Oxford Unitarians : Mindfulness Retreat

This was held yesterday in Abingdon at Ethelwold House.  How lucky the town is to have this legacy as a 'spiritual' centre. Incidentally, they used to brew beer there in the seventeenth century. 

http://ethelwoldhouse.com/

There were about fifteen of us, all of a certain age.  I reflected on how younger people in mainstream family/work life do not often have time for the luxury of a spiritual existence in our society. Having said that the morning was not about the spiritual side of mindfulness but more the clinical side. It was run by two women, Ruth Baer is visiting from the US and gave a really clear and very good presentation.  I asked her questions and have clarified the boundaries between CBT, mindfulness and the more spiritual aspects. 

http://www.ruthbaer.com/contact/index.php

You can read about Mindfulness here. 

https://psychology.as.uky.edu/users/rbaer

People who live in and enjoy the present are known to be happier than those who dwell in the past or the future.  It is about being and not thinking and it aids compassion. 

Sheila Bond is a mindfulness practitioner having been a physio in Newbury in an earlier life. 

http://livingwellmindfulness.com/

I discovered that some people are more mindful naturally than others. It struck me how happy my husband is 'in the moment' most of the time.   He notices lots of things, and enjoys them. 

I think I must be quite mindful too. We did a short exercise which had us shutting our eyes and being aware of our breathing and bodies etc. A lot of people were unable to be aware of their clothing. It turned out I am the only one in the room to be aware of 'feeling their clothes on their body' I was totally gob smacked. I thought everybody could. 

The afternoon was about 'mindfulness based art or self awareness through art' with Jan Laker an art therapist.  I was a bit sceptical at first and didnt know where it was going but I emerged perhaps clearer about how I am feeling.  First Jan reassured us that it wasn't about being an artist or good at art.  Then we had to make a picture with a partner (chosen by identifying someone in similar colours) , just copying each other in turns. I realised quickly that I wanted to make a nice neat design, which again didn't tell me anything about myself I didn't know (I am a tidy person and a perfectionist!) but it was good to have some confirmation. 

Then we had to make a mandala. We had to have 4 quadrants for feelings, thoughts, intuition and senses. 

This is mine. 

I have done a lot of tears for feelings (sadness), my Dad's caterpillar badge for thoughts (I miss my parents, had not realised how much ) and a blue perfect space for intuition (knowing I am coming to terms with all this) and then for sensing I did a lot of jagged stuff which was about the fact that everything is an effort at times. 

Then she sent us in the garden to find something we were drawn too and stand by it being mindful. (OMG I thought) However I was soon drawn to one of those wooden things for plants to grow up. It reminded me of a stupa or Maselow's heirarchy I think; anyway it helped me realise I was getting to the top of some kind of summit. Blablabla. We had to come in and draw it in another mandala.  

Then Jan made us do a third mandala combining elements of the first two and reaching some sort of conclusion. It was quite satisfying. 

I drew the tears at the bottom and the caterpillar somehow taking me to the perfect space at the top. 

It was a great, uplifting day.  At the end Catherine thanks our leaders and commented that we were becoming a real community.