Q&A With: Brecon Mindfulness
We spoke to Ros at Brecon Mindfulness to learn more about what she does and how she can help people.
When was the business started? My name is Ros and I started Brecon Mindfulness in March 2019. It was borne out of my experiences of practising and then teaching mindfulness techniques (e.g mindful eating, mindful walking, mindful listening), as well as meditation (a focus on bodily sensations, especially breathing). I have seen that it can have such a positive impact on lives, and by extension, relationships and communities. My vision is for Brecon Mindfulness to make mindfulness accessible to as many different people in the community as possible - it is not just something for women of a certain age (like me) to do! It is beneficial to everyone. When something is enjoyable, I think we as humans instinctively want to share it.
“We are sitting under the tree of our thinking minds, wondering why we are not getting any sunshine”
I love this quote by a mindfulness teacher – it reminds us that as we experience everything through our mind; we need to look after it, in order to fully enjoy life. It is so easy to get consumed by what our mind is doing – worrying, planning, remembering etc. With mindfulness we can train our minds to be better at noticing more of the good things, and also to become generally more aware of how our mind and body is feeling and what it needs.
What made you set up the business? I was a teacher for 20 years and during this time I trained to teach mindfulness to children aged 8 to 18 and then also trained to teach it to adults. Children, their parents, as well as colleagues could see the benefits. To me it seems obvious that young people (and many adults!) benefit from learning the basics about how their brains work along with techniques that can help them to stay calm, focussed, and really notice and enjoy the beautiful things around them. A lot of us are so distracted by technology that we often miss what is right in front of us – in a beautiful place like Brecon, that seems especially sad.
After I left teaching, I worked as a wellbeing facilitator in the NHS, supporting adults with long terms health conditions. I was again inspired by how much the mindfulness component of the wellbeing course I was delivering helped people who were living with depression, anxiety, chronic pain and fatigue. I now work part time at Brecon and District Mind, mainly supporting new mums and families; this group also often find mindfulness techniques really helpful, especially for the anxiety that often accompanies early motherhood.
Where are you based? I have a studio in my garden in the centre of Brecon which can accommodate up to 8 people but I also run sessions outdoors when the weather allows as well as delivering training in other larger venues (see below)
What services do you offer? I am just getting back up and running again after Covid. I am able to offer courses in groups and also one to one mindfulness; I can do face to face, as well as on Zoom. The main course that I deliver is a 6-Week Mindfulness for Life Course, which is 2 hours a week. I am also offering some mindfulness taster sessions over the summer holidays. I have delivered staff wellbeing days in a number of organisations – schools, charities. I am also just starting to get bookings in the commercial and corporate sector which is really exciting – companies are realising that their workforce need time to recover and re-connect after the pandemic. These will always be bespoke to the needs of the group / organisation that I am delivering to.
Do you have any future events or plans? I recently completed a course in Animal Assisted Therapy with Alpacas. Alpacas have many qualities that we humans can be inspired by, their gentle nature, softness, a posture of dignity and a strong reliance on each other (they are herd animals). They even sometimes make a soothing humming sound! I have just delivered my first short course that involved practising mindfulness outdoors, in the presence of alpacas! It was a truly magical experience for the participants; I am really excited about future collaborations with Louise and Nick at Alpaca My Boots.
Anyone struggling right now, what advice would you give them? It’s ok to not be ok. Often the bravest thing we will ever do is to ask for help.The pandemic has been a reminder of how much we need each other and there should never be any shame in that. My daily mindfulness practices have taught me how helpful it is to make a conscious effort to be grateful for the small things and to be kind to ourselves, even more so when things feel tough.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know? I am passionate about facilitating groups where people feel able to share and connect. After the last few years, many of us really need this. It’s helpful to remember that our brains were designed for a very different world to the one that we are now living in. For example, our ancestors did not have social media or 24 -hour news but they did live in connection with others whilst outdoors, close to nature, with periods of silence and quiet. They were also often on the move. These are all the things that I know make me feel happy and help me to stay mentally and physically well and so I try and bring them into my life as much as possible.
A recent participant wrote “Ros is great at helping people to feel relaxed and she explained what meditation was in a way that helped me understand it like I hadn’t before. The course has been really life-affirming and I’ve met some lovely people too”
Five words to describe your business? Educational, energizing, connecting, joyful, inspiring.