Hello,

We developed this app to support mindfulness teachers and participants on mindfulness courses in an NHS healthcare setting in Glasgow, Scotland. We didn't expect the app to be of much interest beyond this local setting, but a few years down the line we find we now have regular users throughout the UK and further afield. We hope the content of the app reflects this change in our user base, with more links to freely available online resources that support the learning and practice of mindfulness wherever you are.

Each month we will check for upcoming free events and post them here.

We check every link before posting, but websites and offers can change rapidly, so please let us know if you come across something that no longer works.

We always encourage you to use your own judgement to decide whether something is appropriate and relevant for you. Inclusion on this list is purely down to our personal preference, what we hope you might find helpful, and is in no way an endorsement of any product by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

We hope you enjoy exploring this app.

                                             Trauma Super Conference 2026

Join this conference dedicated to offering powerful insights to help you better understand your trauma, along with practical tools, techniques, and strategies to support your healing journey

                                              January 26th to February 1st 2026 

                                               Please click here to register

                                       Nervous System Reboot Summit

Join 40+ world-renowned experts in neuroscience, trauma healing, somatics, and integrative health for a truly immersive 6-day online event—featuring live practices, real-time conversations, and experiential tools to help you unlock your deepest capacity to thrive.

                                            January 20th to January 25th 2026 

                                                 Please click here to register

                                            How to create change that sticks webinar 2026

              In this free live teaching session, Dr. Jeffrey Rutstein, the creator of The Healing Trauma Program, explains that your sincere desire to change shows that you are not the problem—and that you may just be missing some crucial pieces necessary for you to move forward.

                                                        January 22nd 2026

                                                 Please click here to register

Healing Trauma Across Generations

     From Burden to Belonging: Free Live Event with Thomas Hübl & Dr. Richard Schwartz schedule
                              Tuesday, December 2, 6:00pm - 7:00pm 2025 (GMT)        

                             Please click this link to watch the event

                                                        John Kabat-Zinn Live Webinar with Q &A

                 When The Body Says Yes: Embodied Pleasure & Trauma Healing

 REWIRING TO BREAK FREE

           Discover proven neuroscience, psychology, and mindfulness practices to help you break free from fear and self-limiting patterns—so you can thrive with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

                                                    November 11 - 17, 2025

                                                     Register for free

                                                     Online summit

                                  How To Live A Good Life

                                  Join us for free, Oct 23–27 2025

                                               Tricycle Meditation Month

        John Dunne a meditation teacher will lead a four part video series with new videos being posted weekly

                               Please click this link to access the videos

                                                              25/09/2024

Compassion in Therapy 2024

Healing Trauma with compassion based approaches

September 24 -26

Learn directly from today's leading experts such as Kristin Neff, Gabor Mate, Richard C. Shwartz and many more

Register online for free

17/09/2024

Jon Kabbat Zinn Live Webinar

September 18th 2024

Jon will open this webinar with a short meditation session. The remaining time will be dedicated to questions and comments from those joining us from all over the world. By joining us for this precious opportunity, you get a chance to speak face to face with Jon as well as connect to the wider community of practitioners.

15/08/2024Neuro Mastery Summit

September 10-15 2024

Register for free

An impressive line of speakers  Gabor Maté • Tara Brach • Deepak Chopra • Marianne Williamson • Wim Hof • Sophie Grégoire Trudeau • Hal Elrod • Sharon Salzberg • Andrew Weil • Marisa Peer • John Assaraf • Byron Katie • Michael Beckwith • Grandmother Flordemayo• Jack Kornfield • Kristin Neff

10/07/2024

Art of Meditation Global Summit 

July 16-23 2024

Free and online

An impressive line up of speakers from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, Deepak Chopra, Kristin Neff, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ruth King, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Sylvia Boorstein, A.H. Almaas, Caverly Morgan, Swami Sadyojathah ji, Roshi Enkyo O’Hara

We check all content that is placed on this app.  We adhere to the NHS approach to healthcare ‘Free at the point of delivery’ and will only place links to events that do not incur a cost for you to access. We do review events we place on this app to try and ensure they are appropriate and have some known speakers involved. However as with all live events. we cannot know what might be discussed, we ask you to use you own discretion on what is appropriate for you.

Join Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in conversation with Tami Simon as they share how and why skilled mindfulness teachers can mend our hearts and our wounded world. They’ll discuss how teaching transforms the teacher and how the transmission of mindfulness skills fosters self-compassion, empathy, and a wise steady heart amid the chaos of contemporary life.

April 18, 2024
1 pm ET | 10 am PT

Register Now

Updated:27/12/2023

A meditation to connect to the heart

The holidays offer us time for reflection and introspection. But in times of joy spent with loved ones, we are also reminded of the upheaval and unrest in the larger world, which can be overwhelming.

This guided meditation from Thomas invites us to open our hearts and access the power within them. With this contemplative practice, we can deepen our awareness of our inner worlds, connecting our minds and our emotions to our physical bodies.

21/08/2023

Mental Health & Well-Being - Global Summit

 Updated: 28/07/2023

 Live Video Call + Q&A with Dr. Rick Hanson on Exploring the Power of Love to Heal from Trauma and Past Wounds.

Monday, July 31 at 22.30 UK summer time

NOTE: If you aren't able to make it live, you can still register and they will send you a full recording afterwards.

As we journey through this life, Many of us experience trauma — from singular, severely traumatic events to small, recurring hurts that add up over time.

Whether we are working to heal our own trauma, or supporting others, it can be invaluable to have expert guidance around this deep and complex topic. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that we’ll be hosting a special Live Video Call + Q&A with Dr. Rick Hanson on Exploring the Power of Love to Heal from Trauma and Past Wounds.

The live community event is happening Monday, July 31 at 2:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET.

During this hour-long session, Dr. Hanson will share insights and a guided practice to connect with how a strong sense of love and support inside yourself can help you learn to accept yourself and heal from past wounds.

Register for the free live session with Dr. Rick Hanson on Monday, July 31 >>

Mind Life Institute

March 30th from 6:00-7:15 pm (GMT)

Mind & Life Connect are offering a 'new series of online conversations exploring key themes in contemplative science and their relation to everyday life. These monthly online sessions will offer participants an opportunity to engage in conversation with each other and featured presenters on themes related to personal, societal, and planetary healing through the lens of contemplative science. 

