Updated: 02/01/2022

 

Welcome to 2022. We wish you well throughout the coming year.

To start the year we are offering links to two free summits in January 2022:

• 12th - 21st, January: Wisdom for Life & the Heart Mind Institute.
• 10th - 14th January: Embodiment Unlimited.

 

12th - 21st, January: Wisdom for Life & the Heart Mind Institute

Wisdom for Life have teamed up with the Heart Mind Institute to bring you the 2022 Best Year of Your Life Summit on January 12th-21st, 2022.

Sign up now for FREE.

They have gathered more than 45 presenters to guide you, including renowned authors, scientists, habit change specialists, success coaches, and experts in relationships, health & wellness and more.

See the full lineup of presenters here.

 

10th - 14th January: Embodiment Unlimited

Embodiment Unlimited are hosting a five-day, to help us all find our centre a little more easily as we move into the new year.

Sign up to learn embodiment tools for self-regulation.

The event is available in 2 time zones. You will also get access to a bonus talk on trauma with Alanis Morissette and Richard Schwartz to download immediately AND the recordings of the entire event FREE if you attend one session a day.

SIGN UP FREE NOW

 

Happy New Year from the Mindfulness Team at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

 

Updated: 26/12/21

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

Updated: 12/12/21

Free Seminar: December 13th

FEMININE POWER PRESENTS : UNLOCK YOUR FEMININE POWER

Claire Zammit, Ph.D. Founder, Feminine Power

‘Make the Single Most Powerful Shift Conscious Women Can Make to Get Unstuck & Leap Forward into Their Destiny

Sign Up Now at No Charge to Attend this Global Event on Monday, December 13th! A recording will be sent to you if you can’t attend the seminar at the scheduled time.’

 

 

Updated: 05/12/21 and the 06/12/21

2021 Mind & Life Conversation - Mind & Life Institute (mindandlife.org)

Tuesday 7th December

As we all work to navigate the multiple crises of these times, I’m so pleased to let you know about an opportunity to connect with much needed guidance and inspiration.

In a free livestream event next week hosted by the Mind & Life Institute, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will engage in conversation with stress scientist Elissa Epel and emotions researcher Michelle Shiota on how we can pursue a positive vision for the future; cultivate joy amidst adversity; and ultimately be a force for good.

The live event is happening on Tuesday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. PT (December 8, 2021, 9:00 a.m. IST), and a recording will be shared afterwards to all who register.

Free event from Sounds True

Wednesday 8^th of December:

 

‘An in-law who is exceedingly critical. A co-worker who insists their ideas are always better. A partner who only thinks of themselves. A parent who has to be the centre of attention.

The relationships we form with narcissists have the ability to negatively impact us day-to-day, making us second-guess ourselves and feel less-than. Sometimes we feel "emotionally hijacked" in their presence … and sometimes we shut down completely.

(And by the way, the goal of a narcissist is to get you to shut down. While you can’t change the narcissistic behaviour of those closest to you, you can change the way you think, relate, and react)'

Tami Simon, Sounds True, talks with Dr. Jeffrey Rutstein for a special FREE webinar called How Narcissists Affect Us: Relationships, Healing, and the Day-to-Day.This is a Q&A conversation on how to spot narcissism, how narcissistic trauma may be affecting you, and what you can do to begin navigating through it.

Wednesday, December 8th, at 1 pm USA Eastern Time | 10 am PT for this FREE event.

 

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.

 

Summit: January 12-21st

Wisdom for Life have teamed up with the Heart Mind Institute to bring you the 2022 Best Year of Your Life Summit on January 12-21.

Sign up now for FREE.

They have gathered more than 45 presenters to guide you, including renowned authors, scientists, habit change specialists, success coaches, and experts in relationships, health & wellness and more.

See the full lineup of presenters here.

'Do you regularly make New Year’s Resolutions?   

Have they worked out for you, or have you been able to follow through on them and successfully achieve your goals?  

Congratulations if you have; however, the data on New Year’s Resolutions is not good.  

