The Oxford Mindfulness Podcast

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking: “I came to mindfulness to feel better… so why am I noticing more?”, then this episode is for you. In Episode 6 of ‘Getting Real with Mindfulness’, Claire Kelly and Victoria Fontana explore a question that comes up again and again in mindfulness courses: What’s the point of noticing if we’re not being asked to fix anything? Together, they reflect on why noticing can feel uncomfortable, overwhelming, or even frustrating at first, and why it’s also a crucial foundation for change. From trust and patience, to kindness, choice, and agency, this conversation gently unpacks what’s really being trained when we “just notice”. This is a grounded, honest discussion about: Why awareness often comes before change How noticing isn’t passive even when it feels like “doing nothing” What mindfulness is training beneath the surface And how compassion, rather than striving, opens new ways of responding If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email [email protected] 👥 About the Hosts  Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education.  Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/  Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Join us for "Between the Lines", an online series that brings the mindfulness community together to explore the books, papers, and other resources that have shaped the mindfulness field — alongside the authors and thinkers who created them.   In this insightful session, Kristin Neff responds to community questions from our book club–style discussion of her title, "Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout: Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You’re Wrung Out by Stress".   Our "Between the Lines" events will take place monthly over 2026. View more of our upcoming mindfulness courses and events ▶️ https://oxfordmindfulness.org/courses-events   Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Join us for "Between the Lines", an online series that brings the mindfulness community together to explore the books, papers, and other resources that have shaped the mindfulness field — alongside the authors and thinkers who created them.   In this insightful session, Norman Farb and Zindel Segal respond to community questions from our book club–style discussion of their title, "Better in Every Sense".   Our "Between the Lines" events will take place monthly over 2026. View more of our upcoming mindfulness courses and events ▶️ https://oxfordmindfulness.org/courses-events   Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Join us for "Between the Lines", an online series that brings the mindfulness community together to explore the books, papers, and other resources that have shaped the mindfulness field — alongside the authors and thinkers who created them.   In this insightful session, Mark Williams responds to community questions from our book club–style discussion of his title, "Deeper Mindfulness".   Our "Between the Lines" events will take place monthly over 2026. View more of our upcoming mindfulness courses and events ▶️ https://oxfordmindfulness.org/courses-events   Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness) and mindfulness teacher Victoria Fontana discuss the question: does mindfulness make you a pushover?   Together they unpack the difference between acceptance and passivity, challenging the idea that mindfulness leads to weakness or compliance. Through real-life examples and reflections from their own work, they highlight how mindfulness can actually support courage, clarity, and more skilful action, especially in difficult conversations and high-pressure environments.   If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email [email protected]   👥 About the Hosts Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education. Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work.   Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/   Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness) and mindfulness teacher Victoria Fontana unpack boredom in mindfulness practice – why it can show up, why it feels so uncomfortable, and how it might actually be a doorway into creativity and awareness.    The function and roots of boredom are explored, including its evolutionary role as a motivator and the neuroscience behind it. Claire and Victoria emphasise not judging feelings of boredom, but using it as a signal to practise mindfulness more skilfully.   👥 About the Hosts Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education.   Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/   Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/   If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email [email protected]   📑 Episode Resources Oxford Mindfulness Resources https://oxfordmindfulness.org/events-and-resources Oxford Mindfulness Podcasts https://oxfordmindfulness.org/podcasts

Have you ever felt like mindfulness just isn’t working for you? In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness) and mindfulness teacher Victoria Fontana dive into what is means for mindfulness to 'work'. They explore why expectations matter, what “working” really means, and how shifting from 'shoulds' to a sense of curiosity and patience can be really helpful for your mindfulness practice - particularly during the holiday season. 🎧 Listen for honest reflections, practical insights, and a few surprising truths about what mindfulness can, and can’t, do. 👥 About the Hosts Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education. Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/ Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/ If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email [email protected] 📑 Episode Resources Oxford Mindfulness Resources https://oxfordmindfulness.org/events-and-resources Oxford Mindfulness Podcasts https://oxfordmindfulness.org/podcasts

