In my weekly blog, Heather’s Musings, I write about what has been happening in my life and how I am applying my mindfulness, compassion and insight practice to it. The process of writing the blog is often an opportunity for me to gain more clarity and recognise what is happening and I find it highly beneficial. My wish is that it is also helps other meditation practitioners who are on a similar journey.

The opinions and beliefs that I express in this blog are my own and do not represent the opinion of the Mindfulness Association.

Coming Together

This week I am on Holy Isle with the Year 2 and 3 MSc students (For more information: click here). It is idyllic here. I have just been walking on the foreshore, sun shining, birds singing, wild ponies with a foal and a guy playing the mandolin – it was quite a surreal experience and…

Free Won’t

After writing the blog below, we have had the news of the Manchester bomb. In response, we can all send kind wishes or do Tonglen for all of those involved wishing to relieve their suffering, in particular at the end of our practice when we share the benefit. I know what has happened and don’t…

A Sunny Week on Holy Isle

So this last week I have been on Holy Isle off the Isle of Arran in Scotland – surely one of the best places on the planet! The birds were in full song, providing an astonishingly beautiful support for our Mindfulness practice. The Iron Age Tsoay sheep had tiny new lambs, that shake their tails…

Sunshine in Scarborough

This last weekend I have been at Londesborough Lodge in Scarborough teaching on the Level 4 Mindfulness for Life course with Ian Rigg. It was a lovely weekend re-connecting with many people who I have practiced and learnt with over several years on the Aberdeen MSc training and on our non-MSc trainings. I also connected…

Free Will

  I am now on my flight home from India to Manchester and looking forward to spending time with my family, including the dogs over the Easter break, before getting back to work on Tuesday. I used the time last week in India, after the training ended, to do take some retreat time to practice…

Giving and Receiving

I am still in India this week, although I have to admit I haven’t been exploring the local sites, but instead enjoying the delights of this five star hotel. My excuse is how ill I was last year after my India trip. This year I am hermetically sealed in this mosquito and stomach bug free…