Busy or ‘Be? An Insight Meditation This week I am busy again, with year- end accounts, many meetings to prepare for and attend, including our annual Board Meeting, a weekend in Aberdeen with the third year MSc students, plus all the usual work that crosses my desk. A lot of this is because I am…
This past weekend I was working at Samye Ling with Choden and Alan from the Mindfulness Association and Colette from the University of Aberdeen on the first weekend of the Insight meditation course from our MSc in Studies in Mindfulness . I always enjoy this weekend as it involves reconnecting with the MSc students that we…
This last week my husband and I dropped our only daughter off at University. It has always been part of the plan. I am delighted for the opportunities she has, I am proud at how she is settling in, but I also feel sad. The day we took her I had a lot of anxiety…
This last weekend I have been working with Choden, Fay and Heather Grace Bond from the MA tutor team and Graeme Nixon and Collette Savage of the University of Aberdeen on weekend one of the MSc in Studies in Mindfulness course. We have a full cohort this year, with even some people on a waiting…
Sometimes I have to pinch myself, as it seems I have landed the best job in the world, teaching mindfulness meditation, but also training committed mindfulness practitioners to teach mindfulness so that we can all experience the benefit of mindfulness. I had one of those ‘pinch myself’ moments at the end of our introductory teaching…
Who are you as a teacher? Join us for ‘The Courage to Teach’ I’ve been a teacher for most of my working life. Although nowadays that teaching is all about introducing mindfulness to people and encouraging mindfulness practitioners into teaching themselves. Before this, it was variously about housing and social policy, urban and regional economics,…
Something has happened this week which has triggered a very strong fear reaction in me. I notice my throat is dry and there is a dull ache in my heart and a feeling of emptiness in my stomach. I notice a tendency for my jaw to clench and for my hands to form into fists.…
It falls to me each month to send out the membership packs to all of our wonderful members who upgrade to or renew their full membership. I love this job and settle down with some music on in the background to sign the letters, write and sign the certificates, stick on stamps and add the…
People often ask, ‘What is Mindfulness?’ and a good answer would be the lyrics of the Noah and the Whale song ‘Now is exactly the time’. I was listening to this yesterday as it is on my running play list. I am on holiday and aspiring to continue and reinforce a good habit; I have…