The benefits of the course and more especially the knock on effects are immeasurable. Just being present at the weekly sessions alone helped me deal with intense anxiety related to work issues. The skills taught offer the means to establishing a counterbalance to modern frenetic life. This is backed up with detailed handouts and lovely CDs.

Learning is inspired and supported through the example and gentle teaching of the course leaders and is an ongoing process which I am steadily developing since the course ended. Mostly, I'm learning to "be where I'm at" - which is not as bad as I thought - and to stop fretting about what has or might happen! I just want to do the course all over again!

As a key account manager in the reprographics industry, I work in a fast moving and highly demanding work environment where I am constantly striving to meet a plethora of customer demands, often in extremely tight timescales. At the beginning of last year I also found myself facing a major issue in my personal life. It was during this period that I decided to commit to the Living Well Course through the Breathworks Team.

During the course I got the opportunity to explore and integrate a number of key principles: mindfulness, pacing, meditation, breath awareness, and relaxation. Central to these is mindfulness or awareness of what on one level is a very simple idea - the present moment is the only moment we have.

Over the course, I gradually learned to spend more of my time in the present moment and less of it worrying about the past or the future. This has had a transformative effect on my approach to every day life. Perhaps for the first time in my life I now find myself responding rather than reacting to the challenges that life inevitably prevents all of us with. I found the CDs we were provided with invaluable and still use them most days to help ground myself in the present.

I attended the Breathworks Living Well course as a way of developing strategies for living more fully, tackling stress and trying not to work so much! I started anxiously when told on the first night that this required not just making ten Thursday evenings free but also doing “homework” each day in between. To my great surprise however, the homework proved enjoyable and on the whole I managed to make time for at least some of the exercises each week. Just by doing that I grabbed back a bit of time usually devoted to work to reflect on what I was doing and begin to adjust entrenched patterns of workaholism.

The exercises were truly holistic with attention being paid to body, mind, emotions (good and bad) and reflection on values and aims in life. This was helped by both personal reflection and a chance – though not an obligation - to share experiences in groups. The real test of the effectiveness of the course came in the final session with a reflection on changes in views since day 1. This showed significant progress towards self awareness and getting a grip on stress – and most people reported changes.

Since the course has finished I have continued with some of the meditative exercises and physical and breathing exercises. I still have stressed and workaholic tendencies but now I have some powerful tools for dealing with them better, and reflection on what I value in life has helped me feel a lot happier in my own skin.

Catherine Shelley, Solicitor

Although I didn't have physical illness, I booked on the Breathworks course because I hoped it would help me deal with the myriad of physical effects I experienced as a result of stress and anger difficulties. It has enabled me to take hold of the reins of my life again and make a new start – to live again. I was angry, self-absorbed and in constant conflict with the world around me. I believed that I was usually right and others were usually wrong.

On this course I have learnt to challenge these perceptions of myself and disarm the thought processes that were behind my inability to cope with situations. I have learned to like and look after myself as well as developing compassion for others. I now feel a profound and reassuring peace is starting to blossom in my life.

Andy Scott, Anger and stress management

The course has deepened my understanding of how to be more content and effective. Life can be so unsatisfactory at times and the course offers excellent tools to get to grips with challenges. However, these tools also enable one to deepen appreciation of what life has to offer! Personally I found my understanding deepened on both an emotional as well as an intellectual level and the course actually helped me to act on what I learned.

Mary Synott, Diversity trainer

From a note to Vidyamala from Alan: I was driving back from Portsmouth last night (approaching 1,200 miles since Monday - so much for pacing!) When I just had to stop and rest just south of Warwick otherwise I would have fallen asleep at the wheel. I was going to do just that (once I'd parked!) but decided to listen to your CD instead - the rain was lashing down at this stage and bouncing off the car roof. Half an hour of complete relaxation / meditation later I felt like a "new man" and drove the rest of the way almost serenely (that's pretty good going for me!)

I've said this before but I think it bears repeating; I view your CDs as a really precious gift. Thank you.

Alan Knowles, Senior salesman, BASF

I came on the course a month after a major change in personal circumstances. A warm, welcoming atmosphere enabled the participants to share as much as they wished and benefit from learning to meditate in a group setting. I enjoyed my weekly sessions with the group leaders. The impact of the course for me is what happened afterwards. It gave me a structure and a means to deal with problems and perceptions. I found that it helped me to become a calmer person who focussed much more on the here and now and not what might be or could have been.

Mike Venet, Educational consultant and assessor

From our feedback forms

The following comments come from our feedback forms, given out at the end of the course. Participants don’t put their name on the form so they feel free to give us critical feedback if they want to. Hence we are unable to put names to these comments. All feedback forms are kept in our office and can be viewed if requested.

“I want to thank Sona and all the other participants for educating me in a new way of life”

“Tremendous release of blocked energy and subtle deep unconscious tensions in neck, shoulders, head particularly, which have led to release of mental and emotional tensions. Body Scan and Mindfulness of Breathing have been particularly helpful. More ‘inside’ and connected to myself and open to circumstances and able to deal with painful ones”

“I really enjoyed the course and found it very beneficial. I found the honesty of the course leaders refreshing and there was a friendly, inclusive attitude. The most pleasing benefit is that of being more aware of living in the moment in a way I never have before”

“Really appreciated the gentleness, warmth, sensitivity and sense of welcome given by Gary and Sona – which really sets the tone / atmosphere of the course. The sense of humour and humanity was great too. I am much more in touch with the person I am, and on reflection find it’s not too far different from the person I want to be”

“Greater awareness, acceptance, balance in life, generally less judgemental of myself, kinder. Reduction in “busy” stress”

“I loved Gary and Sona’s style of training and think they complemented each other very well as trainers. I have thoroughly enjoyed the ten weeks and feel sad the course is coming to an end”

“Very enjoyable – good atmosphere. Friendly / helpful teachers, who encouraged openness / practice – but without pressure”