This program is designed to be participatory and inspiring! In addition to hearing from featured speakers, participants can engage in Q&A, guided contemplative practices, and interactive breakout groups.

Our inaugural session, “Cultivating Trust in the Body,” takes place on Thursday, March 30th from 6:00-7:15 pm (GMT). With contemplative researcher and social activist Juan Santoyo, we’ll explore themes such as how to release stress and trauma from the body and how to balance self-care with interpersonal connections.

Updated 04/08/2022

Updated : 27/06/2022

Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day. Alice Morse Earle.

Can you notice it?

Updated: 12/06/2022

How is your mindfulness practice going?

If you are finding it a challenge here is a 7 minute video from B.J. Fogg that might give you some helpful ideas. He is very skilled at simplifying complex psychological theory into straightforward practical steps to help us plan and design ways to establish helpful habits, like a mindfulness practice.

Here is our summary, however, do listen to his 7 minute talk as he puts this across so well.

Ability = Time, money, physical effort, cognitive effort, routine.

1. How much time do I have and how much time can I give to make it possible to practice mindfulness regularly? Maybe 30 minutes each day , or maybe 1 minute?
2. How much money will this cost? Taking a moment , or moments to practice doesn’t cost, so this will be a strong factor.
3. Can you do anything to make it physically easier to do? Put a cushion out, clear a comfortable chair, find a quiet space on a walk you often do?
4. How much mental effort does it take to create this habit? Can you leave a cushion out to prompt you to remember, put an alarm on your phone ?
5. Where and when might a mindfulness practice fit in to your routine? Maybe when you sit down for a cup of tea when you get home from work, or before you switch the ignition on your car on, or waiting for the bus?

Updated : 05/06/2022

If it feels like a struggle to establish a mindfulness practice it can be helpful to reflect on the pillars that underpin mindfulness courses, like MBCT & MBSR.

Let go of 'having' to do the practice, this can create a dynamic where 'doing' the practice seems like another thing to fit in to your day and a chore, creating resistance.

Try listening to one of these pillars (See below). How you might connect with even one of these attitudes in your day to day life?

 Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - introduction to the attitudes.  (2.55 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - acceptance    (3.27 minutes)

 Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - non judging  (4.14 minutes)  

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - patience        (2.19 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - beginners mind (2.52 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - trust                (3.28 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - non striving      ( 2.43 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - letting go          ( 3.52 minutes)

Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness 9 attitudes - gratitude and generosity ( 4.08 minutes)

Updated:22/05/2022

Updated: 01/05/22

One of the challenges with mindfulness is establishing a regular practice. This often arises in discussions within groups for service users and staff.

Being aware of our intention to connect with mindfulness can be helpful here, as is connecting with other people with an interest in mindfulness, whether informally over a pot of tea, joining a summit, or joining a local/online meditation group. In addition, finding ways to develop our understanding mindfulness can pique our interest and reenergise us again e.g.  through the wide range of resources available on the internet, in libraries, or again, linking in with some of the free mindfulness summits.

A regular practice does require commitment and discipline. Rather than 'forcing' our self to engage with a formal mindfulness practice, which can contribute towards developing a tension towards actually engaging in it,  try to find  creative ways that are meaningful to you to reenergise your mindfulness and desire to practice. 

Updated: 27/03/22

Why are moments so important? In this timeless talk from David Steindl-Rast Want to be happy? Be grateful, ( approx 14 min) he reflects on ‘how the one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy. Happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you're going, and above all, being grateful.’

 Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar on Ted (Talks) Global  2013

Updated: 13/03/22

'Lots of factors can affect our sleep patterns, and we know there’s so much going on right now that’s keeping people up at night. If you’re struggling to get to sleep and stay asleep, we see you — and we want to do what we can to help.Sleep Week has officially started, and we’re doing our part to help make your dreams come true.' Mindfulness.com

 All Sleep Content in the their app will be unlocked for everyone from March 13-19, free for 7 days.

'No trial, no strings — just a week of better sleep.

Want a place to start? Here are a few of their favorites.

• Try our brand new Sleep Stories — narratives specifically designed to invite a sense of safety and lead you down the path to pleasant dreams.
• All our Sleep Meditations — whether you’re preparing for bed, need to de-stress, up in the middle of the night, or like visualizations — they're all available and free for 7 days, too.
• If you love to have soothing Sleep Music to drift off to, we’ve got an extensive playlist to help get your body and mind ready for rest.

Accessing your unlocked Sleep Content is easy. Download the app, and you’ll see it all there. It’s yours through March 19!'  Mindfulness.com

Updated: 06/02/22

Can you help us? 

We are a small team of two people developing this app. whilst working full time as clinicians in Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS. We are keen to continue developing this app and are looking for your help to understand how best to take this forward. It would be helpful for us to understand how people discovered the app, and how they are using it.

We would appreciate 5 minutes of your time in completing this short survey ( it will open in a separate window). ** Link to survey** 

Many thanks for your feedback and help.

Updated:27/02/22

We hope you enjoy this short, simple meditation on compassion with Roshi Joan Halifax (Approx. 9 minutes

Updated : 13/02/22

 Relational Mindfulness.

' We all crave love, intimacy, and genuine connection, but our unconscious habits and reactions can get in the way of our most important relationship skill: mindful communication. When we practice being fully present for the beautiful, dynamic, and messy realm of human relationships, we bring our mindfulness practice truly “off the cushion.” ' 

Deborah Eden Tull writes about 'The Principles of Relational Mindfulness Practice  @ Mindful.or

Updated: 23/01/22

Thupten Jinpa is founder of the Compassion Institute and the principle English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He leads this 10 minute practice inviting us to feel deeply into our hearts to discover what it is we truly wish for — for ourselves, our loved ones, and the world. Beyond this, he asks us to reflect on how our most basic wishes are common to all people, and how this may inspire compassion.

Updated:16/01/22

To help us to eat a healthy diet health educators sometimes use images of a food pyramid, or a plate with a platter of food on it representing a balanced diet.

What would be the equivalent of a recommended daily diet for a healthy mind?

There can be a lack of good information about what may support a health mind. To start to address this Dr Dan Siegel M.D. and Dr David Rock developed a Healthy Mind Platter to help us map out an average day to see how we spend our time engaged in activities and to consider what combinations might be helpful for us based on our changing needs. They hope that this creates an appetite to increase awareness of how to nourish mental well-being.

