We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.  T.S.Elliot

The courses run one evening or morning a week for either 4, 6 or 8 weeks. They are an ideal opportunity to explore a variety of meditation styles and techniques which are based on the Buddhist practise of Mindfulness and Vipassana (Insight).  The 4 week courses are usually on the classical Buddhist practice of Loving Kindness (Metta Bhavna).

The weekly more flexible classes cover a broader range of meditation styles and health applications, in a way that enables people to also use them as drop-in, stand alone sessions.

Apart from being a valuable relaxation tool, meditation can also provide helpful insights about ourselves and the way we relate to life and other people. With regular practice, meditation develops the ability to live life much more fully in the “ here and now’’, together with more compassion, wisdom and ease.

The classes are structured to allow opportunity to discuss progress made and to look at the numerous questions that arise once the group has started to experience what it is like to meditate.

The understanding gained from this feedback, together with the support and encouragement, is perhaps the most valuable aspect of learning in a group.

It is important to note that whilst my own learning has come predominantly, but by no means exclusively, through Buddhism (mainly of the Theravaden tradition), my classes are not a religious platform and are intended to be open and accessible to everyone.    

Students are actively encouraged to take and adapt what is on offer to suit their individual needs. A major part of all the courses is to learn how to integrate these forms of meditation into every aspect of our lives, whether, sitting quietly in formal meditation, driving the car, washing up, or in a business meeting.

Whilst mindfulness (being intentionally aware of each moment and our response to it), is something that ideally every human being has the capacity to do, it is the Buddha who refined the process and for that reason it is most often recognised as a Buddhist practice, albeit with universal application and benefits.

It is these recognised benefits that have now seen mindfulness practice being incorporated into mental health programmes worldwide. I have certainly noticed an increase in the number of people working and teaching in this field now attending my courses.