Moving Beyond Technique The role of therapists in creating an environment for instigating a positive, inspiring and reinvigorating change, both within themselves and the people they work with. When your mind is in a certain state your body responds whether that is due to a nightmare, worrying about a past event or fears for the future. The body does not distinguish between what is real or not real. So when you are working as a therapist and when you are sat on the sofa thinking about your work, your body is responding physiologically.

What do you expect to get from today? I hope to meet your expectations... Is that enough? Business as usual for me was not an option… When I was a young man this how I approached a new day. But with advancing years this is how things changed! Well by this time a sense of hope is replaced by despair!!!

In order for you to get the most from today you need to know… What kind of therapist are you? What do you believe in as a therapist? Then have a plan for: What kind of therapist and person do you want to become “Everyone takes the limits of their own vision for the limits of the world” Schopenhauer Workbook question 1-3 Attitudes list

Making the most of the day In evolutionary terms, do you (or your nervous system) see today as an opportunity or a threat( to your identity and beliefs)? You will have to become aware of what habits undermine and what habits support. 'We cannot change anything until we accept it.' Carl Jung You will have to make the unconscious conscious The content of the course will have to have meaning and significance for you as an individual.

Challenges we face "What we are aware of we are in control of what we are not aware of is in control of us.” Behaviour? Performance? Attitudes? Thoughts? Feelings? Emotions? Sensations? Dr Alan Watkins Workbook standing awareness

1. Breathing 2. Bodily sensations/awareness 3. Awareness of the challenges we face as therapists 4. Identifying unsupportive habits 5. Identifying supportive habits 6. Plan for the new you Plan for the day

Breathing and the mind The mind is everything...what you think, you become - Buddha What you think, is reflected in how you breathe. Is it possible to change our bodies in order to change our state of mind?

Practical: In pairs breathing assessment and observation Observation skill: Notice changes in breathing from positive state of mind to negative state of mind. Teaching Point: So changing our state of mind can change our state of being and the health of the body. Breathing and the mind

Practical: Teaching of vase breath. /watch?v=0gUqNmg1--Q Observation and palpation skill: Watch /feel the vase in pairs Practical : Resistance to breath Observation: Notice where the breath flows with ease and where it bumps into resistance. How to observe these areas? Workbook 5-8 Within self and partner

Body awareness and sensations Practical: Yoga Nidra Observation skill: Notice in self and with partner

Body awareness and sensations The following can be download from ITunes and has 10/20/30 minute recordings, or the same recordings can be found on YouTube for free. Itunes – Yoga Nidra 10 minutes - esktop esktop 20 minutes - esktop esktop 30 minutes - desktop desktop

Body awareness and sensations Practical: Standing body scan Observation skill: In self and partner

Body awareness and sensations Practical: Attention to the body parts and into the space beyond. Observation skill: Within self The following YouTube clip in the first three minutes discusses the bigger picture.

Body awareness and sensations Practical: Mindful palpation exercise Observation skill: In partner

Challenges we face "What we are aware of we are in control of what we are not aware of is in control of us.” Workbook 9-11 Behaviour? Performance? Attitudes? Thoughts? Feelings? Emotions? Sensations? Dr Alan Watkins

Challenges we face Practical: Palpation of tissues with different mind states Observation From tissues From partner. Practical Listening to partners' stories with different mind state In threes – One story teller – One observer of story teller – One observer of observer! Observation From listeners perspective From story tellers perspective

Challenges we face Thoughts are just thoughts. Metaphors for the transient nature of thoughts Being mindful is like standing on a railway platform watching the carriages go by. Is like watching our thoughts go by like leaves on a stream, while we stand on the river bank. Watching our thoughts can be like scrolling through our box; we can pass over some of the s, noticing that they are there without having to open them.

Challenges we face Repetitive Thoughts Do you ever have recurring thoughts, that go around and around like a sushi conveyor belt. Mindfulness of associations These associations may be considered as 'sticky', we may find it hard to let them go. So for example just by looking in the appointments book you see your clients for the day Oh no not Mrs Snodgrass...etc etc Mindfulness of interpretations This is the meaning which we put on an event. If a patient is late...what are your thoughts? Oh no they must be worse and are not coming back.....or they must be finding it difficult getting i to a parking space? Mindfulness of Judgments Noticing when we make make evaluative judgments, such as good/bad, right/wrong.

Challenges we face Practicing being mindful of thoughts Thoughts can come as words or images There are no right or wrong thoughts We are not attempting to challenge or change the thoughts, just to notice them Maintaining an open hearted approach can help us open our minds. Stepping back from the thought....label the thoughts Thoughts may be pleasant or unpleasant and provoke pleasant or unpleasant emotions.

Challenges we face The Ego I think therefore I am.... So when dealing with Barriers, it is important to understand where those barriers are to be found Survival mode verses creative mode Brainwaves are very different in each mode. The beta survival mode does not just protect us from being eaten by a lion but protects the self that we have projected to the world, as opposed to the self we really are. The alpha and theta waves are more associated with the twilight zone, between consciousness and unconscious mind. We can often identify what we want to change but good intentions often fall on stoney ground. Change takes place in the subconscious mind.

Attitude of the therapist Attitudes we can foster with regard the present moment experience: Acceptance Patience Seeing afresh Trust Curiosity Letting go Kindness Gratitude Forgiveness Being prepared to fail Attitudes that may hinder our present moment experience: Fear Certainty Perfectionism Judgment

Unsupportive habits What do they feel like? What unhelpful habits do you bring to your therapy sessions? Behaviour? Performance? Attitudes? Thoughts? Feelings? Emotions? Sensations?

Unsupportive habits What sensations in the body are associated with your unsupportive habits? List of sensations: Observation skills What thoughts do you think when you experience these sensations/feelings?

Supportive habits What sensations in the body are associated with your unsupportive habits? Attitudes we can foster with regard the present moment experience: Acceptance Patience Seeing afresh Trust Curiosity Letting go Kindness or heartfulness Gratitude Forgiveness Being prepared to fail Attitudes that may hinder our present moment experience: Fear Certainty Perfectionism Judgment

Moving Forward What values do I want to live my life by? What emotions do I want to develop? What qualities and attitudes do I want to bring to the party? In what area of my life do I want to bring these changes? What will happen in my environment to let me know I am on the right track?

Plan for energized new you?

Thank You