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Hello! This Tuesday 6pm UK session is a chance to plug into the Mindsprings methods for soothing the nervous system and unpicking the mechanisms of anxiety. We'll be practicing body-based techniques, breathworks and energy psychology each week. There'll be clear instruction each session so anyone can join - even (or especially) complete beginners. We practice for about 30 minutes and then have some time to talk and discuss what's going on. Many people find sharing their anxiety a great boon. Come along and finally do something about your shredded nerves.

Hello! This Thursday 7am UK session offers anyone a chance to experience some Buddhist-flavoured practice. It's ideal for people who are interested in Buddhism but don't know all the jargon. And it's a chance for the Mindsprings community to anchor their dharma practice. There'll be clear instruction each session so anyone can join - even (or especially) complete beginners. We practice for about 30 minutes and then have some time to talk and discuss what's going on. I'll use the last portion of the session to chat about some of the Buddhist ideas and clarify any questions people have.

Hi everyone! Make a date to practice with the Mindsprings gang every Monday morning at 8am UK time. This is a chance to use the mind-cleaning Beingfulness practice to steady our awareness, see all the phenomena that are making up our experience and learn to love them! There'll be clear instruction each session so anyone can join - even (or especially) complete beginners. We practice for about 30 minutes and then have some time to talk and discuss what's going on. It's a lovely communal way to start the week.

Thanks for signing up to SleepDeep. Not every recording will work for you so please try them all out when you need them. We're starting with a real knockout practice - the Eye Stretch. Download and let's see if we can get to sleep...

Next time you're awake at 4 am (or whatever is your 'witching' hour) then listen to this - it recaps the Eye Stretch and adds Collar Bone Breathing. Some people find this one much more effective at cutting through those stressful thoughts.

If all else fails this beautiful Buddhist practice often helps me sleep. Reflecting on the millions of people who are sleepless too and taking in their insomnia and sending them restful sleep. Somehow this topsy turvy approach really works.

Press Kit Please use Nick Ford's lovely images if you need pictures of me. But please credit him accordingly. Download ZIP Press Photos Short Bio Alistair Appleton & Mindsprings Alistair Appleton is a therapeutic meditation teacher and well-known television presenter in the The UK. As a much-loved host of the BBC show ‘Escape to the Country.’ for more than 14 years, Alistair is a household name for the two million people who tune in every week. Alistair is the founder of Mindsprings, which he set up in 2005 to explore the therapeutic uses and benefits of meditation in the modern world. As well as running in-person retreats and courses, Alistair leads a series of therapeutic meditation courses online. These have been especially popular during the pandemic and include ‘Mastering the Monsters of Anxiety’, ‘Transforming the Trigger Thought’. And ‘Beingfulness’ a learn to meditate course. His lively and non-dogmatic courses and workshops appeal to a broad audience, including those not usually attracted to spiritual practice. Alistair brings meditation techniques alive for those suffering from anxiety, dissociation, and other issues that arise in living in today’s world. He’s been a UKCP accredited psychotherapist with a practice in Brighton since 2013. And he has more than 20 years of dedicated experience in meditation. Alistair has trained in the Buddhist tradition with various masters. In 2000, he took his Buddhist vows with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, the abbot of Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. They later asked him to teach a meditation course for beginners, the start of the teaching journey he continues to this day. Alistair is happily married to Daniel Martin. They live together in Sussex with their beloved dog Ben. ​ ​ To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

