Manage Stress & Improve Well-being

Welcome To Stillworks! Hi, I’m Natalie Snuggs (MSc., B.A., DipBSoM, DipHb(KG), PGCE, S.A.C. Dip (Professional Hypnotherapy)) and I’d like to welcome you to Stillworks. Mindfulness As An Answer To Current Crises We are currently living through what has been described as a ‘meta-crisis’; still managing the fall-out from the pandemic on top of a cost-of-living crisis, political upheaval, worldwide conflict & environmental changes, and all of these in addition to a mental and physical health crisis that has been building over the last thirty years. Your brain has a lot to cope with, and if we add to this the effects of our 24/7 lifestyle with little opportunity to rest and recover, it is no wonder that stress, anxiety and illness are increasing exponentially. BUT the good news is that research shows that just 8 weeks of regular practice reduces stress, boosts the immune system and measurably improves chronic conditions, including long covid. Why Choose Stillworks? Unlike some other online schools, I offer a personal and personalised approach to all my teaching, with regular opportunities to train & practise with me in person, even when you opt for self-study courses. You also have peace of mind knowing that I have over 30 years of experience, I am fully trained & accredited, and I continue to extend my knowledge and stay up to date with the latest developments and scientific research through my affiliations with universities and worldwide mindfulness research bodies. Stillworks was born out of my own experience of using mindfulness-based approaches to manage chronic illness and because of that I focus on how to use mindfulness to support the key elements of health and wellbeing: Reducing stress & anxiety Improving sleep quality Introducing gentle movement Changing habits to include healthier choices I created Stillworks, because meditation is about stilling the breath, the body and the mind, and practising this discipline means that most of me still works! Creating Stillworks has meant that I can pass on these skills to others which is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Mindfulness for health & wellbeing Mindfulness for Health: Cultivate Calm, Embrace Wellness “Practical solutions for real life situations.” My approach is to help people find practical ways they can manage day to day experiences better so that we are living a more fulfilled and meaningful life. We look at managing stress, difficult thoughts & feelings and chronic conditions, improving sleep and finding ways to support the habits we want to keep whilst letting go of those which are no longer helping us. Peace of mind: All techniques are clinically tested and validated for effectiveness. Drawing on my training in mindfulness & hypnotherapy, I offer a range of approaches, so why not get in touch and see what could benefit you? Registered & accredited with The British School of Meditation and KGH, Endorsed by Ascentis, Ofqual and the Royal College of Midwives. Certified ACT-based mindful movement instructor.

Sleep "The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span." Matthew Walker, international sleep expert. Many of us have developed unhelpful habits through lack of understanding about what our bodies need for regular good sleep. We also tend to lie awake worrying or planning, finding it hard to switch off our busy brains. With these classes and workshops, you can learn to understand your own sleep pattern, how to optimise your body's own ability for good sleep, and how to calm the brain ready for sleep. Explore some of the barriers preventing you from sleeping well and some easy to learn exercises & simple changes you can make to start improving your sleep right away. When your sleep improves, so does your health, your brain function and your mood.

Combining mindfulness teachings with specially formulated movements making mindfulness practice truly accessible for more people. These practices are perfect for anyone wishing to practise mindfulness with alternatives to sitting meditations. Comprising breathwork with ACT mindfulness & gentle movements based on Shibashi, a meditative form of Qigong, this movement practice has been designed by a specialist in ACT (Acceptance Commitment Training) & a martial arts Grand Master to enable the release of tension in the body and mind. This evidence-based form of exercise improves physical and emotional well-being and is suitable for anyone as the movements can be performed standing or sitting and are designed to accommodate all levels of physical ability. ​Some Testimonials: "Mindful movement has been beneficial in so many ways...helping me to move forward and be more flexible physically & mentally." "Very relaxing & mindful." "Very interesting combination of mindfulness & movement...glad I joined the class." "Thank you! I have found (it) very useful in calming the mind and giving me the skills to practice at home. So glad I came!" "...extremely helpful for my mental health and well-being...looking forward to future sessions." Read my BLOG to find out more about why Mindful Movement will benefit you!

