https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/what-is-mindfulness daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/shinrin-yoku-mindfulness-in-nature daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1615384836007-SBGLGQLJJK46XLGAIPA6/Alithea%2BWaterfield%2BMid%2BWales%2BMindfulness Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature There is now a growing body of research showing what many of us have long felt — that being in nature nourishes not only the body but also the mind and spirit. Time spent among trees, rivers, and open skies can restore calm, lift mood, and support a deep sense of wellbeing. Although forest bathing may sound like a modern concept, its roots reach back thousands of years to the Shinto tradition of Japan. Practitioners of Shinto experienced their deities directly in the natural world, in rocks, trees, wind, and sunlight, and recognised that all of life is interconnected. They would walk and meditate in the forest to cultivate presence, humility, and communion with nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1615384785560-4SI4YN94DPTD42CP4TYL/Alithea%2BWaterfield%2BMid%2BWales%2BMindfulness%2BShinrin%2BYoku Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - Today, modern science affirms what these ancient traditions already knew. Studies show that time in nature can reduce the stress hormone cortisol, lower blood pressure, ease anxiety and depression, and improve sleep. Dr Qing Li, President of the Society for Forest Medicine in Japan, has found that trees release natural chemicals called phytoncides — antimicrobial essential oils that support both mood and immune function. In Japan, where over sixty certified Forest Therapy Centres now exist, Shinrin Yoku is recognised as a form of preventative medicine and an integral part of public health care. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1615385056108-IVHSKMSQD8P0YXHCUWBM/Alithea+Waterfield+Mindfulness+in+Nature+Presteigne Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - Shirin Yoku - More Than a Walk in the Woods Shinrin Yoku is not simply a stroll through nature while chatting or thinking about the day ahead. It is a full and mindful immersion in the living world. During a guided session, we move slowly and intentionally, engaging all the senses - the feel of the earth beneath our feet, the scent of the trees, the shifting play of light, the sound of birdsong, the touch of breeze on the skin. This quiet attentiveness opens a deeper dialogue between ourselves and the natural world. As we listen, notice, and receive, we begin to feel not separate from nature but part of it - supported, held, and renewed by the same rhythm that flows through all living things. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/484e75f2-6a31-4a8c-9f73-18589f7e7f0c/IMG_5661.jpg Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - A Return to Belonging Mindfulness in Nature invites us to remember our place within the wider web of life. It teaches us to slow down, to breathe, and to trust in the cycles of growth, decay, and renewal that mirror our own inner seasons. In this slowing, we rediscover something timeless — a felt sense of belonging, of being wholly alive and connected. If you would like to experience Shinrin Yoku or join a mindfulness-in-nature session, please get in touch to find out about upcoming walks and gatherings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/73ce84ab-62c8-424d-8a35-f7115154613d/Shirin+Yoku+Alithea+Waterfiled.jpg Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - The way I work The way I work with people and groups is by bringing the qualities of mindfulness - presence, compassion, curiosity, and acceptance into direct relationship with nature. Through gentle guidance, walking meditation, poetry, and sensory awareness, we learn to receive the natural world as both mirror and teacher. When we bring a heart’s question to nature and become still enough to listen, she speaks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/095666ec-1dd8-4e71-84b7-798b5e569502/Alithea+Waterfield+Mindfulness+in+Nature+Shirin+Yoku.jpg Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - Nature as Guide and Healer Nature offers intuitive insights and quiet wisdom when we meet her with openness. She speaks in her own language - through the call of a bird, the movement of a leaf in the breeze, the steadiness of a tree, or the soft, unexpected brush of a cobweb across the face. Each of these moments can be a reflection, an invitation to awaken our senses and deepen our connection to life’s flow. As we listen and receive, we find that nature gently mirrors back to us what we most need to see — offering perspective, healing, and a renewed sense of belonging. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1616005261561-FEWEZ12WLTCXNMW9ENR7/FullSizeRender+%284%29.jpg Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - Contemplating Nature Mindfulness in Nature Event - Contemplating Nature. Every second, third and fourth Monday of the month at 7.30 pm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1616005227079-R01YRW7JYQ2XWTTIGKVA/FullSizeRender+%283%29.jpg Shinrin Yoku - Mindfulness in Nature - Guided Nature Meditation with inquiry Mindfulness in Nature - Guided Nature Meditation with inquiry every first Monday of the month, 7.30 pm. https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/courses-and-events-mid-wales-mindfulness daily 0.75 2021-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1615989501004-XG6OBG77AEBFUBUTZ3IW/IMG_9219.JPG Courses and events - MBCT course starting Wednesday 21 April at 7 pm. MBCT (Mindful Based Cognitive Therapy) 8-week course every Wednesday evening. Included in the course is a Mindful retreat day (Saturday 29 May). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1615996670744-ZPJWK07CJQP45T50G9W6/IMG_6792.jpg Courses and events - 4-week Mindfulness for relaxation course starting Tuesday 4 May at 7.30 pm. A great way to introduce yourself to Mindfulness with a focus on deep relaxation and body centred awareness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1616167100575-RURZ70F1XJHRVF53057D/FullSizeRender%2B%25284%2529.jpg Courses and events - Contemplating Nature every Monday at 7.30 pm (except first Monday of month). Nature-inspired guided meditation, connecting us with the environment and ourselves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1616167144879-P424A0ZICTKWE4WZADDA/FullSizeRender%2B%25283%2529.jpg Courses and events - Guided Nature Meditation with inquiry every first Monday of month at 7.30 pm. Guided meditation and poetry with an inquiry into what we have noticed within ourselves as a response to the weekly nature-based meditations. https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/mindfulness-for-relaxation daily 0.75 2021-03-19 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/mbct-course-mid-wales-mindfulness daily 0.75 2021-03-19 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/nature-meditation-mid-wales-mindfulness daily 0.75 2021-03-19 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/contemplating-nature-meditation-mid-wales-mindfulness daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/testimonials daily 0.75 2021-03-19 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/privacy-policy daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/home-1 daily 1.0 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1616245030299-MFUHDL4I16DSIGLJC961/Alithea%2BWaterfield%2BMid%2BWales%2BMindfulness.jpg Home new I offer a range of services to support your journey toward self-awareness, balance, and wholeness. My work weaves together counselling, massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, and mindfulness in nature, creating a space where body, mind, and spirit can reconnect and find their natural rhythm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1616245147124-5N16AG1PAIWC0H86SHD8/Alithea+Waterfield+Mindfulness+Presteigne.jpg Home new I believe that life’s challenges are often invitations - opportunities to reconnect with the quiet intelligence, resilience, and wisdom already within us. My approach is integrative and grounded in awareness, helping you cultivate steadiness, clarity, and a deeper sense of connection with yourself and the world around you. https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/counselling-alithea-waterfield daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/therapeutic-massage-alithea-waterfield daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/aromatherapy-alithea-waterfield daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/reflexology-alithea-waterfield daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://www.midwalesmindfulness.co.uk/alithea-waterfield-mindfulness daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/f7a1c448-c0ee-47dc-afb2-5c65d75eb2ef/IMG_6051.jpg Mindfulness Mindfulness offers a way to meet life as it is, with openness, curiosity, and compassion. It invites us to slow down enough to feel what is here, rather than striving to change or fix it. Through this simple yet profound practice, we begin to rediscover our own inner steadiness and wisdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/950c5909-0e26-46e2-a0ef-7f72ca125042/IMG_6490+%282%29.png Mindfulness When we pause and become still, we start to sense the gentle rhythm beneath all the noise - the place within us that is already calm, kind, and whole. From this awareness, clarity and connection naturally arise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/d0b0c422-1c59-4625-8581-c3ca2de54228/IMG_5176.png Mindfulness - Mindfulness in Nature Nature reminds us that everything changes — that growth, decay, and renewal are all part of the same great cycle. In witnessing this, we touch something profoundly human: our own vulnerability and our capacity for love. Find out more about Shirin Yoku - Mindfulness in nature here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/7ab7bc53-c4ca-4d8c-9715-52e16d50a9cc/IMG_9219.png Mindfulness My approach is to support you in establishing a connection with a deeper, calmer, more compassionate self. Life can bring many challenges, I believe that we all have inherent resources, but these remain masked by our busy mind. Mindfulness reveals our innate resilience and inner wisdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/8dc4dded-5ea7-4121-9757-e7be16d8abde/IMG_6561+%282%29.png Mindfulness Mindfulness can reveal a place that is not reliant on outer conditions, but an inner place that is naturally intelligent and kind. When we can access this place, we feel deeply connected in our lives, this happens because we have first connected with ourselves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60461c906a4eea1331e93390/1615470741352-K60G7VTS7LIFW9IPTKJ8/Alithea%2BWaterfield%2BMid%2BWales%2BMindfulness Mindfulness - This can seem like a challenging phrase for us when we are suffering. Our instincts might implore us to try harder to sort it out, or we might zone out by dulling the pain with alcohol, food, TV... Mindfulness offers another way. A way that is self-nurturing. Mindfulness gently invites us to hold our experience with a wise and kind heart and shows us that what is holding our experience is already present, already Whole. In this way, we stop the endless struggle and come home to ourselves to discover that we are more than we ever thought...and that we are alright.