My meditation classes provide a safe and comfortable environment where you are supported with your own personal meditation journey at your own pace. In the beginner course you’ll learn the foundations of meditation, starting with the basics. There is no need to have any previous experience or knowledge of meditation before starting beginner classes. You do not need to be able to sit in ‘lotus’ position or even cross legged! Everything we cover will be accessible and inclusive. If you do have a bit of experience, have read some books or listened to some podcasts related to meditation or mindfulness then that’s great too.

There will be around 10 students in the beginner course, and each class lasts an hour. During each session I will tell you about the amazing and scientifically evidenced benefits of meditation; how it can help us in our day to day lives, how it can benefit our health and wellbeing, and how we each have the power to physically change our brain. We’ll generally do 3 meditations in each class (lasting between 5-15 minutes each) and you’ll be given techniques and options to personalise the meditations to suit you. There will be some homework to grow your meditation practice, and you’ll learn some tips and tools to use in everyday life to deal with stress, anxiety and distractions. There is no expectation for you to share anything about yourself or to talk in front of the class, but if you do wish to feedback your reflections or reactions during the course then you are very welcome to.

One to one classes are similar but with content more specifically tailored to you. Events/retreats/group booking again will follow a similar flow but details will be provided of exact agendas for these one off sessions/events.

Each hour-long session will generally include 3 meditations. For the beginner course, you will begin with a meditation around 5 minutes long, building to 10 minutes by the end of the first session. From week two we may still have some meditations around 7-8 minutes, as well as some at 10 minutes. By the end of the course, we’ll gradually increase the length of some meditations so that by the end of the course you’ll have completed some at around 15 minutes.

All meditations across the classes I teach are guided by me; I will read out a script I have created, that is suitable for the level of the class (beginner/intermediate/advanced). Every script I use to guide you will include a framework to follow, with prompts throughout the practice. There are always options of variations you can apply and techniques you can try and experiment with to find what works for you. You will be set homework to meditate each day, and this will significantly add to the benefits you can experience. However, this isn’t a set time or type of meditation, and I’ll teach you ways to integrate meditation into your daily life – even a few minutes each day can have a positive impact.

Classes for children will be shorter and have briefer mini meditations/mindful moments but these will build gradually. See Child classes pages for more details.

Events/retreats may have longer meditations but will follow a similar rhythm - agendas for these types of one off events will be given when I advertise them.

This is unique to each person, so it is a hard question to answer. However, I can tell you that I felt the benefit the very first time I sat to meditate – I immediately felt a calmness and stillness fill me up that stayed a little while after the meditation had finished. Some scientific research suggests that the optimum time to spend meditating each day to derive benefits to our health and wellbeing is 22 minutes. For me right now, I experimented and found that sitting to meditate every morning and every evening (totalling around 30-40 minutes) plus lots of pauses of mindfulness throughout the day, provides what I need.

Studies carried out around the world with different groups of people have found it is common to feel benefits the moment you sit to meditate – this is called a ‘state’ change, so in that moment your state has changed. It might change from stressed or anxious to tranquil, relaxed and content. We can also experience the ‘relaxation response’ straight away. This is when our body and mind is relaxed but alert and awake, and we are essentially giving our bodies and minds a chance to recover and rebalance. This can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate. The lowering of these vital indicators can have further benefits - lowering blood pressure can prevent serious cardiovascular conditions like heart attacks and lowering heart rate can improve the strength of the heart muscle and increase physical endurance. Many people suffering with chronic/acute pain, mental ill health or sleep problems who start meditating report improvements after just weeks or months.

Once we’ve been meditating consistently over a longer period – we're talking months and into years – we create ‘trait’ changes. This is something that still gives me a feeling of immense power when I think about it, because trait changes are where we’ve made structural changes to our brain. By meditating regularly over a sustained period, we can increase the size of parts of our brain and reduce other parts. If this has piqued your interest, here is some neuroscience to get your teeth into: strengthening the ‘pre-frontal cortex’ can improve logical thinking and planning, cognitive functioning and positive emotion. Strengthening the ‘tempo-parietal junction’ can grow empathy and compassion, strengthening the ‘hippocampus’ can aid memory and emotional regulation, whilst strengthening the ‘hypothalamus’ can help regulate body temperature, blood pressure, hunger and thirst. If we weaken a part of our brain called the ‘amygdala’, our stress and fear response can reduce and if the ‘default mode network’ shrinks, then our busy mind and incessant thinking can lessen. These ‘trait’ changes are long lasting – it means our behaviours like the ways we interact with and respond to the world around us have changed.

Meditation in and of itself is not religious and does not need to be linked to any form of religious practice. The reason for the strong association between religion and meditation is because of the history of meditation - it has roots in Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam and continues to be central to these faiths. However, there is also evidence of ancient practises of meditation with no religious connection and today vast numbers of people practice meditation with no link to religious faiths at all.

There will be no elements of religion in the course content I teach or in the supporting resources I provide apart from in touching on the key historical aspects of meditation that have roots in religion. This is simply to give insight into the timeline and main ‘schools’ of meditation. However, if you are religious, then you can apply your religion and beliefs to your meditation practice if this makes it more meaningful to you.

