Taking the first step in a new direction is the hardest part for anyone wanting to make changes. You aren’t alone in this. I’m here to help and there is no pressure to commit to anything. A 7-day trial involves the opportunity to get to know me via a discovery call so you can see how you feel about working with me. Meeting me via a discovery zoom call prior to any live session (a requirement) will help put you at ease. It will help you feel heard, understood and recognised by me so you can feel more relaxed within the group, and it keeps our classes safe spaces for regular members. Secondly, joining a class encourages you to practice embracing both courage and vulnerability at the same time. Qualities that will help you grow in being able to better manage your challenges. You can feel reassured that EVERYONE attending felt as you do at the start and therefore will only be holding a collectively supportive and friendly space as you attend for the first time. There’s no expectation to share openly as our sessions are largely non-interactive, but your presence is appreciated and makes a difference to everyone.

You have the freedom to choose. I encourage people to join with camera on initially as it encourages a sense of friendship, community and belonging but there are times, we don’t feel our best, are tired and would rather leave the camera off and this is completely fine.

You can feel completely reassured that the online group classes are non-interactive, and you can sit back listen and engage without the need to share, feel self-conscious or nervous about this. You can even attend with camera off if this makes you more comfortable. If groups are smaller and particularly on the Sunday evening class, you may be invited to offer 3 words to describe how you feel but this is always optional. One to one sessions are the place for sharing. One to one sessions are very much encouraged if you are wanting to address issues that need some personalised attention.

It’s not unusual for us to have trouble relaxing during meditation. If this is you, don’t consider yourself a lost cause or judge this as something that won’t work for you. Sometimes, the dog might be barking, you can hear others around the house or you’re just too tense. Meditation isn’t relaxation, (although we might often feel more relaxed for practicing). Meditation is seeing what’s happening in the moment and allowing things to be just as you find them rather than thinking it SHOULD be different. Tension lies between how something is and how we think it should be. Letting go of believing things should be a certain way can help us find more ease. So, if you don’t feel relaxed, you can practice saying to yourself “Right now, it’s like this and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with me”. This attitude and approach can take time so don’t be too quick to judge and walk away. Most people find that being open and sharing it with me via messaging or conversation allows them to give it a chance.

There is no tie-in. This is an ongoing course here to support you for as long or little as you feel is helpful. Many people find the benefits really begin to kick in after a few months and recognise it’s the regularity of practice and cumulative effects which begin to take root and flourish. Both my observations and research reports that benefits are more readily felt and seen within 12 weeks of regular practice. I therefore recommend joining for a minimum of 3 months. Many people have been practicing with me for several years and treat this as the ‘life practice’ it is. Others dip in and out for ‘top-ups’ to suit their commitments. Ultimately, mindfulness is like using a muscle, if you don’t use it, you lose it to some degree. We all benefit from being regularly reminded how to develop the skill of becoming our own ‘best friend’ and being directed to the relevant tools in those times of need. Regular attendance of this program will help you embed this as a habit.

The monthly subscription is the same whatever you want to utilise. The most effective way to help you build a habit of mindfulness is to make sure you have access to all live sessions, recordings, and group support as part of this program, but the choice is always yours. If you are going to pick and choose, I recommend you attend the Teaching, Tools and meditation class weekly. This provides your shared weekly focus with other members, and you’ll be reflecting on this throughout the week.

If you can’t attend a session, remember that the Teaching Tools and Meditation Class on Tuesday’s and the Relax and Recover Class on Thursdays are recorded and available to watch on the website later at a time to suit you. All classes are designed to be accessed as ‘stand-alone’ sessions. This means it doesn’t matter if you miss a session. When you re-join us, the content will always be relevant to you in some way. Sometimes a theme will be carried on over two weeks, but you will still find relevant accessible content and benefit from it.

The Tuesday evening 8:45pm class (Teaching, Tools and meditation) is repeated on Wednesday morning at 10am.