London Weekend: Stilling the Mind with Mantra 24-25 June 2023 Stillness. Wisdom. Magic. Still your mind. See what your mind is. Rediscover the magic. All with a simple 2-syllable mantra! Working with mantra is a shamata (calm abiding) practice: finding a blissful pleasure in absorbing awareness into a simple phenomena for longer and longer stretches of time. However, it has three aspects that make it particularly potent: stilling - the rhythmic absorption of the two syllables works to create the experience of blissful absorption, which makes the mind more likely to coalesce and steady naturally. insight - through creating something with the mind and then bringing awareness to that mind-creation we become familiar with the nature and working of our minds. This is the wisdom part. magic -using well-used mantras to connect with a power that is outside us, ignites something potent within us. It's like taking a lump of hot coal from the speech-mind of an enlightened being and using it to light the fire of our own minds. ​ During this London in-person weekend, you'll: explore the nature of your mind master the art of 'stilling' learn energy practices to naturally still the body-mind get the basic 2-syllable mantra practice touch into the magic of sacred syllables familiarise yourself with the 'Elephant Path' of shamata Book your place for June now Working with Mantra Working with mantra (Manas = Mind and tra = protection) has a very long heritage in contemplative traditions. In all shamata (steadying / concentration) practices, we take an object (could be the breath, sounds, or the mantra) and we marry our awareness to that single, simple phenomenon. Our aspiration is to completely absorb awareness with the object and enjoy the resulting states of pleasure, composure and wisdom. O ften when working with ‘external’ objects - i.e. sounds or even body phenomena like the breath - we find mental phenomena crowd out our focus. This is why mantra has a particular benefit. In mantra we are using a mind-phenomenon as our object of our mind’s attention and in doing this we are able to 1) see the nature of mind-creations 2) melt all other mind-phenomena into the mantra. Discover the magic power of mantra to calm the mind Food, Accommodation and Pricing Mindsprings is well aware that many people are having to tighten their belts at the moment, financially. So we offer two prices for this weekend. A full, supporters fee which helps us cover our costs and a subsidised concessionary rate for any of you who are struggling financially. ​ If you can pay the full price that will help us invite more people on the concessionary rate. And if you would struggle to pay that reduced ticket rate then please do drop us a line. We never want people to miss out on meditation because of poxy old money. We can sort something out for you. Book the two kinds of tickets here. Enquire about bursaries here What to expect at Spa Road this June... ​• the course begins at 10am and finishes at 5pm each day. We'll have an hour for lunch and a couple of 15 minute tea-breaks. If you can get to Spa Road a little early on Saturday to make sure we can start promptly that would be great. ​ • the nearest tube station is Bermondsey on the Jubilee line though there are buses that get a little closer. The postcode of the centre is SE16 3SA and their number is 020 33271650. ​ • there is a very nice tea room at the Centre and they can make soup and sandwiches (we'll pre-order in the first tea break) or there are several nice cafes at the near end of Bermondsey Road which we can give directions too. There's also a lovely park opposite if you'd prefer to bring your own picnic. ​ • we'll be using the beautiful Shrine Room at the Centre and sitting in chairs in a circle. ​ • the weekend will consist of practice sessions, some instruction and discussion, working in smaller groups and some individual processing. ​ • we'll provide electronic notes after the course so you don't need to write things down though it would be great if you could bring a pen and some paper or a notebook for some of the exercises. Recordings of the teaching will also be sent out after the course. ​ • the Shrine Room is usually lovely and warm but please brings some layers, especially if you feel the cold. We may step out in to the park to practice as well • If you have any specific psychological concerns, are on prescription psychiatric medication or have a condition that you think I should know about before the course then please do let me know in a private email. ​ About the teacher Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings , his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands. Join us in London this April Join us in London this June Getting to KSD London Kagyu Samye Dzong is in the old Victorian library building on Spa Road Gardens in Bermondsey. The nearest tube station is Bermondsey on the Jubilee line though there are buses that get a little closer. The postcode of the centre is SE16 3SA and their number is 020 33271650. ​ Please note that there is/was an older centre at Manor Place - this is not the one you want! Any more questions?

