CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING ALL IN BEING OUR TRUE AUTHENTIC SELVES

WHY CHOOSE MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.

Practicing mindfulness can take the form of mindful breathing, body scans and mindful movement. These can be formal practices guided or self-guided for longer than 30 minutes or informal practices which can be anything shorter than 30 minutes.

Here are some examples of mindful activities you may have done yourself or may wish to try to see how it works for you:

1) Hear a child's laughter

2) Focus solely on making a cup of coffee or tea noticing the running water, the sound of the water boiling, how it tastes

3) Follow the breath as it enters the body noticing the temperature of the breath as it first touches the nostrils and how it feels as it leaves on the exhale

There are so many to try and being in the moment can bring so much joy.

'mindfulness is the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.' Jon Kabatt-Zinn

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WHY SELF- COMPASSION IS IMPORTANT

Being self-compassionate can take on many forms and looking very different for us all depending on our wants and needs.

Self-compassion encourages us to look after ourselves more and in ways which make a difference to our relationship with self and with others. Allowing forgiveness for ourselves and others can lead to better health and taking time out for our wants and needs also benefits our interactions and relationships with others.

Other benefits may include: improved sleep, reduced depression and anxiety, improved mood and clearer head and heart space.

Some self-compassion techniques include:

Comforting your body.
Eating something healthy.
Writing a letter to yourself (journaling) to express understanding and nourishment or to write out a situation in a supportive way.
Celebrating yourself
Setting goals/ intentions for your future

'With Mindfulness we remember who and what we truly are and with Compassion we heal ourselves from the trauma of forgetting' Tara Brach

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BELONGING MATTERS FOR ALL

A sense of belonging is one of our most important needs and comes from feeling accepted, included, or a part of something else.

Throughout all that I offer, belonging is so important which is why I have also developed a course called 'I Belong to Me' as belonging to self protects us in life and supports us when we perhaps don't feel like we belong anywhere else.

Belonging for all encompasses all my values and I wish for all to know how welcome and valued they are because of who they are rather than in spite of who or what they are.

I hope you all find your sense of Belonging through Being the Best You Can Be

'You are only free when you realise you belong no place, you belong every place, no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.' Maya Angelou

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BEING YOUR BEST COACHING

Coaching/mentoring with me gives you the opportunity to:

Develop a positive mindset
Discuss your ideas, plans, hopes and dreams
Be supported and encouraged in all aspects of your life and your current and future goals
Gain and increase confidence in yourself, your qualities and strengths and work on your uniqueness
Improve your relationships and interactions
Tick off items from your bucket list which may have been waiting for years or recently added
Bespoke and completely personalised coaching interaction which helps you reach your full potential.

As an experienced coach of 20+ years, I will be an encouraging voice for you in all areas of your life and will accompany you on this journey as long as you wish. I enjoy humour, support & challenge and always go above and beyond the agreement to ensure you get the most out of our connection.

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BUDDHISM COURSES

Delivered by Alison, who has been a Buddhist for 20+ years and has gained great value from the Buddhist teachings in all areas of her life.

Noble Eightfold Path in practice: 8 weeks to integrate the parts of the path into your life or to simply explore more

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COURSES AVAILABLE

There are a variety of courses available in addition to the ones highlighted here which focus on mindfulness, compassion and belonging to different extents. The courses can be delivered 1-1 or within a group with the 1-1 courses being adapted and tailored to your individual needs.

Identity & Self-acceptance: I Belong to Me 8 weeks 6 weeks set course then 2 sessions 1-1

Journaling: 6 weeks

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 8 weeks and can be adapted to 4 weeks with 2 sessions or extended to 12 weeks

Mindfulness & Compassion: Being YOU 4 weeks 1-1 and 6 weeks group

Self-Compassion: I Matter 4, 6, 8, 12 week options 1-1 and in a group 8 weeks

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LGBTQIA FRIENDLY AND INCLUSIVE

You will find encouragement to be your authentic self
Compassionate and supportive environment.
You will have tools and resources to walk strongly and confident in this world as your true self without needing to explain
Acceptance of who you are and who you want to be

Get in Touch for a free chat via Zoom or Book Online above if ready to reserve your place

MINDFULNESS & COMPASSION/ MBSR

All the Mindfulness courses offer you the chance to:

Feel more at ease with yourself in the moment
Interact positively with yourself and others
Reduce anxiety levels
Enjoy time for yourself compassionately
Know that you are important and that you matter

and much much more!

