Interrupting a Spiralling Mind A few months ago, we wrote about how the mind usually reacts to stress and difficulty. One typical reaction is that we ruminate: the mind creates an endless thread, infinite possible scenarios in the imagination, all with the underlying sense that if we can only think of everything Read more
When we think of going to ground, it often has a fearful quality. We think of how rabbits disappear into their burrows at approaching footsteps, or a mouse bolts below the skirting boards. Indeed, with no burrow in sight, it is a profoundly animal pattern to drop to the ground Read more
This week we are thinking about holiday season & taking time to relax. There is no associated mindfulness track. This week, Scotland shifted towards re-opening dentists, hairdressers, and cinemas. There are new possibilities for physically-distanced socialising, and staying somewhere overnight. And many of us are thinking: could I…might I…go on Read more
During lockdown, many of us have turned to the written word for solace. Words, written, are tangible. They capture things, and so, if we return to them, we may recapture something we might have lost. And we have lost things, during this time: routines, structures, places; the unremarkable, much-missed fabric Read more
A King’s College London study finds that two thirds of us have experienced some negative effect on sleep since the pandemic began, with a disproportionate impact on women, young people, and those facing financial difficulties. Intriguingly, though, most of us are sleeping more than we did pre-lockdown. With commuting shelved, Read more
After three months of lockdown, many of us are at the point of digital exhaustion that goes beyond fatigue. People are finding it hard to look at faces on the screen, or struggling to sit still. You may find yourself tapping your feet constantly, or crossing and uncrossing your legs; your mind Read more
During mindfulness practice, we will all recognise the experience of being taken away from the present moment. It’s important to remember that during mindfulness we are not trying to will away our feelings and thoughts by brute force. Instead we want to be able to notice our bodies changing conditions Read more
After an initial surge of adrenaline to meet the challenges of coronavirus and life under lockdown, we may feel as though we are running on fumes, while also trying to look to the future. Like the summer wildflowers, a wave of adaptation and creativity is now behind us, and we Read more
‘Skin hunger is the biological need for human touch,’ writes Sirin Kale for Wired. ‘It’s why babies in neonatal intensive care units are placed on their parent’s naked chests. It’s the reason that prisoners in solitary confinement often report craving human contact as ferociously as they desire their liberty.’ It’s also why, two Read more
‘Getting Started with Christian Mindfulness’ is a 4 week course led by Catriona Anderson and Amy Pickering. We first ran the course in October/November 2019 and received very positive feedback. There were a number of people who wished to attend the course but were unable to make it so we Read more