Friday Wellbeing Mornings
In person, 3rd Friday of the month - 9.30 till 12.30
Located in Newtown Linford, Sunnyside is nestled in the ancient Charnwood Forest
Principal facilitator Gaynor Quilter - Leadership and wellbeing coach
with help from Dr Marnie Ashton, Suryacitta and Mandy Wardle McLeish
Drop in for one session or more
They are all stand-alone as well as connected!
Tea and biscuits provided
Cost per morning £35
We will be using the four pillars of well-being adapted from work of Prof Richie Davidson - neuroscientist and psychologist from Healthy Minds
These are:
Being present
Being curious – gaining insight
Being connected with yourself and others
and living your purpose
Each monthly drop-in session is experiential and will have a focus on one of the four pillars of wellbeing. In each session:
To start and end the session there will be a mindfulness or self compassion practice
There will be room for inquiry and questions
There will be different exercises and tools shared to explore the well-being theme
There be an opportunity to make a commitment to a self-compassionate act and to have a buddy to support you
There will be breaks for tea and biscuits!
Why do we need time out to come back home to ourselves?
James Joyce wrote about Mr Duffy in the Dubliners he “lived a short distance from his body”
In our fast-paced world where things can feel uncertain. We spend so much of our time away from ourselves – running around “nexting” our life away, getting stressed, anxious, and even burning out. Most of us have developed our own “bad” habits to get us through the day and then beat ourselves up or judge ourselves harshly for having them!
When we stop or pause, we intuitively know what we need to do. Well-being is an “inside job” and in the well-being sessions we learn to trust our inner knowing.
Take the opportunity once a month to get off the merry go round, turn inward, and build skills that lead to greater self-compassion and self-care. You and those in your life will notice the difference.
When we are born, we are true nature – awareness with no filters and no layers of self-protection built yet! As we grown our lives become externally referenced.
"We all know that understanding and compassion can relieve our suffering. This is not just a platitude, where there is understanding and compassion there is relief for ourselves and others. We practice to keep that understanding and compassion alive. As busy as we are, we can take time to look a little bit more deeply, we can always find more understanding and compassion for ourselves and others"
Thich Nhat Hanh
If you need more than the evidence of your own experience , there is plenty of research to support that the practices and exercises shared can structurally and functionally make changes in the brain. These can make you feel relaxed in the moment and reinforce well-being over time.
Being Present
The benefits of cultivating presence and attention to the present moment are through Mindfulness practices are:
Enhanced focus and productivity
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved decision-making through fostering greater clarity
Enhanced emotional resilience through better recognition of thoughts and feelings
Being Curious
The benefits of increased self-knowledge and a healthy self-narrative are:
Boosts self-awareness and emotional regulation
Reduces self-critical thinking and increases self-compassion
Helps individuals adapt to challenges by fostering a more flexible sense of self
Enhances overall mental health and well-being
Reduces judgment
Increases creativity
Being Connected
Being Connected helps build positive relationships and cultivates kindness and compassion for yourself and others:
Strengthens interpersonal bonds and social support
Increases empathy and emotional intelligence
Enhances psychological health and reduces feelings of loneliness
Promotes prosocial behaviour and community well-being
Being your Purpose
This aligns daily activities with a sense of meaning and supports long-term goals as well as:
Provides motivation and direction in life
Enhances resilience and the ability to handle uncertainty and adversity
Increases life satisfaction and happiness
Can support the promotion of physical health
We can give you a certificate of attendance for your CPD records. There is a small admin charge for this
"We all know that understanding and compassion can relieve our suffering. This is not just a platitude, where there is understanding and compassion there is relief for ourselves and others. We practice to keep that understanding and compassion alive. As busy as we are, we can take time to look a little bit more deeply, we can always find more understanding and compassion for ourselves and others"
Thich Nhat Hanh
Dates for each month in 2025 are:
All sessions will include a mindfulness or self compassion practice
The sessions are spacious with plenty of room for self inquiry and questions
All sessions have different exercises and tools shared to explore the month well-being theme
Enjoy the anceint of art of pausing and taking breaks for tea!
2025
21 February 2025 Being Present:
A great way to build a mindfulness and self-compassion practice. Suitable for beginners.
21 March - Being Curious:
We will be using the arts to explore insight and have fun
25 April* (not good Friday) Being connected to nature:
The middle part of the session involves a blue bell walk in the woods and sensory practice
23 May- Being Connected:
We connect to self through movement - We will be chakra dancing!
20th June - Being your Purpose:
How does your life purpose help you achieve the impact you desire. There is a strengths survey to complete, we will focus on knowing and turning the volume up on our strengths
18 July - Being Present:
The mindful way to self-compassion - a great way to build a mindfulness and self-compassion practice and come home to yourself.
22 August - Being Curious:
We will be using the arts to explore insight and have fun
26th September - Being Connected to nature:
This will involve a guided mindfulness walk in Bradgate Deer park. Please check weather forecast and dress accordingly before leaving home. By booking you agree that any sprains which you may happen whilst walking are your responsibility. We cannot take any responsibility for personal injuries.
24th October -Being our purpose:
How does your life purpose help you achieve the impact you desire. There is a strengths survey to complete, we will focus on knowing and turning the volume up on our strengths
21st November Being Present:
Using all our senses we will hibernate and snuggle down with a sound bath