Research indicates that 80 to 90% of people forget all about their New Year’s Resolutions within a few weeks and that 5% or less actually reach their stated goals.

Have you ever wondered why the track record for New Year’s Resolutions is so dismal?  

We wanted to know, so we investigated this extensively and here’s what we found:

All too often, we ...

• do not have a clear sense of our life purpose, vision and mission;
   
• have not sufficiently aligned our resolutions and goals with our life purpose and what we really want out of life;
   
• lack understanding about how the psychology of human behaviour and the science of habit formation works; and/or we
   
• are missing the coaching and community support we need to follow through on our vision, plans and goals.'

The Best Year of Your Life hopes to address all these issues and provide you with the clarity, knowledge, scientific know-how, coaching and support you need to make 2022 The Best Year of Your Life.

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.

 

Remember – the Embodied Meditation Week starts tomorrow, please see entry for last week for links and further information.

 

Updated: 07/11/21

Free Event : Embodied Meditation: 15th -21st November 2021

Embodied Meditation Week is a free event designed to help you learn how an embodied approach to meditation can enhance your practice and transform your life...

Whether you’re an avid meditator, meditation teacher, coach or facilitator, Embodied Meditation can both transform your personal practice and add depth to your facilitation, giving you practical techniques you can apply in the real world.

Across the 7 days, their team of experienced facilitators will share:

➔ What an embodied approach to meditation is
➔ How integrating embodied techniques can transform your practice
➔ How to apply these techniques to your everyday life

These will come in the form of short, practical 30-minute sessions twice a day for different time zones.

SAVE MY FREE SPOT

And for facilitators, teachers and coaches, you’ll learn how to bring embodied techniques to your students/clients to freshen up your classes and transform your facilitation.

On registering you will receive a free video pack  with Joseph Goldstein , Sharon Saltzberg and a number of ofter teachers.

 

Updated: 31/10/21

Activating Hope Summit. November 4-7, 2021.

Free Summit

 'In the womb, every child is interdependent with its mother’s body. If either of them is sick, the other is affected. In the same way we are interdependent with the body of the earth. The minerals of the soil make up our wheat and our bones, the storm clouds become our drinks and our blood, the oxygen from the trees and forests is the air we breathe. The more consciously we realise this shared destiny, the more compassion arises for the earth itself.' Jack Kornfield, The Wise Heart.

With COP26 starting tomorrow in Glasgow, it seems appropriate to offer this link to a free summit, 'Activating Hope'. November 4-7 ,2021

'Hope can feel distant right now. We face the ravages of climate change, the rampant uncertainties of a global pandemic, the social splintering of racial injustice, politics, and on and on. What place does hope have in this world?

But hope is not lost.’

‘This FREE 4-day online event is where you will hear from a once-in-a-generation gathering of celebrated speakers and luminaries, led by a voice that has been an undimming beacon of hope and kindness for the world for decades- Jane Goodall' 

 

Updated: 24/10/21

Updated: 10/10/21

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.

 

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:12/09/21

On the 22/08/21 ( see below)  we told you about SummitPalooza, which begins this week, on the 14th. We have just received some additional information that if you register ( which is free) for this summit you will receive a free online pass to see the film The Mindfulness Movement next weekend.

This film features Jon Kabat-Zinn, Daniel Goleman, Sharon Salzberg, Richard Davidson and many more people talking about mindfulness.

‘The film looks at personal stories of transformation, the science behind mindfulness, and some of the many inspiring ways mindfulness is being put into action throughout society.’

If you register,the link will be sent on Thursday, and you'll have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to watch the film for free. Even if you don’t intend to attend the conference, this is a good opportunity to access a free screening of this film.

 

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: 22/08/21

Hold the date!  September 14-19 2021

The Heart Mind Institute and  Wisdom for Life are teaming up to offer SummitPalooza.

We had a look at some of the confirmed speakers and although many summits state they have ' one-of-a-kind' lineup of presenters, this really is an impressive line up. Presenters include:

Tara Brach, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Byron Katie, Dr. Dan Siegel, Rhonda Magee, Fleet Maull, Kristin Neff, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Rick Hanson, Otto Scharmer, Richard Davidson, Koya Webb, Peter Levine, Thomas Hübl, Stephen Porges, Kute Blackson, Kelly McGonigal and many more.

