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Mark Dawes' Podcasts

Mark Dawes' Podcasts

By Mark Dawes

This podcast channel is dedicated to providing you with lots of information relating to positive thinking, mindfulness meditation, ancient scripture and wisdom combined with modern science.

I hope I find it useful and if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to hear please let me know.

Have a great life.

Mark Dawes
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Must I Hold A Teaching Qualification?

Mark Dawes' PodcastsFeb 23, 2019

00:00
05:13
Does Prayer and Meditation Work?

Does Prayer and Meditation Work?

People believe that prayer is old-fashioned, but science is showing us that prayer actually works, even at a distance and even if the person being prayed for isn't aware that they are being prayed for.

Mar 26, 202404:29
Reverse Meditations

Reverse Meditations

Reverse meditations are great meditations to do to help you with pain management and also to help others who may be suffering. I've recently used a reverse meditation to help me with the pain post dental surgery and as many of us find the dentist a less than pleasant experience I hope that this helps some of you.

Jan 23, 202411:16
Letting Go

Letting Go

Many people are worried and angry about what's happening in the world. The wars, poverty, homelessness, greed, anger and hatred. But worrying about these things won't help and becoming angry just helps fuel the delusional thinking that fuels the problem. This podcast talks about what each and everyone of us we can do.

Dec 04, 202312:07
The No-Birth, No-Death Nature of the Ocean Water and Myself

The No-Birth, No-Death Nature of the Ocean Water and Myself

The No-Birth, No-Death Nature of the Ocean Water and Myself

Jun 23, 202305:18
It's better to have a short life doing things your love

It's better to have a short life doing things your love

It's better to have a short life doing things your love

Jun 23, 202300:57
Our Egos Are Con People That Try To Sell Us What We Already Possess

Our Egos Are Con People That Try To Sell Us What We Already Possess

Our Egos Are Con People That Try To Sell Us What We Already Possess

Jun 21, 202300:58
What's The Best Time To Practice Mindfulness Meditation

What's The Best Time To Practice Mindfulness Meditation

What's The Best Time To Practice Mindfulness Meditation

Jun 20, 202300:53
Understanding Emptiness

Understanding Emptiness

Understanding Emptiness

Jun 20, 202300:58
This Is Because That Is

This Is Because That Is

This Is Because That Is

Jun 20, 202300:55
Something Cannot Arise From Nothing

Something Cannot Arise From Nothing

Something Cannot Arise From Nothing

Jun 20, 202300:59
No Birth and No Death

No Birth and No Death

No Birth and No Death

Jun 20, 202300:58
Mind, The Final Frontier

Mind, The Final Frontier

Mind, The Final Frontier

Jun 20, 202300:55
Meditation Is Resting Your Mind In It's Natural State

Meditation Is Resting Your Mind In It's Natural State

Meditation Is Resting Your Mind In It's Natural State

Jun 20, 202300:58
I'm Struggling To Meditate The Same Way Every Day

I'm Struggling To Meditate The Same Way Every Day

I'm Struggling To Meditate The Same Way Every Day

Jun 20, 202300:58
I'm Struggling To Meditate The Same Way Every Day

I'm Struggling To Meditate The Same Way Every Day

I'm Struggling To Meditate The Same Way Every Day

Jun 20, 202300:58
I'm Finding It Hard To Concentrate During Meditation

I'm Finding It Hard To Concentrate During Meditation

I'm Finding It Hard To Concentrate During Meditation

Jun 20, 202300:57
How To Deal With Worry

How To Deal With Worry

How To Deal With Worry

Jun 20, 202300:60
Happiness and Suffering Coexist Together

Happiness and Suffering Coexist Together

Happiness and Suffering Coexist Together

Jun 20, 202300:50
Changing The Words You Write Can Change Your Life

Changing The Words You Write Can Change Your Life

Changing The Words You Write Can Change Your Life

Jun 20, 202300:55
We Do Not Exist As A Separate Self

We Do Not Exist As A Separate Self

We Do Not Exist As A Separate Self

Jun 20, 202300:56
All Spirituality is About The Cessation of Suffering

All Spirituality is About The Cessation of Suffering

All Spirituality is About The Cessation of Suffering

Jun 20, 202300:56
You Can Fail At What You Don't Want So You Might As Well Take a Chance On Doing What You Love

You Can Fail At What You Don't Want So You Might As Well Take a Chance On Doing What You Love

You Can Fail At What You Don't Want So You Might As Well Take a Chance On Doing What You Love

Jun 20, 202300:52
Will I Ever Be Happy Again After Losing My Child?