Lots of people confuse hypnotherapy with hypnosis but they are quite different! Hypnosis typically has a short-lasting effect (it’s the kind of trick used by stage hypnotists), whereas hypnotherapy uses our own understanding of words and phrases to help us overcome fears, anxieties and phobias. People often think that you have to go into a trance, or some kind of altered state of reality, but that’s not at all necessary. Some people feel very relaxed and sleepy whilst others are wide awake and alert and possibly thinking about their shopping list at the same time. The lasting benefits of hypnotherapy are well documented, and the techniques are easily combined with CBT, ACT & MBSR techniques (as well as other, less well known modalities) to provide a personalised approach to suit each individual. I offer hypnotherapy as either a stand-alone or combined therapeutic approach, depending on what we agree together. Watch the video to find out what happens in a typical hypnotherapy session and how it could help you! Registered & accredited with The British School of Meditation and KGH, Endorsed by Ascentis, OFQAL and the Royal College of Midwives. Certified Hypnotherapist and ACT-based mindful movement instructor.

Lots of people learn to meditate through classes and courses, but what if this isn’t enough for you right now, or you have specific symptoms or life experiences that you want to discuss and explore in more detail? Tailored one-on-one sessions are designed to navigate through these situations and create a personalised plan that aligns with your goals. Trained in a variety of mindfulness-based approaches, including mindfulness for post-traumatic stress and hypnotherapy, I can draw on a wealth of practices and interventions to support you. Watch the video to learn more about how I can help you find the right approach. Registered & accredited with The British School of Meditation and KGH, Endorsed by Ascentis, OFQAL and the Royal College of Midwives. Certified ACT-based mindful movement instructor.

Hypnobirthing: this course is designed to give you and your baby a gentle birth where you are in control and feel empowered to make your own decisions throughout pregnancy, birth and the early weeks of parenting. The in-depth training covers: How your body works Choices and information about your birth Relaxation techniques Breathing exercises How to release fears and build confidence Creating your birth plan for home or hospital, including caesarean birth Creating a birth environment that suits you & reflects your needs and personality Stress hormones have a detrimental effect on our ability to birth naturally and this can have a knock-on effect on the baby’s feeding and digestive system after birth. By combining ante-natal education with clinically proven mindfulness exercises to reduce stress, & KGHypnobirthing techniques (accredited by the Royal College of Midwives) you will have all the tools to make sure that you can birth your baby gently and give them the best start in life. You can start these lessons any time after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the sooner you start to practice the better. Choose the self-study course, a group course or workshop, or private sessions with me. “It was such a calm & amazing birth, the exercises helped so much, I can’t thank you enough.” Parenting: Once through the newborn stage we start to encounter all sorts of different challenges with our offspring! From toddler tantrums to teenage angst, and even supporting our children through being young adults to becoming parents themselves, parenting is never done. In our parenting course and workshops, we look at ways we can take care of ourselves, manage the inevitable guilt and fear of our shortcomings, learn mindful communication skills and most of all learn how to be present with our children so that we don’t miss the joyful, life affirming parts of parenting that are so rewarding. If we are happy and well then, we are better parents and give our children a better chance of being happy and well also! Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh said that if we miss the present moment, we miss our appointment with life. We also miss our appointment with our children. Registered & accredited with The British School of Meditation and KGH, Endorsed by Ascentis, OFQAL and the Royal College of Midwives. Certified Hypnotherapist & ACT-based mindful movement instructor.