This is the last post on ‘What’s New’ for 2021. We hope you have found some of the resources shared helpful. Within the NHS in Scotland there is a mindfulness lead for each mainland health board. We work together as part of a national network to develop mindfulness within the NHS in a systematic and strategic manner. Over 2021 we have begun to collaborate with NHS Forth Valley and hope to deepen this, and work with leads in different health boards over 2022.

We wanted to share a lovely loving kindness meditation offered by the NHS Forth Valley Mindfulness Team to bring this year to a close and move in to 2022.

We hope you are all well and hope you will join us again in 2022.

Best wishes from the Mindfulness Team in NHS GG&C, Scotland.

Updated: 19/12/21

05/12/21

Updated: 28/11/21

As we move in to the last month of 2021 we thought we would share a calendar from Action for Happiness. Each month the offer a calendar with suggested small actions each day centered around a theme.

'Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. We want to see a fundamentally different way of life - where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.'

In the coming month, December, they are encouraging you to carry out small acts of kindness.  

'This has been another difficult year of uncertainty and ups and downs for many of us. Kindness is contagious, and helping others has been proven to make us feel better too! Let's try to focus on being generous with our time and attention rather than money - it's free and better for everyone, as well as our planet!'

December calendar.

Updated: 14/11/21

In 2017 Sara Overton delivered a 12 minute talk as part of a TedX conference about how mindfulness in nature can transform us and climate change. With COP26 just coming to an end we thought it might be helpful to revisit.

Updated: 24/10/21

Updated:03/10/21

Autumn is a paradox, so many beautiful colours, a time when gardens and allotments have lots of things to harvest, yet at the same time the leafs are falling from the trees and decomposing, plants dye back, the nights draw in. Similar to Spring, it feels like a season of transition, a season of letting go, of moving towards the coolness of winter.

The next time you go for a walk try pausing, feel the ground under your feet, breathing in the cool air, feel it against your skin and take in the smells and sights as we transition in to Autumn.

Updated: 26/09/21

During the pandemic one of the things that has been around for some of us has been how we maintain connections with our friends, digital technology has provided opportunities to do this when we have not been able to meet people in person. We spend time thinking about our friends, trying to support them. When we fall in to the rhythm of a busy life, we may unintentionally ignore the most necessary part of supporting our friends- leaning how to be  a better friend to ourself ( Video approx  4 minutes).

Often the person we may find it hardest to be kind and sympathetic to is, surprisingly, ourselves.

How to you relate to yourself? How might your mindfulness practice support you with this? Could the act of taking time to engage with a mindfulness practice each day be seen as a radical act of kindness towards yourself?

Updated:19/09/21

How to Care Deeply Without Burning Out

Sharon Salzberg and Dan Harris explore how to recognise the signs of empathy fatigue and maintain a balanced, mindful, compassionate response ( Short article and 3 minute video).

Updated: 05/09/21

 Meditation and mindfulness are such broad concepts. Research initially explored whether this mental training was beneficial, whether there were adverse effects. More recently research is highlighting that meditation and mindfulness practices need to be differentiated. This is because research is starting to indicate that although most have benefits, the benefits may be present in different domains, or areas depending on the type of practice.

 It is likely that as research on meditation and mindfulness develops, that it will become increasingly nuanced and complex. For example, researchers are starting to explore individual differences and how certain genes or personality traits may influence how much you benefit from particular practice. Here is a link to an article introducing these ideas.

Updated:29/08/21

Updated: 15/08/21

'Mr Duffy lived a short distance from his body'

James Joyce.

How do you relate to you body? Sometimes we take the body for granted, as if it is not important. Other times we can become over attached, or over identify with it e.g. how it should look, feeling about it aging.

Mindfulness of the body involves maintaining a constant state of awareness of the body of its sensations, breath, coming and going of feelings, or of specific movements. Sometimes this may be pleasant and sometime not, we may find tension and pain amongst a range of other things. Practising dropping in to our body and touching what we feel there, including the difficulties, takes time. Healing through mindfulness starts with being present. We can be present, feel what arises and draw on the 9 mindfulness pillars/attitudes (non striving, acceptance, letting go, patience, trust, beginners mind, non judging, generosity, gratitude).

Here ( first  and second) are links to two short ( 10 min) qi gong movement practices that offer an opportunity of just bringing awareness to the body.

Updated: 08/08/2021

This powerful talk was offered by Jon Kabat-Zinn prior to the Covid pandemic, but seems so pertinent to now. Jon Kabat-Zinn sensitively covers so much in such a short time ( 20 minutes), what is mindfulness, our sense of wanting to turn away from aspects of ourselves, how interconnected we are, to mention just a few things he discusses.

What catches your attention? What does it say to you?

Cultivating Mindfulness in Difficult Times: ‘How can we keep from falling prey to the divisions and dualisms that define today's political discourse? In his December 2018 presentation at New York City's Lincoln Center, Jon Kabat-Zinn offers guidance—with humor and optimism—for responding mindfully to the fear and uncertainty of difficult times.’ ( 2019, Omega Institute)

Updated: 01/08/2021

Getting started with meditation and mindfulness? 

This free 'meditation kit', * developed by Tara Brach answers frequently asked questions about learning to meditate and mindfulness, as well as providing some helpful tips and guidance. It also has two 10 minute guided practices - a breath meditation and a mindfulness meditation.

* Available in English, Spanish, Japanese and Persian ( Farsi)

Updated:18/07/21

Pausing, noticing and being curious of our day-to-day experience, and within formal mindfulness practices, offers a space for us to become aware of how we relate to our experience, to notice reactivity. As we gradually see more clearly the patters within our mind, we can consciously choose to cultivate certain helpful attitudes, nurturing these like seeds.

A common pattern we observe is a high level of self-criticism, as well as concern that being more compassionate towards our self could lead to self-indulgence and self-pity.

Psychologist, Professor Kristin Neff, is recognised internationally as an expert on compassion, in this 12 minutes video she speaks about this and barriers to self-compassion. If you often notice self critical thoughts we would urge you to watch Professor Neff as she discusses this.

(This clip is from a set of videos curated by Palouse Mindfulness). 

Updated: 11/07/21

Establishing daily formal practice creates a foundation providing the space to develop and deepen our mindfulness skills. But how do we integrate mindfulness into our day? How do we bring mindfulness from the formal practice, from the mat into the rest of our life?

One way is to pause, notice, and be curious of our lived experience during the day, even briefly. Here, Professor Mark Williams leads us through a 3-minute breathing space.