No. I can’t tell you it won’t help if you decided to do this because it would, we’d all be better off but life is life, it gets in the way and we need to be honest with ourselves. Whilst science is science and we can’t argue with the proven benefits of daily practice, its more about attitude. You can get really good benefit by attending one or more sessions a week to introduce mindfulness to your daily life. Many people have found this to be enough for them and they say it keeps them grounded. Bill Gates learned mindfulness with Andy Puddicombe (Headspace) and said that 10 mins 3 times a week changed his life. The last thing we need, is to feel pressure or guilt to ‘do something else’ on top of all the other stuff there is to do. It's not the number of times you sit down and practice that is so important, it’s more about how you are with yourself when you forget or just don’t do it (not judgemental) – THAT’S mindfulness practice. Informal mindfulness practice (which is being present whilst preparing tea, making a cuppa or getting the kids to bed without being lost in your worries and rumination) is often just as valuable as sitting down to meditate. If we can learn to be more present and awake to the mind getting lost in rumination and returning it to where we are and what we’re doing, EVERYTHING becomes a meditation, and you get the benefits all the time. We just can’t fail at this. Sadly, lots of people don’t see this and miss a big opportunity.

No. I was tired and frustrated by seeing mindfulness courses all of which required onerous homework and sessions which could be anything up to 2-3 hours long. Wonderful as some of them can be, people can’t give that kind of time within normal life. People are therefore put off engaging with mindfulness until some future imaginary time in which they think they’ll have MORE time. Reality is, we never have more time. Shorter more intense courses can be powerful at the time but that practice you started has to be maintained if it’s to be of benefit. It’s the ongoing cumulative effects of mindfulness that make the differences we all want to feel so that’s why I developed this program which is easy to access, manageable, enjoyable and useful without the big-time commitment. This program also bridges an obvious gap for those having done a previous mindfulness course but are left without being supported by a regular practice, or for those new to mindfulness and want an easier, less overwhelming way in.

Commit to coming to the sessions you want to attend and let this guide your practice. Making time is a gift you give yourself, not something else you SHOULD do. No one else can give it to you. On a practical note, schedule the classes on your phone to help you remember. You’ll have my voice in your pocket with my mindful handhold what’s app group. This will gently prompt you to engage with your mindfulness throughout the week. There’s no objective to meditate longer than 10 mins. My pocket meditations are shorter than 10 mins. You can use the classes you attend as your longer practices. Bill Gates who learned mindfulness from Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe, has three 10 min sessions a week and he says it’s changed his life. You don’t have to work your way up to the dizzy heights of a 45min plus meditation if that doesn’t fit your way of life.

Group practice via the sessions online here within this program offers us a point of accountability to show up for ourselves and others and remember that we aren’t alone in our struggles. Whilst our circumstances are varied, we all share the same hopes and fears and can use our groups to remember and reconnect with each other and our shared humanity. It can be really comforting to see the presence of others, even online and this can help us feel encouraged and motivated to keep practising.

If you’re new to the practice or this program and you’re having trouble with something specific, it can make a real difference to have the space to ask questions, talk freely and have some guidance that embodies a mindful approach. This isn’t possible in group sessions so that’s your cue. Once you feel the benefit of moving through your issues one-to-one, it’s a good idea to keep a regular practice going and joining a group class would then help support the learning you’ve begun. If you’ve only been attending group sessions, questions can arise from our practice together and chatting with your teacher and mentor is the best way to iron out anything that needs clarification or help you go a little deeper, depending on your needs and interest. Groups alone are great, but there’s no doubt that accessing a one-to-one every now and again alongside your group sessions will enhance your experience and deepen your understanding.

Everyone is different and teachers will deliver mindfulness according to what will be true for them and their experiences. In the same way, people who seek mindfulness are all different and will look for an approach that suits their preferences. It’s important to say, mindfulness does not fall under the category of ‘Alternative Therapy’ or ‘New Age’. Whilst its original roots are founded in the ancient traditions of Buddhism, it is a practice now known to the West with a solid scientific foundation backed up by a recognised and robust global body of research making this practice widely acceptable and more accessible to everyone. My program and classes are not religious based. This practice is inclusive of all faith traditions and none. There’s a good mix of science and heart and as such, many attendees have said it’s been refreshing and different to what they expected and have felt positively surprised. It’s important you find a teacher you can trust, who makes you feel welcome and comfortable and whose teaching style will excite and motivate you to becoming more of who you truly are and want to be. Therefore, I offer a 7-day free trial so you can give it a go first.

