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Calm before Christmas: ‘Hour of mindfulness’ to be held at Navan Fort this weekend

All donations from the event will be going to Bernardo's, a charity that aims to support vulnerable children across the UK and Ireland

Judith Greene

As the Christmas season keeps us busy with the hustle and bustle of festive preparations, many of us can’t wait for the opportunity to just sit back close our eyes for a moment.

In a bid to provide some much-needed ‘calm before Christmas’, Armagh mindfulness specialist Judith Greene is organising a charity mindfulness event which will involve a range of stress-reducing techniques to help deal with the strains leading up to the big day.

Set in the cosy confines of the Navan Fort Visitor Centre, the ‘hour of mindfulness’ will take place from 2:30pm to 3:30pm this Saturday (December 16).

On the day, Judith will gently guide visitors through gentle practices and share some tips on how to look after themselves and enjoy the Christmas season to the full. She says that no experience of meditation or mindfulness is necessary, everyone is welcome.

“There’ll be a mix of medications where you have the chance to just sit back, relax and step out of the busyness of Christmas,” she said.

“Then we’ll look at some practical steps that you can use in your daily life to help with any stress or anxiety coming up to Christmas or indeed at any time.”

Not only will visitors benefit from some much needed time-out and self-care, but they’ll also be supporting a very worthwhile cause.

All donations from the event will be going to Bernardo’s, a charity that aims to support vulnerable children across the UK and Ireland.

There’s no fixed price for the event, with donations entirely at the discretion of those attending.

Judith says the overall aim behind why she decided to run the event is twofold.

“A member of my family uses Bernardo’s and they get so much out of it. It’s a fantastic organisation that I really wanted to support.

“The other aspect is I know Christmas can be challenging for a lot of people. There’s a lot of emotions around Christmas… Then you throw in everything that you have to organise around this time, so it’s about giving people that time, space and tools to go away with that they can use to help themselves at home or in work.”

Judith says Christmas can be a time of worry for many, despite the perceptions.

She added: “It can be a lonely and difficult time for people. All these things come into play and actually make it quite a challenge.

“Then there’s this expectation that everybody should be happy, merry and jolly around this time of year and that isn’t always the case.”

Due to limited space, pre-booking is essential. Contact Judith at info@judithgreene.com to reserve your space

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