Will I Ever Be Happy Again After Losing My Child?

Will I Ever Be Happy Again After Losing My Child?

Jun 18, 202300:60
No-Birth, No-Death and Interbeing

No-Birth, No-Death and Interbeing

Taken from Thich Nhat Hahn's book, 'The Blooming of a Lotus'

Jun 17, 202303:16
The Blooming of A Lotus, Chapter 1, Exercise 1

The Blooming of A Lotus, Chapter 1, Exercise 1

This audio is taken from a reading of Thich Nhat Hahn's book 'The Blooming of a Lotus' which is an excellent read.

Jun 17, 202303:24
Interview With Paul Keates on Life Coaching
Feb 27, 202325:17
The Importance of Positive Thinking, Meditation and Mindfulness in Our Modern Stressful World

The Importance of Positive Thinking, Meditation and Mindfulness in Our Modern Stressful World

This is a podcast hosted by Adam Parr (thank you Adam for the invite) where we discuss the increasing mental health issue in the UK and the benefits of positive thinking from a neurological and behavioural point of view.

A breakdown of the content with timing is as follows:

0031: Mental health first aid training and the increasing amount of people on prescription drugs.

0041: 'The Universal Human Phobia'.

04:00: 'The Way In Is The Way Out.

06:00: The problem with mental health first aid as reported by the Health & safety Executive and the impact of the problem in corporations with regard to 'burn-out'.

08:32: 'What you give your energy to you help create' and the development of Quantum Thinking.

09:22: 'It's not my fault' - People not taking responsibility for what they can control and 'reacting' instead of 'responding'.

11:40: 'Things that Wire Together Fire Together' - how every behaviour is linked to a network in our brains and how those networks grow.

13:55: The Viktor Frankl Story - 'Man's Search For Meaning' and how the brain doesn't know the difference between perception and reality.

18:08: Impermanence - Everything changes, right down to our basic subatomic structures, why everything is made up of 'empty space', which is actually energy.

19:50: The root of all suffering.

20:30: The 'Miracle' of living in the present moment to be truly alive, coming to terms with death and the first law of thermodynamics.

23:30: Two people who possess nothing who are now the happiest people I know and Chris' story (@ChrisWalksTheUK) and MaJa's story @mausn_arts.

25:50: How society conditions us to become 'commercially happy', like an addiction and how to break that pattern.

27:20: Meditation and mindfulness is free. If you can breath you can do it and it's one of the only things you can consistently fail at and get better at it.

30:10: Most people are being used by social media as opposed to social media using you.

31:02: I hate perfume ads!

31:40: If you not conditioned, commerce wouldn't work!

32:30: Becoming seriously awake!

34:52: The importance of the environment in training, in cell biology and to us as human beings.

36:21: My heart attack and survival.

40:50: We are in the most technically advanced ear yet we have more sickness, illnesses, diseases and wars than ever before.

41:50: Shout out to Paul 'Vic' Vicary.

PS: Please watch the whole video before commenting.

Jan 06, 202343:48
If Not Now, Then When? When Will You Be Ready To Do What You’ve Always Wanted To Do?

If Not Now, Then When? When Will You Be Ready To Do What You’ve Always Wanted To Do?

In this podcast I talk about why so many people who want to run their own business, be there own boss and follow their passion never do it, because they believe that they are not ready or they fear failure, or they have too many 'what if's' and not enough faith.

I use two examples to illustrate how any normal, everyday person can do what they want to do.

One example is Kate who has been walking the UK coastline for some years now who had no experience in how to do this when she started out and you can read her post on her Facebook page here - Kate Walks The Coast -  #katewalksthecoast.

The other examples I use are the twelve Apostles of Jesus who were instructed by Jesus to go out to towns and villages and heal the sick and the lame, cast out demons and mend the brokenhearted. 

Some of these Apostles had only been following Jesus for a few months.

They were not religious people and had no formal training.

They were just everyday, normal people were being asked to do miracles, things that ‘normal, everyday people’ weren’t expected to do or even believed that they could do.

The moral of this podcast is don't leave it too late to follow your passion.

You only have one life on this fragile earth.

Make this year your year.

Own it.

Live your life.

It may not always be easy, but it will be worthwhile.

If you’d like to know more about training with NFPS Ltd or you’d like to simply have a one-to-one chat with one of us about your dreams and goals simply go here and let us know how we can help - https://nfps.info/contact-nfps/

Have a great day.

Have a great year.

Have a great life.

