Mindfulness & Yoga Courses
We would all like to let go of some stress and worries, feel content, sleep easily, get along better with others and have a happy and healthy body and mind.
Yoga and Mindfulness are effective disciplines at helping us to do just that.
8 Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course
A clinically proven programme for reducing stress and anxiety.
Regulate emotions: Mindfulness helps us to become more practiced at noticing and accepting our emotions. Rather than being pushed and pulled by them, we can find more stability and balance.
Work with difficult thoughts : A good Mindfulness practice helps us to notice how our mind (and all minds) are full of thoughts. In time we learn to become familiar with the different ways that our thinking can cause us difficulty and what we can do to loosen their grip on our day to day life.
Develop compassion for self and others: Mindfulness must contain warmth (kindness, tenderness, care, love, compassion). Developing compassion for our self and also for other people (beings) is the secret sauce that allows us to really step into wellbeing.
Calm, peace and joy: A dedicated practice of sitting and tuning into yourself and the world around you has its ups and downs. Inevitably however, we find that it is the small and simple things in life that help us to feel peace and contentment
Over the course of eight weeks, you will develop a deeper understanding of your emotions and reactions, learn how to pause and respond, rather than react impulsively, and build a strong foundation for a more balanced and fulfilling life. Through mindfulness, you'll discover how to bring your focus to the present moment, embracing it with openness and non-judgment.
Taught by skilled practitioner Tom Powell you will receive 16 hours of teaching time, and be guided through home practice with follow-along meditations.
Learners Guide
All participants on the course will have access to helpful learning material that is accessible through this website. There is a page for every week to help support your journey and where all resources for home practice, and additional learning can be found.
Why Choose Swoop Coaching
An important part of any learning is finding the teacher that is right for you. Tom is a certified and accredited Mindfulness Practitioner. He completed his 12 month teacher training through Mind in Salford, and he is a certified teacher through the British Association of Mindfulness Based Activities (BAMBA). Tom is also Mental Health First Aid Qualified. We have included links to videos testimonials and articles and the about me page so you can get a genuine feel for who Tom is and how he approaches teaching and Mindfulness, if you have any further questions or if there is anything else you would like to know before booking then don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Online Yoga Session(s) with Laura Swoop £7
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Beginners and Intermediates
De-Stressing mind and body,
Preparing for sleep
Cultivating calm
Physical health and wellbeing -
1 Hour
Tuesday Evenings 7.30 - 8.30
Online Via Zoom£8 Per Session
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A reliable internet connection
A mat or rug
A space to move and stretch
Some water
A blanket
A block or prop (optional) -
Simply click the “schedule appointment button” below. Choose your session date(s) and pay online.
8 Week Virtual Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course (MBSR) with Tom £200
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Living a more stress free life.
Becoming more emotionally balanced.
Deeper Awareness of self and others.People new to Mindfulness and also people with mindfulness/meditation experience or wanting to repeat the course
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£200 for the whole course
2 Hours for each virtual session (usually the same time each week) As well as a commitment to 15 to 30 minutes each day for home practice. Exact timings and dates depend on the individual course.
This is a virtual course, via Zoom
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A reliable internet connection
A quiet space where you will not be disturbed
A commitment to daily meditation practice
Yoga and Mindfulness Videos
A series of Yoga videos by Laura. filmed in nature. Relax and unwind. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and click the bell 🔔 to receive reminders when a new video is released.
A series of videos on mindfulness by Tom, including guided meditations
What is Mindfulness
One definition of Mindfulness is: “Paying attention to the present moment, non-judgementally and on purpose”. It is also sometimes described as a way of “Coming home to the body”.
Mindfulness requires a dedication towards a formal practice, most preferably on a daily basis, although if a day or two is missed here or there or it is only possible to do a few days a week, then it is important to remember that something is better than nothing.
Practicing Mindfulness is a marathon and not a sprint and it isn’t about how fast you move, just that you keep going over time.
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Mindfulness meditation is NOT about emptying the mind. In fact it is about spending time to really observe the mind. When we regularly sit with the mind, we get to see thoughts, appear, linger and dissapear.
At other times meditation might be about placing the attention onto sensations that we have in our body.
Meditation is NOT always spent sitting still either, and it doesn’t need to be spent sat cross legged on the floor. We might meditate whilst walking, doing some gentle stretches or doing the washing up.
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The breath is important in meditation because it is something that we always have with us and each breath is always a little bit different. This means that we can use our breath as a reliable way of bringing our attention into our body and to cultivate a sense of mindful curiosity.
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In Mindful movement, there is a strong emphasis on not achieving any particular goal (such as strength, flexibility, gracefulness or speed) instead it’s focus is on, “moment to moment awareness. “. To that end, the movements we practice, are slow, and provide space and time to stop and reflect.
Mindful movement can be made accessible for anyone.
What is Yoga
The meaning of the word yoga can approximate to mean “union”. This union refers to bringing back together the body mind and spirit all of which can be forgotten or treated as separate.
Practicing Yoga, is much more than moving the body into different postures. In fact, the practice of physical postures (known as asana) is only 1 out of a total of 8 practices in the yoga discipline.
Rather than just a workout, a commitment to yoga practice allows us to truly feel at home within our self as well as to be connected to others and the world around us.
