Mindfulness

 

Alvina Cassidy

Alvina Cassidy

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is for everyone from all walks of life, young or old. It is an ancient, yet simple practice which invites us to develop attention and a non-judgmental approach to our experience in the present moment. A regular and committed mindfulness practice can be a powerful healing method that opens us to new ways of being, relating and living.

How do I practice Mindfulness?

Generally we live our lives unconscious and unaware of what we’re thinking or doing.  We are often lost in the past or thinking ahead about what is coming next. We rarely experience what it is like to just be present, right here, right now. To bring ourselves into presence we use the support of our breath, body and senses to rest our attention on. These mindful supports help to relax and calm our mind. In this ‘being’ mode we develop greater awareness and learn to recognise often unconscious, habits that cause mental, emotional and physiological stress or pain. Areas of the brain associated with memory, learning, self-awareness and compassion, increases in participants of mindfulness programmes whilst areas associated with stress and anxiety decreases.

Alvina is a certified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction / Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBSR/MBCT). She trained with the Institute of Mindfulness Based Approaches (IMA) and is a student supervisor and member of their teaching faculty. She has been teaching meditation and mindfulness courses since 2001 and has been a mindfulness practitioner for over 22 years. She regularly co-presents on meditation and compassion retreats and Deep Listening training at Dzogchen Beara Meditation Centre, West Cork where she worked for over 10 years.

Qualifications:

Teacher Certificate in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction / Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Certificate in Counselling

Certificate in Counselling & Psychotherapy

Certificate in Bereavement Counselling

BA (Hons) in Psychology /Sociology

Currently reading BA (Hons) in Counselling & Psychotherapy, CIT

Additional Training

End of Life Care Training Wisdom & Compassion in Care for the Dying, Speaking about Death & Supporting Families, Facing Death and Finding Hope. Facing Loss, Healing Grief. Spiritual Care Education Programme, Dzogchen Beara, West Cork

Training on End of Life Care, Zurich, Switzerland

Frank Ostaseski, Founder of the Zen Hospice, San Francisco.

Contemplative End of Life Care, 5 day residential training in Boulder, Colorado