I began my mindfulness training in 2010 when I attended a Workshop at Bangor University with David Elias entitled ‘Mindfulness for Therapists’. Since then I have attended a Breathworks 8-week stress-reduction course, attended a conference led by Jon Kabat-Zin and in 2013 I completed a mindfulness teacher-training certificate course with Geraldine Thomas of Mindflow Training Ltd, and I have since achieved my Mindfulness Accreditation in teacher training at Mind in Salford. Because of my own mindfulness practice I believe that mindfulness can make a real difference to the way we deal with stress and it also helps us to appreciate the moment-by-moment experience of our everyday lives.

For many years I taught Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 8-week courses at Mind in Salford.  Feedback from the course showed that participants reduced their stress levels by almost half by attending the course and practising mindfulness at home during the 8 weeks. I have also run an MBSR course for the NHS in Central Manchester – as well as several ‘Introduction to Mindfulness’ workshops in Chorlton’s Counselling Rooms.

I’m also interested in Mindful photography – and have written a blog about it, as well as this, I’ve run mindful photography workshops for some voluntary agencies in Manchester and for an Arts Organisation in Sheffield. I offer one-to-one mindful photography sessions, to enable people to learn how to receive images by truly being in the moment, which can lead to them really seeing what is in front of them in a different way.  It can also help people learn how to celebrate the beauty in everyday objects and scenery which we might normally pass by without noticing. These sessions can run for up to 6 sessions, and will be practiced outdoors in nature.