will have access to all the online resources, and can ( and will) repeat all the meditations as many times as I want. They also offer follow up advice if you want to develop your mindfulness practise more fully.
Is it worth doing?
I think it is probably the best money I have spent on my health in the last few years. This course has given me tools, that I will continue to use, and unlike alternative therapies, or supplements- in the future I will not need to keep paying out in order to keep benefiting!
Negatives about this course?
The two things that felt very difficult at the time, were the Mindful Movement- I felt the explanations could have been clearer ( or maybe I didn't read properly!?), and the emotions that the course has dredged up.
There is a lot to take in for a brain- fogged person, but luckily you can dip into all the meditations after completing the course- so I am sure I will catch up on a lot second time around. The technology was quite simple to use which was good!
At times the process has felt overwhelming, although paradoxically, I have overall felt less reactive to day-to-day situations. I have found ( manually) journaling and doing creative activities has really helped, as has the advice of friends who have done similar courses.
CONCLUSION: I had thought it was impossible for me to do a regular meditation practise whilst being in pain, but guided meditations now feel more comfortable than silence. If you are living with long term pain/illness this course is definitely worth signing up for.
TIPS IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS COURSE
- Commit!!
- Have a clear aim of doing the course- mine was to manage the pain better.
- Make a plan ( work out the best position for you to meditate, how to signal that you want to be left in silence to loved ones, best times of the day...etc BEFORE starting.)
- Set low expectations.
- Be prepared for ups and downs.
- Don't focus on whether you feel 'better' after a meditation. Sometimes things ARE difficult, and it is more helpful to know that rather than pretend to yourself.
- It is a success everyday that you do the course.
- The course is just a beginning- there is a reason it's called 'a meditation PRACTICE' - you need to practice, and unlike playing the piano, or learning to speak Klingon- you can never get to be an expert.
LINKS:
Breathworks Mindfulness
Vidyamala's book and CD ( highly recommended!)
Info on ME, and online introductory course to teach you to pace
Podcast based on Meditation: 10% Happier with Dan Harris- many interesting guests including The Dalai Lama, and Ru Paul take to Dan about how meditation has changed their lives.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT!
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