PSYCHOTHERAPY Thank you for your interest in my therapy work. Sometimes you might find that patterns from the past have left you 'stuck' in painful and unfulfilling life situations. And no matter how much you try to rescue yourself with your old solutions, things seem to stay stuck or get worse. Working with a trained and kind therapist can really help free up these stuck moments in a human life. Talking, reflecting, seeing things in a new way. Using energy work to unlock trauma patterns and safely dismantle dysfunctional coping strategies from early in life. Being heard. All of these can be gifts to yourself at the crucial pathways of your existence. I've been working as a therapist for more than 12 years now and believe that short, sustained stretches of psychotherapy (12 to 24 weeks) can make a massive difference to your mental health. Here’s a little about my training and how I work: I’m a qualified Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with an MA in Advanced Psychotherapy from Middlesex University. I trained at the Minster Centre with an integrative approach that highlights an awareness of the body and our relationships with one another. I have been a fully accredited member of the UKCP since 2014. My background in somatic meditation informs my work with clients. As a queer man I feel an affinity with the LGBTQ+ community and our mental health I’m also trained as a practitioner in AIT, a form of energy psychology that shows very powerful results in removing the energetic blocks left by the traumas of our past life. I work as a private practitioner in Penzance, Cornwall. Since 2020, most of my practice has been conducted online. We can arrange a free 20-minute consultation on Zoom and then decide if we are a good fit… Sessions are £70 a therapeutic hour (50 mins) and are arranged by private consultation. Please contact me via the form below. Or if you have any further questions, then please email me at therapy@mind-springs.org Request a Psychotherapy Assessment Call Please take a moment to fill out the form. First Name Last Name Email Phone number Give brief outline of the issues you would like to explore Submit

The portal for adding to the monthly Mandala newletter. Please add your suggestions, books, teachings, YouTube links, favourite places, and projects you're running MANDALA Contribute to the Mindsprings Mandala bi-monthly mailout. If you would like to be an active participant in making the monthly Mandala Mailout and have some things you'd like to share this is the portal. Please use the form below to submit your book-, film-, music-, podcast-, life-recommendations for our Mandala of beautiful and wise things. Add to the Mandala... First Name Last Name Email Please let us know what you'd like to weave into the mandala... If there's a link to this, please add it here... How would you categorise your contributions. Film Books Podcast YouTube Link Music Featured Member Slot Submit Thanks for being part of the Mandala!

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Would you like to support the Mindsprings community and get great access, make savings and roam all the material? This is the place to choose a supporting membership package. SUPPORTING MEMBERS Want to access all the classes? Get 10% off all retreats? Supporting members are generous souls who make a monthly contribution to Mindsprings and get free access to what we offer here. Becoming a MINDSPRINGER allows you to book all the Zoom sessions you like, browse the hundreds of video-teachings and guided meditations in the Mindsprings library, get 10% off in-person and online retreats, and 20% off the online study courses like Mastering the Monsters of Anxiety and Beingfulness. Mindspringer GBP 20 20GBP Cada mes Access the online classes and the library and save on retreats and courses! 30 días de prueba gratuita Iniciar prueba gratuita Access Alistair's weekly online sessions for free Access the complete video library Get 10% off in-person and online retreats Get 20% off the online courses for anxiety, or Beingfulness Don't let money stop you accessing everything that Mindsprings Meditation offers. If these subscriptions are too much for your budget, please don't hesitate to drop me a line and I can offer you a bursary rate. No problems!

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Alistair Appletons Mindsprings In-person retreats and events IN PERSON Join me in stunning locations across Europe for weekends and longer retreats together. Mindsprings began on Holy Island and since then I have had the pleasure to teach in London, Dublin, Scarborough, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Iceland, Holland and Sweden. Please take a look to see what's coming up... Oferta de membresía Dublin 2026 sáb, 12 sept Oscailt Integrative Health Centre Leer más BOOK Oferta de membresía Cabilla October Retreat jue, 15 oct CABILLA CORNWALL Leer más BOOK Oferta de membresía Rosemerryn November 2026 jue, 19 nov Rosemerrynwood Leer más BOOK Oferta de membresía London Weekend: Free Yourself from Guilt sáb, 12 dic Kagyu Samye Dzong London Tibetan Buddhis Leer más BOOK