Could you identify a specific cue to engage with this simple practice each day? Maybe when you open your eyes to start the day, or is there a period of time each day when you know you will typically be sitting or standing waiting for someone/thing? Alternatively, could you take a minute when you first sit at your desk to start work, or at a table for a meal?

What activity would work for you as a cue to remember to take a breathing space?

Updated: 04/07/2021

Everyone's path to happiness is different.  Action for happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. They want to see 'a fundamentally different way of life - where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.'

Drawing on research, Action for Happiness have identified 10 Keys to Happier Living that consistently tend to make life happier and more fulfilling. 

Updated: 20/06/21

Monday the 21^st is the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere. A time of traditionally marked with gatherings, celebration and sometimes ritual to mark midsummer. A time to pause, reflect, and connect.

In January, did you set intentions for the year? Are they still orienting you, or have they slipped from your awareness? Or maybe they have developed and evolved into something different?

How have you experienced the last 6 months?

If you can, we encourage you to, safely, take a sunrise walk, a pause with your first coffee/ tea of the day, or just take a moment for yourself at some point in the day to pause, reflect and connect, acknowledging what was important to you in January, and what is important to you now as we move into the second half of the year.

What intentions would be helpful to connect with in this moment?

Updated 13/06/21

“Most people’s minds are almost always too busy for them to feel their skins being caressed by the wind or the sun.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

We think it would be fair to say that Glasgow is not known for it’s sunny climate, even in the summer... so when we have a few days of sunshine many of us want to find a way to be outside and enjoy them. The lifting of another level of lockdown brings opportunities to thoughtfully travel outside of our local burghs. Rather than rush to some of the popular beauty spots when the sun puts in an appearance, here is a project , Slow Ways, that encourages us to slow down and explore being outside in a  different way that supports others. 

Some additional information for those in Scotland.

We are aware that some of you who use this app live out with the UK, if there is not a similar project near you, maybe you could link with friends, family and your local community to create a local one to share wherever you are.

Updated: 06/06/2021

Updated: 23/05/2021

“Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.”

— Sir David Attenborough

Using photosynthesis, a tree combines a little water with carbon dioxide from the air to produce the building blocks for its own growth, as well as oxygen for us. We breath in the oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. The tree breaths in our carbon dioxide and draws it back in to itself to grow. Over time, as this exchange occurs, the tree records history in each ring in its wood.

As you pass an urban tree in Glasgow, or where ever you are, maybe pause for a breathing space and share a few breaths.

Updated: 16/05/2021

The name Glasgow is thought to derive from the Brythonic Celtic “Cleschi” meaning “Dear Green Place”. Despite it's industrial heritage it is one of the greenest cities in Europe, with many parks and other green spaces. If we extend beyond the city, to the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, there is access to some of the best natural landscapes we can all enjoy.

What happens when we stop the endless labelling, comparisons and judgments of compulsive, analytical thinking? What happens when we set our intention to be fully present, to tune our senses to our ‘felt self’ while in nature? Can this facilitate the world around us becoming more fascinating and alive to our senses?

Now that Covid restrictions are starting to ease, we have posted some links to resources below to support you exploring nature outside.

Where ever you are try setting your intention to be fully present, be curious, expand your senses and explore your interconnectedness with your living environment.

Free Greenspace Resources

In 2011, Greenspace Scotland published the world's first national greenspace map. Working with Ordnance Survey (OS) this has been updated and extended so that it now covers greenspace in Scotland, England and Wales.

You can use this free interactive digital map to find accessible recreational and leisure greenspace anywhere in the UK – parks, public gardens, playing fields, sports areas, play spaces, allotments and community gardens.

Other walking/cycling resources:

  https://walkit.com/ the urban walking route planner.  Get a route map between any two points, including your journey time and carbon saving. Free, healthy and green!

 https://www.cycling.scot/ Cycling Scotland is the national cycle promotion organisation for Scotland.  Their aim is to establish cycling as an acceptable, attractive and practical lifestyle option

 Walking/Heritage Trails - Glasgow City Council - walking and heritage routes in Glasgow are a great way to explore Glasgow and some of the fantastic murals the city centre has to offer. Check out the maps!

Updated:09/05/21

We hope that some of you managed to attend the virtual conferences we posted links to over the last few weeks. We found some really interesting discussions and reflections within them and hope that you found some too. This week we are posting a link to a practice (approx. 20 minutes) from Insight timer by Al Jeffery ‘Post-Lockdown Guided-Reflection: Letting Go, Letting Be, Letting Come’

‘Contemplation and integration, not only during but almost most importantly after lockdown helps us carry any personal revelations as cargo into our lives. To bring forth what serves and let go of what we noticed that does not. In this meditation and guided self-reflection, we move through a practice of acknowledging all that we observed during this time that does serve and we'd like to carry into the next epoch in our lives, also letting go of what we might leave behind in this pocket of time.’

Updated: 02/05/2021

Updated: 11/04/21

 All of us experience loss in our life. In just the last year, many of us have not been able to meet friends and family, jobs have been lost, the freedom to travel curtailed, we have lost loved ones and friends, we may also have experienced changes to our health and how our bodies now feel.

Grief can feel isolating. Although a different process for each of us, it is also a universal and natural experience to loss. You are not alone in your experience at these hard times. We all go through this to varying degrees at different points in life.

Mindfulness cannot take away these experiences, grief ebbs and flows over time, like waves. Nothing can hurry this process. Mindfulness can offer space, a way for us to begin to acknowledge these intensely personal and challenging experiences. Importantly, acknowledgement or acceptance of what has happened does not mean ignoring, being ok about it, or letting someone off the hook. Acknowledgement and acceptance in this context relates to recognising what is happening and beginning to process how your world, and in time, how you may have changed.

Updated 04/04/21

We have begun to pilot offering MBCT, MBSR, and follow up /maintenance groups using MS teams across GG&C. This means instead if meeting in person we are bringing people together to meet as a group online. We appreciate this offers a different experience to meeting in person. In the future, when it is safe for us all to meet in person, we hope to be able to offer a choice of in person, virtual, and a hybrid combining both as options to engage with learning mindfulness within GG&C NHS.

 We are recording the meditation practices at some of these groups and adding a section to the “Guided Practices’ page within the community section of this app. The recordings are presented as is, recorded via a laptop's microphone and speaker, with the odd phone alert and other background noises occasionally intruding in the background.....but we hope you find something here that might be useful for your personal practice.