It’s not unusual for us to have trouble relaxing during meditation. If this is you, don’t consider yourself a lost cause or judge this as something that won’t work for you. Sometimes, maybe the dogs barking, you can hear others around the house or you’re just too tense. Meditation in itself isn’t relaxation; meditation is seeing what’s happening in the moment and allowing things to be just as you find them. This means if you don’t feel relaxed, saying to yourself “Right now, it’s like this and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with me”. Tension lies between how something is and how we think it should be. So letting go of believing things should be a certain way can help us find more ease. This can take time to practice so don’t be too quick to judge and walk away. Most people find that being open allows them to give it a chance. There are many people I talk to who’ve had an experience in a relaxation or yoga class in which they believed there was something wrong with them because they couldn’t relax. They then walked away feeling inadequate or that the whole thing wasn’t’ for them simply because they weren’t able to talk about it or there was no one there to explain. Having a mindfulness mentor can end this confusion if you are willing to keep in touch and share your experiences.

That’s okay, you aren’t alone feeling this. Here’s a couple of things to consider that might help you… There’s something really beneficial about practicing mindfulness in a community/group which is why this is so special. However, if you’re new or haven’t done this before everyone completely understands how apprehensive one might feel to start with. Meeting me via a discovery zoom call prior to any live session (a requirement) will help put you at ease. This is important because it helps you feel heard, understood and recognised by me so you can feel more relaxed within the group and it keeps our classes safe spaces for regular members. Secondly, joining a class encourages you to practice embracing both courage and vulnerability at the same time. Qualities that will help you grow in being able to better manage your challenges. You can feel reassured that EVERYONE attending has felt as you do and therefore will only be holding a collectively supportive and friendly space as you attend for the first time. There’s no expectation to share openly as our sessions are largely non-interactive, but your presence is appreciated and makes a difference to everyone.

Whilst research has proven mindfulness to be as effective as anti-depressants in some cases, a best course of action would be to commit to a dedicated mindfulness practice alongside your medication and do not adjust your prescription in any way other than in close consultation with your GP. There is good evidence to support the value and use of meditation alongside medication so try not to fixate on any particular outcome and see how things unfold.

Live classes are a point of accountability for our practice. There are people showing up each week who are willing you on and here we find a place of community, support and encouragement. Recorded classes are helpful for use as a recap or if you missed a class, but it always feels good to show up and attend live.

There’s little that mindfulness can’t help with, it’s a positive life affirming practice that will benefit everyone irrespective of circumstance. There may be some issues which need specialist help and I can help you discern this via our Discovery Call. However, mindfulness will work well alongside many interventions.

No. This is a common misconception. Whilst mindfulness has been proved to be as effective as anti-depressants in some cases and has much to offer those suffering with depression, this particular program is not for those dealing with current trauma or significant mental health problems. If this is you, I recommend you seek the relevant help via your GP first. This practice is for anyone who recognises that stress or anxiety is affecting their life and who feels the need to slow down in some areas of life. You may want to savour the good and develop the skills of becoming more compassionate towards yourself when under pressure. It will offer much to those struggling with stress or anxiety related to varied life circumstances. We all experience stress and feel anxious at times and my mindfulness teaching and tools can really help you change your approach and experience a more balanced, life-fulfilling way of being day to day. It will benefit anyone who is well enough and willing enough to help themselves. The best course of action is to place a discovery call, have a chat and find out more.

If you are currently experiencing some form of trauma or mental health related illness (loss/grief, divorce, abuse, chronic depression or an eating disorder), I will likely advise you this probably isn’t going to be the right time for you to begin. Mindfulness is a practice of ‘being with what is’ and sometimes those feelings can be too raw and require additional support and processing. This is not a substitute for mental health therapy. I would encourage you to seek the relevant support via your GP.

The program is suitable for both beginners and those with some/more experience. This program has been designed to deliver a whole range of mindfulness themes relevant to everyday life in bite-sized chunks over longer periods of time for a sustained approach and a supportive practice. The themes are revisited to build familiarity, habit and deepen understanding.