Alistair Appletons Mindsprings Podcast PODCAST

Relax and Enjoy — a community enquiry from Alistair / Mindsprings I've been exploring two deceptively simple questions for most of this year: what does it mean to genuinely relax, and what does it mean to genuinely enjoy your life? Not as self-improvement goals but as something more fundamental — a natural condition that somehow keeps getting squeezed out. I'd love your help thinking this through. This isn't a formal survey — it's an invitation to reflect, and your answers will genuinely shape how I teach and write about this. There are no right answers, and partial or uncertain responses are just as useful as confident ones. Take as much or as little space as you need. First name Last name Email Part One - Relaxation 1. In your own experience, what most gets in the way of relaxing? This might be external (circumstances, busyness, other people) or internal (thoughts, physical tension, a feeling that you shouldn't). Feel free to be specific and personal rather than general. Obstacles to relaxation 2. And on the other side — what conditions, if any, tend to allow relaxation to happen? Not what you do to relax, but what seems to create the ground for it to arise naturally. Things that foster relaxation 3. On a scale of 1–5, how easy do you find it to relax in ordinary daily life? (1 = very difficult, 5 = comes fairly naturally) Ease of relaxation 4. A word question: does "relax" feel like the right word for what we're pointing at, or does it carry unhelpful associations for you? Some people find it implies going limp or switching off. Others associate it with effort ("I'm trying to relax"). Does the word land well, or would something like ease feel closer? "Relax" - is it the right word? Part Two - Enjoyment NOTE: When I use the word "enjoyment" I'm talking about a state of mind that makes experience meaningful and enjoyable. It's not necessarily linked to pleasurable conditions. We might for example be able to enjoy sadness. It's more akin to an ability to savour our existence. 5. What most gets in the way of genuine enjoyment in your life? Again, external or internal, circumstantial or habitual. Try to be specific if you can — the particular is more useful here than the general. Obstacles to enjoyment 6. What conditions, if any, seem to allow enjoyment to arise naturally? Conditions for enjoyment 7. On a scale of 1–5, how much genuine enjoyment would you say is present in your daily life? (1 = very little, 5 = quite a lot) Star rating 8. Another word question, and possibly the most interesting one: When you hear the word enjoy , what does it evoke? Pleasure? Happiness? Something forced or performative ("enjoy your meal!")? Does it feel like a shallow word, or does it carry real meaning for you? And does savour feel different — more embodied, more present-tense, more about quality of attention? Or does it feel precious or food-specific? "Enjoy" - is it the right word? Part Three - A little terminology 9. Have you encountered the idea of "observer consciousness" — the sense of a part of you watching your own experience from a slight distance? Observer Consciousness Yes, I'm familiar with this I've heard it but I don't know what it means for me This is not something I recognise If you're familiar with it — do you find it a useful concept in your own practice, or does it create problems? Further thoughts on observer 10. Is there a word or phrase that YOU use — in your own inner life or practice — for the quality of enjoyment and relaxation we're circling around here? Something that captures what it feels like when experience is being met well, received fully, without grasping or aversion? This is genuinely open — I'm curious what language arises naturally for people rather than what I've been teaching. Other language for 'relax and enjoy' Finally: Is there anything else you'd want to say about relaxation, enjoyment, or the relationship between them that these questions didn't quite reach? Final thoughts Many thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to think about this stuff with me. I hope that it will all add up to something of benefit to the world. Best wishes, Alistair Submit

Stilling the Mind with Shamata and Shinay Start learning here Write a title here. Click to edit and add your own. This is a paragraph area where you can add your own text. Just click “Edit Text” or double click here to add your own content and make changes to the font. It's a great place to tell a story about your business and let users know more about you. Eco-Friendly Design 24/7 Support Multilingual Functionality Advanced Tech Join the course right away A title goes here. Click to edit and add your own. This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand. “Testimonials provide a sense of what it's like to work with you or use your products. Change the text and add your own." Alexa Young, CA Special Deals Add information about the sale and encourage users to take advantage of the promotion. Be sure to include any relevant details you want shoppers to know about the sale or your store. Click to edit the text. Shop Now Our Story Read More Get to Know Us This is a paragraph about your business. Let your visitors know who you are, what you do and what your website is all about. Double click on the text box to edit the text and add all the information you want to share. - Final Sale - Get 30% Off Shop Now This is a title. This is a paragraph area where you can add your own text. Just click “Edit Text” or double click here to add your own content and make changes to the font. It's a great place to tell a story about your business and let users know more about you. Preguntas frecuentes Online Courses Dundreggan Rosemerryn Cabilla Holy Island General Gayles Sitting Out Gayles Beingfulness Setting up FAQs General Aún no hay preguntas frecuentes Esta categoría no tiene ninguna pregunta frecuente por ahora. Vuelve a revisar en otro momento o explora otras categorías. Call 123-456-7890 Email info@mysite.com Follow

