by Natasha Douglas | May 23, 2023 | All Blog Posts, Graduates, Tutors
Tips and Strategies for Turning Your Mindfulness Side Hustle into the Main Event
Mindfulness teaching can be a rewarding and fulfilling career, helping others to manage stress, anxiety, and other challenges. Many mindfulness teachers start their teaching journey as a side hustle while working in other jobs, but with dedication and effort, it’s possible to turn this side hustle into a full-time career.
Here are some tips to help you turn your mindfulness teaching side hustle into a successful career:
1. Set Clear Goals
The first step in turning your mindfulness teaching side hustle into a career is to set clear goals. Think about where you want to be in two, five or ten years, and what steps you need to take to get there.
For example, you may need to invest in further training or certification, increase your teaching hours, or develop your marketing skills. Setting clear goals will help you stay focused and motivated as you work towards building a successful mindfulness teaching career.
2. Develop Your Skills
To establish yourself as a reputable mindfulness teacher, it’s important to invest in your skills and knowledge. Consider taking advanced mindfulness training programs, attending workshops, or seeking mentorship from experienced teachers.
Developing your skills will not only improve your teaching abilities but also help you stand out in a competitive marketplace and attract more clients.
3. Create a Business Plan
A successful mindfulness teaching career requires a solid business plan. This includes identifying your target audience, developing a marketing strategy, and creating a budget for your business.
Consider creating a website or social media profile to promote your services, as well as developing a pricing strategy and plan for growth. A solid business plan will help you stay organised and focused as you work towards building a successful mindfulness teaching career.
4. Invest in Your Business
As you build your mindfulness teaching career, it’s important to invest in your business to maximise your potential for success. This includes investing in marketing, networking, and continuing education.
One way to invest in your business is by taking a business development e-course, such as this one offered by MindfulnessUK. This course provides you with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and grow your mindfulness teaching practice.
Turning your mindfulness teaching side hustle into a successful career requires dedication, effort, and a solid business plan. By investing in your skills, creating a business plan, and continuing to learn and grow, you can establish yourself as a reputable and successful mindfulness teacher.
To take your career to the next level, consider purchasing MindfulnessUK’s Business Development e-course. This course provides you with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and grow your mindfulness teaching practice. Click here to learn more and purchase the e-course today.
by Natasha Douglas | Mar 17, 2023 | All Blog Posts
Here at MindfulnessUK, we know that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your mental and physical wellbeing. But it’s not always that easy.
From stress and anxiety to physical discomfort and restless thoughts, many people struggle to find the peace and relaxation needed to drift off into a deep slumber.
Fortunately, there are several mindfulness techniques that can be effective in promoting relaxation and helping you to sleep better. While techniques such as body scan and deep breathing are often discussed in relation to sleep, there are other, slightly less common techniques that can be just as helpful.
Here are three techniques that might help you sleep better:
1. Gratitude Practice
Gratitude practice is an excellent way to cultivate feelings of positivity and contentment, which can help to reduce stress and promote relaxation. This exercise involves taking a few minutes before going to sleep to reflect on the things in your life that you are grateful for. You can do this exercise by making a mental list of three things that you are thankful for, or by keeping a gratitude journal next to your bed and writing down three things each night. Focusing on positive aspects of your life can help you feel more relaxed and content, which can make it easier to fall asleep.
2. Awareness of Distant Sounds Practice
Awareness of distant sounds practice is a mindfulness technique that involves intentionally focusing on the sounds around you, including those that are far away or barely audible. By paying attention to these sounds without judgment or distraction, you can cultivate a greater sense of mindfulness and awareness in your daily life. And when it comes to sleep, awareness of distant sounds can help create a more peaceful and calming environment by reducing the impact of unexpected or disruptive noises, allowing you to fall asleep more easily and enjoy a more restful night’s sleep.
3. Loving-Kindness Meditation
Loving-kindness meditation is a technique that involves cultivating feelings of love, compassion, and kindness towards yourself and others. This technique can be particularly helpful for those who struggle with anxious or restless thoughts that keep them awake at night. Start by sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, and bring to mind someone you love and care about deeply. Next, repeat a series of phrases silently to yourself, such as ‘may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be safe, may you live with ease’. After a few minutes, switch to focusing on yourself and repeat the same phrases. This practice can help to reduce stress and promote feelings of warmth and wellbeing, which can make it easier to fall asleep.
