Articles and blog posts written by team members, tutors and supervisors of the Mindfulness Association about how they bring mindfulness into their lives.
The insight training is about to start again in September. This will be the third year that I have led the training online in the evenings and I have found it an excellent format for supporting participants through the path of insight meditation over six months or so. I see the group bonding and I…
Mindfulness in Different Spiritual Traditions Here at the Mindfulness Association, our courses are based on concepts and practices derived from Buddhism. Our courses are experiential and evidence-based, drawing on psychological evidence and research. They do not require participants to subscribe to any religious or spiritual belief systems. However, some people do find a spiritual aspect…
I’ve been contemplating the question – how does poetry deepen our practice? I want to share with you something a friend said to me recently. She had been reading poetry mindfully and subsequently, when she did the bodyscan, she experienced her body in a very fresh and free way. She, like most of us, had…
Mindfulness, which is the practice of intentionally bringing one’s attention to the present moment without judgment, has been shown to offer numerous benefits for individuals. Here are some of the key benefits of mindfulness: Stress reduction: Mindfulness helps to reduce stress by allowing individuals to observe their thoughts and emotions without becoming overwhelmed or…
Since the middle of December I have been working as a hospital chaplain, visiting patients who are seriously ill. I have never worked in a hospital before and my main worry was that I would be distressed and not know how to cope with some of the suffering I would encounter. It turns out that…
The UK Social Attitudes Survey Report on Dying is based on the premise that discussion about and preparation for dying will lead to a ‘good death’ with reduced distress for those involved – the person dying and their family and friends. This report demonstrates a trend towards growing openness to the topic of dying, but…
“You don’t need to do everything. Do what calls your heart; effective action comes from love. It is unstoppable, and it is enough.” Joanna Macy Is it possible to make a difference in a way that gives inspiration and fulfilment and doesn’t cost us too much? Can we fill rather than drain our batteries,…
I always remember a quote from the Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama, which says that a wise person who wants to be happy learns to practice compassion. In essence he is saying that a compassionate person is a happy person. As you hear this idea, do questions come up? Maybe you have questions that…
Before I started practising yoga, I had no idea about the power of the breath in regulating the body. This changed twenty two years ago when I began to practice yoga and then within a couple of years trained to teach yoga. I became aware of the yogic practice of pranayama, a practice of breath…