OUR PEOPLE
The essence of our teaching lies in our personal practice and our trust in the process of mindfulness. As teachers we simply point the way on a continually unfolding journey.
Living Mindfully teachers have vast experience in teaching mindfulness to groups, individuals and organisations. Listed in the biographies below are areas of expertise within specific populations. All our teachers are very approachable and passionate about their work.
Our People
Director
Having practiced meditation for the past 25 years I began my journey as a mindfulness teacher in 2005. I trained at The Centre for Mindfulness, Research and Practice, University of Wales, Bangor; where I completed an MSc with distinction in Mindfulness Based Approaches.
In 2009 I became a founding director of Living Mindfully. My work has involved both designing and delivering mindfulness programmes. This includes The Living Mindfully Programme, and the Mindfulness Based Coaching programme (T.I.M.E.). Work continues to evolve in new areas including training mindfulness teachers, and introducing mindfulness into education. My book, Living Mindfully- Discovering Authenticity through Mindfulness Coaching is published in January 2017.
Away from work I love reading, walking in nature, and trying to tire out two very lively Springer Spaniels.
Book
Living Mindfully- Discovering Authenticity through Mindfulness Coaching. Wiley Blackwell 2017
Research papers:
Staying Well: A Follow Up of a 5-Week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programme for a Range of Psychological Issues M Mitchell, G Heads - Community mental health journal, 2015 – Springer
Company Secretary
At Living Mindfully, I combine my role as company secretary with coordinating all our many and varied projects. This includes working with our teachers and suppliers to ensure all our services are delivered to the highest standards
My background is in nursing having qualified in 1993. In all my career choices, working with people has been foremost in my thinking. To this end, I completed a diploma in coaching in 2007.
I have completed mindfulness programmes with both Living Mindfully and The Centre for Mindfulness, University of Wales, and I am continuing to develop my own daily practice. My hobbies include quilting and needlework, reading, and walking my two dogs.
Project Manager / Living Mindfully in Education practitioner
I have been working with Living Mindfully since June 2014, enjoying being an intrinsic part of a dynamic and forward-thinking team
My background is as a community artist and creative consultant in education, community and professional sectors. I’ve worked with hundreds of people across the North East of England, helping them to achieve self-confidence and a sense of well being by getting creative.
More recently, I have trained with Living Mindfully, Mindfulness in Schools and the Centre for Mindfulness in Bangor. I am also a certified NLP Practitioner and now enjoy working creatively with young people to open their eyes to the benefits of mindfulness, and developing an innovative program – Living Mindfully In Schools – to make sure as many young people as possible get this opportunity.
On a personal level, my discovery of and commitment to mindfulness has transformed my experience of being a parent to my two young children, by helping me to really tune into their experience of the world, even when it’s getting tough! It has also helped me to do what I love best: writing, painting, yoga and working with people.
Mindfulness practitioner/Living Mindfully in Education project lead
Discovering meditation and yoga over 20 years ago opened exciting new doors for me; I found ways of living and being that not only enthused and made sense to me but also made a difference. I travelled throughout India and Australasia interested in learning about philosophies and beliefs. My learning took me back to India where I spent a further 6 months studying yoga at an Iyengar Yoga Institute and meditation with various Buddhist teachers.
Mindfulness wasn’t well known in the UK at this time, especially not in an educational context and yet having found the learning so valuable in my life I felt strongly that mindfulness in education could make a real difference to the lives and wellbeing of all youngsters.
On return to the UK, I continued my personal practice amidst everyday life: work and family, ups and downs, and learnt to appreciate more deeply the challenges and benefits of practice. The recognition of mindfulness globally has enabled both adults and children to access secular mindfulness programmes and I am delighted to be leading the Living Mindfully in Education project, offering courses to youngsters of all ages.
I have worked with Living Mindfully since 2010. I completed my Teacher Training Retreat at the Centre for Mindfulness, Bangor, MISP (.b) Teacher Training in 2011, Iyengar Teacher Training in 2012 and MISP (.b) foundations in October 2015.
As a parent and teacher I am committed to the development of mindfulness in education and am continually learning from my own practice and the inspirational people around me. I am as enthusiastic as ever about developing and delivering material that will make sense to others in a practical, meaningful and lighted hearted way.
Mindfulness practitioner
I hold ten years experience of mindfulness informed care and practice, working as a complementary therapist in addiction treatment, homelessness and cancer support services. Helping people to manage and reduce their stress by working with the mind and body together has been the essence of this work, and the integration of this holistic approach into mainstream health and social care has been the focus of my professional and academic research as well.
Having started out as a Psychology graduate, I graduated from the University of Westminster with an MSc in Complementary Therapies in 2007. Between 2008 and 2014 I attended mindfulness programmes at the Centre for Mindfulness, University of Wales.
Visiting interesting places, photography and the natural world all hold great interest to me but these days I can mostly be found running around in circles (mindfully, of course!), after my two small children.
Mindfulness practitioner
My mindfulness journey began when I had the good fortune to attend a five-week mindfulness course with Living Mindfully. I found the course extremely helpful, in fact, life changing. This led to a regular mindfulness meditation practice and I joined a yoga class. My curiosity increased and I began to research the subject in more detail.
I have trained with Living Mindfully and The Centre for Mindfulness, Bangor.
I put my heart and soul into my teaching. I am passionate and enthusiastic about mindfulness and want to share this with people. I enjoy walking, running (mindfully) and spending time in nature with my family. I am proud to be working for Living Mindfully and will continue to learn and develop as a Teacher to meet the needs of the community.
Associate Teachers
Mindfulness practitioner
I have been a mental health practitioner since 1986 qualifying as a registered nurse and gaining an honors degree in mental health practice. In 2006 I trained as a psychological therapist becoming an accredited cognitive behavioural therapist and an accredited EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) therapist providing psychological support in both the NHS and private sector. I then went on to complete a postgraduate teaching diploma and have experience teaching in the NHS and private sector on a variety of Health related subjects.
In 2009 after suffering some personal difficulties I discovered mindfulness, and began to look into this way of being with curiosity and interest. I began studying this in more detail and completed a one year mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) course at Samye Ling, going on to train as a teacher in MBSR, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). My passion is to teach mindfulness and to gently nurture in others the potential benefits of developing a personal mindfulness practice!
Mindfulness practitioner
I have completed a five-year Master’s degree at Bangor University, with distinction, as well as achieving a Certificate in Teacher Competency. I am a full-time mindfulness teacher, supervisor, and teacher trainer, offering Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programmes, both group and Distance Learning, as well as eight-week courses in Interpersonal Mindfulness, and professional development workshops.
Mindfulness teaching is my vocation and has unfolded out of a 23 year commitment to both meditation and yoga. I am committed to creating well-being in all areas of my life and keen to share the benefits of this journey with others. My guiding principle in my work is that we all have the capacity for well-being it’s just a case of learning how to tap into our rich inner resources. What we are looking for is already there!