We went to see The Odyssey at the cinema recently. I went with my husband and our two young adult boys (I hesitate here what to call them – boys? Men? Males? I guess in some primal way they will always be boys in my heart, in the same way my mum told me, during a time of distress in my late thirties, that I would always be her baby, i.e. she would always be concerned for my wellbeing and comfort me). It's fair to say we all enjoyed the film in our own ways. But personally, I

Discover the missing piece in your mindfulness practice: how Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living deepens self-compassion, softens the inner critic, and helps you meet life's difficulties with more kindness. Read Kate's story here.

Roots, branches, and the wisdom of what stands still while everything grows. In the Celtic Tree Calendar, the Oak month (Duir) spans June to July. Growing up in Yorkshire, I always thought of the Oak as a particularly northern, particularly British tree. So it was a lovely surprise, researching this piece, to discover just how far its roots really travel, and how, the deeper I dug, the earliest layer of the story turned out to be rooted in the feminine. A solitary oak stand

Recently a mentor posed a question that called for deep reflection. I noticed the question made me nervous. Maybe I was unsure what I’d discover? I took my time, dipped my toe into the reflective process a number of times, and gradually began to connect with the elemental nature of my need to walk this path. The question was: Why do you practise? What makes you practise like you’re on fire - like the world is on fire? There isn’t one neat answer. But as I sit with it, I fin

There are many things I love about our adopted home of Luxembourg. One is the way local traditions invite us to move with the subtle turning of the seasons. February, in particular, unfolds almost like a story, carrying us from candlelight to costume to bonfire. Across this small country, which I now call home, ancient Celtic traditions, Christian feast days and community Spring festivals weave together. What emerges is a beautiful mix of community building and cultural herit

Finding Light in the Dark Places Over the years, I’ve heard the view that depression is a weakness, expressed in different ways and...

As I write this, I'm approaching the launch of my next Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. If you would like to...

I will admit I have been struggling to get down to writing, unsure what to say and struggling to re-find my va va voom in that hazy post...

Which way should I go? How do you make decisions? This is something I’ve been pondering for myself recently. I remember many years ago,...

How can mindful self-compassion help us keep going when we encounter life's inevitable setbacks and respond with perseverance?

It seems like we have said goodbye to a lot of our animal companions in quick succession over recent years and, in the midst of our...

What’s in a Word? Around 10 years ago I was introduced to the practice of Word of the Year. Choosing a Word of the Year invites us to...

As we move into the last two months of 2023, I am reflecting on the year and the learning along the way. It feels like a recurring theme this year has been saying goodbye, whether it is the inevitability of life’s changing seasons, demonstrated by the felling of my favourite apple tree in an Autumn storm; the heart-wrenching loss of our beloved dog, Ella, in June or the sad goodbye and optimistic new beginning of waving herd member Paddy off to pastures new as he joins a love

First Impressions I attended my first Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course in 2015. The event was organised by Passage...

Shining the light of compassion on our most important relationship Contemplating a topic for my February blog, and, perhaps predictably,...

At this time of year, I am regularly beset by a vague and nagging sense of melancholy. A sense of good things coming to an end and trials...

As I prepare to teach my first Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction - MBSR - course I am reflecting on what drew me to mindfulness in the...

It feels like it’s been a long winter this year! Thanks to restrictions and anxieties imposed by Covid, coupled with the recent bout of...

It’s been an unusual and challenging year for the whole world but, amidst that, I will acknowledge, for me personally, there has been an...

Today is Earth Day 🌎. It is with gratitude and wonder that I acknowledge all the blessings and teaching the natural world offers 🙏....