I have completed trauma-sensitive mindfulness (TSM) training with David Treleaven. With the TSM training principles and modifications I have learned, I can offer mindfulness practices that are safe, accessible and sensitive to the needs of those struggling with trauma.

Last year I completed the Trauma Center’s Trauma-Sensitive Yoga course. This and my latest training will equip me better to support my students. As David says, the first step of trauma-sensitive mindfulness is to acknowledge that there will ‘always be trauma in the room’ and given the challenges of the pandemic, this awareness is more important than ever.

I was down in London yesterday for the Mindful Living Show. This was the third year and bigger and busier than ever, with 8 theatres/zones to choose from. I created my own mini-programme (see below). It was pretty full-on, but an insightful and inspiring day!

Comedian and author Russell Brand kicked off the day in entertaining fashion as the keynote speaker. He talked about how meditation has helped him on his journey of recovery from addiction.

Dr Trudi Edginton of the University of London presented The benefits of integrating mindfulness and compassion into the workplace of front line services. She showed the results of studies that ran workplace courses for groups of charity, social workers or police. One of the key findings was that variable heart rates increased among those practising mindfulness and compassion as a result of the courses, showing they had better resilience to stress.

Choden (Sean McGovern), the director of the Mindfulness Association, shared an insight practice that alternated between focused and unfocused attention. He acknowledged the tendency we all have to push away difficult emotions. He asked us to examine “How do you feel about what you’re feeling now?” and to explore accepting whatever emotion showed up.

Unfortunately, all the headsets were taken for the ‘Fresh & funky’ tai chi & qigong session in the Body and Mind space, but I joined in for a good stretch and some energising breathing inbetween the seated presentations! See the video above.

The Mindful approach to menopause by Clarissa Hughes highlighted some interesting physiological and cultural factors of menopause, and how mindfulness practices can ease symptoms.

Sita Brand introduced a session on Mindfulness and creativity, starting with a simple grounding practice focused on the sound of a bell. The intention was to settle the mind, creating space for creative ideas and inspiration to emerge from the subconscious. Sita also talked about the writer retreats she runs, incorporating mindfulness.

Psychologist Miguel Farias gave a fascinating presentation based on his book, The Buddha Pill: can meditation change you? He discussed the ‘evolution’ of meditation and its potential to transform society. However, he noted that with the secularisation of mindfulness, the focus is often on individual transformation, rather than collective and social.

Finally, Tim Duerden of Integrated Mindfulness, who is a senior lecturer at Salford University, talked about research into the effectiveness of Mindfulness for anxiety and depression. He noted that the MBSR and MBCT interventions are standardised, evidence-based programmes, that there has been little research on modifications to these programmes or other approaches, and suggested that mindfulness courses may need to be trauma-sensitive and more person-centred.

Wednesday 12 September is World Meditation Day. I’ve had a busy summer and my regular meditation routine went out of the window! However, I did complete a free online course from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

The course, Maintaining a mindful life, has pepped up my mindfulness practice.

I enjoyed exploring some new practices and gained fresh insights into my habits etc. I recommend it if your mindfulness practice has tailed off or needs a kickstart!

The course is free to join and only takes 3 hours a week for 4 weeks. (At the end, if you wish, you can buy unlimited access to the course for £52).

If you are completely new to mindfulness, there is a beginners’ course from the same provider too.

Due to other commitments, I’m not teaching the 8-week mindfulness course at the moment, but can point you to another local teacher if you get in touch.

Kindness is hardwired in us. Good deeds are a natural human response to others’ suffering, whether it’s in the wake of  a natural disaster, homelessness or bereavement. Kindness is a virtuous circle where everyone wins, and the planet too.

Yet many of us are still highly critical of ourselves – condemning our failings, and judging ourselves to be ‘not good enough’. This unkindness can have a corrosive effect, says Emma Seppala:

Scientific data shows that self-criticism makes us weaker in the face of failure, more emotional, and less likely to assimilate lessons from our failures. Studies are finding that there is a far better alternative to self-criticism: self-compassion.