First of all, if you’re thinking this, you are not alone! The nature of our often chaotic, frantic mind is that we feel it cannot possibly be tamed or trained in any way. The concept of having a ‘blank’ mind is unthinkable and sitting calmly to meditate seems unattainable, almost ridiculous. However, I am here to tell you something – meditation is not about obtaining or striving to a blank mind. In fact, meditation isn’t about obtaining or striving to anything – it is not goal orientated at all. It is the opposite of a to do list or a target. It is just ‘being’ in the present moment - sounds simple but as you’ve probably guessed it is also super difficult. Seventeen years in and I’ve never sat to meditate and not had thoughts popping into my mind, yet I’ve seen my life change for the better in more ways than I could have imagined possible. That’s because the magic happens (sorry it isn’t actually magic, it is physiological changes happening that has been proven with science...) by noticing the thoughts, by acknowledging them, accepting them and letting them go, then returning our focus to wherever it was before we remembered we needed to buy carrots on the way home. We are strengthening our brain like a muscle, and every time we let go of a thought during a meditation, we have achieved something huge. We have begun the process of changing our brain.

To answer this question more simply, yes you can meditate. It is just a case of finding the types and techniques that work for you and applying a lot of patience and practice. And I hope you’ll agree that embracing the opportunity to change your own brain, to take your life into your own hands and experience significant benefits to your health and wellbeing, is worth some patience and practice. I know it has been worth it for me – every second I’ve spent meditating has been time well spent, and there aren’t many things in life that I can say that about.

Whilst meditation or mindfulness applications or online resources can be great, there are some things you can only get from a fully trained and accredited meditation teacher who is there with you during meditation classes, whether that's in person or online. During all meditations you’ll be given reassurance around things you might be experiencing, as well as reminders that any difficulties or struggles you’re feeling are normal and okay. I will be a consistent voice during each meditation and can add in prompts and techniques in response to the present moment, which is quite different from a pre-recorded guided meditation.

Attending a course also adds a sense of community and belonging, linking to the values of meditation. It also means you have a shared experience with other people who are all on their meditation journey with you, which can add another layer of support. As someone who has been meditating over 16 years, I can tell you about my own experiences of sitting to practice that may help you see that the busy mind you have is normal and that you can train it. I will also share tips and tools that have been game changers for me, which you may find helpful.

The best thing about attending a quality foundational beginner course is that you will learn about meditation holistically, from the history of it, to the benefits it can bring, and the scientific evidence that backs this up. You will learn multiple types of meditation, numerous techniques and lots of ideas for personalising your practice to suit you. I will also recommend other resources to compliment your meditation journey and set homework so that you become accountable and motivated to prioritise your practice and your own health and wellbeing.

There are many resources online described as meditation or mindfulness tools or guided practices which are not authentic and may even be misleading or simply bad quality without backing from a qualified or verified practitioner. With an accredited meditation teacher, you can trust that you will receive professional meditation teaching from an expert, who follows all appropriate policies and industry standards.

I have practiced meditation for almost 17 years and continue to experience incredible benefits from it. In the early days it remedied my insomnia and nightly teeth grinding and nightmares and more recently it’s been my tool for becoming a calmer, more compassionate and more mindful parent who can find joy even on the toughest days. I’ve recently begun teaching meditation to my own two young children and watched in awe as they’ve used it to improve their sleep, to help them self-regulate their emotions and become more empathetic humans. In June 2025 I qualified with Distinction as a Meditation Teacher with the British School of Meditation, giving me a Diploma accredited by Ascentis. The British School of Meditation is the only establishment in Europe that has an externally accredited meditation teacher qualification. The standards they set are very high, meaning you get a meditation teacher who is highly trained, professional, passionate and committed to supporting you on your meditation journey.

I also have a current enhanced DBS certificate, issued via the British School of Meditation, for the specific purpose of being a self employed meditation teacher.

In case you’d like to know a bit more about me...I also have a Level 3 qualification in Teaching and Learning and have experience teaching in a college. In a previous role, while working at a charity called Headway that supported adults with acquired brain injury, I planned and ran sessions to aid clients with their recovery. Several years ago, I ran a small business teaching sewing classes with adults and children and ran numerous workshops with groups of children at community events, so I have a variety of experience teaching and supporting all sorts of people and a range of different ages. Meditation has changed my life for the better in countless ways and I became a meditation teacher to share the profound benefits it can bring.

Great question - I didn’t change out of my smart work clothes to my first ever sound bath one evening last year and regretted not considering my clothes choice when I lay down to get comfy on the floor…I looked on enviously at my friends wearing joggers!

It is best to wear clothes you feel comfortable in, keeping in mind that for the majority of the hour session you’ll be sitting down either on a chair or on a mat/cushion on the floor (whichever you prefer). Personally I avoid tight waistbands while meditating as all I’m thinking is: ‘these jeans are really tight and I can’t get comfy let alone focus on my breath as I can hardly breathe - why on earth did I wear them?!

I recommend having layers of clothing as your body temperature can fluctuate during meditations and/or you may feel cooler due to remaining seated and still for a sustained period. You may appreciate having a cosy jumper or shawl to pop on if you feel chilly.

If you wish to do some of the meditations sitting on the floor or lying on your back on a mat, you might like to remove your footwear and therefore may find it useful to wear something that doesn’t have 100 laces and zips that take 10 minutes to get on and off! Much like the tight jeans, this could add an unnecessary extra distraction…

A very interesting question (and sometimes even a debate!) which we will delve into in more detail during the Meditation Course for Beginners.

Overall, for me the way I would explain the difference is that mindfulness is a type of meditation. It is a type of meditation that can seamlessly be integrated into our everyday lives as it does not require sitting to practice in a formal way - however it requires an understanding of the foundations of meditation in order to understand it.

Therefore, mindfulness provides a vehicle for building the fundamental principles of meditation into our wider lives, to embrace meditation holistically. But they are inextricably linked and mutually reliant on one another to be used effectively (sorry if this answer leaves you more confused - it is quite a subtle and circular relationship that people have varying views on - a bit like what came first the chicken or the egg!?).