If you’re struggling to sleep, it may be worth trying some of these less common mindfulness techniques to help you drift off into a deep slumber.
By incorporating practices such as gratitude, awareness of distant sounds, and loving-kindness meditation into your bedtime routine, you may find that you’re able to sleep more soundly and wake up feeling more refreshed and energised.
You can find some free guided versions of these practices on our Resources page.
by Natasha Douglas | Mar 15, 2023 | All Blog Posts
If you or someone you know lives with endometriosis, you’re likely aware of how challenging and uncomfortable it can be.
This chronic condition affects the reproductive organs and can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. But there are ways to help manage these symptoms and improve your quality of life. One great strategy is mindfulness – it can be a powerful tool in your toolkit for feeling better!
Mindfulness is a practice that involves bringing your attention to the present moment, without judgement. By developing a greater awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, you can learn to better manage your symptoms and improve your overall well-being. Here are some potential benefits of mindfulness for people with endometriosis:
1. Pain management
Endometriosis pain can be intense and difficult to manage. Mindfulness can help you to focus on the present moment rather than becoming consumed by the pain. By developing a greater awareness of your body and the sensations you’re experiencing, you can identify triggers and develop strategies for managing pain. This can help you to feel more in control of your symptoms and reduce the impact that pain has on your life.
2. Stress reduction
Living with endometriosis can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. Mindfulness can help to reduce stress and anxiety by calming the mind and body. By learning to focus on the present moment, you can reduce worry about the future and regrets about the past, which can help to alleviate stress.
3. Improved sleep
Endometriosis pain can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Mindfulness can help to promote better sleep quality by reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Mindfulness meditation can also help to calm racing thoughts and promote feelings of tranquillity, which can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
4. Improved mood
Living with endometriosis can take a toll on your mental health. Mindfulness can help to improve your mood and boost feelings of positivity. By developing greater self-awareness and learning to focus on the present moment, you can reduce negative thoughts and emotions and cultivate a more positive outlook on life.
So which mindfulness techniques can help?
1. Body scan meditation
Endometriosis can cause physical discomfort and pain, so it’s important to be able to tune in to your body and manage these sensations mindfully. A body scan meditation involves lying down and systematically bringing awareness to each part of the body, noticing any sensations without judgement. This can help you become more familiar with the different sensations in your body and learn to respond to them in a calm, non-reactive way.
2. Deep breathing
Mindful breathing is a simple but powerful way to calm the mind and reduce stress, which can help manage symptoms of endometriosis. One technique is to breathe in deeply through your nose for a count of four, hold for a count of four, and then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Repeat this for several breaths, focusing on the sensation of the breath moving in and out of the body.
3. Mindful movement
Gentle movement can be a great way to relieve tension and reduce pain associated with endometriosis. Mindful movement practices such as yoga, tai chi or qigong can help you connect with your body and breath, while also building strength and flexibility. These practices can help improve circulation and reduce stress, which can help manage symptoms of endometriosis. It’s important to choose movements that feel good for your body and to move mindfully, paying attention to how your body feels as you move.
While mindfulness is not a cure for endometriosis, it can be a valuable tool for managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
If you’re interested in trying mindfulness, we highly recommend you check out our 4-week introductory Compassionate Mindful Resilience course. Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider about whether mindfulness might be a helpful addition to your endometriosis management plan.
by Claire Kidd | Oct 20, 2022 | All Blog Posts
Put yourself in the shoes of an adopted child for one moment. Imagine how confusing it must be when friends talk about their families (Mum, Dad, siblings). Then an adoptive child talks about theirs.
Theirs can involve a birth mother, some foster parents, a forever mum and maybe even some siblings that they don’t live with.
That is hard to process, with an adult brain, but a small child must be wondering who fulfils which role and they might also be thinking – who else is coming next and possibly what did I do wrong to have had this happen to me!
This is the truth of an adopted child’s identity.