We are keen for feedback from those of you attending groups to help us shape this app and our Youtube page to best meet your needs. For those of you who have found this app and are not inked to any of our groups , we wish you well on your journey of exploring mindfulness and hope the resources we offer can support you in a helpful way. We will add new practices each week, so please come back regularly and see what's new.

Updated: 28/03/21

We are a small team of clinicians who are trying to develop this app with quality checked and evidenced based resources, as well as respond to local needs to support people exploring mindfulness. Our initial remit was to support mindfulness based approaches, i.e. evidenced mindfulness approaches where mindfulness is a central component embedded within an ethical frame work , and in the case of MBCT , integrated with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

We know that other approaches, such as DBT and ACT, have elements of mindfulness within them to varying degrees. We would term this mindfulness informed or mindfulness skills, as mindfulness is one of a number of components , rather than the central one. We do not believe it is helpful to state one approach is better than another. Some focus on working with a specific set of challenges, or diagnosis, and some are transdiagnosistc. They all offer different doorways to explore qualities of mindfulness, sometimes with a light touch, sometimes more intensively.

Although this main focus of this app. is ‘mindfulness based approaches’, we know how challenging it can be to develop and sustain a mindfulness practice. We would like to offer a choice, a range of routes to exploring this. We plan to collaborate with our colleagues during 2021 who are developing these approaches within Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS to share resources through this app. We hope this supports our colleagues, patients, and staff who are exploring mindfulness through DBT or ACT, as well of those of you exploring mindfulness through MBCT or MBSR.

 Introduction to Mindfulness in DBT: This video explains how Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) approaches the teaching of mindfulness. It explains the Wise mind, the ‘What’ skills, and the ‘How’ skills. This is a useful breakdown of mindfulness skills, and could be a great way to guide practice, especially for beginners.

Updated: 21/03/21

'The only way we can make the most of our lives is to make the most of our moments.' 

Cleo Wade

When you are next outside, pause,  look closely at any trees and plants you pass, can you see the new growth and buds, notice how this changes over the next few days and weeks?

Yesterday, the 20th of March, was the spring equinox in the Northern hemisphere when the earth tilts on its axis towards the sun and the days become longer than the nights, the winds warmer, and plants begin sprouting. There can be a sense of new beginnings and hope – something many of us are grateful for at the current time. Here is a link to a beautiful 6-minute video, ‘A Grateful Day’ by Br. David, which despite being recorded 14 years ago, celebrates a timeless message. We hope it supports and inspires your mindfulness practice in whatever form that takes.

Updated 07/03/2021

WALK SLOWLY by Danna Faulds

It only takes a reminder to breathe,

a moment to be still, and just like that,

something in me settles, softens, makes

space for imperfection. The harsh voice

of judgment drops to a whisper and I

remember again that life isn’t a relay

race; that we will all cross the finish

line; that waking up to life is what we

were born for. As many times as I

forget, catch myself charging forward

without even knowing where I’m going,

that many times I can make the choice

to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk

slowly into the mystery.

©2002 by Danna Faulds Published in her book Go In and In: Poems from the Heart of Yoga

Updated 28/02/21

How does self-compassion impact our psychological and physical well-being? A lot more than you might first think.

‘Talking about being kind to yourself may sound like something from a nursery classroom. But even cynics should care about self- compassion – especially if you want to be resilient.’  

This BBC article discusses self-compassion,  containing links to a range of studies on self- compassion and self esteem, health outcomes, and the benefits of self – compassion interventions if you would like to explore these ideas in more depth.

Updated 21/02/21

When facing the same challenges, why do some people become more vulnerable and others more resilient? Is there a way to nudge people along this continuum to encourage development of more qualities that promote wellbeing and flourishing?Professor Richard Davidson has asked these questions throughout his career. This has led him to explore how mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains and what we know about the brains of individuals showing more resilience than others. He discusses this in this thought provoking Ted Talk ( approx.17 min).

Richard Davidson is a psychologist and neuroscientist by training. He is the William James and Vilas professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as founder and director of the Centre for Healthy Minds. His research is focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices.

Updated 14/02/21

How has someone seeing ‘the goodness in you’ affected your life?

Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield hold PhDs in Clinical Psychology and teach meditation internationally, we have posted links to resources they have generously and freely offered previously (check 17/01/21 below for more resources from them) . This week we are posting a link to access 3 short videos from them exploring awareness, compassion and mindfulness ( Approx 6 minutes).

Please note that these videos share a webpage of a longer paid for course. We only post suggested web links to free resources. We have checked that the link to ‘Access my free teachings’ on the webpage will give access to the short videos and does not commit you to the paid for course.

After listening to the first short video clip, of Jack Kornfield speaking about ‘seeing goodness’, take a moment and reflect, noticing what is present for you.

Updated 07/02/21

It is not unusual to hear human nature portrayed as selfish and power hungry. Have you ever heard comments about Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ made to justify behaviour? These comments miss an important observation Darwin made. He noted that the strongest instinct that humans have is sympathy. Within his view of evolution he noted that ‘communities which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best’. In this short video clip ( approx.. 4.30 minutes), Professor Dacher Keltner, Berkeley, University of California, discusses this, and how we are hard-wired to be kind. With the current pandemic triggering so many challenges and worry for us we found this a helpful reflection.

Updated 31/01/21

How often have you eaten something without even tasting it?

An aspect of mindfulness is slowing down and really noticing and exploring experiences with a beginners mind. This can be hard to do when we are caught up in the flow of daily life. Our minds are often darting into the past or future, worrying, planning, problem solving, daydreaming… When our attention is elsewhere it this changes our experience of ‘now’, we are not so present in the moments that are our life.

A way to gradually and intentionally integrate mindful moments into daily life is to link an informal practice with something we do regularly, to consciously draw all our senses to that experience. We can do this with any activity, however, here is a short guided practice ( approx. 4.35 min) , led by Vidyamala Burch of Breathworks which can be done with any beverage, called ‘The coffee meditation’.

Updated 24/01/21

Over the last two weeks we have posted links to courses and a mindfulness summit. We hope some of you have found these interesting and are currently exploring the range of resources they offer. This week we are posting a link to a 10 minute guided meditation by Stephen Batchelor. 

