Behind the Scenes of Mindfulness with Dr Mark Williams
"Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, with compassion, and open-hearted curiosity. Through cultivating mindful awareness, we discover how to live in the present moment rather than brooding about the past or worrying about the future." -- The Oxford Mindfulness Centre
Peering through the fishbowl windows of the recording studio, we watch Dr Mark Williams, Oxford's resident Mindfulness guru, surrounded by thick foam walls and tangled cords. We were fortunate to recently welcome him to TDD and have a fraction of his wisdom imbued throughout the studio! With the meticulous task of monitoring every word, letter, click, breath, the concept of Mindfulness couldn't have been more applicable as we were locked in those present moments of following along with the script of Dr Williams' meditations for his new app to do with MBCT.
Dr Williams has spent years developing MBCT, or Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, which has made quite the leap in the prevention of relapse and recurrence in major depression. Dr Williams is the former Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre at the University of Oxford, and though he has since retired, he has continued his research in working with those with suicidal tendencies and severe cases of depression. As part of the Department of Psychiatry at the University, the Oxford Mindfulness Centre has achieved groundbreaking research on Mindfulness. They aim to help not only those diagnosed with clinical afflictions but the general public as well, having even spread across the globe to communities all over the world - at the moment specifically to those in Asia and Africa.
These newly recorded meditations coupled with the classic tracks used throughout their research since 2003 will allow those who have participated in an eight-week Mindfulness course to continue to develop their practice even further. This complimentary app is soon to be brought to us by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre as part of its charitable efforts to further support those in search of hope when they believed there was none to be found. The absolutely lovely Dr Williams, immersed in his own Mindfulness techniques, was quite the pro at voiceover work with his tranquil tone. The perfect sound for Mindfulness, we are confident his work will help thousands live in the moment, in this moment.