All the hard times, loss and complicated life experiences don’t disappear as they settle into their forever home. They are always there and their life story will always be a big part of who they are.
Some people may wonder why they should speak about the trauma that the little one has experienced? Why talk about a family that is no longer there?
Research says that if we ignore it then it can cause more problems, from shame to anger to fantasising about what could have been. Experienced psychiatrist, Bessel Van Der Kolk, who wrote The Body Keeps the Score, explains that the trauma is already there and needs to be processed.
Growing up is hard enough, our children go through developmental stages where they learn about who they are, their place in the world and how important they are.
Adopted children have the extra layer of wondering, for example: why was I rejected? Why am I not with my birth family? Why do I have these big feelings that I don’t understand? Why is it hard for me to trust new people?
These are big questions for small brains and needs to be supported and this is why an adopted child’s support network is so important.
As they start to understand that they are safe, loved and important they need trusted and consistent adults to always be there for them and to love them as they are, no matter what.
Let’s be honest, sometimes they don’t always feel lovable as they push you away, try to be in control, are defiant or aggressive. My daughter and I have a phrase we use in our trickier moments, where I say “I am sticking with you” and she replies “like glue”.
Helping family and friends to understand the impact of trauma on an adopted child, helps them to help the child. Building a strong relationship with school ensures strategies are put in place to help the child feel safe and to be able to learn. Helping other children to understand is really important and also helps teach empathy.
As an adoptive parent, you also need to embrace your child’s identity and their background. The birth family is their first family and will always have a place in their lives.
It’s about digging deep and accepting that the children will have a curiosity about them and want to talk about them.
It’s about keeping in touch with foster families, to show the little ones that they are still there and they still care, and that good adults exist in the world.
It’s about keeping in touch with adoption agencies and seeking as much support as you need every step of the way, and being bold (and sometimes pushy) to get that support.
I believe support should be forthcoming for our children, but I have also learnt that you have to fight for it. You have to be the warrior they need to get the support required.
I have also learnt that parenting is HARD and it’s important to ask for help for me, whilst also investing heavily in self-care.
With this in mind I am so grateful for my mindfulness toolkit. I find the 8-attitudes help me in acknowledging and accepting what is, which isn’t always easy.
Both my daughter and I now have toolkits like breath, mantra, movement and touch to help us manage our big feelings whenever they rise to the surface!
She’s a Mindfulness Warrior, age 6!
If you want to know more about how mindfulness and compassion can support you then please get in touch.
Click here to learn more about adoption and support National Adoption Week. #YouCanAdopt.
by Claire Kidd | Sep 27, 2022 | All Blog Posts
We are now at the halfway point of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher training course and I am really enjoying the course. I love our zoom group; they are a kind, friendly bunch and it is a safe non-judgmental space for sharing learning and leading practices and inquiry.
We have a WhatsApp group where we ask questions, seek clarification and offer each other support. There are also smaller ‘buddy’ groups where some of us meet regularly online to do practices with each other, give feedback and discuss relevant information. Peer support and feedback really helps with the process and is an important learning tool.
I felt quite moved in our last teaching session when we did a whole group ‘mindful movement’ practice where we all took it in turns to focus on an area of the body, then hand over to the next person. It flowed so smoothly and everyone’s contribution was amazing. It felt like one of those perfect, serendipitous moments, never to be repeated again. I never knew that leaning on zoom in this way would be so rewarding.
Some of us are planning to teach our first 8-week MBSR course, arranging supervision, seeking out venues or setting up online forums and engaging with prospective participants. Others are taking it slowly and at a pace that suits them. This is one of the benefits of this course as you’re not restricted to a final deadline to qualify so if you want to take more than a year, you can do so.
The support from our tutor Karen Atkinson at MindfulnessUK is fantastic and I’m just about to sign up to join the Community Membership, which gives access to networking and training events, peer sitting groups, retreats and resources to support your teaching.
If you’re considering doing an MBSR teacher training course but are a bit unsure, I can really recommend this course. I’m looking forward to getting to the teaching and supervision stage and will update with my reflections on that next time.
If you have any queries about this course then please contact the friendly MindfulnessUK team at info@mindfulnessuk.com or give us a call on 01823 697890.