Dec 30, 202212:08
The Compassionate Use of Force
Dec 15, 202210:13
Why You Must Do Your Own Due Diligence Before You Invest in Anything

Why You Must Do Your Own Due Diligence Before You Invest in Anything

Why You Must Do Your Own Due Diligence Before You Invest in Anything

Dec 12, 202206:15
Trevel Henry and Me Discussing NFPS and The Takeover, etc.

Trevel Henry and Me Discussing NFPS and The Takeover, etc.

In this podcast Trevel and I discuss the takeover of NFPS Ltd by him and Rab.  

We also discuss the values of NFPS Ltd and its commitment to those we train.  

A breakdown of the content of this podcast is as follows:  

03:50 minutes - A woman who made contact with me asking for my help because she lost her job when she defended herself against a child with a weapon.  

05:53 minutes - Approved Techniques and who's approving what.  

08:00 minutes - Rigid training programmes not covering the people they train including the story of someone who was violently attacked and the managers response in calling the police.  

11:25 minutes - the story of a man who was being prosecuted for causing significant harm to a child, that we managed to stop.  

13:40 minutes - Professionally challenging organisations and/or individuals.  

15:10 minutes - Introducing PI into the SIA in 2008/2010  

16:47 minutes - Incorporating what people already know and why breaking a technique down into it's smallest component part creates more confusion.  

18:42 minutes - The 'Bill of Rights' and too much regulation.  

21:30 minutes - Taking the emotion out of it. Being dispassionate and biases.  

23:05 minutes - "No Plan Survives Contact" - in Paul 'Vic' Vicary's Book, Plan D.  

25:09 minutes - Do you have a mon-pain compliance technique to stop someone biting you (this was during the pandemic by the way).  

28:21 minutes - Why do people come into this industry.  

30:00 minutes - You have to transcend knowledge to reach understanding.  

31:22 minutes - Training people from the inside-out as opposed to outside-in to change the way they believe in themselves.   

31:48 minutes - What would I, as a restraint trainer, study NLP, Hypnosis, EFT, etc?  

34:11 minutes - What's the one thing I'd recommend.

Dec 09, 202238:08
One of The Biggest Regrets of The Dying

One of The Biggest Regrets of The Dying

One of the biggest regrets of the dying is that they didn't live a life of purpose, but instead lived a life doing what other people expected of them.   

But most people can't 'find' their purpose.  

And there's a reason for that as this podcast explains.

Oct 29, 202204:22
How Your Beliefs and Values Create Your Identity and Control Your Behaviour

How Your Beliefs and Values Create Your Identity and Control Your Behaviour

How Your Beliefs and Values Create Your Identity and  Control Your Behaviour.

It is estimated that over 90% of all stress related illnesses are down to the lifestyle choices we make.  

So what drives these dysfunctional behaviours?  

This podcast explains.

Oct 29, 202204:43
How a Change In Lifestyle Changed People's Genes

How a Change In Lifestyle Changed People's Genes

How a Change In Lifestyle Changed People's Genes

At the start of this study the genes of the whole group were read.

Then the group was split into two groups.

One group got the conventional pharmaceutical intervention.

The other group were given lifestyle changes.

They were taught to meditate, use stress reduction techniques and given a different diet.

At the end of 90 days the genes of each group were re-read.

The genes of the group who got the conventional treatment hadn't changed.

But the genes of the other group, who were taught to meditate, use stress reduction techniques and given a plant-based diet had changed.

500 genes in each individual had changed the way they were expressing themselves. 

And most of those genes were previously contributing to the cancer!

This tells us that if we change our lifestyle.

Change the way we think, act and eat, we can radically change our health. 

Have a great day.

Oct 24, 202201:27
Why Stress Management and Mental Health First Aid Training Doesn't Work

Why Stress Management and Mental Health First Aid Training Doesn't Work

Why Stress Management and Mental Health First Aid Training Doesn't Work

In this podcast I explain why stress management and mental health first aid training doesn't work.

What you resist persists.

So what you give your energy to help create it.

I also talk about learned helplessness.

This is another part of the stress response.

And it's as damaging as the fight and flight response.

It's like trying to drive your car with the brakes on. 

To counter this you need to engage the other part of your nervous system.

This is the parasympathetic part of your autonomic nervous system. 

And you do this simply by breathing. 

Have a great day.

Oct 22, 202205:31
How The Body Goes Into Famine Mode When In Stress

How The Body Goes Into Famine Mode When In Stress

How The Body Goes Into Famine Mode When In Stress

When we perceive that we are in fear we trigger the stress response.

