Louise Fortunato

I have been teaching mindfulness based applications in conjunction with yoga therapy for more than four years to individuals with chronic physical and / or mental health conditions. My main areas of focus are chronic fatigue, chronic pain, trauma, depression, anxiety and stress. I also offer eight-week mindfulness programmes, mindfulness workshops and work based CPD mindfulness training.

I regularly facilitate eight-week Mindfulness for Healthy and Contented Living courses for stress management in the North Essex and South Suffolk area. I also offer bespoke 1:1 mindfulness training, sometimes blended with yoga therapy (as required). In the past few years, I have been invited to run seminars and design mindfulness training programmes and workshops for counselling organisations, schools and colleges and on behalf of NHS organisations. I have also trained medical staff from the British army in mindfulness for self-care and given a CPD presentation on mindfulness and yoga to army barracks mental health teams.

Mindfulness helps on so many different levels and during the course of my time teaching, I have seen wonderful improvements in emotional intelligence, digestion, stress management (and indeed perception of stress), sleep, happiness levels and lowered anxiety. I can honestly say that for those who regularly meditate, transformation in mind, body and perhaps spirit is a very real occurrence. I have seen grieving students suddenly be able to forgive deep hurt and those who thought love was no longer theirs to feel have moments of very deep compassion. I am honoured to help facilitate this important work that brings light in to a sometimes very dark existence.

Integrity and deep skill are very important when teaching mindfulness and these can only really come about with excellent ongoing training and a commitment to daily personal practice. I am fortunate to have trained with two well respected mindfulness institutions (Clear Mind and dot be) and also have the guidance of a spiritual director. Regular supervision is also of huge importance and benefit to teachers.

I believe the UK guidelines to be necessary to ensure that students can have confidence in the calibre of the mindfulness teachers they engage and also to equip teachers to teach in a variety of different settings to students with widely differing needs.