Eastertide Retreat at Gayles 29th March - 2nd April 2023 Let the natural state shine out... This Mindsprings retreat is created for people who are familiar with meditation and who perhaps have been with Alistair on a longer retreat before. It's not suitable for complete beginners. But if you're inspired to re-invigorate your practice and explore a radical re-think of what sitting meditation means then, join Alistair for four days in the beautiful South Downs countryside, a short walk from the Seven Sisters and Cuckmere Haven, at the wonderful Gayles Retreat Centre . ​ We will be exploring the wild practice of "Sitting Out. Rooted in shamanic and natural yogic practices, this is a stripped-down version of meditation that sets up a simple container (a 2m squared area in nature) and encourages us to watch the mind as it twists and wiggles over longer and longer periods of time. We start with an hour and, over the course of the four days, build up to four hours at a stretch. ​ Although it sounds gruelling, it's actually the most intense and wonderful engagement with your body and mind. You don't have to sit still - you can stretch and stand and look around - but you do have to sit out in the elements. (So bring you waterproofs!). What you might discover is the natural luminosity of your mind emerging from under all the busy routines of habit. It's a fascinating practice. ​ And Gayles is a perfect place to do this nature work. It's an intimate but comfortable venue, with space for seventeen participants. There's a variety of accommodation. Derry's mouth-watering vegan/vegetarian food to keep you nourished. And you are slap bang in the middle of a gorgeous, luminous landscape which will turbo charge your experience. ​ Book your place for March now What is Sitting Out practice? "Sitting Out" is a stripped-down, elemental form of sitting practice. You commit to staying put in the natural world for long stretches of time. We chose a spot 2m x 2m and stay there for an hour or two. We are not 'doing sitting meditation', you don't need to sit in a posture or be still. You can look around, stand up, stretch, sit down, smell the flowers. But don't leave your spot. Within this simple constraint, you simply watch your mind and your impulses. With time something magical unfolds as the habitual mind stills and the natural mind shines. We will support everyone in this process, starting small and building up to 4 hour sessions. This is a nature practice so be prepared for all weathers and temperatures. There will plenty of time to integrate our experiences as a group and communal sessions at the start and end of the day. Experience the magic of Sitting Out What to expect from a Mindsprings Retreat Our first evening together on Wednesday is a chance to arrive, enjoy some food and get to know one another. Most people are tired from travel and we'll have an early night after some relaxation. The daily schedule for the Thursday-Sunday is fairly similar We start with some gentle stretching and a silent sit before breakfast . This is a great way to start the day. After Derry's delicious breakfast, Alistair will frame the practice instructions for the day and then we will practice out in the open air. After lunch, the afternoon is a period for rest or walking or exploring practice further. We will meet for a second session before supper in the later afternoon. After supper, there is a to sit together and integrate what we have learned during the day. Generally, it's light's out and silence after 9.30pm - so early nights, though you could go for a moonlight walk! This is not a completely silent retreat but we do encourage the afternoons (and obviously the sitting out sessions!) to be silent. Or at least respectful of other people's wish for silence. About the teacher Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings , his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands. Food, Accommodation and Pricing Derry who, along with Roz, runs the Gayles retreat centre is also a wonderful cook and he will be providing delicious vegetarian food throughout. Much of it grown on the centre's own allotment. There will be breakfast, lunch and supper and tea and snacks available throughout the day. Vegan and wheat-free diets are also catered for. ​ There are a number of options for accommodation: 8 places in the spacious, comfortable female dormitory 4 places in the smaller male dormitory 3 private rooms in the house: a double, a single and an ensuite-single 3 tents for camping in the orchard. ​ The price of the retreat including the teaching, food and 4-nights's accommodation ranges from £400 - £690. You can reserve your accommodation when booking. Choose your accommodation here Drop us a line about bursaries Don't let money stop you coming on retreat... Mindsprings would like people to practice even if they are struggling financially, for whatever reason. We offer a limited number of partial bursaries for these retreats. Getting to Gayles Gayles is situated off the A259, mid-way between Eastbourne and Seaford and just a mile from the picturesque village of East Dean. Being an hour and a half from central London and just over half an hour from Brighton, whether driving or taking public transport, it is easy to find and access is excellent. Frequently Asked Questions My login doesn't work anymore. Can you help? This new site needs a one-time signup. If you have a email/password combo from the Mindsprings School (Beingfulness, Anxiety courses etc.) then I suggest using the same one. But you will need to sign up one time only to access the site (use those same details if you like) and then you'll be able to access everything with that login the next time you visit! Where have my online courses gone? All the online self-study courses are still on the Mindsprings School. You can access this under Courses > Self Study on the navigation bar. I'm trying to find a way to synchronise the school with the new site - but everything is safe and sound there for your perusal. When are the live online classes starting again? I'm starting to teach online three times a week from the 20th October 2022. You can find out more and book your classes here. Book your Gayles Retreat here!