Healing the Heart

Posted on 6th January 2020 at 09:52

Healing the Heart by Dr Liz Sparkes

This is from my experience, I prefer not to tell others anything that I haven’t experienced myself. Also, don’t think for one minute that I have completed my healing journey. Once you start healing the heart, your life will change, I can promise you that. Relationships will shift, pain of all kinds will change, you will find the truth of who you are a little more, and also find yourself diving a bit deeper into what you love.

Nature - the gift that keeps on giving

Posted on 18th December 2019 at 10:03

Nature - the gift that keeps on giving by Gaynor Quilter

This is not a political statement about the environment, although my Christmas “hope” would be that we all set an intention to care more for The Earth in what ever way we can.

At this time of year most of us are thinking about gifts for loved ones. I love Christmas time, but there is always a shadow over my heart as I no longer have to look for presents for my Mum.

Mindfulness and Insomnia

Posted on 4th December 2019 at 16:55

Overcoming Insomnia with Mindfulness by Mauricio Senger

I started having sleep difficulties in 2006 after a serious motorbike accident. The back pain that I began to experience after that event would wake me up every night at around 4am and it would be very difficult for me to get back to sleep once I was awake.

The Three pillars of Excellent Mindfulness Teaching

Posted on 18th September 2019 at 11:07

THE THREE PILLARS OF EXCELLENT MINDFULNESS TEACHING

Not just what you teach, but how you teach.

Over the years I have been training people to teach mindfulness I have noticed some common mistakes. Firstly, I think most of us over complicate mindfulness for our students. Secondly, I thing we tend to give too much information. On seeing these tendencies I developed what I call the three pillars of excellent mindfulness teaching. These pillars are keeping mindfulness teaching simple, elegant and practical.

“It is easy to pile up a load of facts, but true wisdom knows how to simplify.” Martin H Fisher

The Menopause - where's the fan? - And what it has taught me

Posted on 27th August 2019 at 13:52

The Menopause - where's my fan? - and what it has taught me - by Gaynor

My rude awakening to the menopause came when I was sitting in a meeting in February 2014 - with a whoosh of energy and a total saturation of my favourite blue shirt. I was mortified, as I was sitting with three men who were either polite or totally oblivious. I was so distracted by my body - and this has been the theme of the last five years.

Keyboard Warrior

Posted on 12th August 2019 at 18:36

Response to a Keyboard Warrior: by Gaynor

I took this picture at the Chiang Mai Festival of Lights. It’s a picture of four generations of Thai people writing their wishes for the future on sky lanterns, then launching them up alongside many other families into the sky, symbolising their collective hope for the future. I felt very privileged to be there. There was a palpable sense of love and connection. This is why we chose the picture to launch our Awakening Heart program.

The Beauty of Silence

Posted on 3rd June 2019 at 11:07

The Beauty of Silence by Emma Glover

I first met Suryacitta on an 8-week mindfulness course almost five years ago. I arrived at the first session in the Kuti (meditation room) feeling depressed, angry, anxious, miserable and as though I was crazy.

I left that first session thinking that actually, he was the crazy one. I could not get my head around anything he said. He spoke of the ‘jewel in the ice’ – that ultimate happiness or contentment we all strive

for but rarely find, and suggested most of our problems are in our heads…that my well-used defence for being ‘mental’ (“It’s just the way I am”) wasn’t true and that any genetic or physical predisposition to mood issues didn’t have to determine my emotions, feelings or behaviours.

Loving Kindness - it will change you - by Dr Liz Sparkes

Posted on 16th April 2019 at 17:50

Compassionate meditations, originally called metta bhavana, are some of the most valuable practices. Metta means love and kindness, a deeply held feeling of genuine compassion. Bhavana means cultivation. Metta Bhavana traditionally takes you through stages of compassionate practice, where you maintain a sense of your heart and feel love and kindness towards yourself and others, including people whom you perceive a difficult relationship with.

Mindfulness - Bursting your Balloons

Posted on 28th March 2019 at 14:55

Bursting Your Balloons

By Suryacitta from his forthcoming book for mindfulness teachers.

A few years ago, I was at a birthday party and noticed that one of the entertainers was blowing up balloons. He would let the children burst the balloon, then instantly he would blow up another. Again they would burst the balloon, and again he would blow up another. The children enjoyed bursting the man’s balloons. Each time they did this he would pretend to be disappointed and surprised. But even though he had lots of experience and it was his job to entertain the children, I am sure it was tiring forever blowing up balloons.

Who Are You?

Posted on 9th January 2019 at 10:30

Who are you? By - Dr Liz Sparkes

If you are searching for that one person to change your life, just pause, and look in the mirror.

The first time I properly started to consider this was during my early experiences of meditation. My teacher Suryacitta, spoke of a beautiful jewel which represents us. This jewel over time becomes covered in ice, the ice represents all of the beliefs that we take on from our culture, religion, family, friends and our experiences. How we view things is very much a matter of perspective. Taking on all of this 'stuff' can really distort our perspective. These views and ideas can distort our true nature and in my experience 'lead you down the garden path'! I went pretty far down it! However, with the support of meditation and healing to help me let go, I am back on track and in touch.