Is mindfulness just fluffy nonsense?! In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', hosts Claire and Victoria take on one of the most common misconceptions about mindfulness - that it’s soft, indulgent, or lacking substance. Through personal stories, practical examples, and a touch of neuroscience, they explore how mindfulness is far from fluffy. It’s gritty, challenging, and surprisingly practical. From mindful colouring to fierce compassion, they unpack what mindfulness really is and what it isn’t. Whether you're a curious beginner, a trained teacher, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how mindfulness builds agency, supports emotional resilience, and helps us respond, rather than habitually react, to life. 👥 About the Hosts Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education. Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/ Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/ 📑 Episode Resources Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT): https://www.mindgazing.com/cbrt Gilbert, P. (2019). Explorations into the nature and function of compassion. Current opinion in psychology, 28, 108-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.002 Desbordes, G., Negi, L. T., Pace, T. W., Wallace, B. A., Raison, C. L., & Schwartz, E. L. (2012). Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 6, 23050. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00292 Neff, K. D. (2023). Self-compassion: Theory, method, research, and intervention. Annual review of psychology, 74(1), 193 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047 Luberto, C. M., Shinday, N., Song, R., Philpotts, L. L., Park, E. R., Fricchione, G. L., & Yeh, G. Y. (2018). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors. Mindfulness, 9(3), 708-724. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8 Charlson, M.E., Loizzo, J., Moadel, A. et al. Contemplative self healing in women breast cancer survivors: a pilot study in underserved minority women shows improvement in quality of life and reduced stress. BMC Complement Altern Med 14, 349 (2014). Https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-349, https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-349 Britton WB, Shahar B, Szepsenwol O, Jacobs WJ. Behav Ther. (2012) Emotional Reactivity to Social Stress: Results from A Randomized Controlled Trial https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3495556/ Mindfulness-Based Interventions and How They Work (Gu et al., 2015) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735815000197   

New Podcast 📢 Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 1: "Down and Dirty" with Mindfulness: What We Wish We’d Known In this first episode of Getting Real with Mindfulness, Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness Director of Teaching and Training) and Victoria Fontana (mindfulness and compassion teacher and executive coach) sit down for a candid conversation about what they wish they’d known when they started practicing. From the pressure to “get it right” to the surprising emotional breakthroughs, they explore the messy, magical, and deeply human side of mindfulness. They get, as they say, “down and dirty” with the practice - sharing personal stories, hard-earned insights, and gentle reminders that mindfulness isn’t about perfection, but presence. Whether you're a personal learner, or a trained teacher, this episode offers something real, relatable, and refreshingly honest. Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education. Victoria Fontana is a mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and trainer with over a decade of experience leading transformative programmes. She's a certified instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT), and Introducing Mindfulness (IM). Find out more about Victoria 👉 https://www.mindgazing.com/ Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉  https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Join us for Chapter 12 "A Life Well Lived”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this final session, Willem explored being “the change you want to see in the world”; within ourselves, our relationships, and our shared world. Through a sample of recordings from characters featured in his book 'Mindfulness for Life', Willem discussed what it means to live well, and mindfulness as a tool to support a life well lived. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter 11 "Living Well: Taking Care of Ourselves, Our Relationships and the World”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Willem explored how taking care of ourselves, our relationships and the world are deeply interconnected. Drawing on wisdom from contemplative traditions and neuroscience, Willem guides us through reflections and practices that invite us to inquire into well-being as a learnable skill. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter 10 “Cool Head and Warm Heart: the Art of Balance and Equanimity”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Willem explored the nature of balance and equanimity to cultivate a cool head and warm heart, weaving in wisdom stories such as ‘The Ancient Oak’ and ‘The Flight of Icarus’, alongside guided practices like the breathing space and grounding in the body. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter Eight “Perspective: Changing the View”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Willem explores the theme of perspective. He introduces five tools to support us in shifting our viewpoint: grounding in the body, zooming in and out, ‘time travelling’ to reflect on the present from the future, seeing through others’ eyes, and allowing experiences to run their course. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter Nine “Responding Wisely”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Willem explored the power of pausing between stimulus and response to support wise responses. He looked at tools we can use in that space such as grounding in the body, using values as a compass and responsive breathing spaces. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter Seven “Befriending Our Minds”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Willem explores the foundational attitudes of mindfulness, contemplative traditions, and practices like the befriending practice to consider the concept of befriending your mind as a lifelong friendship to nurture. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter Six, “How We React to Stress and Difficulties”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Willem Kuyken explores our habitual reactions to stress and challenge through concepts like the 'vicious flower' and 'two arrows of pain and suffering'. Willem discusses how our responses can be supported through practices like the breathing space, the 50/50 practice, and mindful walking. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter Five, “Our Most Important Natural Resource: Our “Body-Mind””, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Professor Kuyken discusses the interconnected nature of the body and mind, reframing it as the 'body-mind.' He explores a four-part model to help us unpack our experiences moment by moment so that we can be intentional and resilient in our responses. Practices include a mindful phone use practice and a deep listening and speaking practice. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter Four, “Appreciating the Life We Have”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this insightful session, Professor Kuyken illustrated how appreciation is an active skill and a habit that can bring beauty even to life’s complexities. Practical tools included the three-step breathing space to foster presence as well as ideas for broadening and building appreciation in daily life. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Enjoy this conversation between Professors Willem Kuyken and Mark Williams, which took place in October, 2024 in Blackwell's book shop in Oxford, UK as part of the launch of Willem's new book Mindfulness for Life. Hear Willem and Mark discuss what mindfulness for life means, the inner critic and befriending your mind-body and the importance of spending our 'attention budgets' wisely. They also shared two short mindfulness practices.