Stephen Batchelor has been pivotal in exploring the context of meditative practices in ways that have deepened understanding of the foundations they have been built on , whilst at the same time increasing accessibility. We are also grateful for the kindness he has shown when we have approached him, and his wiliness to offer support for NHS Scotland staff interested in mindfulness.

 A brief meditation to contemplate and reflect more deeply on the conditions of our time ( approx. 10 minutes).

Updated 27/12/20

When we practice mindfulness we shape the future step by step with our intentions. Spending time becoming aware of our intent, as well as creating space to consciously cultivate and nurture it, is important - It is like choosing to plant a seed and creating the conditions for it to grow. If we do not do this, the seed may struggle to sprout and flourish.

We can not force the seed to grow. Even those who are green fingered gardeners among you know that we need to be careful of how we attach to the outcome. Often there can be factors that influence how that seed may sprout, or not, that are out with our control.

What is within our control?     Bringing awareness to the process of cultivating that seed, observing, being open to learn from experience, and doing our best to gradually shape conditions as best we can.

When we set an intent, it can be helpful see it as a seed, approaching the process of cultivating it in the same way.

In this link ( approx. 10 minutes), Matthieu Ricard talks about ‘how our state of mind can override our circumstances, whether good or bad. It can be our best friend or our worst enemy. He believes that mindfulness and compassion can help to overcome ‘ill-being’ in the mind and have long-lasting effects.’

Updated 20/12/20

"It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn."

-Paul Coehlo

With the recent changes to contact rules over the festive period in Scotland, and across the UK, it is understandable that we might find we become caught up in the disappointment of the loss of some of our plans for the festive season and spending time with people we care about.

Tomorrow, the 21/12/20, is the shortest day and the longest night in Scotland. As the light begins to grow again we thought we would share this uplifting video (Approx. 11 minutes) to cultivate gratitude and offer hope, even when things are feeling quite tough.

‘Kristi Nelson was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer when she was 33 years old. In the 27 years since, she has lived into all that is possible when we take nothing for granted. In this beautiful short film by award-winning photographer and filmmaker Doug Menuez, Kristi shares her personal story of grateful living .’                         Shared by Gratefulness.org on December 07, 2020 

After listening to this video, we invite you to spend a few moments just sitting, feeling your breath and noticing what comes in to awareness. In amongst all the changes we have been adjusting to this year, in this moment, what are you grateful for?

 We will do our best to keep developing this app to support you. Please stay safe over the festive season. We hope you will join us on line, or in person during 2021. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Mindfulness Network

Updated: 06/12/20

Why Mindfulness?

Jack Kornfield holds a PH.d in Clinical Psychology and is a much respected and internationally recognised meditation/mindfulness teacher. We wanted to share his description of mindfulness ( approx. 7 minutes).

‘With mindfulness we learn to be aware without judging, fixing, resisting or grasping. This is not a self-improvement project but rather the opportunity to become the loving witness to this life, which changes everything because usually we're trying to "fix" it. Mindfulness training allows us to be spacious and gracious with what's actually happening. Without being aware it's difficult to live freely because we are in reaction to what comes our way.’

With the festive season fast approaching we also wanted to combine Jack Kornfield’s talk above with a practice he offers on relating to people who we might find it difficult to be with ( approx. 24 minutes).

Updated 29/11/20

Last week we began to explore loneliness, the difference between being alone and loneliness. We would like to develop this through offering a talk by Andy Puddicombe. He discusses what loneliness is, why we feel it and how to deal with it.

If something of what Andy Puddicombe discussed resonated for you , here is a link to free meditation for loneliness practices from Headspace.

‘Meditation for loneliness allows us to understand what it means to be lonely, what lies behind the origins of this emotion, and how we can feel more connected to the world around us’.

‘Whatever has created or caused the feeling of loneliness within us, a meditation for loneliness doesn’t encourage us to move away from what we are feeling; nor does it look for a solution. Instead, it encourages us to explore and investigate the feeling in order to find a sense of ease, without letting the emotion take you down.’ From Headspace

Updated 22/11/20

As the level of Covid infection remains high in some areas, increased restrictions have been placed on people living in the central belt of Scotland to try to reduce rates. We know this will be bring challenges for so many, one of which, to enable us to protect each other, will be a reduction in social contact. In this video (approx. 35 minutes), Dr Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General in the USA, talks about loneliness. He discusses the difference between loneliness and isolation, how loneliness can impact on our health and sense of self. He also offers some suggestions of how we might break spirals of loneliness.

(This recording is kindly offered freely by Wisdom 2.0, who generously offer a range of talks with the aim of supporting ‘people to live with awareness and wisdom in our technology-rich age’)

Updated 15/11/20

Recently there have been signs of glimmers of hope that vaccines may offer some protection against Covid in the future. However, at the moment we still all need to work together in changing our behaviour to protect each other. This leaves us still continuing to try to find ways to live with the current challenges Covid brings. For many of us the supports we might draw on in difficult and uncertain times are not available e.g. social contact, a hug from some one we trust, being able to engage in previously enjoyed activities safely.

In this short video ( Approx 8 minutes), Dr Theresa Dahm, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust discusses how our emotion systems may have been affected by changes COVID 19 has brought.

Does what she is discussing resonate for you? What emotional system might you want to develop? Are there activities you could cultivate that might support you to do that?

Updated : 08/11/20

This week we have added another practice led by one of our mindfulness therapists/teachers : sound and breath meditation ( approximately 20 minutes). Guidance within any practice is merely offered as a support, we can follow the direction, or listen to the rhythm and tone. The same mindfulness teacher offers a 10 minute sound and breath practice  for those of you looking for a shorter practice.    

Updated 25/10/20

Vidyamala Burch is the founder and co-Director of Breathworks. She is known for her pioneering work on mindfulness- based and compassion-based approaches to living well with chronic pain, illness and stress. We really like the way she explains how mindfulness can support us when we are facing something that is causing us physical and /or emotional difficulty, which seems particularly pertinent at the current time.

Here in Scotland, as we edge towards a potential second wave of Covid infections, and face the challenges and difficulties associated with this, we wanted to offer these two clips. In the first, she speaks about approaching her own experience ‘one moment at a time’ ( Approx. 3 minutes) and shares some insights from this . In the second clip, she discusses turning towards difficulty  ( approx. 10 minutes).

 Whether you are visiting this app within Scotland, or further afield, we welcome you and hope you find these helpful.