Many people feel deeply relaxed after a yoga session, as they bring their focus into uniting their mind body and spirit, whilst simultaneously letting go of the stresses they no longer need to carry.
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We can often treat our body as if it is only a carriage for the mind, or as an item to put on display for others to notice.
Our body is in fact just as important to our sense of wellbeing as our mind is.
Through the deliberate practice of movement and stillness, challenge and ease, balance and imbalance and symmetry and asymmetry. We can become more attuned to the importance of our body and how we and it are all one.
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Yoga encourages us to consider where we place our attention. As we hold positions of balance, or intensity, or when we sit or lie in moments of stillness we can become aware of how our mind is stimulated and also have choice with how we wish to direct our mind.
With practice we can learn to recognise that we are not directly ruled by our thoughts or our emotions, and instead we can create a spaciousness in our yoga to watch them come and go, whilst being the witness to our experience.
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The ‘spirit’ in yoga relates to finding a deeper sense of self realisation.
The Asanas (postures) are all linked to a deeper symbolism that can be created through how we apply our body and mind to each pose.
Some poses hide the heart, and bring us into ourselves for a sense of security, stability and introversion. Other poses expose our heart and challenge us to be with ‘instability’, vulnerability or extraversion.
Yoga at this level can require a level of self-care and courage, as we re-connect with parts of ourselves that we might have kept hidden even from ourselves for some time. The upshot of this, is that once reconnected we tend to find more peace and ease with who we are.
Many people find that they have a deep and easy sleep after a yoga session where they find their spirit within a pose.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you can’t find an answer to your question here, then feel free to get in touch with Tom or Laura via team@swoopcoaching.com
For the Mindfulness course see also our: MBSR Terms and conditions
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No experience is necessary. This course is suitable for people who have never done any kind of meditation before. It is also suitable for those who have already been on a Mindfulness course, or done some medtitating in the past and would like a refresher.
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All the meditations are guided. You will have full access to the complete recordings of the meditations for your home practice. And during the group participation Tom will provide guided meditations for the group.
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The only things that you need to bring are yourself and perhaps a blanket. For the virtual course you will need a stable internet connection and a room where you won’t be disturbed (perhaps some headphones if this helps keeps the course private) and you wil also require a space where you can lie down for the meditations, at least for the first two sessions.
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Approximately 30 minutes of Mindfulness per day for at least 5 days each week is required.
This is discussed in more detail at the beginning of the course.
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Sometimes the course isn’t always suitable for a persons current situation. Before anyone comes on the course I will spend some time to listen and find out if I think that the course will be helpful. In the instance of powerful grief or a recent loss of a loved one, this course will not be the right thing at the right time. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns and I will be happy to listen and do what I can.
It is important to say that this course is not designed with therapy or counselling in mind, and it does not seek to diagnose or treat people. Tom is trauma aware and the course is designed to be trauma sensitive and Tom is also mental Health First Aid trained. He aims to deliver a course in a way that is holistic and kind and focused on non-judgemental awareness of the present moment experience.
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The answer is a probable yes, Mindfulness meditation can be adapted to suit the requirements of the individual, and many people find that with practice, Mindfulness can help them with their pain or discomfort. It is true however that sitting without distractions can sometimes make pain or discomfort take ‘centre stage’ and this might be unhelpful or too much. This is something that can be discussed in person before booking onto the course.
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Yes there is, however it is optional and invitational. Commonly people are asked if they would like to share their experience after a meditation, or they are invited to ask questions after a teaching. Sometimes breakout rooms are used so participants can share their experiences in groups of 2s or 3s and without the facilitator present. It is helpful for people to hear the experiences of others as the course progresses.
If any of this is a concern for you, then please let me know when you contact me using the booking form, and we can discuss what would be most helpful for you.
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If a session is missed, you will be sent through some information to help you catch up with what you have missed, and you are asked to continue with the new practices. If two consecutive sessions are missed then a 1-1 catch up would be necessary at an additional £65.
If 3 or more sessions are missed then you will be asked to rebook onto a new course at a more convenient time.
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The great thing about Mindfulness is that it doesn’t ask you to empty your mind, only to ‘notice’ the mind. This means for people who have a mind that is busy, or who have struggled with other types of meditation in the past, then they should find that Mindfulness is a much more accessible practice
Mindfulness
Yoga
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No experience is necessary. Almost all courses are suitable for people who have never tried yoga before. Sessions that are unsuitable for beginners will be labelled ‘intermediate or advanced’.
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A yoga mat is useful, although a soft carpet or rug can also be used. It is important to protect the joints and body by preventing them from being pushed into hoard surfaces.
A yoga block is also useful to help the body to be in the correct alignment.
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You might find Yoga helpful for you.
Most of the sessions finish with a lying down meditation called shavasana, and this can sometimes feel like too much if you are currently experiencing a lot of stress. I would advise you to contact me via team@swoopcoaching.com before booking the session. The most important thing is that you remain kind to yourself.
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No movement or posture is compulsory and more comfortable alternatives can be suggested. The most important thing is to work with your body rather than against it. If you have any concerns, please get in touch with me before booking and we can find out what would be most helpful for you.
