WellAware is an organization dedicated to offering the practices of mindfulness to support improved health and well-being for individuals and organizations.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness refers to a particular quality of attention that allows access to a rich, powerful depth of connection to experience. Jon Kabat-Zinn has given us a beautiful definition of mindfulness, defined as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” Mindfulness is a capability all people are born with, and with sincere attention, all people can cultivate within themselves.

The process of cultivating mindfulness often develops first as an interest, then as an intention, moving into practice and eventually becoming a way of living every moment of life in an awake, clear way.

The training of mindfulness invites participants to see and experience how they meet the people and conditions in their environment without judgment, in order to learn what is most effective and to learn successful ways to be with the vast array of conditions we all face.  Through this kind of curious, open observation, participants learn to see clearly and un-do those patterns of behavior in themselves that are counter to living, feeling and being well.

Why cultivate mindfulness?

Benefits of bringing mindfulness into work and life can be myriad:

• Mindfulness increases the ability to be effective in the midst of difficult conditions.
  
• Mindfuness cultivates calm and clarity in action.
  
• Mindfulness improves the ability to observe information, facts and details without the typical clouding of judgment or emotional involvement that can interfere with direct experience.
• Mindfulness frees up our personal resources; it unlocks formerly hidden potential for creativity, compassion and power
• Mindfulness improves our quality of communication by cultivating a level of honest, direct interaction with those we meet.
• Mindfulness increases the sense of physical well-being, reduces painful symptoms and/or increases the ability to accept and be with pain that can not be eliminated.

Many studies illustrate the benefits of cultivating mindfulness. For information on the science of mindfulness, please consult the UMass Medical School's Center for Mindfulness. Their annual Scientific Conference highlights current progress in identifying the measurable benefits of mindfulness practice on brain function, physiology and emotional well-being.

Why integrate the practices of mindfulness into your life, as an individual or organization?

If you or your organization wish to…

• Improve your sense of aliveness and well-being
• Increase honesty and directness in interaction
• Improve effectiveness, clarity of communication and creativity
• Improve the capacity to effectively deal with situations that are difficult, challenging, charged or painful
• Relax and enjoy life more

…you are invited to apply the practices of mindfulness to help improve your life and health and/or the life and health of your organization.

photo by Joel Yeaton

Margaret Fletcher is the founding director of WellAware. She joyfully brings her dedication to the practice of meditation and awakeness in life to the work of WellAware.

Margaret has completed the training requirements and is in the process of submitting for professional certification in mindfulness training through the Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. Admission to the program is limited to those with extensive professional experience, with a solid meditation practice. Margaret has participated in multi-day professional trainings through the Center for Mindfulness under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Saki Santorelli, Florence Meleo-Meyer, Melissa Blacker and Zayda Vallejo. Margaret brings the MBSR program to the community and to businesses, churches, health care facilities and other organizations in New England who are interested in increasing effectiveness and reducing the effects of stress for their employees and members.

Margaret began teaching meditation in 2006, and completed her 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training in 2007 with her primary yoga teacher, Maureen Miller, E-RYT, at Living Yoga Studio in Concord, NH. She continues to teach meditation, mindful movement and yoga philosophy at Living Yoga. Margaret was invited in 2008 by her primary meditation teacher, Norman Scrimshaw, to teach for White Mountain Sangha, a NH-based mindfulness community. Margaret now leads White Mountain Sangha as Guiding Teacher.

Margaret has over 20 years experience in corporate management in the fields of banking, financial services and healthcare operations. She was most recently director of credentialing operations for a national healthcare plan, and formerly vice president of management accounting for a national financial institution.

To engage with Margaret's online mindfulness forum, please visit MicrowaveMeditations.com. For more information on Margaret’s teachings, please visit White Mountain Sangha and Living Yoga. Follow Margaret’s writings at her blog, StumblingAwake.blogspot.com