Soul Therapy® - Bristol and London Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation

Stephen Shaw has degrees in Communication, Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology as well as postgraduate diplomas in Neurolinguistic Programming, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Advanced Scientific Hypnotherapy, Past Life Regression, Psychometric Assessment, Training and Development, and Leadership. Stephen has over 15 years of therapy, healing and business experience, and is a registered member of the British Psychological Society.

For a personal consultation click on the Personal Consultations button at top of the page; for more information about Stephen click on the Stephen Shaw button at top of the page.

Book a Soul Therapy Meditation Session to learn about the various types of meditations and learn how to meditate; with an optional follow-up session after two weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of meditation?

Reducing stress, anxiety and depression; increasing mental and emotional peace; increasing self-acceptance and self-love; deeper and more restful sleep; greater clarity of mind and increasing creativity; increasing energy; deepening sense of connection and understanding of life and self; naturally improving sense of well-being; moving toward bliss.

What is meditation?

When you were born your mind was clear and beautiful like a crystal lake. This beautiful clear lake has gradually been filled with pollution for as long as you have been alive. Pollution results from all the shoulds, musts, rules, measures, media, culture, religion, school, parents and the list goes on. Who are you really? Can you see yourself beyond all this imposed pollution? Most people have no sense of their true nature and as a result experience varying degrees of stress, anger, anxiety, emptiness and depression.

Meditation simply clears this pollution, revealing the beautiful crystal-clear lake that is always present, and gradually helps you discover your true nature and deeper reality.

How do you meditate?

Meditation is not about uncomfortable postures, concentration, mantras or prayers. It is not associated or linked to any religion, teacher, guru or spiritual philosophy. Meditation is about You. It is an individual practice; it is your journey into freedom and peace.

Simply put, meditation is the ability to distance yourself from the mind. Imagine you are sitting on a hill and watching the motorway traffic just a short distance away. Meditation is learning to watch the traffic of the mind: the endless flow of thoughts and emotions. Most of us are lost in this traffic, instead of simply watching it travel past.

Meditation gradually shows you that you are not your body, your mind or your emotions. As time goes by you learn about your true nature and deeper reality; you touch bliss!

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a form of meditation. It is something you do with your eyes closed for 20-30 minutes when you are watching the traffic of your mind moving past. When you find yourself lost in your thoughts or emotions, simply notice your breath and watch again.

Mindfulness is also a meditation you can do every moment of every day. With practice you learn to notice your breath and watch what is happening around you. What are you seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling? Instead of getting lost in all the stimulation you begin to mindfully observe the events and people nearby.

As you develop your watching skills - you will become more adept at not attaching to your thoughts and feelings or to the events happening around you. You will also become more adept at not resisting your thoughts and feelings or life events. You will begin to observe and experience yourself, others and life in a relaxed non-judgemental way.

How will I transform?

In the West we have mastered the art of suppressing or burying many of our uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. We often seek therapy to get rid of these. When they arise we usually berate ourselves and battle even harder to get rid of them. All this battling, defending, resisting and suppressing merely pollutes the beautiful lake of the mind. Meditation that witnesses and notices all these thoughts and emotions actually clears the pollution thereby allowing natural transformation to occur.

Transformation is an individual process that unfolds in a way that is best for You. Meditation does not require faith; it is a natural and nourishing clearing of the polluted lake. When you meditate you should hold no outcomes or agenda in mind. There is nothing to do or achieve except to simply watch the contents of your mind. You are watching an interesting film. Sometimes there will be a moment when there is no traffic, no thoughts and nothing to watch ... and you may become aware of the observer - the one who watches.

Is there a meditation MP3?

If you prefer support when you are meditating then try the transformative Two Worlds Meditation MP3 (click on the Soul Therapy MP3s button at the top of the page).

This MP3 uses advanced scientific hypnotic relaxation and subtle energy principles to guide you during mindfulness meditation. It relaxes you into a comfortable altered state and allows you to move toward a place of tranquility and freedom. You can listen to it once or twice a day, or even only once every second day. You simply fit in the meditation with your work, study or life schedule.

There are many excellent London and Bristol psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, counsellors and life coaches who can help open a new world for you. Soul Therapy is a London and Bristol psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, counselling and life coaching practice that offers a range of services tailored to each individual client. Soul Therapy was founded upon a decade of experience in psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, counselling and healing.

