Dr David McMurtry

I have had an interest in meditation since my teenage years, but my experience of formal practice began in 1978 when I trained in Transcendental Meditation. During the 1980’s I was member of the White Eagle Lodge and I led meditation groups in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. In the first phase of my working life and career, I was a primary school teacher, and then a secondary school teacher of Religious and Moral Education.

My involvement with the Mindfulness Association (MA) began in 2009 when, as a Senior Lecturer and Director of Policy and Planning in the School of Education, the University of Aberdeen, I was a member of the team that founded and created the MSc in Studies in Mindfulness degree. This was in partnership with the Mindfulness Association, and with the encouragement and support of Akong Tulku Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe.

I was Programme Director of the MSc from 2012-2015, proceeded and followed in this post by colleague Prof. Graeme Nixon. During this time, I trained with the Mindfulness Association to teach their courses. In 2015 I relocated to Zagreb, Croatia (I am married to a Croatian!) and I began teaching secular mindfulness, in English, in local communities. With colleagues we set up an NGO, Mindfulness Hrvatska (Mindfulness Croatia), a franchisee of the Mindfulness Association, teaching the MA courses, including teacher training.  I was the elected President of Mindfulness Hrvatska for two terms of office, and my active involvement with this organisation and in teaching locally and online continues.