I have been working with Choden and Rob Nairn on a book, which is an experiential journey through the Mindfulness Association’s Insight Training, called Level 3: Seeing Deeply (click here for more information). We expect it to be published some time next year. Rob designed this training, and then others of us on the MA…
Traditionally, Halloween is known for being the night when the veil between the worlds of the dead and alive is thinnest. The concept of dead and alive can be equated, quite easily, with awake and asleep. Indeed, the acronym R.I.P. found on headstones and obituaries stands for Rest in Peace, suggesting that death is a…
I had the good fortune to see my teacher Lama Yeshe Rinpoche this week and he emphasised the importance of forgiveness. There was a forgiveness exercise in the early Mindfulness courses we delivered, but it never made it to the current courses. I think it was quite a profound exercise, but painful to engage in…
I am just home from attending The Compassionate Mind Foundation’s (the work of Prof. Paul Gilbert) annual conference with my colleagues, Alan Hughes, Choden and Fay Adams. It was a lovely few days where we manned a stall for The Mindfulness Association, letting people know about our MSc: Studies in Mindfulness, as well as our…
I had a lovely retreat last week by the seaside, with mindfulness, yoga and some lovely walks along the beach. I always forget the calming power of yoga, which I do moving and breathing in time to Tibetan Buddhist chanting. The chatter of my mind falls away and there is just moving, breathing and hearing.…
A few days ago, I was golfing with a friend in the glorious Autumnal sunshine. Conditions were right for a relaxed afternoon of good conversation, mindful attention on not only the ball but also on the stunning park like setting and some nourishing fun. The two of us were hitting the ball well and pleasantly…
This week I have the amazing good fortune to be on retreat, with thanks to my husband and mother-in-law for the time. I have rented a cozy cottage by the beach on the Solway Firth. My husband dropped me off with my food for the week and I have the luxury of being here alone…
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~William Arthur Ward This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving; and being a Canadian, this means a time for giving thanks. It also means a time for family, food and the gathering in of the harvest, whether that be…
We human beings love stories. Stories are how we make sense of the world. Our stories about ourselves, all the others and the rest of the world. It is useful to check our own particular set of stories, as well as the main emotional tone and core beliefs that underpin them. We tend to mindlessly…