As a mindfulness and meditation geek, I have read many books on mindfulness and meditation over many years. This book by Trish Bartley I had
Mindfulness of Breath is one of the core practices of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Intention This meditation invites: Cultivating a non-judgemental awareness; Cultivating self-compassion; Bringing
The mindfulness field has developed well in the UK with a number of organisations offering teacher training, and an organisation BAMBA that promotes professional standards
This meditation has a long history, is part of some Buddhist traditions, and it is also taught in mindfulness classes. It is considered in the
In Simon Sinek’s book, The Infinite Game, he introduces a concept that is very useful for considering more widely how people, organisations and even countries
Retold from Ajahn Brahm A fisherman was walking back home one morning from his boat when he met a rich businessman who asked him where
A lot of the promotion of meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, involves the use of it in treating mental health problems, and there are various other
The Palgrave Handbook of Third Wave Psychotherapies was published in October 2025. It is a compendium of papers on a diverse range of psychotherapies, and
Some time ago I was in trouble after reading my grandson his favourite book, The Gruffalo, as his bedtime story, Apparently my Gruffalo voice was
Charlotte Joko Beck (1917-2011) was an American Zen teacher who took up Zen practice in mid-life as the parent of four children. She eventually became
One of my favourite metaphors is Charlotte Joko Beck’s where she likens us all to ice cubes, with long spindly limbs, bumping into each other
Can meditation fix anything? And if it can’t, then why bother? Meditation practice, particularly in the form of mindfulness meditation, has become part of the
I’m enjoying revisiting a number of books. I first read Herbert Benson’s book “Relaxation Revolution: The Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing” ten years
I started meditating at the age of 40. Like many who take up a meditation practice, I was dealing with considerable trauma, but my first
Why would you need to befriend your own mind? For many reasons most, if not all of us, don’t like some aspects of our mind.
I recently had the delight of attending the Deeper Mindfulness teacher training by Mark Williams, hosted by The Mindfulness Network. I planned to do this
When you sit down to meditate, you usually want it to be a calm, uninterrupted and peaceful time, and to feel less stressed at the
Mindfulness practice is full of apparent paradoxes. Many years ago I did an advanced driving course sponsored by my employer. It was way before I
I recently opened a book I first read 35 years ago: Games People Play by Eric Berne. As a rookie manager, I found it helpful
I recently enjoyed an article in Psyche Magazine: Equanimity is not stillness – it is a mobility of the mind. In my early experience of
Dung – the old jokes are the best. One of my favourite books is “Who ordered this truckload of dung” by Ajahn Brahm (Now published
Like many (or most) who start a regular meditation or mindfulness practice, it was part of the recovery from a traumatic period of my life.
I have had three books on the go over the last month, and each of them in different ways give a perspective on the attention
I am always keen to find new metaphors for meditation, and Alan Wallace in his description of Shamatha meditation has a really good one, describing
On Saturday I was sat in the cafe at Waterstones Bookshop in Leeds, and realised what a rare thing it is nowadays to go into
I am often asked, as I think most mindfulness teachers are, will mindfulness cure X, where X can be anything from insomnia, worry, anxiety, depression,
This may seem like a strange bit of advice, but knowing that meditation is good for you is not enough for most people to create
Three years ago we purchased a holiday home near Filey Bay. We go there whenever we can, and it is a great place to unwind. Our
I am firmly of the opinion that mindfulness is not something you acquire during an 8 week course. Rather, it is a skill we all
Our thoughts and feelings arise naturally. They come and go much as the breath comes and goes. Thoughts may have a basis in truth, but
Mindfulness teachers will often use phrases in meditation guidance such as “find your anchor” or “dropping anchor” or ‘anchoring attention on the breath”. What does
As I step down from a formal leadership role in The Mindfulness Network (the MN), I look back on my three years with some joy and
Many years ago I auditioned for the Bradford Playhouse actors list, then a leading amateur repertory theatre. After the audition, which was not great, the
What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation? Mindfulness is a quality or skill that we can develop to make us more aware of what