Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine

Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness means to be aware of all our experiences, physical sensations, thoughts and feelings from moment to moment. This awareness is without judgment and with a sense of kindness and acceptance.
Becoming more aware gives us insight and a deeper understanding of what is going on for us. This can particularly help when we are experiencing great difficulties or illness and pain. This awareness makes feelings which can seem overwhelming easier to deal with.
Mindfulness creates a shift in our awareness that can help create new ways to relate to our problems. Mindfulness based approaches have been shown to improve overall psychological and physical well-being.
What conditions can be referred?
Mindfulness is offered for the management of chronic physical health problems. Please see our “Psychological Services” webpage and leaflet for more details.
What should I expect when I come to the clinic?
At the first appointment the Mindfulness facilitator will do a thorough assessment and take you through a short Mindfulness practice. The facilitator and patient will decide together if Mindfulness will be helpful.
Sessions are on an individual or group basis and provide an introduction to Mindfulness. Individual appointments are usually weekly, fortnightly or monthly for 50 minutes each session over five weeks. Group sessions are held weekly and consist of eight two hour sessions with up to eight patients.
Regular home practice is expected, for which a CD and written material are provided.
You will learn different meditation practices, including focusing on the breath and bringing kind awareness into the mind and body when still and with gentle movement.
Your appointments
If you are unable to attend your assessment appointment please let us know at least 48 hours beforehand so we can offer it to someone else.
If you have to cancel or change the booked sessions, then please give as much notice as you can so we can offer the sessions to someone else before the start date. If you do not attend your appointments without telling us we will refer you back to your GP.
Following your treatment you will be referred back to your GP.
Professional education and training
The RLHIM is also a teaching hospital and from time to time other healthcare professionals may observe in outpatient clinics as part of a training course. We will always ask your permission for students to sit in during your consultation. You do not have to have students present if you would prefer not to.