This is an ongoing course here to support you for as long or little as you feel is helpful. Many people find the benefits really begin to kick in after a few months and recognise it’s the regularity of practice and cumulative effects which begin to take root and flourish. Research reports benefits are more readily felt and seen within 12 weeks of regular practice and therefore I recommend a minimum of 3 months. Many people have been practicing with me for several years and treat this as the ‘life practice’ it is. Others dip in and out for ‘top-ups’ to suit their commitments. Ultimately, mindfulness is like using a muscle, if you don’t use it, you lose it to some degree. We would all benefit from being regularly reminded how to cultivate the habit of becoming our own ‘best friend’ and directing us to the relevant tools to draw upon in those times of need. That’s what my teaching is all about.

Of course! The monthly subscription is the same whatever you want to utilise. The most effective way to help you build a habit of mindfulness is to make sure you have access to all live sessions, recordings, and group support as part of this program, but the choice is always yours. You might find that despite having practised before, you experience a different approach here and remaining open to this might prove surprising and refreshing.

Of course! The monthly subscription is the same whatever you decide to access. The most effective way to help you build the habit of mindfulness, gain support and encourage you is to make sure you have access to all live sessions and group support as part of this program, but the choice is always yours. Use as much or little as you want.

No. I recommend you attend the Teaching, Tools and meditation class weekly. These classes are designed as ‘stand-alone’ sessions, so whenever you join us, you’ll find something new and useful to use as your weekly focus. If you can’t attend a session, remember that this class is recorded and available to watch later. The other classes are available for your additional benefit and the more time you choose to prioritise, the better for you, but that is your choice and not a requirement.

Our classes range from between 10 and 60 mins. Please see times of sessions on the Adult Classes page.

The recommended Teaching, Tools and Meditation class plus the Relax and Recover class are both recorded and will be available for you to view after that session has taken place, you can watch this at a time to suit you. There are a number of people who are signed up to access sessions in this way and find it beneficial.

The Tuesday evening 8:45pm class (Teaching, Tools and meditation) is repeated on Wednesday morning at 10am.

No, the recommended session to attend would be the Tues/Wed Teaching, Tools and meditation class every week. This will guide your focus for the week and give you the tools to implement mindfulness into your daily life. Other sessions are a valuable addition for you to engage with if time allows.

No, the choice is yours. My recommendation would be a minimum of 12 weeks, because research has shown improvement for people wanting to manage stress and anxiety over this period. It’s the commitment to regular practice beyond this which will be of most benefit. This is a way of life, and the sessions are ongoing to support you as you grow and develop new habits.

You have the freedom to choose. I encourage people to join with camera on initially as it encourages a sense of community and belonging but there are times, we don’t feel our best, are tired and would rather leave camera off and this is completely fine.

You can feel completely reassured that the online group classes are non-interactive, and you can sit back listen and engage without the need to share, feel self-conscious or nervous about this. You can even attend with camera off if this makes you more comfortable. One to one sessions are the place for sharing. One to one sessions are very much encouraged if you are wanting to address issues that need some personalised attention.

The Teaching, Tools and Meditation session (your recommended weekly focus) and the Recover and Relax sessions are recorded and either sent to your email inbox as a link you can click to view or available for members on the website. Catch up and watch at a time to suit you.

All classes are designed to be accessed as ‘stand-alone’ sessions. This means it doesn’t matter when you join us, the content will always be relevant to you in some way. Sometimes a theme will be carried on over two weeks but you will still find relevant accessible content and benefit from it at whatever point you join us.

No. I can’t tell you it won’t help if you do because it would. Science is science and we can’t argue with those proven benefits. But the best thing you can do is join in and commit to attending one or more sessions a week to introduce a more mindful approach to your daily life. Many people have found this to be enough for them and they say it keeps them grounded. The last thing we need is to feel pressure or guilt to ‘do something else’ on top of all the other stuff there is to do. I don’t want you to see this as something more to do, I’d rather you see a short meditation as a time you can be a bit gentler with yourself when you‘re giving yourself a hard time about all the things you think you should be doing – that’s what practicing meditation is about for me. It’s not a fixing of stress or anxiety and reaching some outcome, it’s a few moments of practicing how to be compassionate to yourself. When these moments build, we begin to feel better. It's not the number of times you sit down and practice that is so important, it’s more about how you are with yourself when you forget or just don’t do it – THAT’S mindfulness practice. Informal mindfulness practice which is being present whilst preparing tea , making a cuppa or getting the kids to bed without being lost in your worries and rumination is often just as valuable as sitting down to meditate. If we can learn to be more present and awake to the mind getting lost in rumination and returning it to where you are and what you’re doing, EVERYTHING becomes a meditation, and you get the benefits all the time. We just can’t fail at this. Sadly, lots of people don’t see this and miss a big opportunity.

