My wish for you is a homecoming in this life. A coming in out of the cold; a drying off the icy rain’s touch. In the holy reliquary of childhood memory may you find there the unshakable truth of your preciousness. May you remember the cool and padded graces of your wet feet against stone. In the middle of a long night, a single burning light serving as your peace, may you fold back the pocket holding your slights, your jilted times, your feelings of betrayal, and discover small diamonds there, created from the crushed coal of your hates and rage. May you taste resurrection without the need of ..read more

We’re off to Bangor! It’s official! We are excited to announce that the Mindfulness Association is an official partner of The International Conference on Mindfulness 2024 (ICM:2024) which will be held in Bangor, Wales, UK on 2-6 August 2024. We are delighted that Choden will be a keynote speaker at the ICM:2024 Conference, while Jacky Seery will be presenting her Masters research focusing on The Importance of Compassion in a study of carers. The Mindfulness Association are delighted to be a partner in this international conference whose aim is to discover how mindfulness and compassion can con ..read more

In the place that is my own place, whose earth I am shaped in and must bear, there is an old tree growing, a great sycamore that is a wondrous healer of itself. Fences have been tied to it, nails driven into it, hacks and whittles cut in it, the lightning has burned it. There is no year it has flourished in that has not harmed it. There is a hollow in it that is its death, though its living brims whitely at the lip of the darkness and flows outward. Over all its scars has come the seamless white of the bark. It bears the gnarls of its history healed over. It has risen to a strange perfection i ..read more

Introduction to Trauma-Informed Mindfulness for Teachers of Mindfulness A strong motivation for teaching mindfulness to others might be to share the gifts of our own practice. These might include benefits to our physical and mental wellbeing, improved relationships, a stronger sense of purpose and clarity, an increased ability to be present with our experience in a non-judgmental way, and perhaps a growing capacity to recognise and open up to moments of joy.   But, as Professor Paul Gilbert points out, living a life as a human being often means inhabiting complexity on many levels – physi ..read more

Living Dreaming Dying is the name of an inspirational book written by our founder Rob Nairn who very sadly passed away last year. Rob taught and inspired many hundreds of people during his life and his rechings have reached thousands. This month we have taken quotes and contemplations from some of Rob’s work to motivate and inspire us to go a little deeper with ourselves, our lives, beliefs, and motivations. We invite you to reflect daily on these quotes, ponder them; how do they resonate? Rob was a charismatic, humerous and humble teacher who devoted his life to teaching others after receivin ..read more

Sunrise at the octagonal hut; beyond, where two decks meet, a lizard does pushups in the sun. I see the green, chattering world through the window, I see my image in the window. Both are present; are both true? A bee enters the hut, buzzes insistently against the window, but the window won’t yield to his wishes. I want to show him the open door, say this world through the glass is only an illusion but I don’t. How long will he hurl himself against the dusty glass? How long will we believe we are not free? by Holly J. Hughes   This image of not being able to see the open door and therefore ..read more

Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that bottle of pop. Turn off that cellphone, computer, and remote control. Open the door, then close it behind you. Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel the earth gathering essences of plants to clean. Give it back with gratitude. If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars’ ears and back. Acknowledge this earth who has cared for you since you were a dream planting itself precisely within your parents’ desire. Let your moccasin feet take you to the encampment of the guardians who have known you before time ..read more

We hope you’ll join us! The next in the series of research forums hosted by the Mindfulness Association to showcase research from the Masters in Mindfulness Studies programme at the University of Aberdeen is taking place on Thursday 6 June We hope that you will be interested in attending and invite you to join us on Zoom. This week we will be hearing from two graduates of the Masters programme, We will be hearing from two graduates of the Masters programme, Lisa Bolger Hynes and Martin Kettle who will each give a short presentation on their research followed by the opportunity for questions. L ..read more

This month our focus for your free mindfulness calendar is on becoming aware of this one precious life. Each day a prompt will guide you towards an inner contemplation which has the potential to enrich and transform your days, opening to the wonders inherent in your life! (These are the types of contemplations we use on our course Living Well to Die Well which starts in July) We hope you find the calendar to be a support for you this month. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CALENDAR: JUNE 2024 If you would prefer a black and white print-friendly version please email us at membership@mindfu ..read more

And sometimes when I move at the edge of a greatness— a lake or a sea or a mountainside— my insignificance thrills me and the largest of my sadnesses dwindle smaller than the space between grains of sand and in that moment, knowing my place, comes a love so enormous I can love anyone, anyone, even myself. by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer   I love and completely recognise the experience Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer describes here – how the perspective between the greatness of nature and the smallness of me can be both healing and freeing. But I think there is something to watch out for when makin ..read more