Tag Archives: mindfulness

15Feb/14

Bear traps and how to avoid them

February 15, 2014Mindfulness, Pain narratives, Patient Experience, Patient journeycompassion, mindfulness, narrative. listeningrichmondstace

My old headmaster would warn us not to fall into bear traps. By this he meant pay attention to what you are doing so that you do not make a simple mistake. He would set aRead More…

30Jan/14

5 reasons why mindfulness is part of our treatment programmes

January 30, 2014Chronic pain, Emotion, Immune system and pain, Mindfulness, Pain, Stress, Sufferinganxiety, chronic pain, focus, mindfulness, pain, Performance, stressrichmondstace

1. Mindfulness reduces suffering: pain, anxiety, tension. 2. Mindfulness promotes clarity of thought. 3. Mindfulness develops a sense of calm. 4. Mindfulness creates an ability to focus ones attention where you want to, and not inRead More…

14Jan/14

Are you turned on?

January 14, 2014Aches and pains, Anxiety, Chronic pain, Functional Pain Syndromes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Mindfulness, Stressanxiety, chronic pain, infertility, mindfulness, pain, stressrichmondstace

At the risk of sounding ambiguous, many people are turned on. In particular, city dwellers and workers who are being hit with innumerable stimuli, bombarding the senses, triggering on-going responses by the brain, the mind andRead More…

03Jan/14

Changing pain and suffering in 3 steps

January 3, 2014Anxiety, Chronic low back pain, Chronic pain, Mindfulness, Pain, Pain and brain, StressChronic low back pain, chronic pain, mindfulness, mindfulness & stressrichmondstace

Changing pain and suffering in 3 steps –> Logically, anecdotally and empirically, understanding one’s pain is a foundation from where action can be taken to initiate change. Conversely, lacking insight into the cause of pain andRead More…

01Jan/14

Mindfulness programme

January 1, 2014Chronic pain, Mindfulness, Pain Education, Pain Psychologyanxiety, chronic pain, mindfulness, mindfulness & stress, pain, stressrichmondstace

Mindfulness commonly forms part of a comprehensive treatment and training programme for pain, anxiety and stress. The origins of the practice stem from many years ago but in a modern sense, mindfulness is mind training thatRead More…

31Dec/13

The habits of happiness | Matthieu Ricard speaks

December 31, 2013Happiness, Mindfulness, WellnessHappiness, mind training, mindfulness, suffering, wellbeingrichmondstace

Previously a scientist, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, talks about happiness and the ability to train the mind to cultivate well-being, serenity and fulfilment. How can we nurture happiness? Ricard describes how we can do this inRead More…

23Dec/13

Thoughts can be threatening

December 23, 2013Anxiety, Chronic pain, Compassion, Happiness, Mindfulness, Pain Psychology, Pain treatment, Stress, Uncategorizedanxiety, chronic pain, chronic pain treatment, mindfulness, pain, stressrichmondstace

A threat can arise in many forms. Years ago, it would have been a wild animal that posed a potential danger, responded to with a fight or by running away — flight. Nowadays we don’t oftenRead More…

26Nov/13

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh talks to Oprah Winfrey

November 26, 2013Compassion, Mindfulness, Pain, Stresschronic pain, compassion, mindfulness, pain, stressrichmondstace

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who has written and spoken about compassion and mindfulness for many years, talks to Oprah Winfrey. There is a great deal that we can learn from him, in particularRead More…

29May/13

Prepare the brain and immune system for surgery

May 29, 2013Brain and behaviour, Mindfulness, Stress, Surgery preparationImagery, mindfulness, stress, Surgery preparationrichmondstace

We know that catastrophising about pain can shape the way in which the immune system responds to nociception – see the article in Figure 1. Catastrophising refers to the interpretation of pain as signalling something damagingRead More…

06Dec/12

A brief mindfulness exercise: just a few moments to foster clarity

December 6, 2012Chronic pain, Flare-ups, Mindfulness, Pain, Stressanxiety, chronic pain, mindfulness, pain, Performance, stressrichmondstace

There are significant health and performance-based benefits that come from brief periods of mindful practice during the day including: An ability to focus with clarity Avoid being ‘bogged down’ by negative thinking Emotional regulation Clear thinkingRead More…