Video – Footsteps into Mindfulness – an information and taster event
“Footsteps into Mindfulness” was a FREE information and taster event with the Footsteps Festival team.
Mindfulness has become a bit of a “buzz word” or “trendy” thing in the last few years – but many people who live with pain find it an important part of their self-management strategies. Join members of the Footsteps Festival team to explore the realities of what Mindfulness is, what it has done for them and what it could do for you, and what it won’t.
It was held on Monday the 28th February
Please find the video of the event below.
Hosts
The hosts are members of the Footsteps Festival team, including people who successfully self manage their pain and health care professionals with qualifications in the field and who utilise Mindfulness in both their professional and personal lives.
Learn, do, ask…
The online event started with an introduction info Mindfulness, followed by a lovely mindfulness practice. There was also personal reflections and experiences from members of the team who are a combination of those who have professional qualifications in teaching Mindfulness, who work in clinical practice and those who live with and have learnt to effectively self manage their pain.
Bonus!
A list of resources are on this link: Mindfulness resources Footsteps Festival
The Video of the Event
Your Hosts
Chris Penlington
I started to practice Mindfulness when I attended an 8 week course as part of my job. I went on to study for a Masters in Mindfulness Studies with Aberdeen University which I completed in 2017. The main benefit I find is that Mindfulness helps me to ‘get out of my head’. When I practice I find that I can take life more lightly and appreciate the little things more.
Niki Jones
I was properly introduced to Mindfulness in July 2018 as part of the Curable pain management app programme – and I have since found meditation to be a vital part of my pain management and practice daily. I also find “present moment awareness” really fundamental in making me more connected with my inner self and body, and encouraging in me an ability for curiosity of every aspect of my world and experience.
Mark Agathangelou
Regular mindfulness meditation has been a total game changer for me. It’s made me calmer and more resilient, improved my concentration and awareness, made me sleep better, but, most importantly for me, acts as a highly effective, natural, side-effect-free analgesic for my chronic neuropathic pain.
I’ve taken numerous mindfulness meditation classes, attended retreats, practised regularly for 10 years and helped present and facilitate several Footsteps Festival mindfulness sessions.
Diarmuid Denneny
Diarmuid is professional lead physiotherapist at the Pain Management Centre (PMC), the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Clinically he is an advanced clinical practitioner physiotherapist and independent prescriber.
Diarmuid has practised mindfulness for over a decade now, and has undertaken training as a mindfulness teacher with both Bangor university (Teacher training retreat) and also the Oxford Mindfulness centre (foundations in mindfulness teaching and practice year long course). He has set up his own local meditation group and has been running Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses in person before the pandemic and online during the pandemic with positive feedback.
Diarmuid is currently doing his PhD at Brunel University with a fellowship from the ESRC. His research topic is exploring what emerges in the place between receiving healthcare (treatment) and living well with pain. He has an interest in psychologically informed practice and he advocates for the role for physiotherapists in supporting people who have pain and medication related issues. He has published in peer reviewed in topics related to chronic pain.
Diarmuid is current co-chair of the PPA. He is a committee member of the Footsteps Festival, Livewell pain, and GAPPA. He also has interests in the non-medical management of CRPS and is a committee member of CRPS UK.
Outside work Diarmuid has a wonderfully patient family; Sarah and two boys who are fast becoming men! He enjoys walking his dog, playing music, and swimming in cold water, being lucky enough to now live by the sea.
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