Group Guided Meditation and Mindfulness Workshop

Finding coherent balance 

Written and delivered by Gabrielle Demmery-James BSc Hons, Dip Hyp CS.

Making the “woo woo” make sense with  Science and Psychology.  

I am a practicing Buddhist, I provide a relaxing guided meditation and Mindfulness workshop, to equip you with the skills and knowledge to practice mindfulness daily, as part of your lifestyle. I provide information, resources and worksheet packs to guide you in your journey to mindfulness.

“ I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become” – Carl Jung 

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor”- Thich Nhat Hanh 

“Mental health is just as important as physical health, and in some ways, even more so, because the mind affects the body” – Dalai Lama.  

“ Once you break the habit of being yourself and truly change your mind, your life will never be the same”- Dr Joe Dispenza  

Why practice mindfulness?

A great body of research has discovered that people who practice mindfulness and meditation are happier and healthier.  

• Meditation reduces anxiety and depression as well as improving emotional regulation and chronic stress. 

• Increased sense of purpose 

• Ability to act less automatically- switching off autopilot for everyday ‘mundane’ tasks.  

• Time spent doing valuable meaningful things 

• Meditation reduces mortality, one study showed a 30% decrease in the rate of cardiovascular mortality and 49% decrease in the rate of mortality due to cancer  (Williams and Penman, 2011).  

• Research has shown that an mindfulness based cognitive therapy courses (developed by Mark Williams and colleagues) reduces the chances of suffering from depression by around 40-50% in people who have previously suffered from depression, preventing relapse (Williams and Penman, 2011).  

• Mindfulness boosts resilience to life’s setbacks and challenges.  

• Meditation improves relationships  

• Meditation boosts immunity, reduce blood pressure and activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest and repair (cell renewal)  

• Improve sleep and over all life quality  

• Increases heart rate variability thus lowering cardiovascular disease  

• Meditation is disconnecting from your environment. (Williams and Penman, 2011) 

One in six adults had a “common mental disorder” (McManus, 2016) 

• Burnout (Constant fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, reduced motivation, brain fog and feelings of dread) has a statistic of 1 in 5 working adults reporting needing time off work for stress causing burnout (Mental Health UK, 2024) 

• Meditation is not a religion  

• Meditation does not have to be what is portrayed on the TV 

• Meditation does not have to take a long time.  

• Meditation is not complicated, there is no right or wrong way to do it. 

• 70% of the time people are in the stressed state.  

• Why wait for something bad to happen to change? 

  Do you find yourself asking questions such as:

  • What’s wrong with me? 

  • Why do I always make mistakes? 

  • What’s up with me today? 

  • I should be happy- why cant I just get a grip 

  • What did I do this morning?

  • Why cant I go to sleep without tossing and turning? 

  • Why do I always overthink? 

  • Why cant I be more present in the moment? 

  • Why do I always feel up against it? 

  • Why do I still feel like this when I am doing all the right things physically though diet and exercise but I am not making progress or feeling better? 

Investment exchange of £5 per person per week.

Please fill in the contact form below or contact me to book:

gabriellesguidance@outlook.com

WhatsApp or call me on: 07751001381

These sessions can be joined remotely.

Address:

Doynton Village Hall

Toghill Ln, Doynton, Bristol BS30 5SY

Upcoming dates: 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd of May 2025

Time: 6pm-7pm

Please use the form below or contact me to book.

Please bring a mat, if you don’t have one and want to come along, please get in touch and I can supply a mat for you.