Dr Kristin Neff, the pioneering self-compassion researcher, teacher and author, describes the 3 core elements of self-compassion:

• Self-kindness – understanding, not punishment
• A sense of common humanity – everyone goes through this
• Mindfulness – neither ignoring nor exaggerating feelings of failure

How can self-compassion help? According to Emma Seppala again:

Self-compassion is treating yourself in the same way you would treat friend – being more mindful and understanding your situation is part of everyday human experience. It means being gentler with yourself, identifying less with the emotions that arise when you make mistakes, and understanding that failure is just part of being human.

I’ve taken part in and helped facilitate Norwich Mind’s Mindful Self-Compassion course. This is an 8-week course where you learn how to stop being so hard on yourself and motivate yourself with encouragement rather than self-criticism.

I highly recommend it for developing greater awareness of your relationship with yourself!

I went on a walking weekend to the Peak District recently. After several weeks of snow and then rain, the hills were deserted and the ground was pretty soft and slippy. At times we had to focus on every step. Good practice for anchoring in the present moment!

In fact, I notice I only lost balance when I was distracted by thoughts:

“I hate this mud!” “Why can’t it be warm and sunny in March?” “My feet hurt!” “How much further to go?”

And then I would stop and take stock. There was so much around me to enjoy. The stunning colours of the hillsides, lime green leaves budding on the trees.  The sound of snow-swelled streams. Birdsong. And gratitude that my legs were strong enough to carry me mile after mile.

By coincidence, that weekend I was reading Wild: A journey from lost to found by Cheryl Strayed. It’s a true story about a woman who heals deep grief and loss by walking the Pacific Crest Trail of America. The book was made into a film starring Reese Witherspoon. Strayed comes back, time and time again, to the simplicity of walking in nature:

“It took all I had to cover 9 miles a day. To cover 9 miles a day was a physical achievement far beyond anything I’d ever done. Every part of my body hurt.  Except my heart. I saw no one, but strange as it was, I missed no one. I longed for nothing but food and water and to be able to put my backpack down.”

I might never walk the PCT from Mexico to Canada, but I can identify with her description of the grounding experience of walking in nature!

This is a great opportunity to explore ‘slow stitch’ using a mindful approach.

You’ll create your own textile design, inspired by the colours, patterns and textures of spring. Artist Aviva Leigh will teach you simple stitching techniques, working with naturally dyed materials and threads.

I will guide some simple mindfulness meditation sessions to help you break down creative barriers and open up to new ideas and inspiration.

All levels of ability/experience are welcome – please get in touch if you have any queries.

With Mother’s Day (11 March) coming up, why not treat yourself and your mum? Vouchers available.

• Date: Sunday 25 March, 10am-4pm
• Where: The Workrooms, Muspole Street, Norwich
• Cost: £75 – including all materials and refreshments. Bring a vegetarian dish for a shared lunch.
• Book at: http://www.avivaleigh.com/events/event/mindful-making-stitch-a-spring-garden-workshop/

“I liked the combination of the mindful element and the stitching – very relaxing and enabled me to become completely absorbed”
Participant at previous Mindful Stitch event

‘A good meditation is one you have done’ – Shinzen Young 

We often set the bar very high for ourselves in life. The same is true when it comes to meditation practice.

When I teach mindfulness meditation, many beginners are convinced that they are somehow doing it wrong. It sounds so easy, but their minds won’t settle or they don’t achieve ‘peace’. But the very act of turning up to meditate every day – even for a few minutes – is building a habit: simply to sit still and notice what’s going on, in body and mind, thoughts and emotions.

Anja Tanhane explains:

Sometimes, what is going on are strong emotions such as frustration, sadness, resentment. We might sit down to meditation with the idea of gaining some relief from these, and then find ourselves confronted with the current state of our mind, with nowhere to escape to. Mindfulness meditation cuts off our usual escape routes, the many ways we might have at our disposal to avoid being with ‘life as it is’. We are left instead with the bare bones of our existence.

These bare bones can become the building blocks for a less reactive life, a life where we are more present, more grounded.

You can read her full article here.

I’m planning some mindfulness re-boots this spring. Meanwhile, I incorporate mindful movement in all my regular yoga classes and workshops.

PS: thanks to Guy Wilkinson for this portrait of me, mid-meditation, taken as part of his latest fantastic project to raise funds for homelessness charities.