Some comments from people I have worked with.
I came across mindfulness in a very round about way, mainly through clients telling me how much it has changed their lives. I decided to find out more and I am so pleased I found James’ mindfulness based stress reduction course. I completed the course 8 weeks ago now, and I am really noticing the benefits of regular practice. Life is very pressurised and we all struggle at times. What mindfulness has taught me is that spending a little bit of time each day focusing on the here and now, has really helped me deal with the various curve balls life throws at me. I have and will continue to recommend James’ courses to my clients, and to anyone struggling with the challenges of life. My only regret is not discovering it sooner.
At the end of the Mindfulness course with James, I am in a very different place than when I started the Mindfulness journey. Through James’ patience, support and encouragement I have not only learned how to remove some of the stress from everyday living but, more importantly, have been introduced to a reflective way of life that is both practical, regenerative and enjoyable. James is a great teacher by example and his good humour, sensitivity and calmness provided the perfect environment to learn about Mindfulness in action. It is a journey that I have just started but I am grateful to have had such a good teacher to guide me on my way.
I wanted to let you know how much I have appreciated your approach on the MBSR course, and how much it has supported my growth on this stage of my mindfulness journey. Your gentle and caring way of communicating with us all as a group and individually has been enormously helpful, allowing me to find new and less judgmental ways of managing my thoughts and emotions. Your willingness to share your experience, and your non-directive invitations to help us be with difficulties, have touched me. I believe your example has also deepened this capacity within myself, in my own interactions with clients and in everyday relationships, and I am truly grateful for this learning. Above all, James, I have found you consistently kind and compassionate, embodying all that I believe mindfulness can give us as human beings, and it’s been inspirational. Thank you.
Finding James and doing the mindfulness course was one of the best things that could have happened to me – it was at a very difficult time in my life, with a painful break-up battling for attention with a particularly stressful period at work, and I knew I wasn’t coping.
Within days I began to feel a little different. Within just a couple of weeks, I was seeing my whole world in a new way and for the better. What I appreciate most is perhaps the clarity of mind it has brought me, and with it a fizzing energy, both mental and physical. I approach problems in a whole new way, and indeed now see that most of them aren’t actually problems at all. I’m still me, but with enhanced sensibility and insight – which leads onto a new calmness. I see the world clearly, in brighter colours, and I love it that way.
Now, several months down the line and six weeks after finishing my course with James, I see discovering mindfulness as a watershed in my life. I have made it a daily, crucial and valued part of my routine and I truly treasure my half hour in the early morning. Extending it into my work and social life gets easier the more I focus on it, and I feel and appreciate its effects daily.
Mindfulness practice is something I intend to continue for life, and I feel strongly that although it helped me out of a depression and tireseome anxiety, it is also a truly great philosophy for life, for absolutely anyone, troubled or not.
I’d like to say thanks to you, James, for helping provide me with the tools to combat my anxieties and understand my life better. You have a great warmth and empathy towards people and I found our sessions incredibly helpful. Having suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for several years, you have helped me put these into perspective and shown me a way forward towards a happier, more fulfilling life.
So I just wanted to say goodbye for now and thank you once again sincerely. I was able to get through a period in my life which I was absolutely in pieces about and dreading, and was also able to teach some useful mindfulness techniques to my husband ready for a testing time ahead in his life, so thank you.
I have just wanted to say a huge thankyou to you for the help you gave me, it without doubt helped me on the big day. Though I was without doubt emotional I was relieved that I could keep control my feelings which let me enjoy the day.We had the most fantastic wedding day that exceeded what we could ever have imagined. So from both of us a big thankyou. I have attached a couple of piccies from the day for you to see.
I am in the process of starting a new business. I am working long hours and often feel overwhelmed by the challenges in front of me. After a few sessions with James, I was able to cope better and stay positive in spite of the pressures. The treatments are professional, supportive and relevant to my life. I am grateful to James for helping me find a way to enjoy the opportunities in front of me.