Providing accessible, affordable well-being through mindfulness
“Through relational mindfulness we can foster cohesion in communities where there is a desperate need for accessible and practical ways to support mental and physical health. Mindfulness Based Approaches (MBAs) have a key role to play in this support.”
(Natalie Snuggs, Stillworks Meditation)
Natalie Snuggs’ mindfulness-based business ‘Stillworks’ was created through combining extensive study and training in MBAs with her personal journey of working long term with mindfulness to manage her own chronic pain. She is based in Llantwit Major and teaches predominantly in the Vale of Glamorgan but has a wider audience online throughout the world. Her aim is to foster cohesion in communities by bringing good quality, clinically validated mindfulness- within her locality, but also to groups of people who share common vulnerabilities.
Natalie continues to walk her talk of the importance of self-care with a committed personal daily practice that combines sessions of meditating, breathing, enquiry, walking, movement practices and hypnotherapy peppered at regular intervals throughout her day.
Natalie’s mindfulness studies include Meditation and Movement, Trauma Sensitivity, Compassion and the MAIR Nervous System Retraining. In 2021 she completed an MSc at Bangor University having researched the effect of Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) on chronic illness within women, making the role of mindfulness on neurogenesis in managing long term conditions the subject of her thesis.
“I have learned so much from Natalie’s teaching- always well-informed, always imbued with kindness. She has helped me to cultivate a deep and abiding relationship with mindfulness, which has transformed my life.” (Stillworks client)
Stillworks specialises in offering courses to people with long term physical or mental health conditions, including chronic pain, who have so far been unable to access adequate support. These courses are based on MBSR, incorporating elements of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. They range from 5-week introductory sessions to longer, more intensive courses. Stillworks also has options of 1:1 support if the group setting doesn’t feel right.
“I would like to say I have really benefited from your teaching…I now have the tools to calm the ‘hamster in its wheel’ in my head and put thoughts into perspective. My mental health has very much improved as I have learned to take time to enjoy my surroundings using all my senses.” (Stillworks client)
As well as these chronic-pain focused options, there are Qigong Shibashi Mindful Movement classes for better well-being, and online based mindfulness sessions for people who can’t attend in-person classes.
Alongside Stillworks, Natalie is in the process of co-founding a mindfulness-based charity being set up to serve the community in Llantwit Major. Using the working name of Mewn Cof (In Mind), the charity is due to launch later this year and aims to respond to two identified local needs:
- Men whose mental health has been neglected.
- Women whose physical conditions have been mis or non-diagnosed & for whom Mindfulness Based Interventions would be appropriate.
The long-term vision for Mewn Cof includes:
- Developing an existing and already trialled Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based mindful movement (Qigong) course. The pilot study is currently being evaluated, and so far, the feedback has all been positive with benefits seen in all areas of anxiety, sleeplessness, pain and intrusive thoughts for most of the women. Future offerings of this course will be aimed at women with persistent pain who have struggled with movement and mobility for several years without support.
- Scaling up the work of the charity by designing and delivering a course that can be delivered by mentors and peer supporters to teach in their own communities.
- Introducing formal peer-to-peer mentoring and training so that mindfulness is taught by an expert in that community who has lived experience.
This ambitious vision will be made possible through collaboration with existing organisations including Papyrus, Dads for Lads, Women’s Aid and Women Connect in Cardiff.
For more information about the work of Natalie and Stillworks and to be kept in touch about the development of Mewn Cof please email info.stillworks@gmail.com or go to www.stillworksmeditation.com
Email: info.stillworks@gmail.com
Website: www.stillworksmeditation.com
Facebook: Stillworks
Instagram: still.worksmeditation