No. I was tired and frustrated by seeing mindfulness courses all of which required onerous home tasks and sessions which could be anything up to 2-3 hours long. Wonderful as some of them can be, people can’t give that kind of time within normal life. People are therefore put off engaging with mindfulness until some future imaginary time in which they think they’ll have MORE time. Reality is, we never have more time. Shorter more intense courses can be powerful at the time but that practice you started has to be maintained if its to be of benefit. It’s the ongoing cumulative effects of mindfulness that make the differences we all want to feel so I wanted to provide something that’s easy, manageable, enjoyable and useful without the big-time commitment. This program bridges an obvious gap for those having done a previous mindfulness course but are left without being supported by a regular practice. Or for those new to mindfulness and want an easier way in.

Shorter courses can be helpful but when it comes to an end, the practice you began likely does too. Mindfulness is like a muscle you flex and if you don’t use it, you lose it. Keeping tuned in regularly with a gentle drip-feed approach, building a real habit together is how life begins to change for the better. Revisiting teaching and tools helps us to deepen our understanding and become proficient in recalling what will help us in difficult situations. If you want to do something shorter, why don’t you join me for 12 weeks and see how much you’ve learned and review how you feel?

Commit to coming to the sessions you want to attend and let this guide your practice. Making time is a gift you give yourself, not something else you SHOULD do. No one else can give it to you. On a practical note, schedule the classes in on your phone to help you remember. There’s never any MORE time, but you might consider what you can do instead of something else. You’ll have my voice in your pocket with my mindful handhold what’s app group. This will gently prompt you to engage with your mindfulness throughout the week. There’s no objective to meditate longer than 10 mins. My pocket meditations are shorter than 10 mins. You can use the classes you attend as your longer practices. Bill Gates who learned mindfulness from Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe, has three 10 min sessions a week and he says it’s changed his life. You don’t have to work your way up to the dizzy heights of a 45min plus meditation if that doesn’t fit your way of life.

Group practice via the sessions online here within this program offers us a point of accountability to show up for ourselves and others and remember that we aren’t alone in our struggles. Whilst our circumstances are varied, we all share the same hopes and fears and can use our groups to remember and reconnect with each other and our shared humanity. It can be really comforting to see the presence of others, even online and this can help us feel encouraged and motivated to keep practising.

If you’re new to the practice or this program and you’re having trouble with something specific, it can make a real difference to have the space to ask questions, talk freely and have some guidance that embodies a mindful approach. This isn’t possible in group sessions so that’s your cue. Once you feel the benefit of moving through your issues one-to-one, it’s a good idea to keep a regular practice going and joining a group class would then help support the learning you’ve begun. If you’ve only been attending group sessions, questions can arise from our practice together and chatting with your teacher and mentor is the best way to iron out anything that needs clarification or help you go a little deeper, depending on your needs and interest. Groups alone are great, but there’s no doubt that accessing a one-to-one every now and again alongside your group sessions will enhance your experience and deepen your understanding.

Everyone is different and teachers will deliver mindfulness according to what will be true for them and their experiences. In the same way, people who seek mindfulness are all different and will look for an approach that suits their preferences. It’s important to say, mindfulness does not fall under the category of ‘Alternative Therapy’. Whilst its original roots are founded in the ancient traditions of Buddhism, it is a practice now known to the West with a solid science foundation backed up by a recognised and robust global body of research making this practice widely acceptable and more accessible to everyone. My program and classes are not religious based. This practice is inclusive of all faith traditions and none. It is a fusion of ‘science meets soul’ and as such, many attendees have said it’s been different to what they expected and have felt positively surprised. It’s important you find a teacher you can trust, who makes you feel welcome and comfortable and whose teaching style will excite and motivate you to becoming more of who you truly are and want to be. Therefore, I offer a 7-day free trial so you can give it a go first.

Yes. We have had attendees as young as 17 attend alone and they’ve expressed how valuable the themes and tools/techniques have been each week. Having a Zoom discovery call is a good way to determine how suitable it would be and trying it out for a free trial is a good start. Give it a go for a month or 3 and this will give you a good idea.