On 22nd February, 2016, Breathworks along with The University of Salford, Mind in Salford and Mindflow came together to host a regional event after the launch of the national report in Westminster in October 2015, to explore the implications, benefits and challenges of the Mindfulness All Party Parliamentary Group' (MAPPG) Mindful Nation UK Report in organisations across the North West.

The event looked at how mindfulness can improve well being and resilience across the public sector, the workplace and on individual lives. Also, at how mindfulness training is currently being implemented and examined key challenges and opportunities, such as the need to balance broadening access with maintaining the integrity of the field.

The Mindful Nation UK report, which followed a 12-month parliamentary inquiry, estimates that broadening access to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for recurrent depression in the NHS could save £15 for every £1 spent, Jamie Bristow, Director, The Mindfulness Initiative, who helped the MAPPG conduct the enquiry on mindfulness, said: "The Mindful Nation UK report lays out promising evidence and makes substantive recommendations as to how mindfulness can improve well being and help meet societal objectives across multiple sectors and policy areas.

"The report is the first document of its kind anywhere in the world to take mindfulness training seriously as a matter of public policy and we were delighted to hold our first regional event to discuss its implications across the North West."

Key note speakers were Ruth Passman, Deputy Director for Equality and Heath Inequalities, NHS England and Taravandana Lupson who co-leads the Mindfulness programmes for leadership with the King's Fund. Others who presented on the impact that mindfulness has had in their work place and lives, included: Ken Harrison, Head of Communities, Knowsley Borough Council; Sylvia Daniels, Carer, Salford and Yogesh Patel, Teacher, Urmston Grammar School.

Mind in Salford has been running a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programme since 2011, with very positive results. Markus Greenwood, Chief Executive of Mind in Salford, said: "Through our mindfulness programme we have helped hundreds of people dramatically reduce their stress levels, improve their sleeping patterns, reduce their anxiety and achieve longstanding improved mood. We hope that this event helped expand access to this simple psychological therapy to many more."

Geraldine Thomas, Director of Mindflow Training, Merseyside, said: "Integrating mindfulness into our lives is for more people than we imagine. By breaking the practices down into bite size chunks enables people to practice as the live and work and having the practices taught by those who have deep knowledge is the future."

Singhashri Gazmuri, Programme Director, Breathworks, said: "Mindfulness is a widely used, but not often completely understood term, and so this event was a really valuable opportunity for organisations in the North West, whether public sector or private, to really find out about mindfulness and to understand the benefits of well-being and resilience it can bring to their teams, clients and service users.'

Video of first session – speakers & themes in order of appearance:

• Introduction by Markus Greenwood, CEO, Mind in Salford

• Keynote #1 by Taravandana Lupson, Organisational Development Consultant/Co-lead for Leadership Mindfulness Program for the Kings Fund

• Keynote #2 by Ruth Passman, Deputy Director - Equality and Health Inequalities for NHS England

• Themes: how mindfulness has been delivered and is currently working in the public sector, the workplace and through individuals on a self referral basis within different contexts, including research trials and the evidence base

• Breathworks CIC - Mindfulness for Chronic Pain, Long Term Conditions and Stress by Singhashri Gazmuri, Program Director for Breathworks CIC

• Mindfulness for Mental Health by Markus Greenwood, CEO for Mind in Salford

• Mindfulness for SEN, The National Autistic Society by Geraldine Thomas, Director at Mindflow

• Mindfulness Research and Delivery to the Christie Cancer Treatment Centre by Tim Duerden: Senior Lecturer in the Counselling and Psychotherapy team at the University of Salford

• Case Study: Ken Harrison, Head of Communities at Knowsely Borough Council

• Case Study: Yogesh Patel, Teacher at Urmston Grammer School

• Case Study: Colette Power, Breathworks Teacher, Trainer and Supervisor in Liverpool/NW, The Role that Mindfulness plays in her management of anxiety and depression.

• Case Study: Sylvia Daniels, Carer

• Case Study: Sue Phesay, Course Participant and Teacher, Mind in Salford

• Q and A from the audience facilitated by Singhashri Gazmuri, Program Director, Breathworks CIC

• Mindfulness Practice Session lead by Markus Greenwood, CEO, Mind in Salford

Video of Second Session - speakers & themes in order of appearance:

• Launch of the APPG Mindful Nation Report - The future opportunities and challenges addressed by the report including integration into different sectors, continuing research and evidence base for clinical effects, social, economic and cultural value as well as regulation, funding and integrity of the field.

• APPG Mindful Nation Report Launch by Jamie Bristow, Director, The Mindfulness Initiative

• Mindfulness for Chronic Pain, Long Term Conditions and Stress by Singhashri Gazmuri, Program Director for Breathworks CIC

• Mindfulness for Mental Health by Markus Greenwood, CEO for Mind in Salford

• Embedding Mindfulness, Geraldine Thomas, Director at Mindflow

• Peter Malinowski, Liverpool John Moores University

• Research into experiences of NHS staff attending mindfulness courses for stress reduction by Dr Peter Morgan, Clinical Psychologist, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust/NHS Mindfulness Teacher Network

• Heather Regan-Addis, Director at the Mindfulness Association and Convenor for the UK Network of Mindfulness-based Teacher Training Organisations

• Q and A from the audience facilitated by Singhashri Gazmuri, Program Director, Breathworks CIC

• Concluding Address by Geraldine Thomas, Mindflow

You can also read a blog here about the national launch of the APPG Mindful Nation Report in Westminster that was attended by Breathworks Co-founder Vidyamala Burch and Program Director Singhashri Gazmuri.