Articles and blog posts written by team members, tutors and supervisors of the Mindfulness Association about how they bring mindfulness into their lives.
“Analysis of death is not for the sake of becoming fearful, but to appreciate this precious lifetime.” Dalai Lama Do you feel prepared for your own death? Do you feel equipped to calmly and kindly support loved ones through their final weeks to their death? What is your attitude to the word ‘death’? Do…
The way I was taught to approach poetry at school, although fascinating in its own way, didn’t foster a long-term love of it. I remember there being so many things I was supposed to be able to say about a poem – about alliteration, rhyme, pentameter, simile, metaphor… More frustratingly I was supposed to ‘get’…
Let’s Rise Up! If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees. (Rainer Maria Rilke) When I did a retreat with Joanna Macy (a renowned Buddhist scholar and activist) many years ago, I was shocked to discover that pretty much all my personal suffering is funnelled down from a more…
A Personal View Next month, in April, I’m going to be teaching on a course with Choden (mindfulness teacher, Buddhist monk, author and old friend) on “The Practice of Buddhism”, which I’ve been asked to write a few words about. Where to start! Buddhism has been around for over two and half thousand years, after…
I am sitting in a retreat led by Rupert Spira this week, at home, online. Rupert Spira teaches the direct path and pathless path to non-dual awareness or naturally being. I relate to his teachings very strongly and find that his style is similar to the style of my first and main meditation teacher Rob…
Introduction: In a world where stress and challenges seem to be an inevitable part of life, the concept of trauma-informed mindfulness emerges as a beacon of hope and healing. Mindfulness, rooted in ancient contemplative practices, has been a source of solace for centuries. When combined with a trauma-informed approach, it becomes a powerful tool for…
Our bodies are built to move, so by integrating movement into our daily lives can benefit us more than we realise. If we just moved gently for 3 minutes every hour, it would help us clear the mind and increase our energy levels. Qigong is an ancient art of movement, developed thousands of years ago…
I’ve never been accused of being a shrinking violet, a wall flower or someone who does not reach out in times of need. Yet, often I find that days will go by and I haven’t left the house or I have chosen not to speak about something that is causing me worry. Indeed, I have…
A friend of mine, who’s also a long-term meditator, recently fessed up that she’s often a bit embarrassed to admit when she is feeling stressed. If mindfulness helps with stress (and it does, as has been shown in research studies countless times), then shouldn’t she be continuously cool and ‘zen’ by now, rather than let…