Judy
Participant - Breathworks Mindfulness for Health Course
I participated in a Breathworks Mindfulness for Health course with Katie a few months ago, and have become much kinder to myself than I used to be. I am therefore more able to pace myself and hence manage my energy levels and some of my symptoms, which helps me to enjoy life more.
I have also found mindfulness to be much more practical than I expected. I have Parkinson’s Disease and every now and then I freeze and can’t walk. This happened to me on a crowded London station a few weeks ago and thankfully I was able to stay calm, to drop my awareness into my body and with an attitude of self-compassion reassure my body that it was OK, it could relax and move whenever it felt ready. It worked! I was able to move forwards both physically across the station but also forwards in terms of my self-confidence.
Katie is an excellent and very encouraging teacher who I have tremendous admiration for. I really appreciated her sharing her own personal experiences and would highly recommend that anybody thinking of doing the Mindfulness for Health course grasp it with both hands as it’s a wonderful way to learn to take care of yourself.
I am so glad that I was brave enough to book a course with Katie – please don’t hesitate to do the same 🙂
Cathy
Participant - Breathworks Mindfulness for Health Course
I have a medical background as a GP and was new to Mindfulness. I have a degenerative spine condition, and was interested in learning how to cope with pain, become less reactive to life’s stresses, and be more aware of how to be personally calm and happy.
Katie is a natural teacher, has an intuitive approach to dealing with individuals, and can find insight from any situation. She encourages a self reflective and non judgemental way of dealing with what emotions surface during the course.
Since finishing the course in January, I have continued my mindfulness journey. It has started me on a path of continued learning and questioning. It has helped me to manage my pain, and helped me enormously to prepare for, and go through major surgery. I believe the outcome will be so much better because of the things I have practiced from the course.
If you are thinking of doing the course, the best time to do it was several years ago!
Libby
Participant - Breathworks Mindfulness for Health Course
Katie’s mindfulness course came to me at a time when I really needed it the most. It has helped me in so many ways and has really changed my life for the better.
Not only has it helped me process the things that go on or have happened in my life, but it has taught me to enjoy life more and appreciate the little things.
It has helped my health so much, by using techniques to cope with chronic pain and anxiety, and it has also helped my seizures and migraines lessen.
Katie has been incredible, she always knows exactly what I need, she is so calming and I absolutely love sessions with her. I am very lucky to have met such a wonderful lady, she truly has made a beautiful impact on my life.
Poppy
Participant - Breathworks Mindfulness for Health Course
The course came to me at a time I needed it the most. It taught me, and allowed me, to slow down, and take note of where I am and what I do in my life that causes or eases pain. From the course I have learnt my boundaries and how best to keep within my hard and soft edges. Most of all the course has taught me to allow myself permission to have slow days. That it’s okay to take time off to listen to my body & my mind, rather than blindly storming ahead with daily tasks. Overall I do feel I have a better sense of pain management.
Katie set a really good pace to the classes, allowing space for all of those who wanted to share, without the classes running late. Her meditations were beautiful and soft, she listened to what we thought every week and would adapt the next one accordingly, giving class members options as to which version they preferred, which I really appreciated.
The sharing experience worked wonders for me, I really value the space that was shared. I loved to see other peoples views of meditations and class content, to see the wider picture and alternative views that I wouldn’t naturally have thought of.
With the use of metaphors and stories Katie made the course material and concepts easy to understand. She shared lots of useful slides and resources for us to work through in our spare time, which really helped deepen our understanding of each week’s content.
I really appreciated that Katie would share her experiences with us, as it set a really cosy tone to our weekly meetings. By listening to Katie, it helped create and maintain a space for sharing and learning as a community, which is really valuable. This really helped the space felt safe and soft despite being online.
I really do recommend this course as a wonderful way to take care of yourself.
Anne
Participant - Breathworks Mindfulness for Health Course
Despite being initially wary of what a mindfulness course might entail, I have recently completed a Breathworks MIndfulness for Health 8 weeks introductory course facilitated by Katie, and continue to attend her drop-in sessions. The course was both interesting and helpful and the drop-in sessions provide useful ongoing support.
I appreciate the fact that Katie is practical, evidence-based and down-to-earth in the way she presents everything. Essentially for me, mindfulness is not a belief system, but suggests a different approach to coping with pain and/or difficult situations.
Katie is an excellent facilitator. She leads the meditations well, is respectful, and responds in a knowledgeable and helpful manner. She enabled all members of the group to access the meditations and the course content by encouraging us to find our own ways of relating to the concepts and practices, giving us plenty of ideas as to how to do that.
I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone interested in this sort of learning.
Angela
Participant - Breathworks Mindfulness for Health Course
This course far exceeded my expectations & for that I am eternally grateful.
The gentle teachings of this course were delivered with skill, knowledge, wisdom & compassion by Katie ~ it was exactly the answer for managing my pain that I had prayed for.
I can’t speak highly enough of Katie Sheen’s teaching ability, her skills, knowledge, compassion & understanding of ALL the material. It was very evident she practiced what she taught. Her depth of knowledge & understanding of all areas & key aspects of the material was second to none, applying it to everyday challenges, experiences & situations.
Everybody on the course was supported & nurtured throughout. Each student found their own personal path & preferences as the course progressed. Open non-judgmental discussion was encouraged, which facilitated greater understanding. Each person’s views / experience was compassionately accepted & at times gently encouraged to view it from a different perspective, creating a deeper understanding of the session. Very well done by Katie, especially if a student appeared to be despondent or lacking incentive to experience a certain exercise.
The examples Katie gave from her own personal experience were always appropriate, heartfelt & sincere which in turn anchored in information of the course further. Katie’s own experiences of incorporating the key principles of the training were hugely beneficial, providing clarity but also permission to accept what works for you, maybe come back at a later time for those that don’t settle with you initially.
Katie demonstrated on a consistently high level her understanding, knowledge & compassionate acceptance of everybody’s own individual journey.
Katie is a fantastic, calm, knowledgeable & skilful tutor. A great asset to the ‘Mindfulness for Health’ program. I wish her every success for the future.
Highly recommended.