Updated 18/10/20

How we respond to our inner world influences how we live and interact with the world around us. For those of you who have participated in an 8 week MBCT/MBSR course you may recall exploring how we can be drawn towards the positive and avoid, or brace against negative. Clinical Psychologist, Professor Susan David powerfully discusses her work in this area and reflects on her personal experience of this in these talks. One of these was recorded prior to the pandemic in 2017 ( approx. 16 minutes) , and one at the beginning in March 2020 ( approx. 45 minutes). Both seem particularly pertinent and relevant given the current challenges we are all facing. 

Updated: 11/10/20

The term 'mindfulness' is increasingly slipping into everyday language. This maybe reflects a growing awareness, but also contributes towards confusion about what is being referred to when we about speak about 'mindfulness'.

So, what is mindfulness? Often phrases like ‘intentionally paying attention’, ‘awareness of present experience’ form part of a response. These do reflect some aspects of mindfulness, but can also be misleading if our understanding stops at that point.

It is remarkably difficult to describe mindfulness, and mindfulness based approaches in a concise way. In this video clip Professor Dennis Noble interviews Professor Willem Kuyken, Head of The Oxford Mindfulness Centre, exploring the question: What is mindfulness?

Updated 04/10/20

We are aware from feedback that as well as the 'What's new ' section, that the practice section of this part of the app is popular. We are thinking about how we can develop this in a helpful way. In the interim, our mindfulness therapists and teachers are working with us to record new practices we can share with you. All of the practices are led by local NHS clinicians trained to teach mindfulness. We will keep building this library for you to use.  We hope that among them you will find a voice and a style of leading that supports your practice. Here is a link to the newest led practice, sitting with difficulty.

Updated 20/09/20

Why is there so much emphasis within mindfulness on practice? In this video Willoughby Britton talks about how our brain changes with experience and how we get good at what we practice. She discusses how the most powerful way to change your brain is not medication, but behaviour, specifically mental habit. After watching this video, useful questions to consider may be what mental habits are we practicing, and what might a regular mindfulness practice offer?

We hope some of the files, links in this section and across this app, will support you to explore this.

Updated 13/09/20

“Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. We want to see a fundamentally different way of life - where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.”

Here is a link to Dr Kristin Neff talking to them about the importance of self compassion/inner resilience and how we can be kinder to ourselves, especially when we are facing difficult times. This was filmed at an Action for Happiness online event on the 20^th of July 2020. She also leads some practices within the talk relating to this.

Updated:16/08/20

As part of our series exploring local soundscapes we have added two more sound recordings from evening walks in a Glasgow park in May (40 minute , 60 minute) .  When we were recording these and working on transferring them to this app we noticed how the very act of trying to capture sounds around us changed our awareness of sound, we became more intricately aware of the sound environment in general. If your phone is able to record, e.g. voice memos, it might be interesting to explore familiar sounds around you and see what happens if you were to try and capture sounds within a familiar environment ( Do remember to ask permission if you are recording anyone speaking in advance). 

Experiencing the world with sound

1. Permission: give yourself permission to take time out, to spend time in this experience and be.
2. Intention: during your dedicated time, set the intention to connect and be present with what is around you, as well as your internal experience. Be the observer or the field researcher of your environment.
3.  Attention: rest your attention on the sensory experiences. And when the mind wanders, as it will, bring your attention gently back to whatever you have chosen to place your attention on.

Updated 09/08/20

In May, when we were able to go out for an hour a day during lock down, we recorded some of our walks in the parks and lanes of Glasgow. As we began to do this and pay attention to the soundscapes around us we were struck by how rich this dimension became and began to recognise the diversity and quality of sound.

We plan to add a series of these in the practice section of this app. Here is an  morning walk in a Glasgow park ( approx. 60 minutes) and an afternoon walk along a tree lined pathway ( approx. 15 minutes) .

Can you to bring a curiosity to these listening practices? Opening up to all the layers of sounds, or at times choosing to narrow to a particular sound. Everything vibrates, as sound passes through and around us all the time. Can we practice a 'letting go' as we open up to sound, experiencing the textures and rhythms? Maybe becoming aware of physical sensations and emotions. Noticing when your attention has wandered off, where it is, and gently coming back to the focus of your awareness.

Updated 27-07-20

We hope that clip made you smile. Funny as that clip is, cultivating a funny walk actually takes a lot of awareness and can be an interesting way to play with mindful movement - working with balance, remaining present in the body,  noticing the emotions that arise rather than being caught within them , and then awareness of the breath within the movement to name but a few dimensions to bring awareness to. 

Mindful walking offers us an opportunity to drop in to the body and practice throughout the day. We are not suggesting  you audition for the  Ministry of Silly Walks to achieve this, although you are more than welcome to add in a few moves…. In this practice one of our local NHS mindfulness therapists leads us through a  gentle mindful walking practice, which can be found on this app  within Guided Practices: Getting Started.

Updated 20-07-20

Have you ever been in the company of others, but still felt isolated and disconnected?  Feeling connected can arise from how we relate to ourself and others, rather than how many people we are in a room with.

The environment/context we live in can influence this. Sometimes we find we have built a hard shell to try to protect ourself. The idea of softening this 'shell' we have developed may trigger feelings of vulnerability to arise. These feelings are universal aspects of being human. 

It can be helpful to pause and explore this, to become aware of what patterns you are cultivating within your relationships.  If we cleared some of the weeds and uncovered a sense of connection to ourself and others, what would this feel like? Would an awareness of what it feels like support us to begin to make decisions about how we might cultivate this in our relationships in a way that is helpful ?  This loving kindness practice from Palouse Mindfulness offers us a chance to begin to explore this.

Updated 12-07-20

Oceans

I have a feeling that

my boat has struck, down there in the depths,

against a great thing.

                                                       And nothing

happens! Nothing...Silence...Waves...

... Nothing happens? Or has everything happened,

and are we standing now, quietly, in the new life?

Juan Ramon Jimenez, Translated by Robert Bly

Updated 06-07-20

Do we associate strength with love , or do we perceive love as something soft and weak? Why might someone choose to connect with qualities associated with water if they want to summon a sense of strength and power when they feel surrounded by hate?  Sharon Salzberg is well known internationally for her work on loving kindness and compassion. In this article she shares her thoughts on why our interconnectedness is our greatest strength.  She also offers a short guided meditation for gathering your energy.

Updated 28-06-2020

Just this

What is the size of your heart in this moment?

Just this. Just this.

