About me

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I am a qualified Mindfulness Now teacher accredited by the Mindfulness Teachers Association (MTA) – committed to high standards, ethics, and ongoing professional practice. I have been meditating for 27 years and over that time attended numerous Buddhist centres including Jamyan, Rigpa and London Buddhist Centre. I have taken part in a variety of retreats and workshops, with a particular interest in understanding my own  conscious experience and how to lead a more contented and peaceful life. The courses I offer are evidenced based and well studied and although they are non religious, they take extensive research from Buddhism.

What I have been fortunate enough to learn through doing mindfulness practices has transformed my own life and I now hope to bring this to others too. 

 

More about my story

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There were times when it just wasn’t easy getting through to the end of the day. Where so much was on my mind, I didn’t  know where to turn. I recognise now that we all can have times like these but we can get through them and come out of the other side.

 

My biographical story is not especially unusual. I was brought up in the 70s in a poor family in the north. My parents did their best, but were often just busy making ends meet.  During my early 20s my mother died and I struggled to know how to cope or do anything after this event. Being a thinker and not knowing anything better,  I presumed the only way to solve my problems was through more analysing, more thought. The more I thought, the more mental pain pushed back.

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Soon after, I moved to London in 1997 where I  happened to be introduced to the Jamyang Buddhist centre by a friend.  A lot of the monks I saw there seemed so relaxed, happy and stress free. At the root of their practice was meditation. Observing the internal workings of the mind.  The practice of ‘noticing’, of ‘letting go’, allowed a  simple peace to be revealed. I was fascinated and went weekly to meetings. I spent many weekends and holidays doing retreats, including teaching on an Art and meditation retreat. The openness and sincerity of the people I met there, and at other Buddhist centres was inspiring. Ordinary people exploring their minds and how to live a more open, connected life.

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As often happens, life took a turn, and for work I moved away from the Buddhist centres I had found so helpful and supportive. I carried on practicing at home, but in those days the only structured information/ tutoring you could find away from Buddhist centres was in a few books.  I continued to practice most days but my job and life often got in the way of me committing to further practice or study. I had also lost the supportive community of fellow meditators.

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Eventually, I recognised that I needed to make some big changes in my life. To reconnect to a simpler and deeper way of living.  In 2019, I moved from London, and my job running an Art and Design Foundation Course, to Northam in North Devon, a place I knew well for 20 years as a land locked surfer. I always found, as most of us do, that physical activity and sports play an important role in connecting to the moment and lessening the effect of a busy mind. However meditation allows you to see what's happening in the mind and understand it. A key aspect of learning and growth. My meditation practice continues to help me when the waves are here and when they aren’t.

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Since moving, I have had a lot of time to re engage with my meditation practice, understanding more deeply the practices and the reasons for the suffering we often put ourselves through in the West. As part of my explorations, in  2024 I completed a level 3 counselling course which helped me further understand our psychological and emotional suffering and the benefits of talking therapy. It was interesting to explore this as a committed meditation practitioner. The results only confirmed how important and insightful meditation is in my own life and renewed my interest in trying to teach this to others. 

 

I want to be active and useful in the community, and see if what I know can be helpful to others. I feel that these practices are not just techniques, but a way to understand life clearer and live life better. They have the potential to help anyone navigate difficult periods, and to enjoy their life more. They can enrich how you see  each day and loosen the bonds of past experiences and personal history.

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I would now like to help you in this journey if at all possible. If you are really interested in doing the course, even if you can’t afford the full price, please contact me, and we can work something out.

So please consider joining me on one of the courses I provide.   You can contact me for a no commitment conversation via my email, in the first instance.