You Have Only Moments To Live

You have only moments to live ... this moment here and now ... and this moment here and now ... and here now ... here now ... here now.

This is all you really have. Time is an illusion. All we have are a number of here now moments joined together.

What is mindfulness? It's being fully present in this moment ... here now. An interesting meditation is to just say "Here Now" whenever you find yourself trying to recreate your past or live in your future.

Every time you ruminate about the past or get lost in fantasies about the future, you are not here now, and you lose this precious moment to be alive. "If only" or "I should have" or "What if" distract you from here now.

Being mindful means learning to accept what IS. Noticing your thoughts and emotions as they rise up and sail past. Not attaching, not resisting, not judging - just noticing the traffic of your mind and heart as it travels past. Sometimes you may even experience pure awareness with no traffic.

Being fully present in the moment means awareness of your senses, your internal sensations, your thoughts, your emotions, your actions. Just mindful watching and observing.

And every so often you will wake up ... and ask yourself ... Who is the Watcher?

There Are No Ordinary Moments

Living in the moment is a lot more than mere mindfulness about Here Now. Being here now means being fully present in this precious moment instead of trying to recreate your past or live in your future. But it is more than putting your past and your future to one side.

Truly living in the moment creates powerful, poignant and transcendent experiences. For most of us, pouring and drinking a glass of water is done automatically - we do it without thinking consciously about our actions. Usually your mind is on something else while pouring and drinking a glass of water, e.g. a deadline, a work project, fetching the children, planning an event, shopping, regretting - anything but focusing on the present moment.

Try this exercise: Stand with an empty glass in your hand in front of the tap or water filter. Pay close attention to the tap and the empty glass. Very slowly open the tap. Imagine you have never seen water before. Be fascinated. Slow everything right down.

Now really use your eyes and see how the water flows into the glass, and how the water appears. Hold up the glass and examine every bit of the glass and the water.

Now slowly dip a finger into the water. Feel it thoroughly, noting its texture and temperature. Place the glass under your nose, becoming aware of any aroma and any body responses. Take your time.

Bring the glass slowly to your lips, noticing what the body is doing and feeling. Take a sip of the water and let it rest in your mouth while you become aware of the feel of the water, and then move the water gently in your mouth. Notice your intention to swallow, and as you swallow, notice the feeling.

Next time you are outside your office, in a restaurant, in your garden or walking in nature, try to slow everything right down and allow yourself to really see, to truly hear, to intensely feel, and to deeply sense what is around you. Be fascinated and enraptured. Truly experience the moments.

The Magic And Challenges Of Life

Many of us have the idea that at some point in life, whether through will or intention or faith or prayer or hard work, everything will start to be really wonderful. The difficulties we experience will subside and there will be more and more moments of happiness, bliss and peace.

Have a look at your body right now. What is magic about your body? What do you like? What do you find challenging, e.g. an injury, a disability, or the way something looks?

Now look at your mind. What is magic about your mind? What do you like about it? What do you find challenging, e.g. you get gripped by thoughts about the past, you berate yourself?

Now look at your emotional self. What is magic about your emotions? What do you like about your emotions? What do you find challenging, e.g. you are not assertive enough?

Now look at your lover or partner or children. What is magic about them? What do you find really challenging?

Finally, have a good look at your life. What is magic about your life? What challenges are you experiencing?

As you journey through life you will always experience both magic and challenges. This is part of the adventure and part of the reason you are alive. Magic inspires and makes you feel good, whereas challenges push you in new directions and expand your thinking, understanding and way of living.

Now ... what would happen if you let go of the concept of magic and challenges? What would you experience if you began to accept your body, mind, emotions, lover, partner, children and Life just as they are?

How would your life be if you were fully present in each moment, fully present with your body and mind and emotions, and fully present with your lover, partner, children and Life?

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"Soul Therapy" is a trademark registered in the European Union
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and falls under the domain of Soul Therapy.

Soul Therapy was established in 1995.

Soul Therapy

Suite 30
42 Triangle West
Bristol BS8 1ES
United Kingdom

1-7 Harley Street
London W1G 9QD

(+44) 07800939971

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