Just this.

From daily sessions : 

Cultivating Mindfulness in this Critical Moment, Jon Kabat- Zinn, 2020.

Updated 22/06/2020

'The COVID- 19 pandemic has spread around the globe like a storm affecting everyone in its path. Some have called it a "big pause". In one survey during the pandemic the vast majority of people said they did not want their lives to return to how they were before the pandemic. Many people are wondering what their lives will be like. Many want to see positive changes in their lives and in the world.

Mindfulness has the potential to support a movement towards greater individual and collective well-being. Many mindfulness practices have been part of peoples lives for thousands of years. Now the science of mindfulness is coming of age . This confluence of practices that are thousands of years old with modern psychological science is both creative and practical. It can help us make sense of the challenges we're facing. It can help us respond to them with greater wisdom and compassion. More than this , it can help us to both imagine and create the kind of 'new normal' we'd like to see.'                                                                    Oxford Mindfulness Centre

The Oxford Mindfulness Centre is offering thought  provoking monthly free online Mindfulness sessions, which include practices within them. Previous sessions have been recorded and are available. 

 Updated 14-06-2020

'The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen.  Just listen.  Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.  And especially if it's given from the heart.  When people are talking, there's no need to do anything but receive them.  Just take them in.  Listen to what they're saying.  Care about it.  Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it.  Most of us don't value ourselves or our love enough to know this.  It has taken me a long time to believe in the power of simply saying, "I'm so sorry," when someone is in pain.  And meaning it.

One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story people often interrupted her to tell her that they once had something just like that happen to them.  Subtly her pain became a story about themselves.  Eventually she stopped talking to most people.   It was just too lonely.  We connect through listening.  When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the focus of attention to ourselves.  ........Now I just listen.  When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there with them.                   Rachel Naomi Remen

Notice what happens when you listen to people? Can we bring a similar quality of awareness to listening as we do within a  mindfulness sitting practice? Can listening to someone speaking become a mindfulness practice?  What happens when we are present with someone in this way?

 'One's radius both contracts and expands. that is to say , while the circumference of miles at one's disposal is halved, their content is more than doubled. For the quiet pace is like a magnifying glass; regions one has before passed over as familiar suddenly enlarge with innumerable new details and become a feast of contemplation... We found we had been living in an undiscovered country... One can only take one bite of life, whether one nibble at every land or explore thoroughly a single parish.' 

 Above, Adrian Bell writes in the 1930s about traveling without a car after it had broken down and he and his wife travelled using a pony and trap. They decided once it was fixed to not go back to using their car so much and continue the slower pace of a pony and trap. To people who said , 'yes, but one looses such a lot of time getting from place to place, they answered, how could that time be lost which was enjoyed'.

Lockdown has brought many changes for most of us. Has the ‘circumference of miles ‘ at your disposal changed? How has that influenced your relationship with your environment, with other people, your relationship with yourself? What have you noticed during this time of enforced slowing down? Is there anything you might want to cultivate  and take forward as lockdown begins to change and our ‘circumference ‘ of miles and opportunities to engage with the busyness of life opens up?

Updated 24-05-2020

'When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe'

John Muir 1911

Connecting through walking  

Can we bring a playful beginners mind to walking? What happens when we do this?  

This practice can be done when walking outside or inside your house, your back yard, or even informally when you need to travel from point A to B.  

Our minds will wander off during this practice and get stuck on something. When we notice we have drifted we have an opportunity to become aware of what has happened, accepting this and gently guiding our attention and bringing our awareness to our chosen focus. Can we nurture an intent to do this over and over again with a kind acceptance this is just part of being human? 

Here are some suggestions if you would like to explore this practice, however, only use what you find helpful. 

If you are walking inside your house decide a pathway, maybe the length of your hallway, or back and forth across the width of your living room, or bedroom, maybe there is a park near, or you have a garden, you could do this while walking to somewhere, or on your hours exercise during lockdown. If you are outside, be aware of the wider space you are in.

Notice how the pattern of sensations on the soles of the feet alters with the lifting and placing of each step, how does this change if we alter our pace? After a while, try expanding awareness into the whole of the body, noticing how the body is responding to walking and movement. If we play with the pace of walking is there any change in the breath, or sense of energy. 

After a while, try opening awareness to sound, even if inside a building. Allowing the sounds to come into our awareness, exploring the rhythms and tones, hearing the orchestra of life around us tuning up, 

Is it possible to notice smells? Don’t try too hard or reach for this, just see if you can be open to anything that touches your scent receptors. 

Try moving the spotlight of awareness to sight, what shapes and textures , colours and movement is present? 

When ready, guiding awareness into the body, what do you feel? Physical sensations. What do you sense within your emotions, feeling tone? Where is the mind wandering to? What happens in the body when it wanders there? 

Coming back to the sensations in the soles of the feet, rest with these for a little while and then, expanding and connecting with physical sensations in the body, sound, scent, visual environment as feels appropriate. 

 Updated on the 17-05-2020

Feeling isolated? Here is a practice led by Bob Stahl to encourage a deeper sense of connection.

'A human being is part of the whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something seprate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearet to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty' Albert EInstein 1972

 Updated on the 11-05-2020

What happens to the mind if you sit in solitude and do nothing for 24 hours? Mark O’Connell describes his experience of a ‘solo retreat’ in a forest, a 24 hour period spent in isolation with nothing to distract him but nature and his thoughts. Although this article (Read here, or listen as a podcast) isn’t about mindfulness as such, it touches on themes familiar to mindfulness practitioners: the rich inner life of the mind that sometimes reveals itself unexpectedly when we move from ‘doing’ to ‘being’; our uneasy relationship to the passage of time; and our connectedness to the external world - nature, people, even cherished objects. The article was written before the Covid-19 lockdown, but perhaps it resonates with what many are going through right now. Sometimes enforced isolation and removal from the habitual flow of everyday life can create a space through which we catch occasional glimpses of a rich way of experiencing the world which although always available to us, is usually hidden . 

Whether you are in an urban or rural area, is there a way you could cultivate this at the moment? What can you see from your window? Are there birds playing in the air, singing to each other, or foraging for food? What shapes and textures are the clouds, how does the sky change during sunrise and sunset? Can you open up to hear the rhythms and textures of the sounds of life flowing around you?

‘Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place in the family of things.’

From Mary Oliver’s poem: ‘Wild Geese’

Updated  21/01/2026