ABSTRACT
‘Formal mindfulness’ simply means exercises where time is set aside to intentionally practise meditation. This is often guided, either within a session or with a recording. Individual sessions are excellent places to carry out formal practices as it allows the opportunity to tailor the experience to the client’s needs. The mindfulness community makes a case for practitioners being well versed in the approach before beginning to teach or train others. Normally, this means at least a bare minimum of having attended an eight-week course, which has become the standard for a basic training in mindfulness practice. The pace needs to be adapted to the individual client, but more often than not, a slow steady space where there is breathing space between the words is important. Within individual therapy sessions, it is almost always useful to start off with a briefer taste of mindfulness, which the practitioner guides the client through.
