Meditation

Hi all

I have signed up to the FutureLearn Mindfulness course. I notice that there are a couple more OMSers on there, so I thought it might be useful to start a thread here so we can keep each other - and other OMSers who might be intereted - posted with our progress?

The course starts in 39 days (May 23rd) so there is still time to join. FutureLearn courses can be studied online in your own time and are FREE!

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/min ... erformance

Maybe see you there!
Rachel

Hi Rachel, Nice to see you here on the OMS page too. It's great getting to know you in both places! Talk to you soon, K

Thankyou. I have signed up too. Definitely need some help in this arm of the OMS lifestyle

Hi everyone

The FutureLearn Mindfulness Course began online yesterday (I think you will still be able to join if you wish - www.futurelearn.com). I think it is going to be a very useful tool for me in understanding a bit more about mindfulness and meditation, and why this is such an important part of OMS.

One of the course tutors is Dr Craig Haseed, who many of you will have heard about through his association with OMS. I heard him speak at an OMS event in Brighton a couple of years ago.

Will keep you posted!

Rachel

Looking at it at the moment, I'll no doubt learn a heck of a lot...I'll report back later too!

I have just reached the end of the first week of this fantastic course. I thought I would share a couple of insights.

OMS promotes meditation and mindfulness as important tools for overcoming MS, but perhaps, like me, you're not 100% sure WHY or HOW.

Simply put, meditation offers health benefits as it calms us, suppressing the 'fight or flight' reaction we can trigger through negative thoughts. The body cannot differentiate between a 'real' or a 'perceived' (imagined) threat. When we trigger a 'fight or flight' response, we cause a stressful (inflammatory) reaction in the body. If we are creating negative issues - worrying about what 'might' happen - we are causing our body unnecessary stress.

Mindfulness means 'living in the moment', and engaging with the current task in hand. Think about 'what IS' rather than 'what IF'.

This doesn't mean we have to stop looking to the past, or to the future, but:

Recognise the difference between planning versus worrying, and reflecting versus dwelling.

I am finding the course really beneficial. I think you will still be able to join if you want to.

Rachel

I used the body scan through the MRI process, to help stay aware, but relaxed.

I found same of the course easy and a pleasure to do, other parts harder and made me reluctant to commit to.

The ideas and process of meditation, and the mindfulness it brings were one of the easier parts, and watching, hearing or reading the articles were easy too, even reading other comments on the comment sections, but commenting after the practical sections was something that I've not gotten into. I am willing to share myself within the anonymity of the forums, pretty much without restriction, but every time the course requests that one participates in the wider format of the comment sections, it also reminds one, that the comment sections are open to "the Internet" and to not say anything that you don't want read by the world.

With most people registering quickly and simply through facebook, (I didn't really consider the consequences of that action), and so I'm caught between, protecting my privacy, or fully committing to the course, and commenting regularly and fully, under my name, (thus leaving possible information around, that I didn't or may not want connected to my name).

It is possible to edit ones profile, to change your First and Last name on the course program profile, and that does ameliorate some of the concerns, but I am reluctant and reticent to do that, or to comment freely and fully, I don't know if my caution is justified or I'm just being a wuss about it?

Hi Farrier

I think that it's fine not to comment or participate in the discussion online. To be honest, this is the third FutureLearn course I have done, but the first one that I have made much comment on. I find the format of the comments section difficult to navigate. You can't read every single comment, so 'discussion' is nigh-on impossible. I leave a few thoughts there, but I rarely comment on anything.

There is nothing wrong with not commenting, but maybe using a pseudonym would mean you felt less self-conscious? To be honest, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of comments per section, so unless you are planning on saying something particularly contentious (you're not, are you...? ), I doubt you'll stand out (sorry!)

Rachel

I am about to start my third FutureLearn Mindfullness course and highly recommend them. Excellent course.

Thanks for refreshing this thread Suzette! I did remember this course recently and wondered if there were more of them as I missed the one that was posted on here in May.
I will look into it