Discussion Forum “Living Mindfully: The Art of Being Present” – National Psychology Week Event 2012

Tuesday November 13, 2012 marked the beginning of an exciting new series of monthly seminars and discussion forums held at Attuned Psychology, North Adelaide. We decided to commence this series as part of National Psychology Week event, an annual event which is about educating the community about the profession and how we work.

We opened the doors to our practice on a Tuesday evening and were stunned to see the response. 35 excited participants waited patiently for the red doors to open at 6pm as we set the scene for a fabulous night compromising an informative presentation, lively intelligent discussion and chatter over drinks and nibbles. With a full house of participants, some familiar faces, but many unaware of our practice and what we do, we commenced proceedings in the beautiful historic cobblestone courtyard of the old North Adelaide police station at 61 Archer Street.

At Attuned Psychology, we strongly believe in breaking down the barriers to access services and this discussion forum gave community members an opportunity to wander through our practice, get a feel for the comfortable, private environment that we have created to facilitate change and discovery, and learn something about the concept of mindfulness and how relevant it is in everyday life. From the buzz in the practice and the feedback received, we can clearly say that this event was a successful beginning to our series ahead. For those who missed it, make sure you watch out for future events.

Mindfulness is about learning to be fully present in the moment utilising a sense of openness and curiosity, and with the sound of the birds, the beauty of the garden, the urban traffic noises and the planes flying overhead, this gave us the perfect opportunity to practice mindfulness meditation. I was pleased to see that the participants were open, curious and willing to participate in some exercises that challenged them in many ways.

So how do we learn to focus on the breath with so many distractions? How do we pull our attention back to the breath when our thoughts hijack us and take us elsewhere? How do we show compassion to our self rather than getting caught up in judging our own self with our mind, a mind that can be so powerful? How do we learn to sit with and open ourselves up to discomfort rather than struggle with it? These were some of the challenges people faced willingly during the mindfulness mediation exercises as we introduced some of the concepts that shape the work we do each day with clients.

We were thrilled to see how many people had already experienced some benefits from applying mindfulness in their everyday life and how many were open to a new experience. Some of the areas discussed included the application to chronic pain, anxiety, everyday activities, enjoyable events and celebrations, intimacy (such as the 60 second kiss) and performance. Our team members gave great insights into their interest in applying mindfulness and encouraged some lively discussion that was stimulating for all concerned.

With senses stimulated in all directions, from the beautiful mindful images from photographer Leonard Choice, of My Best of Photography, the wonderful finger food, champagne and wine, cobblestone courtyard and garden, the chatter and buzz of the people, the participants truly enjoyed an evening of practicing mindfulness at all levels. So next time, make sure you don’t miss out and book early!

The good news is that we have a wonderful range of events ahead to stimulate the senses, the intellect and to connect with your values around learning, education and socialising…….. so make sure you book early as there are limited places.

These are exciting times ahead as we face a new era at Attuned Psychology with the opening of the tranquil courtyard space and the consulting rooms to the community on a monthly basis in this engaging format.

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We look forward to welcoming you to our practice.