Mindfulness Now/ UK College of Mindfulness Meditation

15/11/2025

Mindfulness Teachers – Your Support Is Really Appreciated!

We are running a survey to better understand the experiences of neurodivergent mindfulness learners — what helps, what challenges they face, and how we can make mindfulness programmes like the Mindfulness Now 8 week programme more inclusive and supportive.

If you identify as neurodivergent, we'd love for you to take part in the survey.

And if you are a mindfulness teacher please share it with your mindfulness participants and learners.

Your insights will help improve how we teach mindfulness and create more accessible learning environments for everyone.

Thank you so much for your support. 💚

Survey link:

Welcome to the Neurodivergent Mindfulness Experiences Survey Thank you for taking part in this survey. We want to better understand what it’s like for neurodivergent people to learn mindfulness—what helps, what gets in the way, and what changes could make mindfulness programmes more accessible, ...

10/11/2025

“The obstacle on the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to practice.”
— Marcus Aurelius

This phrase from the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius has inspired generations of thinkers, leaders, and practitioners. At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive: how can the difficulties, frustrations, and challenges we encounter become the very thing that guides us forward? Yet this idea resonates profoundly with mindfulness practice, particularly for Mindfulness Now teachers and the participants they support....
https://mindfulnessnow.org.uk/the-obstacle-is-the-way-mindfulness-in-action/

The obstacle on the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to practice mindfulness.

06/11/2025

Ungloving Ourselves: A Reflection on Mark Nepo’s Wisdom for Mindfulness and Compassion Teachers

In this reflection inspired by poet and philosopher Mark Nepo, we explore what it means to “unlove” ourselves — to take off the layers of protection that keep us from truly feeling life. This teaching offers a powerful lens for mindfulness and compassion teachers, reminding us that authenticity, vulnerability, and presence are at the heart of our work.

Recently, I came across a passage from Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening that stopped me in my tracks. It speaks with such tenderness and truth about our shared human tendency to protect ourselves — and the cost of doing so.

“We waste so much energy trying to cover up who we are when beneath every attitude is the want to be loved, and beneath every anger is a wound to be healed and beneath every sadness is the fear that there will not be enough time.

When we hesitate in being direct, we unknowingly slip something on, some added layer of protection that keeps us from feeling the world, and often that thin covering is the beginning of a loneliness which, if not put down, diminishes our chances of joy.....

Discover Mark Nepo’s wisdom on “ungloving ourselves” — a powerful reflection on mindfulness, compassion, and authentic teaching from the heart.

20/10/2025

17/10/2025

Mindfulness, Self-Love, and the Subtle Aggression of Self-Improvement

“Don’t meditate to fix yourself, to improve yourself, to redeem yourself; rather, do it as an act of love, of deep warm friendship to yourself. In this way there is no longer any need for the subtle aggression of self-improvement, for the endless guilt of not doing enough. It offers the possibility of an end to the ceaseless round of trying so hard that wraps so many people’s lives in a knot. Instead, there is now a meditation as an act of love. How endlessly delightful and encouraging.”
— Bob Sharples, Meditation: Calming the Mind

https://mindfulnessnow.org.uk/mindfulness-meditation-the-subtle-aggression-of-self-improvement/

Discover within Mindfulness Teaching, - Meditation, Self-Love, and the Subtle Aggression of Self-Improvement

15/10/2025

Mindfulness Teaching, Cultural Roots, and the Call for Integrity

As mindfulness becomes more widely adopted in schools, healthcare settings, workplaces, and community programmes, teachers carry increasing responsibility—not just to deliver practices effectively, but to do so ethically and with cultural sensitivity. Mindfulness, as it is often taught in secular contexts, draws from contemplative traditions rooted in Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies. While a secular approach ensures accessibility and inclusivity for people of all faiths and none, it can unintentionally lead to cultural erasure or appropriation if not handled with awareness and integrity (Kabat-Zinn, 2011).

Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation

Cultural appropriation occurs when elements from a culture are used without understanding, credit, or respect, often by those in a position of privilege (hooks, 1992). For mindfulness teachers, this might show up as using Sanskrit or Pali terms without context, borrowing symbols or rituals without understanding their sacred significance, or presenting mindfulness as something newly invented in the West.

Cultural appreciation, on the other hand, involves learning from the sources, citing lineage, using language respectfully, and avoiding commodification (Purser, 2019). When we share mindfulness as a secular tool, we can still signpost the historical traditions, invite curiosity, and encourage ongoing learning rather than presenting mindfulness as a detached wellness product.

https://mindfulnessnow.org.uk/mindfulness-teaching-cultural-roots-and-integrity/

Discover Mindfulness Teaching, Cultural Roots, and the Call for Integrity. Exloring Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation

12/09/2025

Mindfulness & Neurodivergence
What to Know, What to Watch Out For, and What to Do

If you’re teaching mindfulness, you probably already know how powerful it can be. But working with neurodivergent people sometimes means rethinking the usual assumptions, adapting things, and being extra attentive to how folks are experiencing the practice. Here are some of the things you might want to think about, and some simple tweaks to help the group stay connected, safe, and benefitting. 🌿