LEARN MORE HERE

 

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: 25/07/21

How are you finding the lifting of Covid related restrictions and the increased opportunity to have in person contact with other people?

We thought this free week long relationship connection event, starting this Monday ( 26/07/21), looked interesting given the changes in social interaction many of us will be currently navigating.

Here is some information from the organisers:

‘ True, loving connection has always been a little tricky for most of us, whether we like to admit it or not. As we come out from hibernation, we’re all having to re-learn how to be in our relationships.

The discomfort we can feel around intimacy lives in the body. Until we acknowledge and feel it, we may never get that deep connection we’re all longing for. ’

We always check any resource before we post on this app, however, as this is a live event we are obviously unable to do this. We therefore urge you to use your own judgement to decide what is appropriate for you.

 

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: 27/06/21

Are you in the process of returning to work, transitioning from working at home to the office, or maybe you have been working throughout the pandemic from your work base. Rather than seeing mindfulness as something separate to your work here is a free 40 day course exploring mindfulness daily at work,.

Mindfulness Daily @ Work (Ongoing-Register any time)

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: 29/05/2021

Wisdom for Life Presents Mindfulness & Compassion Week June 7 - 13

Free registration

This will in include 30+ presenters online, exploring the powerful roles mindfulness and compassion can play in life, leadership and the workplace.

Some well known, mindfulness and compassion champions, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, Dr. Dan Siegel,  Kristin Neff and Trudy Goodman, will be involved in this week. However, there will be many more, as well as, leaders from LinkedIn, Google; Microsoft, Teach for All, Harvard Business School, Stanford University and many more companies and organizations.

Although we are familiar with some of the speakers, we do not know all of them. In addition, as this is a live event, we encourage you to trust your own judgment to decide what to listen to, what to integrate in to your own learning, and what is helpful for you.

We hope you enjoy exploring the speakers though out this event. The free registration allows you access to each talk for 48 hours after they are live streamed.  Remember, the times sent to you will in Eastern Time (ET) which is 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time ( Glasgow /UK time).

 

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 : 25/04/21

Updated: 18/04/21

Free Event   May 1st 2021

At the beginning of May there are a few interesting live online events occurring, we will be posting links to these over the next few weeks.

This week we are posting information about an event  moderated by Soren Gordhammer, founder of Wisdom 2.0 and Chip Conley founder of MEA, both  well known internationally for their work within the mindfulness world.  Those of you who follow Soren Gordhammer, and Wisdom 2.0 , will be aware of his work with Jon Kabat- Zinn,  as well as his focus on widening access to mindfulness to support people in our current technology rich environment.

‘ People are living longer, and it is becoming increasingly clear that a life of leisure and stagnation, without meaning and purpose, serves no one. 

Join us live online for in-depth conversations on aging, meaning, and service.

We will explore how we can approach life with a beginner’s mind, an open heart, and a concern for the whole. ‘

This free event is open to everyone and anyone who cares about this topic. It will include a breakout session with others. 

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.

Jack Kornfield, meditation teacher and clinical psychologist, discusses loss in this brief article and offers a 5 minute meditation on loss.

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 the 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 14/03/21

Jon Kabat-Zinn: One-Year Anniversary Session of the Mitigation Retreat.

It is approximately a year since we became aware of COVID and our lives changed. We began this weekly update as we needed to pause the drop in maintenance groups within the NHS across Glasgow, and new MBCT and MBSR courses while we supported the reorganisation of services.

Around the same time Jon Kabat -Zinn, who is credited with developing mindfulness in a way that made it accessible within health care settings, began a mitigation retreat. This was made possible by Soren Gordhammer who chaired, supported, and guided us throughout. This was offered free of charge and was attended by people from across the world from all walks of life. Jon Kabat -Zinn led the retreat every week day for 13 weeks.

