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| Introduction |
| A Personal Note |
| Questions Answered |
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Is this stress management training?
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What is Breathing Space? |
Breathing Space is an introductory programme presenting five meditation techniques over five weeks. It's best to learn them in order, but any one could give you a lifetime's benefit - each has its own flavour and you are welcome to choose the technique you like.
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What will it do for me? |
The first thing it will do for you
is surprise you, when you begin to see how your mind works. The techniques
will offer you a chance to calm the mind and see what's actually going
on from moment to moment. The rewards are not instant - they depend on some regular, committed practice. However, participants also say that using these techniques has led to:
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What happens at the sessions? |
First you talk about how your practice
of the previous week's technique went; next the instructor talks you
through a new technique and you practice for 5 to 15 minutes. After
talking about how that went, you are given some 'homework' - a version
of the technique to practice at home. The practice at home is the
most important part of the course.
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Is this stress management training? |
No, stress management is a much wider
subject, taking in diet, time management, negotiation and assertiveness,
to name a few. Meditation can be one item in your toolkit. For a beginner
it can help to relieve stress;
with more experience it can begin to prevent
it.
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Is this relaxation? |
It's more than relaxation. You need
to be able to relax to meditate, but meditation also helps you to
relax. Breathing Space isn't about imagining yourself on a warm beach,
though - it's about being where you actually are!
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Is it easy? Will it be embarrassing? |
People usually report that the techniques
are simple but not easy. Even experienced meditators sometimes feel
they are not 'getting it right'. Most people discover that even after a period of meditation which felt like a struggle at the time, they discover a surprisingly calm, balanced feeling afterwards - a better state of mind than when they started! You should only start, however, if you are prepared to commit time - 60-90 minutes a week - to practice at home. You won't get much out of it without this.As for being embarrassing, don't worry - no-one will see you; seats are arranged so that you don't have to look at anyone else. And you won't be sitting on the floor! |
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Is it religious? |
No - although these techniques are
used in different spiritual traditions, they are also used in some
modern psychotherapies, and the aim of Breathing Space is to offer
them to people who would not be attracted to religious or spiritual
classes. There is no hidden agenda. |
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Is this positive thinking? |
No. I believe positive thinking is
useful for medicinal purposes - if people have low self-esteem, then
learning to have a positive inner dialogue is better than a negative
one. However, I don't believe you can become happy by trying to be
happy. Reliable happiness starts from where you are now, not the goals
you'd like to reach. |
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Is meditation for everyone? |
Generally yes, especially at this
level, which is very much 'try it and see'. The only note of caution
I'd add is that if you are going through a particularly difficult
emotional time, you shouldn't expect an introductory meditation practice
to suddenly make everything fine again. You'll have more to work with,
but it will feel harder at first. Equally, if you're suffering from
serious depression, schizophrenia or other mental difficulties, take
medical advice before starting meditation. It may not help you at
all, or your medication may make it harder for you to do the practice.
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What do you offer online? |
At the moment, the first Breathing
Space lesson free, plus the others for a small fee. Tapes or CDs will
follow shortly. And, of course, coaching and questions answered. |
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Home Questions and Answers Edinburgh Courses Online Lesson Links Contact Us © Norman Lamont 2000 Update May 2000 |
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