Why Meditate?
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In my experience, most people I have met attend meditation courses, because they want to feel better in some way; but is this all there is to meditation or does it mean so much more? Let's find out together and enquire into the bigger questions of life. If you're a beginner, then it's likely that you will get into meditation doing some sort of course and there's plenty on offer below. If you have been meditating for a while and would like to deepen your practice, then there is also a place for you here.
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Meditation Experience
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I began studying and practicing meditation in 2004, under the guidance of Rob Nairn and since then I have continued to participate in a number of week long and month long retreats on an annual basis, with a variety of teachers in the U.K., South Africa and India. My main teachers at present are Donal Creedon and Mingyur Rinpoche. I began teaching mindfulness in 2012, and I am a lead tutor for the Mindfulness Association. Over the years I have taught on all the Mindfulness Associations one year course offerings (mindfulness, compassion, insight and mindfulness for life). In 2013, I was awarded a Masters Degree in Studies in Mindfulness from the University of Aberdeen and upon graduation I was invited back to teach on the same programme. In 2014 I became certified to teach mindfulness to children and adolescents after attending the .b course facilitated by the Mindfulness in Schools Project. I am also certified to teach the 8-week Compassion Based Living Course and the 8-week Compassionate Mind Training Course.
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Mindfulness and Compassion Based Interventions at Work
From August, 2015, to date I have been employed as the Lead Mindfulness Facilitator for a large NHS Trust in Cumbria to design, deliver and research mindfulness and compassion based interventions for staff as part of a health and well-being initiative. A range of interventions were offered (introductory sessions, 8-week mindfulness and compassion courses and days of mindfulness) to allow staff the opportunity to be introduced to the potential benefits of mindfulness for free during work time. To date (December 2025), I have delivered over 100 x 8-week Mindfulness and Compassion courses to thousands of staff, with an average retention rate of 87%. Over this same time period, staff reported on average a 31% increase in mindfulness, a 27% increase in self-compassion and an 80% decrease in perceived stress. The mindfulness initiative is one of the largest and longest face to face health and well-being interventions in the Trust and regularly attracts a waiting list for upcoming courses. I have now expanded this offer for staff to include compassion based interventions and the mindfulness one year programme, as well as more tailor made interventions for target groups. I meet all the necessary criteria for the Good Practice Guidance (GPG) for Teaching Mindfulness Based Courses as suggested by the U.K. Network of Mindfulness-Based Teacher Trainers.
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Interventions on Offer
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I offer an extensive menu of interventions as follows:
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Introduction to mindfulness and compassion session, 1 - 1 ½ hours long
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Day of meditation (10am to 4pm)
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Bespoke workshops
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8-Week Courses
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Mindfulness Based Longevity Programme (MBLP)
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Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC)
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Compassion Based Living Course (CBLC)
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Compassionate Mind Training Course (CMT)
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9-Month Courses
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Mindfulness Based Longevity Programme (MBLP)
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Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC)
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Compassionate Mind Training Course (CMT)
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Recognition Course
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The 8 Limbs of Yoga as a Spiritual Path
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The Hero's Journey (inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell)
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Course Format
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The course will be delivered, face to face, in four one-day workshops (09:30am-5:00pm in January, March, June and September), across a 9 month period, at a venue in Cumbria in the North West of England. An optional practice review session will be offered, online on Zoom each week. Participants commit to the whole programme and cannot participate in individual workshops only.
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​​1:1 Interventions​
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A limited number of 1:1 sessions may also available to participants who may be struggling to attend the regular face to face courses or may want more of an individual approach to their training.
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​​Interventions in More Detail
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Introduction to Mindfulness
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If you are new to mindfulness and unsure of its potential benefits, then this is a good way to start. This session will cover:
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What is mindfulness and why practice it. The potential benefits of mindfulness. The structure of the 8-week Mindfulness Course. Mindfulness at work research. An introduction to some of the practices we will use. This short session also gives you the opportunity to see the facilitator in action and to ask any questions you may have.
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8-Week Courses
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The eight week course consists of eight classes, which are typically two hours long. Each week the participants are introduced to a new set of practices, to allow them to explore mindfulness in a variety of different ways. Each session consists of an introduction to the practice, facilitated practice, relevant theories to support the understanding of the participant and small and large group discussion. Participants are then encouraged to commit to their own personal practice of 20-30 minutes on a daily basis throughout the duration of the course. To aid the home practices, participants receive a course manual and a set of guided audio practices to listen to, which accompany the manual.
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A Day of Meditation
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The day of meditation is typically included as a follow up to the 8-week course (although it is often presented as a stand alone module), which allows the participant to deepen their practice further and is generally from 10am to 4pm.
9-Month Courses
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The 8-week mindflness and compassion courses (as well as the follow on courses), can also be offered across a longer period of time. This gives the participant an opportunity deepen their practice, establish meditation as a daily habit and to receive ongoing support from the facilitator and peer group over an extended period of time.
​​Post Course Practice and Support
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Post-course practice periods support the participant in their continued exploration of meditation. These are offered to the participant for 30 minutes to one hour depending on time and can be online or face to face.
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