4 week & 6 week courses available for Mindfulness and Compassion

MBSR: 8 weeks x 120 mins. This is the pre-requisite for teacher training courses and is viewed as the gold standard of mindfulness courses.

Get in Touch for details or a free chat via Zoom or click on Book Online above if you are ready to reserve your place

MINDFULNESS SUPERVISION

Appointments to be made through Book Online and Mindfulness Supervision. To discuss further, email Alison info@beingthebestyoucanbe.org

Mindfulness-based supervision is a key component of a mindfulness-based teacher training pathway and ongoing practice in line with the BAMBA Good Practice Guidelines for Teaching Mindfulness-based Courses.

Mindfulness-based Supervision can provide you with an invaluable opportunity to reflect upon your mindfulness teaching and practice with an experienced mindfulness-based teacher.

Mindfulness supervision includes discussion around your teaching as well as you own personal practice and how it helps your personal and professional life.

The sessions may include a variety of aspects such as: teaching practice and feedback in the moment, inquiry around issues arising in your teaching, discussion about your personal practice and/or some periods of practice.

Sessions are collaborative with discussion between the Supervisor and Supervisee. My intention as a Supervisor is to accompany you on your mindful journey (your delivery and personal practice) allowing you to develop in whichever ways you wish to explore. I listen actively and non-judgementally and support you in your development.

In terms of EDI, my specialism is LGBTQIA and I also supervise Mindfulness teachers of general courses as well as MBSR.

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(DISTANCE) REIKI HEALING

Reiki can:

aid relaxation
assist in the body's natural healing processes
develop emotional, mental and spiritual well-being
relieve emotional stress
help you connect more with your emotions and your physical body

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TAKE A MOMENT

Take a breath

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BAMBA REGISTERED MINDFULNESS TEACHER

BAMBA Registered Mindfulness Teacher for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses January 2023 - 2024

Training completed:

Level 4 Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion in Professional Practice

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Conversion Course

Mindfulness Supervision training (Mindfulness Association 2021)

I follow the BAMBA guidelines for Mindfulness teachers ensuring I fulfil the commitment of CPD for which I include Equality (Equity), Diversity and Inclusion.

During 2022, I completed 57 days of silent retreat with a mixture of led and also solitary-led.

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MEET ALISON

Hi all, I’m Alison Laycock (She/Her), founder of Being the Best You Can Be where I bring together my 20+ years of being a practicing Buddhist, meditating every day and experiencing all the benefits from Meditation and Mindfulness. Having worked as a language teacher for 20+ years in the UK and abroad, my love of helping others grow into themselves as well as my passion for learning languages, travel and discovering other cultures is present throughout all the courses and services I offer. My Mindfulness and Compassion workshops for teachers and schools allow me to share all the mindfulness techniques and practices I used as a teacher and with students to get the best results and interactions all round.

My love of sports is also reflected in the Mindfulness and Compassion in Sport courses and I love welcoming sport teams and individuals to enhance their sporting performance through Mindfulness.

'Being the Best You Can Be' is an inclusive business providing a safe and inclusive space for all. This is extremely important to me and fulfils my values around supporting all in being their authentic selves. This is a LGBTQ friendly and inclusive space throughout all my courses and workshops.

My Reiki and Coaching have also been brought together under the umbrella of ‘Being the Best You Can Be’. Whatever learning and development we undertake will always lead us to our best selves. I look forward to meeting you and discussing how we can work together to help you be the best you can be in all areas of your life. You will be met at whichever point you find yourself along your journey of self-development and we will travel together to your ideal point.

I'm happy to chat with you about any courses/workshops you are thinking of taking or any general questions you may have about Mindfulness, Compassion , Meditation, Reiki, Coaching and Travel.

Currently, the charities we support are Samaritans and Stonewall through courses/workshop and retreat donations. I also support the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, Backford, Chester and LGBTQ charities through donating courses for their auctions.

Thank you, Namaste

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