What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment
Why is mindfulness essential?
Enhances focus and improves attention
participants develop skills to self-regulate attention, concentration, memory and focus resulting in higher performance and better behavior.
Mindfulness brings you into the present to address what is in front of you; it improves concentration, focus and memory through intentional and repeated shifting, sustaining and controlling attention.
Promotes better listening skills and improves relationships
Improves conflict resolution and decreases blaming through seeing situations more clearly.
Mindfulness teaches people to listen at a deep and fundamental level. When people feel listened to, interactions are less reactive, easier and more successful. Mindfulness improves listening throughout all levels of your organization.
Improves impulse control and decision making
Reduces reactive behavior, enhances self-regulation and self-control as well as compassion, kindness and empathy.
Mindfulness fosters emotional and behavioral awareness and regulation, which enables present-centered, objective and compassionate responses rather than impulsive reactions limiting bullying and behavioral issues.
Reduces stress and fosters well-being individually and interpersonally
Promotes healthy brain development and function increasing stress resilience and neuroplasticity.
Mindfulness training produces measurable changes to the structure and function of diverse areas of the brain fostering stress resilience, emotional-regulation and enhanced executive functioning.
The Programs
Ashley will customize mindfulness programs that fit your organization's unique needs and limitations. These custom packages can range in duration with the shortest program being 8 weeks long. The lessons are fun, engaging, secular and applicable to life in and out of the workplace or school.
Sample Program in the classroom:
Ashley offers weekly or twice weekly mindfulness lessons to each grade level in your school. Her lessons are 15 minutes long with curriculum uniquely tailored to each grade level. To further integrate the day’s lesson, students receive journal questions, and they will spend 5 minutes reflecting in their mindfulness journals after the lesson. With each visit Ashley offers a suggested daily practice to infuse mindfulness into daily life in between lessons.
Sample Program in the workplace:
Ashley offers weekly mindfulness groups for employees at your organization. The programs are entry level and designed to teach the fundamentals of a mindful sitting practice. Lessons range from 45 - 60 min and include didactic, practice and discussion. Content and focus can vary but program topics often surround stress and anxiety management as well as healthy self-care behaviors. Mindfulness resources, suggested home practices and homework are offered.