Join us for Chapter Three, “Coming Home to Our Bodies”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this session, Professor Kuyken shared valuable insights from the third chapter of his new book, Mindfulness for Life, exploring the theme of reconnecting with our bodies. Willem emphasised the body as a source of grounding, awareness, and wisdom, highlighting how mindfulness practices can help us cultivate presence in everyday life. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

“How can mindfulness help me if I’m under pressure to stab someone to join a gang?” Mindful Peak Performance (MPP) was founded to answer this stark question and find ways to make mindfulness more accessible to disadvantaged young people. MPP has pioneered an award-winning approach to combining mindfulness with boxing that has been successfully delivered with a range of communities, including young people at risk gang of involvement, young and adult carers, ethnic minority groups and the LGBTQ+ community. MPP, alongside the grassroots foundation, has also made mindfulness more accessible in elite sports and business through team away-days, 1:1 coaching and courses that fuse high performance with mental wellbeing. In this talk, the founder of MPP, Luke Doherty, will share the origins of the organisation, how its approach was co-created with at-risk youth in some of London’s most deprived areas, and adapted for elite athletes and corporate leaders and teams. Luke will share key learnings around the importance of mindfulness, meeting people where they are and presenting mindfulness in ways that are relatable and relevant to their lives, work and socio-economic context while keeping the core essence alive.

Join us for Chapter Two, “Pay Attention!”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this session, Professor Kuyken shared valuable insights from the second chapter of his new book, "Mindfulness for Life", providing practical strategies for developing and managing attention in everyday life. Willem emphasised attention as a valuable resource and highlighted how mindfulness practice can enhance our ability to manage and direct our attention. Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website

Join us for Chapter One, “Wake-Up!”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters" in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken. In this foundational session, Professor Kuyken shared valuable insights from the first chapter of his new book, "Mindfulness for Life" focusing on the importance of values, befriending the mind, and cultivating attention and awareness.  He also introduced practices for pausing and checking in, starting and ending the day mindfully, and staying present in the moment. The Oxford Mindfulness Foundation is a non-profit organisation internationally recognised for mindfulness teaching and training – find out more

In this Guest Speaker event ahead of the launch of his new book, "Mindfulness for Life", Professor Willem Kuyken - the Ritblat Professor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science at the University of Oxford - joins us to introduce key themes of his book, shares his journey behind it, the people and ideas that helped to shape it and explores how mindfulness can help us to navigate today's complex world. Willem's book 'Mindfulness for Life' is now available to buy. Purchase the book (US customers) ▶️ https://a.co/d/dVF2rCq  Purchase the book (UK customers) ▶️ https://amzn.eu/d/3pLYqIy   The Oxford Mindfulness Foundation is a non-profit organisation internationally recognised for mindfulness teaching and training - find out more here

The predominant focus of mindfulness-based approaches to date has been supporting individuals to manage challenging situations, so that negative emotions do not escalate out of control and skilful life choices can be made. There is now increasing interest in using mindfulness techniques to also help individuals make the most of life opportunities, so that positive emotions and broader wellbeing (pleasure, meaning and social connection) can be enhanced.   This talk introduces ways mindfulness-based treatments are being adapted to also build positive emotions and wellbeing, including how they are translating findings from basic science and other treatment approaches. The talk was delivered by Barney Dunn and Megan Colletta from the Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter (which runs a clinic and range of research trials of mindfulness and other approaches that aim to build wellbeing in clinical populations). It was free to access live to everyone with a general interest in this topic. 

