New mindful compassion drop-in starts in January
We have a new weekly drop-in that combines mindfulness and compassion, starting in January. The sessions will focus on qualities of kindness, emotional positivity and resilience, all key to mindfulness practice.
Making time for mindfulness can be tricky when our day is packed with multiple responsibilities. Yet, being mindful can help us go through our day with more focus, calm and compassion for ourselves and others.
Our free drop-in sessions are timed early in the morning or during lunch to fit in with your work schedule, and they all take place online. They are a fantastic way to add mindfulness to your day, refresh and sustain your practice, and benefit from practicing with others.
Find out about all our drop-ins below, including the new mindful compassion sessions led by Annie Akasatic-Auley.
Wednesdays 08.15 – 09.00
Annie Akasati McAuley
Our new drop-in combines both mindfulness and compassion elements. It is led by Annie Akasati McAuley, co-founder of the teaching partnership Love Mindfulness, focusing on the qualities of kindness, emotional positivity and resilience, fundamental to mindfulness practice. Annie has practiced mindfulness meditation since the mid-1980s and taught meditation since 1999. In 2017, she trained with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre to teach Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. This drop-in will take place every Wednesday from 08.15 to 09.00, starting 10 January. Please email us at smc@spft.nhs.uk to receive joining instructions.
First Tuesday of the month, 13.30-14.00
Lucy Edwards
Don’t forget that we also offer a couple more drop-ins. Enjoy a mindful lunch break on the first Tuesday of the month with Lucy Edwards from 13.30-14.00. Lucy is a Clinical Psychologist and her relationship with mindfulness developed from experiencing its benefits first-hand. She integrates mindfulness into her clinical work and in 2015 completed her mindfulness teacher training at the Sussex Mindfulness Centre.
Third Thursday of the month, 08.15-09.00
David Ward (Panya)
We also offer mindfulness drop-ins every third working Thursday of the month from 8.15-9am. Most sessions in 2024 will be led by David Ward– also known as Panya. David has been practising and teaching mindfulness and ‘compassionate mind’ approaches for 25 years, including 10 years as an ordained Buddhist monk in the ‘Forest’ meditation tradition of Ajahn Chah, living in South East Asia. Leaving monastic life in 2007, he retrained as a psychological therapist and currently works as a Senior Psychological Therapist. He has a keen interest in mindfulness-based and compassion-focused approaches for healing trauma.
Jo Chittenden
Jo will also lead a few of the Thursday sessions. Jo is an Occupational Therapist and passionate advocate for developing new models of patient care. Jo trained as an occupational therapist in part so she could offer mindfulness within the health service! She has a committed practice of 25 years and has trained with a number of teachers worldwide. She offers drop-in mindfulness sessions to staff and patients in the secure service and is working towards a model that better suits forensic inpatients.
Apart from those listed above , we also still have our Monday drop-in sessions until February 2024.
Find out more and sign up for a drop-in here.
If you are interested in joining any of our drop-ins please email smc@spft.nhs.uk.