Articles and blog posts written by team members, tutors and supervisors of the Mindfulness Association about how they bring mindfulness into their lives.
I recently had an experience which triggered some trauma from earlier in my life. It resulted in a rather spectacular and intense display of memories connecting together and some emotional distress, which lasted for a couple of days. As a result of my years of practice, while experiencing the coming and going of thoughts, emotions…
Recently, as part of training in mindful inclusion, I was watching a video by Cornel West a philosopher, activist and professor at Harvard and Princeton who speaks on the role of race, gender and class in American society. He is an impassioned speaker – known for saying that “justice is what love looks like in…
The consequences of the current pandemic have been devastating for many people, with much death and serious illness, leading to many being bereaved or having more caring responsibilities, but also with much economic hardship, with many losing their jobs and businesses and finding an inadequate safety net. These consequences should not be under-estimated and we…
I have taken to doing a shortened version of the three stage breathing space regularly within my day as a way of becoming more mindful. I have discovered that I often have a frisson of anxiety, which manifests in the heart, even when I am feeling quite happy. This is what I do: Firstly, I…
One day this week I was looking at the news on my Guardian app. Relentless awful news: Covid rising again, young students confined to their rooms, new policy in schools to not teach anything anti-capitalist and a further undermining of the BBC and free journalism in the UK. I have friends who are facing the…
This morning in my practice I noticed a lot of thoughts about all I had to do and a lack of time in which to do it. It has been a busy time at the Mindfulness Association this September. We had a validation event last week and our new collaboration with the University of the…
I had the last weekend off and my mum and dad came to visit. We had a lovely weekend together and they set off back home to York earlier today (Monday). I was sad to see them go. Like many people I have visited family and friends over the summer after the Lockdown spring. We…
Over the past month of my holiday and especially my week of home retreat one of the things I have recognised is how susceptible I am to chronic stress. I noticed this at the weekend, where we had over 50 new students online for their first weekend of their Masters in Mindfulness with the University…
Hello again! I am back after my summer break, refreshed and ready for whatever new challenges emerge. Challenges are always good, an opportunity for cultivating more patience and compassion, at the very least! Challenges are hopefully an opportunity for insight, understanding and personal growth. Still I’m not asking for challenges, just welcoming them should they…