Tower Bridge and The Monument

• Tower Bridge helps Londoners alleviate stress with new morning mindfulness classes
• Mindfulness expert Dr. Tamara Russell delivers a one-off series of mindful movement sessions on Tower Bridge Exhibition’s famous glass floor
• Each session combines science and the spectacular surroundings of the capital to leave you stress-free and ready for the working day
• Wednesday 3 February, Wednesday 10 February, Friday 19 February from 07:30 – 08:30
• Press preview: Wednesday 27 January 08:00 – 08:45
• Tickets: Places are limited so early booking is advisable. Ticket price: £20
• Press enquiries: towerbridge@kallaway.com or 0207 221 7883

For many Londoners, the capital can be a stressful place. Workers face lengthy commutes [1], feel pressure to always be in touch with the office [2] and are constantly available due to new technology; there is no time to de-stress during the working week.

To help, the team at Tower Bridge Exhibition has enlisted clinical psychologist, Dr. Tamara Russell, to deliver a one-off series of mindful movement sessions from the Bridge’s famous glass floor in the high-level Walkways. Weaving in the stunning backdrop of the city and observing the contrasting motions that range from the bustle of the traffic and the calmness of the flowing Thames 42 metres below, Dr Russell will equip participants with tools to help manage themselves in times of great stress and to increase awareness of the self and surroundings.

Dr. Tamara Russell says, "Mindfulness is a type of training that helps us to gain perspective on our thoughts, emotions and life's experiences generally. Training on Tower Bridge presents a unique opportunity to learn the basics of mindful movement and use this stunning location to help consolidate the learning. With the views over London, participants will learn that we can be in an "observer" position, with a different perspective on our minds – a key part of mindfulness training. These classes will help Londoners learn that we at all times can have the capacity and means to be calmer, more focused, less reactive and more creative.”

The Morning Mindfulness sessions at Tower Bridge will take place at 07:30 – 08:30 on the following dates and each last one hour:

Wednesday 3 February

Wednesday 10 February

Friday 19 February

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[1] Trade Union Congress survey on average commute time
[2] Future Work Centre study on work emails

Notes to Editors:

Outline of Morning Mindfulness Sessions at Tower Bridge:

Session 1 - The Mindful View (Wednesday 3 February)

An exploration of three key aspects of mindfulness - intention, attention and attitude, through mindful movement practices. Using the unique setting of Tower Bridge, gentle movements will be conducted with guidance from Dr. Russell.  Weaving theory, neuroscience, and the surroundings, participants will emerge with an embodied understanding of these concepts and a memorable experience of being mindful in the city.

Session 2 - Check your Perspective (Wednesday 10 February)

Mindfulness training asks us to develop our natural ability to perceive our experiences from a distance. We are still curious about what is occurring, yet we can now relate to these experiences with some distance and more clarity. Contemplating the views of the river and the city, this mindful movement class will illustrate the principle and benefits of training in a different type of observation.

Session 3 - Compassion (Friday 19 February)

This session will guide participants through a number of movement practices to illustrate the mental orientation critical to mindfulness training - compassion. Through the practice of self-compassion, learning to be gentle with mental and physical experiences, we can cultivate the ability to be gentle with others. Contemplating the movement of people across the Bridge, around the City of London, and around the globe, the class will use the unique setting to deepen the experience and understanding of what it means to be gentle to others and ourselves.

About Tower Bridge

www.towerbridge.org.uk

Facebook.com/towerbridge

Twitter.com/towerbridge #InsideTowerBridge

• Tower Bridge was the creation of architect Sir Horace Jones and civil engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry. It took eight years to complete and was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra)
• Tower Bridge Exhibition opening hours:
• Summer Opening Hours: April - September 10:00 - 17:30 (last admission)
• Winter Opening Hours: October - March 09:30 - 17:00 (last admission)
• Admission prices for Tower Bridge Exhibition:
• Adults: £9
• Children aged 5-15: £3.90
• Concessions: £6.30
• Family tickets from £14.10
• Under 5s free
• Group rates available for groups of 10 or more
• The nearest underground stations are London Bridge or Tower Hill
• The experience visiting the high-level Walkways has now been bolstered with the addition of the new glass floor, which gives visitors a unique perspective of London 42 metres above the Thames. Guests are able to tread on the glass floor whilst traffic passes beneath their feet – the glass floor panels can withstand the weight equivalent to one elephant or two London Black Cabs.
• The popular Great Bridges of the World exhibition has been refreshed, now featuring 40 of the world’s most revered bridges, each of which represents a breathtaking feat of engineering.
• Tower Bridge are supported by The City of London Corporation – a uniquely diverse organisation, in that it not only promotes and supports the City and provides it with a full range of services but provides wider services for London and for the nation as a whole. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk.

About Dr. Tamara Russell (BSc, MSc, Ph.D., D.Clin Psych)

http://www.drtamararussell.com/

Tamara Russell is a clinical psychologist, neuroscientist and martial artist. She studied for her undergraduate Psychology and postgraduate Clinical Psychology degrees at University College London and completed the MSc in Neuroscience and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.  Her martial arts training includes 14 years studying Shaolin Kung Fu and latterly Tai Chi and internal martial arts.

Tamara has combined her skills in psychology, neuroscience and martial arts to create the Body In Mind Training program – a body-based, neuroanatomical-informed mindfulness training protocol suitable for all levels of ability and adapted for use in our busy urban environment. Tamara delivers training to individuals and organizations, advising on how embodied self-awareness can be incorporated into daily life to optimise performance, enhance interpersonal skills, and improve emotional intelligence. Drawing on the brain imaging studies that show that this training can change the structure and function of key areas of the brain related to body awareness, attention and emotional functioning, Tamara’s approach combines cutting edge neuroscientific knowledge with the ancient knowledge of martial arts and the contemplative traditions.

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