In collaboration with ACCESSMBCT, we are delighted to bring you this guest talk from Norman Farb and Zindel Segal, introducing their new book, "Better in Every Sense".

Dr Fabrizio Didonna is a clinical psychologist, senior mindfulness teacher, trainer, supervisor and author. He is also a Founder Director of the International MBCT for OCD Center, in Vicenza, Italy, and the developer of the therapeutic model. His manual "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" (Guilford Press, 2020 - translated into Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French and Russian), is the first manualized and validated mindfulness-based treatment model for OCD. In this free Guest Speaker Event, Dr. Didonna shares the key features of MBCT for OCD including effectiveness, rationale, agenda, and contents of the model. If you work with people with OCD, or have an interest in this area, this will be an informative and insightful episode.  

In this special guest talk, we're pleased to welcome back Trish Bartley, an OMF guest trainer, mindfulness teacher trainer and author of a number of books including ‘Mindfulness: A Kindly Approach to Being with Cancer’, ‘Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer’ and ‘Teaching Mindfulness-Based Groups’ which Trish co-authored with Dr. Gemma Griffith. In this event, Trish will begin to draw out the Inside Out Group (IOG) model for mindfulness-based programmes which offers a simple yet profound approach to teaching mindfulness-based groups. If you’re a group leader, mindfulness teacher or someone working with groups and are curious to learn what this approach could offer your work, this will be an insightful and informative episode.

In this special guest speaker event, we’re delighted to welcome back Professor Mark Williams who will introduce the topic ‘Deeper Mindfulness’ – the subject and title of his new book with co-author Dr Danny Penman. “Proven effective at treating anxiety, stress and depression, the practices in ‘Deeper Mindfulness’ offer a new and more fruitful direction for both novice and experienced meditators. It also allows the rest of us to approach life with renewed strength, vigour and equanimity.” Join us for this informative session as Mark explains the latest thinking in this area and leads us through some of the practices outlined in the book.

Autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental conditions that continue to profoundly influence the way we are in the world also in adulthood. In our current urban world, characterized by high speed, deadlines, full agendas, multitasking, (social) performance pressure, and a bombardment of stimuli, all of us but people with autism and ADHD even more so may experience sensory overload, attention problems, and too much stress. Those who live with people with autism or ADHD, whether they are partners, parents, or children, may also experience high levels of stress, because they feel or take over their stress. Mindfulness can help here to regulate sensory overload, attention, and intrapersonal and interpersonal stress. Whether you’re a mindfulness practitioner, therapist, educator, or living with (a person with) autism or ADHD, this talk will provide deeper understanding and practical tools to regulate the stress that comes with autism and ADHD.

Discover the profound intersection of mindfulness and trauma resilience in this engaging three-hour webinar on Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness. Led by esteemed expert David Treleaven, this transformative event will delve into the art of creating safe, empowering mindfulness spaces for all, regardless of their trauma history.

Ed Halliwell interview - Supervision in the workplace

Lotty Roberts - Leaders in our modern world are constantly dealing with change and uncertainty.  In order to navigate this ever changing landscape, leaders need to  remain focused, nimble and resilient, supporting their teams and organisations to embrace complexity with openness and agility.  Lotty Roberts shares her experience, passion and approach on what it means to Mindfully lead through change and why she believes change navigated well at work, is in itself mindfulness in action.

20230301 Science-backed tips for maintaining practice Dr Carly Hunt

Join Richard Burnett (Co-Founder and Chair), Ben Chalwin (Head of Training) and Emily Slater (CEO) from Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) as they look back over 12+ years of experience in the UK (and internationally), and where next for mindfulness with children, young people and those who care for or work with them.