When that happens the following occurs:

Our blood pressure increases;

Cortisol levels increase;

Your Metabolism slows down;

And we put weight on.

So what do some people do?

They go on a diet, which .....

Basically self-justifies the fact that there is no food available ...

So the body's famine response is justified!

On an ongoing basis this maladaptive response harms us. 

Sadly a lot of people live in a state of stress 24/7 365 days a year.

That is no way to live.

Oct 22, 202204:53
Why You Mustn't Do Fear, Stress or Live in a State of Lack

Why You Mustn't Do Fear, Stress or Live in a State of Lack

This is a very important video so please watch to the end.  

It may help you and/or someone you know.   

I was asked recently if I was worried about stepping down from the business.  

The main reason for the question was because the person asking it was worried about their job.  

That is because they were uncertain about whether or not they would be made redundant.  

To top that they don't even like the job they are in.  

But don't want to lose it either.  

There a double-dose of stress for you right there.   

When we experience fear we create stress.  

Stress compromises our immune system.  

It's so effective at doing that, that surgeons use stress hormones therapeutically to shut down a persons immune system during organ transplants.  

This is so that the receiving body doesn't reject the new organ.   

So what about a person living in a constant state of fear?  

Well, their immune system will be constantly compromised.   

That means that they are more prone to getting sick and picking up diseases.  

Ask yourself this question ......  Is it really worth getting ill for something you don't even like and don't want to do?

Oct 22, 202204:01
Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really, Want

Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really, Want

Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want  Now, for fear of sounding like a Spice Girl, this is a very important question.  

It is important because most people actually don't know what they want.  

At least what they really, really want.  If asked they'll normally say something like .....  "I want more money."  "I want to be more successful."  "I want to be happy."  

But that won't make it happen.  

I'll be covering this and more on the two-day retreat which I am going to be running early in 2023.  

But for now I want to know what you want.  

What would you like in the training during the retreat.  

I was thinking of the following: how to meditate, mindfulness, quantum thinking, mindset, nlp, etc.  

But, what's more important for me is that you get from it what you want.   

What you really, really want.  

So let me know by either leaving a comment below or by messaging me directly.  

And feel free to share this if you wish to.  

I'm on a mission!

Oct 21, 202206:14
You Must Know What You Want If You Want To Be Successful

You Must Know What You Want If You Want To Be Successful

You Must Know What You Want If You Want To Be Successful

Oct 21, 202200:48
Energy is Light, Frequency and Information

Energy is Light, Frequency and Information

Energy is Light, Frequency and Information

Oct 21, 202200:26
Everything Starts With a Thought But You Need Faith & Determination Too

Everything Starts With a Thought But You Need Faith & Determination Too

You can have anything you want in life if you have the ability to use you thoughts to create what you want in your imagination. You also need a few other components, two of which are faith and determination.

Oct 21, 202206:06
Breaking News! Love Island’s Stars Head Will Turn!

Breaking News! Love Island’s Stars Head Will Turn!

If you don’t want to become ill, increase your chance of catching an infectious disease or dying a premature death, read on.

Now that I’ve caught your attention I need to make some admissions.

But I also want to share some very important facts with you too.

So stay with me for a while.

Jul 09, 202204:17
Why Mapping Over To Us Makes Sense
Jun 07, 202204:57
What Is The Most Important Thing You Can Invest In?

What Is The Most Important Thing You Can Invest In?

This is a podcast about investment.

Not financial investment or property investment.

It is about investment in you and why that is so important.

We're not here for long, so becoming a better person not only helps you bu helps humanity.

Enjoy.

Jun 06, 202205:18
Can You Defend Yourself Against A Child Who Is Under The Age of Criminal Intent?

Can You Defend Yourself Against A Child Who Is Under The Age of Criminal Intent?

I recently had a conversation with someone who told me that their wife is having to have her neck surgically re-built with bone taken from other parts of her body.

The injury was caused by an eight-year-old child violently pulling the member of staff's hair causing the person's head to jerk back violently.

More recently in the news a teaching assistant who was ‘punched, pinched and kicked’ by a five-year-old boy in her reception class has been awarded £140,000 in compensation.

Now (generally speaking) a five-year-old or eight-year-old child would be classed as a minor and possibly even categorised as vulnerable, due to their young age.

As such, any training given to staff in the schools they attend or the care home they reside in to enable staff to control and restrain them may be 'low-level' training, involving techniques that are designed not to cause any harm to the child.

