Articles and blog posts written by team members, tutors and supervisors of the Mindfulness Association about how they bring mindfulness into their lives.
I was at Samye Ling at the weekend teaching on the Masters degree programme we deliver in partnership with the University of Aberdeen. It started in 2010 and our seventh cohort of students began in September last year. They did a module on Mindfulness last year and this weekend they were starting on their second…
It strikes me how important compassion is when it comes to training the mind. Mindfulness is on everyone’s lips now, but it is compassion that brings about real change. Certainly, mindfulness can bring about significant change too – for many people it is a revelation to realise that they do not have to follow all…
This last week I have been delivering the Compassion Based Living Course (CBLC) teaching skills retreat at Samye Ling with my colleague and good friend Choden. He is a great person to be delivering the retreat with as he is an expert in this field, drawing on his extensive experience as a Buddhist practitioner and…
This week, like many women my age, I have been pondering Brian Cox, but perhaps not in the same way as others! I have been wondering how he remains so relentlessly cheerful, despite the stick her gets for being, well, relentlessly cheerful! I like to listen to radio four, but not in the traditional way.…
Want a more mindful couple relationship? 3 great tips how to… Mindfulness is often portrayed as an individual practice, whether in its formal habit of sitting, walking or bodyscan, or even in the co-called informal practices of tea meditation or turning queue waiting into a breathing meditation; the “going solo” aspect is often privileged. But…
This week I am delivering a teaching skills retreat at Samye Ling. It was beautiful when I arrived, the day after the snow – all sparky snow around the colourful Tibetan buildings, statues and flags, especially the hills around were clear and white against the pure blue of the sky. I love being at Samye…
This week I am back in my normal work routine. Off to Manchester on the train today to work with my colleagues in MAHQ. For many of us January can be a difficult time, short of cash after Christmas, dark nights, quite a long time until spring or our next holiday and we may have…
Those of you who read this blog regularly (thank you!) will know that I use the lojong cards from the Pema Chodron compassion box. Unfortunately, they are no longer available. However, her book ‘Start where you are’ which forms the basis of the compassion box is still available and contains a list of the lojong…
I woke this morning (Boxing Day) to the news that George Michael had died. As a teenager in the 80s I was a fan and even went to see Wham live. I’ve never been able listen to ‘Careless Whisper’ or the wonderful ‘Don’t Let the sun go down on me’ duet with Elton John without…