Susanne Olbrich, Pianist & Mindfulness Facilitator leading a session entitled New Year, New Inspiration. Join Susanne for a deep dive into your own creative resources with the help of mindfulness and music. An hour with calming piano music, creative conversations, Deep Listening – and you might even find yourself writing a flash poem! As an experienced mindfulness teacher and musician, Susanne loves sharing the combined benefits of meditation and creative practice with people from a range of backgrounds, from professionals to complete novices. She has developed an 8-week course “Mindfulness for Musicians”, and also offers 1-to-1 coaching, group sessions, trainings, workshops and retreats. Susanne’s music is inspired by folk, jazz and classical. Susanne is a Zen teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. She also trained as a teacher for Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR), the Mindfulness-based Living Course (MBLC), and as  Deep Listening® facilitator with Rensselaer Polytechnic. More recently, Susanne completed a Master’s in Mindfulness with the University of Aberdeen, researching “Mindfulness and Musical Creativity”. Listen to her music and find out more about her work here: https://susanneolbrich.net

Nick Hammond - Building compassion and inspiration through the simple act of noticing

Sila (or moral conduct) is the principle of human behaviour that promotes orderly and peaceful existence in a community. It is regarded as an anchor practice for Dhamma practitioners, and crucial for developing insight and wisdom.  In this podcast, Erin shares how this ancient Eastern practice has been crucial for sustaining and strengthening her own meditation practice;  and offers some thoughts around how it can support the harmonious functioning of modern teams and workplaces as well.

Shannon Harvey My Year of Living Mindfully (What Happened Next) in this talk Shannon tells the story of what happened next. Hosted by Clare Kelly (OMF)

We are excited to announce that OMF teacher and supervisor, Liz Lord, has represented us on BBC Radio. She spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about the OMF and its work, including how mindfulness can support us in today’s world. This was to celebrate the launch of our new daily lunchtime sit which is available to all for free. To register for these sessions, please visit: https://registrations.oxfordmindfulness.org/?cid=1263 

Tim Dalgleish from the University of Cambridge has kindly offered to return for an evening of further questions and discussions around the MYRIAD research findings. The intention is to offer an opportunity to practise together, ask any further questions and share further thoughts on the implications of the MYRIAD study for mindfulness in education and beyond.

We are delighted to be joined for our May keynote session by Trish Bartley. Trish will join us in May to share some stories, a few practices, and some of her learning from the experience of teaching MBCT to people with cancer.

From mindless distractions and addictive behaviours to cyberbullying and encouraging feelings of inadequacy, we are becoming increasingly aware of the detrimental effects of social media usage on our mental health and wellbeing. Mindfulness Coach Erin Lee shares how understanding the skills and practice of mindfulness can help us navigate our love-hate relationship with social media, and harness the power of these communication platforms in wiser and healthier ways.

In this session we will review a three-fold model for understanding how mindfulness supports human agency, our ability to act intentionally, that was proposed in Jamie’s 2020 discussion paper Mindfulness: Developing Agency in Urgent Times, and explore his latest research and publication launched in March 2022 titled Reconnection: Meeting the Climate Crisis Inside Out.

Drawing from emerging behavioural and neuroimaging research, this presentation with Norman Farb outlines the difficulty of understanding what it means to bring acceptance to our most challenging moments, explore what aspects of breath awareness are actually important for wellbeing, and illustrate how the brain can become quiet without becoming disengaged - a more subtle quality of attention.

In this talk, Dr Sara Lazar will discuss her work evaluating the effects of regular mindfulness practice on a metric of adult development related to how we view and interact with the world.

In this podcast Silke Rupprecht, Head of Research and Development at Awaris speaks to us about bringing mindfulness to teams in organisations. She offers her thoughts on the reasons behind the growing interest in mindful teams and how team mindfulness training may need to be different from individual mindfulness training. Silke also shares insights and gives practical examples of how mindfulness trainers can adapt their delivery to help teams build the mindful qualities and collaborative habits needed to foster wellbeing and performance in traditional and hybrid settings.

Way back in 2000, Mark Williams opened doors for her to start bringing mindfulness to the patients of a Welsh oncology department where Trish herself had just finished treatment. Over the 20 years that followed, she continued to teach enabling the programme to slowly adapt from the original MBCT, with John Teasdale guiding Trish as they teased out what was needed for this particular group. From this, a workbook for teachers was published (Bartley, 2012) followed by a book for people with cancer themselves (Bartley, 2017). Trish has continued to work with people with cancer, including training many teachers in the programme in the UK and further afield, and offering online one to one connections to a few people at the end of their lives.

In the latest episode of our workplace podcast series, Liane Stephan, co-founder of Awaris and the Inner Green Deal, speaks to the OMC about sustainability and the climate crisis. She shares her experiences of working with leaders who clearly have the capacity to affect organisational change. Liane offers some thoughts on how as mindfulness trainers we are uniquely placed to support individuals and organisations to engage with this topic in a very real and meaningful way.