We continue to be grateful for the support and learning this special online retreat offered us at that time. Those few hours each day seeded the development of a community who have continued to support and develop mindfulness. More information about this community can be found here. They are hosting a one year anniversary of the mitigation retreat.

‘Honouring the one-year anniversary of the mitigation retreat we feel deep gratitude to host a session with Jon in the same format - 358 days after the beginning of it.

So please save the date (daylight savings already considered):

Thursday, March 18, 2021 @ 6pm UK / GMT time

(11 am PDT, 2 pm EDT), (12 pm Mexico City), (3 pm ART/BRT), (6 pm GMT, 19:00 CET),(5 am AEDT, 7 am NZDT)

We will start with a meditation led by Jon followed by a dialogue part.

Join on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86073061289?pwd=UmNIOHFBbG1abjBXeHhpS1dUeVBMUT09

Meeting-ID: 860 7306 1289

Passcode: 582261

The session will be recorded and published in our YouTube Channel.
First-come, first-serve as space is limited.’

 

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 17/01/21

Mindfulness Daily

A daily 10 minute resource supporting mindfulness practice developed by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.

We are aware with the turn of a new year that the internet is awash with good resources and courses to support us moving in to 2021. This is great if you can commit your time and energy to engage with them. We wanted to offer a link to a practical, easily accessible resource to get started with a meditation practice, or support an ongoing practice habit.

We enjoyed participating in this course and would also recommend it if you are more experienced, and curious about how mindfulness can be developed in sequential 10 minute sessions.

‘This 40-day online program (also available as an APP) offers a short daily session in mindfulness and compassion that includes both a guided meditation and a teaching on a key point of practice.

In each lesson, there is guidance on integrating mindfulness into all facets of your day. You’ll move through a progression of topics – including opening to the body and breath, working with physical pain and emotional challenges, and bringing mindfulness into relationships. Each time you sit to meditate you give yourself the gift of awareness and presence. And by the end of 40 days, you will have the grounds for a practice that can bring increasing clarity and wisdom, resilience and love to your life’

You can repeat each practice session as many times as you like, and move through the course at your own pace. For example, staying with the same 10 minute session for a period of time If that feels more appropriate for you.

The course is developed and taught by Dr Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield who are internationally well recognised, experienced mindfulness teachers and clinical psychologists. It is a testament to the skill and expertise of these teachers that they have been able to distill little nuggets of their experience and guidance in to 10 minute sessions so well. The course usually costs $97 (approx. £72) but is being offered for free this year.  

 

Updated 10/01/21

The Best Year of Your Life Free Summit : 10 Powerful Days to Help You Make 2021 the Best Year of Your Life

January 19 - January 28

This free summit offers a range of speakers, many drawn from the current flourishing American mindfulness culture, some are new to us, although we also spotted some internationally well known contributors who are very well recognised and skilled mindfulness teachers with training and backgrounds within mental health: Jack Kornfield, Jud Brewer, Ronald Siegel amongst others, and the well recognised Sharon Saltzberg who is noted for developing perspectives on compassion and kindness within meditation practices. There is also a talk offered by mindfulness teacher and clinical psychologist, Tara Brach.

Once registered, you can chose to access some additional free resources available before the summit commences. There is a lot of choice and a wide range of resources so we would encourage you to be selective with what you engage with within this summit rather than attempt to listen to everything. As with any external site we provide links to, it is important to use your own judgement on what best meets your needs at the current time.

We hope you find something interesting and useful within generous offering and array of speakers.

Schedule

 

Updated 03/01/21

Sometimes it has felt like there was been a lot of ‘waiting ‘ in 2020, for an infection curve to flatten and drop, for local contact restrictions to change, to return to work or for a break from work, to connect with aspects of how our life was pre-covid, for the green shoots of recovery to flourish.

Waiting can feel frustrating , we want to just ‘get on with things’, but ‘waiting’ is not doing nothing. Waiting is not a static process. As we wait things change internally and externally, different emotional tones continually arise and pass.

Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor said: “Patience is also a form of action.” This resonates for us in the midst of winter here in Scotland, with Covid cases increasing, as well as continuing national restrictions placed on activities to keep us safe and protect the NHS.

Yet, within these short, cold, dark days we are moving in to the light both seasonally as days slowly lengthen, and metaphorically as we gradually access vaccines and patiently wait allow them to offer another layer of protection.

Sometimes ‘waiting’, although challenging, may be the most sane thing to do.

Mindfulness can be perceived as something passive and only inward looking, but mindfulness has two parts, mindful presence and mindful response. If we can recognise this, if we can recognise 'waiting' and 'patience' as also a form of action, how might we helpfully cultivate these ‘actions’ within our life? Are there opportunities to home our perceptions, observational skills, and our responses in meaningful ways?

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 14/12/20

Earlier in 2020, Jon Kabat-Zinn led an online retreat over a number of months. His kindness in offering this space and time to us all brought people together from around the world at such a challenging time, nurturing many new relationships and inspiring projects. One of these was the ‘Map of Love Community’ which has continued to connect and support people.

On the 20^th of December they are inviting you to a concert.

'The whole concert is intended to be a meditation itself. The pieces of music will be embedded in silent and guided meditations.  Jon Kabat-Zinn will guide a meditation. His loving presence and wisdom brought Join us for this wonderful occasion to feel the love and connectivity between us all, bathed in a heart warming atmosphere of delightful and deeply touching music and voices of the artists.’

Visit the concert website for more information about the concert, the musicians and links to their music as well as their videos.

The concert will be recorded and published on their YouTube Channel.
Sunday, December 20, 2020

11 am PST, 2 pm EST, 7 pm GMT,
8 pm CET, 6 am AEDT, 8 am NZDT.

Join on Zoom: click here

Meeting ID: 845 6130 8859

Passcode: 044671

First-come, first-serve as space is limited.

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 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: 01/11/20

The Oxford Mindfulness Centre is offering free weekly online mindfulness sessions facilitated by Willem Kuyken.  The weekly practice sessions are intended for people who have an established mindfulness practice and wish to develop their practice further. Each week, there will be practices, talks and an opportunity to explore different themes in small groups.

In addition, on the first Wednesday of the month we host a guest speaker, a mindfulness teacher and / or researcher from around the world. The monthly guest talks are free to join, and are open to all those who feel they would benefit, meaning you do not need prior mindfulness experience or practice to take part.

The monthly guest talks will be available as a free podcast shortly after for anyone who missed the live session or wishes to practice again.

The sessions are weekly on a Wednesday, 7-8pm UK Timezone.

This week on Wednesday 4^th of November they will be exploring 'Nurturing resilience in times of crisis', with  Christa Tursksma and and Mark Greenberg.

Join all Zoom Sessions:

Click Here

Meeting ID – 508 185 186

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 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 27/09/20

We are aware that a change in the rate of people becoming infected with Covid 19 is triggering a change in what is considered safe to do locally here in Glasgow at the moment, and for some people increasing anxiety. We thought it might be useful to share this link to a course offered by the University of Toronto, Professor Steve Joordens. The course is free if you opt to not request a certificate of completion.

This is not a course to deepen mindfulness, but we thought that combining the information offered by this course with a mindfulness practice could be particularly helpful to support mental health at the current time.

Here is a message for Professor Joordens about this course:

‘Never in the history of humanity have so many people been feeling intense anxiety related to COVID-19 and the world it will leave in its wake. The intent of this course is to give you a deeper understanding of the anxiety reaction as it relates to various aspects of our current life, ranging from our consumption of news to the way we talk to our children about this. I will also give you clear strategies for managing and, in fact, turning off the anxiety response at least for short periods. My sincere hope is that you will leave this course with a better understanding of how your brain reacts to crises, along with some powerful tools for managing it before it manages you.’

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 06/09/20

Recent changes in infection rates here in Glasgow, Scotland have led to some changes in what we are allowed to do to try to keep everyone safe. In these challenging times, we thought it might be useful to share this practice from Professor Mark Williams, Finding Peace in a Frantic World:

' The Befriending Meditation

When life really begins to get you down…. When you feel angry, lost or alone… When you feel close to despair… When you feel that you are your own worst enemy… The Befriending Meditation is here for you.’

