Derek Goodman

I first heard about ‘Sati,’ or mindfulness, when I was exploring Buddhist meditation techniques in the late seventies. My understanding, to begin with, however, was fairly superficial and for the following thirty years or so I focussed mainly on Loving Kindness and various visualisations. After a few conversations with Avinash in 2014, I began to appreciate mindfulness as a rich and rewarding path in itself. I attended a couple of his courses and in the following spring formally trained with the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, to teach in accordance with the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme.

I enjoy exploring Jon Kabat-Zinn’s works and have also found that tracing back his ideas to their original sources; in Buddhism, psychology and poetry; can help bring more clarity and fresh inspiration. I think of mindfulness essentially as embodied appreciative awareness and continue to learn from the practice itself, from my colleagues at Mindfullybeing and from everyone I teach.