Quiet contemplation has been at the heart of spiritual philosophy since its beginnings. Early humans would gaze into the fire as a spiritual act, and we know from cave paintings that they began to create symbolic and mythical meaning around their daily encounters with nature. In Northern Europe, a tradition began which we now loosely call ‘Celtic’ and when the early Christians arrived, they discovered a rich spiritual practice which initially blended well with their own beliefs. The early Celtic Christians brought their reverence and quiet reflection of creation into their worship, and many of the existing Druidic religions added the Christian teachings about creation into their own belief system. Unfortunately, this practice was later seen as heresy and was driven out of Europe but many of the teachings, blessings and meditations have survived and we are now able to take advantage of this richness in our heritage. My own version of Celtic Contemplation blends Druidic and early Christian teachings to support us as we journey through the year, staying connected to nature – externally and internally, following the twisting, turning paths of the Celtic knot and the labyrinth to come closer to what lies within. When we find that centre of peace and calm from which we can see clearly, we can then make wise choices about which path we want to follow at any given time.

Why Mindfulness at Work? What's the problem? We're all stressed. Just deal with it! But here’s the thing – it’s the fact that we are all stressed that is the problem. Stress builds up without us realising, in the video I talk about a workplace study that showed up surprising and worrying trends, and stress causes the amygdala in the brain to keep firing. When this happens creative parts of the brain shut down. Inspirational parts of the brain shut down. The problem solving (executive function areas) shut down, along with our digestive systems and immune systems. If the amygdala are telling the body that it is in danger, it doesn’t want to be wasting energy digesting food, or fighting of infection or illness, it has a tiger to escape from, it needs all that energy to go the muscles and the lungs. But the problem is that this leads to lack of productivity, illness & absenteeism. Relationships at work and at home are affected by our lack of patience or the aggression caused by stress hormones. We lose connectivity to the communication parts of the brain so we don’t express ourselves well.   The good news is that studies show that mindfulness in the workplace helps to increase effectiveness, reduce mistakes & absenteeism, improve relationships, improve emotional & creative flexibility, and avoid burn-out. You will learn practical tools for real life workplace situations including brain hacks & simple stress reduction techniques. And most of these take less than five minutes! Tailored sessions are designed to support your workplace goals, drawing on the latest scientific research & clinical evidence so get in touch and let’s see how we can start improving your workplace for you and your colleagues. Why Mindfulness in schools? Evidence from thirteen published systematic reviews, including six meta-analyses shows that mindfulness in schools supports many aspects of physical & mental wellbeing in pupils including social and emotional skills, and cognition. Schools are a unique environment because they are both a workplace for staff and a place where children grow up, so they have a complex set of needs different from other workplaces. As an ex-secondary school teacher and head of department, an ex-primary classroom assistant, a mother & grandmother I have experienced school life from various angles and I passionately believe that mindfulness practice is key in solving many of the issues we face in our schools, as well as equipping our teachers and pupils with skills they need to face the increasing challenges of society today. Studies on the impact of mindfulness in schools have found: Mindfulness initiatives in schools have generally been welcomed by pupils. The Department for Education (2011) reported that mindfulness scored exceptionally highly in acceptability amongst primary-aged children (70-80%) compared with the average of 50% when implementing new elements of the curriculum. Evidence from five systematic reviews (including two meta-analyses) shows a consistently positive impact in wellbeing, mental health, emotional capacity and teaching effectiveness amongst teaching staff. Other benefits include: Calmer classrooms & school environments Better behaviour from pupils (especially those with additional needs) More positive attitudes towards school life amongst pupils and staff Better relationships across the school Improved academic outcomes & more learning enjoyment “The long-term cumulative evidence from a growing and promising body of international research is that good-quality mindfulness has many tangible benefits for pupils and teachers.” Katherine Weare, Emeritus Professor at the University of Southampton and Lead for Mindfulness in Education the Mindfulness Initiative. Watch the video to find out more about how I can support you in implementing your mindfulness based intervention or curriculum. Registered & accredited with The British School of Meditation and KGH, Endorsed by Ascentis, OFQAL and the Royal College of Midwives. Certified ACT-based mindful movement instructor.