We have just found out this has been postponed- we will update as soon as we have more information.

Reminder: Please check update from last week for access to free course starting Monday 7th of September from The Oxford Mindfulness Centre.

 

Updated 30/08/20

The Oxford Mindfulness Centre is offering the following short introductory course free of charge: Introduction to Mindfulness for Life

'This course is to help people make sense of and navigate these challenging times by learning some practical skills. The course is made up of three one-hour sessions, which like building blocks build on one another. Participants will be supported with written materials, brief mindfulness practices and ways to integrate what is learned into everyday life. It can start to help people answer such questions as:

• How can I integrate mindfulness into my life and live well?
• What changes do I hope to see in the world? How can I create the kind of life and world I aspire to?

The dates for this course are Mondays 7pm-8pm, 7th, 14th and 21st September 2020.

Taught by Willem Kuyken and Claire Kelly.

The classes will be online delivered via ZOOM, and you do not need to pre-register to join the course.'

Simply click this link at the start time: We have just found out this has been postponed- we will update as soon as we have more information.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87176658664.

Updated 23/08/20

Wisdom 2.0 is offering free summit with a range of fascinating speakers, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Saltzberg, Rhonda Magee and David Simas, amongst other well know mindfulness speakers. The conference continues until Wednesday 26/08/20, with recordings from earlier in the week still available.

Wisdom 2.0's 'mission is to support people living with awareness and wisdom in our technology- rich age. We create events that help people better connect with themselves, get to know others, and see their unique purpose on this planet.'

The Invitation

'In these uncertain times, we are thrilled to bring together people from numerous fields to offer insights and perspectives on the power and benefits of mindfulness. Aware of the challenges many of our facing due to the global pandemic, we are making the event free.'

We hope you enjoy .

 

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 02-08-20

Joseph Goldstein: Meditating during a pandemic.Dan Harris, of 10% Happier, talks to Joseph Goldstein. They discuss how we are living in stressful times, and although meditation is not a panacea,  how it can be helpful. Joseph Goldstein lays out a toolkit for for navigating the current crisis his advice is actionable for absolute beginners as well as longtime meditators.  

If you scroll down the page the link takes you to on 10% Happier website you will also find a 10 minute meditation led by Joseph Goldstein  titled  'Calm in Big Transitions'

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?

 

Updated 07-06-2020

‘None of us is free until all of us are free’.

Connectedness and a mindful response to racial violence.

Why do we practice mindfulness?  Not simply to get better at mindfulness, but perhaps to develop wiser and more helpful ways of responding difficulties that arise, both internal and external. The formal practices of mindfulness are important, they support us to build our skill, like going to the gym, or building in specific training to develop and maintain a level  of  fitness. That ’fitness’ doesn’t disappear once we leave the gym, we feel it in other activities we partake in. As Jon Kabat-Zinn often notes, the real practice is your life. We miss a critical element of mindfulness if it stays ‘on the mat’. The integration of informal practices during the initial 8 week course encourages us to begin to explore and bring mindfulness in to our day to day life, how we connect and respond to the world we live in.

Recent events, and the reactions being played out across the US and the world since, can bring up many difficult thoughts and emotions. Racism, injustice and inequalities in society can fill us with  feelings of guilt, despair and hopelessness. Mindfulness can’t fix social injustice, but perhaps it can help us to become aware of where our attention is drawn to, unconscious bias and the narratives that attach to this. Maybe through this process help us to confront and respond to these issues with honesty and clarity.

In  episode 252 of the 10% Happier podcast,  “You Can't Meditate This Away" (Race, Rage, and the Responsibilities of Meditators), presenter Dan Harris speaks to meditation teacher Sebene Selassie about mindful responses to questions of race and racism.  

 

Updated 31-05-2020

 

 '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 separate 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 nearest 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 23/07/2024 (review date due in 6 months)