But where does a member of staff stand if they are violently attacked by a child (someone under the age of eighteen) who may also be under the age of criminal intent (which is 10 years of age in the UK, 12 years of age in Scotland) if the techniques they have been taught don't cater for such an attack?

This is important to know because someone under the age of criminal intent cannot commit a crime in the UK, but they can still behave violently as we can see from the above examples. 

"So if a child is attacking you can you act in self-defence against the child?"

To read the full blog post click here - https://nfps.info/can-you-defend-yourself-against-a-child-who-is-under-the-age-of-criminal-intent-video/

May 30, 202207:52
Why The Term 'Least Restrictive' Has Nothing To Do With Physical or Mechanical Restraint

Why The Term 'Least Restrictive' Has Nothing To Do With Physical or Mechanical Restraint

Why The Term 'Least Restrictive' Has Nothing To Do With Physical or Mechanical Restraint.

Every now and then I hear someone stating things like "Staff must use the least restrictive method when restraining a patient" etc.  

Or "any physical intervention must be the least restrictive option", or words to that effect.  

However, those statements are wrong.  

They are wrong because they are being used in the wrong context.  

I do understand the principle, ethics and morality argument.  

No one wants staff rushing in and immediately resorting to high level techniques where they are not required.  But that isn't the point I'm raising here.  

The point is the term "least restrictive" has nothing to do with a physical or mechanical use of force option.  

Let me explain.   

To read the full blog post click here - https://nfps.info/why-the-term-least-restrictive-has-nothing-to-do-with-physical-or-mechanical-restraint/

May 29, 202207:52
Don't Blame Staff When You Provide Them With a System With Failure Built in (HSG48)

Don't Blame Staff When You Provide Them With a System With Failure Built in (HSG48)

Don't Blame Staff When You Provide Them With a System With Failure Built in (HSG48)

One of the things that boils my blood is when staff are blamed for something going wrong, when the failure is systematic.

What I mean by that is that the system they are provided with is at fault and/or staff are being given legally incorrect advice and instruction.

The commonly held belief that incidents and accidents are simply and solely the result of 'human error' by the worker themselves is not necessarily true in all cases.

Blaming staff for the accident or error has for many years been 'convenient' for many organisations and also many training providers.

Why? - Simply because they can provide unsafe systems of work or inadequate training and then just blame any failure on the individual member of staff, with statements such as: "If you had applied the technique properly it would have worked".

Latent failures are made by people whose tasks are removed in time and space from operational activities, as opposed to 'active failures' that are usually made by front line staff.

Examples of the types of people involved in latent failures, therefore, could be: trainers, decision makers and managers and typically involve failures in health and safety management systems (design, implementation, monitoring and supervision).

In terms of physical intervention, an 'active failure' could be a member of staff who failed to implement a technique properly, which resulted in a service user or another member of staff being injured or killed.

But what we are finding now, is that the technique or system of intervention was going to fail anyway.

This is primarily because the technique had a high degree of failure built in and was therefore highly unlikely to work in such situations where it is required.

Add to that that:

1. The staff were poorly trained;

2. Given incorrect information and instruction; and

3. The company policy is legally flawed;

4. Creates uncertainty in what the staff can or cannot do when using physical intervention.

These latent failures can result in staff operating from a position of fear and anxiety, as opposed to being operationally competent.

This in turn increase the margin for error by creating an opportunity for an active failure to occur.

According to HSG 48: "Latent failures provide as great, if not a greater, potential for danger to health and safety as active failures.

Latent failures are usually hidden within an organisation until they are triggered by an event likely to have serious consequences".

In virtually every case, if a proper investigation is carried out, these latent failures are uncovered, which will probably admonish the individual of any blame for the error and place the failing at the feet of the organisational management systems that have contributed to the failure.

In designing our courses, we have looked deeply into our responsibility in preparing individuals for what they are being trained to do.

We have looked at the foreseeable human errors that could occur as a result of latent failings and then either eliminated them or reduced the likelihood of them occurring, which is what good health and safety risk management requires.

So, if you'd like to become a trainer in a competent, legally defensible and risk assessed system of restraint check out the webpage here - https://nfps.info/physical-intervention-trainer-course/

May 29, 202215:18
Do You Do MAPA Physical Intervention Training?

Do You Do MAPA Physical Intervention Training?

May 23, 202201:52
What is PMVA Training and Do You Deliver PMVA Trainer Training?
May 22, 202201:41
Who Would Be Held Liable For Giving Illegal Information and Training (Video)
May 22, 202203:40