Alistair Appletons Mindsprings Videos VIDEOS Dive into this library of video teaching from Alistair. Guided meditations (usually around 30-40 minutes) Teaching on various topics: body-based meditation, compassion, internal family systems and much more Alistair's answers to students We've organised the 150+ videos into different channels and categories. You need to be a supporting member to access the golden ones! Good for Beginners Tips and Talks on How to Meditate Bringing the Body Online Untangling Thoughts & Thinking Soothing & Centring the Body-MInd Maitri: Loving Your Inner Parts Opening the Heart to Others All the Guided Meditations All the Teaching Community Favorites Beginners Good for Beginners Here are a dozen practices that give you a good taste of embodied meditation. Many of them done standing up: Starting with a lovely set of energy practices, bring energy into the standing body Then moving into the classic Mindsprings relaxation, Polyvagal Tuning . Then a brace of practice looking at tracking the energy around the somatic circuit And three practices working with awareness and stillness: 3 Objects , Mantra and the Practice of Fives Then there are two tasters of Beingfulness and Tonglen Finishing with a recap of the energy workout with my dog, Ben. Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:39 Windhorse Practice I During the Summer 2025 retreat on Holy Island, Alistair introduced a new, short meditation practice that is based on the Tibetan Windhorse practice. This was the first time he taught it to the Zoom community. #windhorse #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 36:07 GM Windhorse III Reproducir video Reproducir video 36:03 Windhorse Standing and Sitting A 40' guided version of the Windhorse practice - both standing and sitting. A great everyday practice that uses 7x7 breaths. #windhorse #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 32:06 Fighting Festive Frazzle The Annual Mindsprings session giving some tips and tricks from the world of therapy and meditation to navigate the ups and downs of Christmas #fightingfestivefrazzle #XmasFirstAid #holidaystress Reproducir video Reproducir video 22:09 Festive Do's and Don'ts A list of 10 Dos and Don'ts for getting through Xmas in one piece #FightingFestiveFrazzle Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:37 GM Kaleidoscope Returning to a classic Beingfulness practice, in this Monday session from Spring 2024, we enjoy sitting in the four fields like a child playing with a kaleidoscope. #kaleidoscope #beingfulness #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 42:23 GM Expanding Through the Senses Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:38 Three Objects 2024 Starting 2024 with the classic meditation for sharpening our experience of awareness and how we have the power to move it at will. A wonderful practice for any occasion. #threeobjects #Beingfulness #Monday #awareness Tips and Talks on How to Meditate After and during many of the live Mindsprings sessions, Alistair talks about some of the misconceptions and common questions arising for meditators. These 13 short talks address a potpourri of subjects: Eyes shut or open during meditation? Not identifying with our thoughts The goal of the 'aerated' self Meditation on the cushion vs. meditation in the 'real' world Not falling into the pitfall of looking for calm Some practical unpacking of practices like kapalabati and the practice of fives How to Meditate Reproducir video Reproducir video Kapalabati unpacked Another nuts and bolts explanation of a practice we often do in Mindsprings sessions, Skull Brightening Breath (Kapalabati). This is potential energy clearing breath practice #pranayama #explanation #kapalabti #meditation #short Reproducir video Reproducir video Is meditation in the real world better than meditation at home? Is meditation another thing you do or is it part of your everyday life? From the car park of M25 Services at Cobham, whilst away filming for Escape to the Country, .From the carpark of M25 Services at Cobham, I answer Jane's question about the benefit of formal practice vs. everyday practice. #short #meditation #practice #dzogchen #shamata Reproducir video Reproducir video Images for suffusing awareness As we practice the rising-descending torus meditation, the question of how to describe the process of 'suffusion' in energy leads to discussion of various images #short #imagery #awareness #meditation #suffusion #Pali #Tripitika Reproducir video Reproducir video The purpose is not to be calm Jane speaks about John Kabat-Zinn's refutation of meditation as a 'calming' thing. And I agree... It's much more powerful than that. Reproducir video Reproducir video Intro to the Practice of Five The introduction to my shamata-vipassana meditation called 'The Practice of Five'. This involves an alternating practice of calm abiding and beingful awareness, measured out by the fingers of each hand #explanation #practiceoffive #shamata #vipassana #meditation #teaching Reproducir video Reproducir video Practice of Fives unpacked From the car in Pembrokeshire, I unpack the practice of fives, which combines shamata and vipassana in an alternating sequence. #teaching #shamata #vipassana #explanation #meditation #guide Reproducir video Reproducir video The aerated sense of self Following on from Valerie's description of her experience in the four fields practice, I talk about the 'aerated' sense of self which comes when we learn to see our self as constructed of discrete phenomena. #fourfields #beingfulness #noself #self #teaching Reproducir video Reproducir video The Three Stages of Shamata Following Dameon's question about the shamata / self-soothing practice (without mantra) I go through the three stages of the practice and outline some of the benefits. #teaching #meditation # shamata #soothing Bringing the Body Online Bringing the Body Online Mindsprings grounds a lot of the meditation we do in the body and this is a great selection of somatic practices: We start with two simple energy exercises which you can use before any practice session. Then there's little talk on the specific nature of somatic practice. Two practices introduce Alistair's Polyvagal Tuning which is a great somatic practice for bringing us into a positive body-mind state. Then there is a suite of practices introducing the Somatic Circuit - a great way to find your way back into the body. Next, are practices opening up this space: the Somatic Tent . Followed by a more advanced energy practice known as the Torus . Finally, there is the classic practice of Earth Breathing and some somatic practices opening the heart for Compassion work. Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:29 GM Energy Workout & Tune Ups Starting a new sequence of Tuesday teachings looking at energy psychology, Alistair explains the concepts of online/offline and guides us through Donna Eden's energy workout #energypsychology #tapping #online #tuneups #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 42:07 GM Being with the Body Following the May Cliffhouse retreat with the subject of "Sitting with the Body", this Monday morning session took up the same theme. #4fields #7cycles #body #beingfulness Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:18 GM Earth Breathing & Ego Loop From our Tuesday evening session in late March 2024. Combining the classic earth breathing practice with an exploration of the source of our anxiety - the ego loop. #earthbreathing #egoloop #tuesday #meditation Reproducir video Reproducir video 34:56 GM Voo & The Jellyfish From our Tuesday session in April 2024. This was in 2 parts. The first using the VOO breath to calm the nervous system and then a lying-down practice exploring the vagus nerve. #vagus #nervoussystem #calming #guided #breathing Reproducir video Reproducir video 42:43 GM Shamata on Sounds From our 2024 season looking at Shamata - Vipashyna. This Shamata practice uses sound as the anchor. #shamata #sounds #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 33:15 GM Polyvagal Tuning The classic stress busting exercise from Mindsprings. Lie down and let the ventral vagal tone take over. #PVT #Stress #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 33:36 GM The Blind Body From our Monday session in mid June 2023, where we were exploring the body-from-within. #beingfulness #body #somatic #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 43:12 GM 8 Cycles of the Body From our Monday session on 3rd July 2023, looking at the body field in our exploration of Beingfulness. This is a lying down practice exploring the 8 interlocking and inter-nested cycles of somatic phenomena. #beingfulness #somatic #cycles #guided Thoughts & Thinking Untangling Thoughts & Thinking After and during many of the live Mindsprings sessions, Alistair talks about some of the misconceptions and common questions arising for meditators. These 13 short talks address a potpourri of subjects: Eyes shut or open during meditation? Not identifying with our thoughts The goal of the 'aerated' self Meditation on the cushion vs. meditation in the 'real' world Not falling into the pitfall of looking for calm Some practical unpacking of practices like kapalabati and the practice of fives Soothing & Centring the Body-Mind Central to all meditation is the ability to calm and soothe the body-mind. Without this, all further therapeutic elaborations tend to disappear in a morass of fizzy distraction: The soothing practice of Earth Breathing Shamata or calming practice: the practice of Fives Working with mantra Frond breathing Tonglen and compassion for our own experience Soothing & Centring Maitri: Loving Your Inner Parts Before we can love others we have to be aware of and love the multiplicity of parts within our own psyche. The practice of maitri (of self-compassion) explores this with the help of Richard Schwartz' Internal Family Systems. Beginning with a short overview, we dive into the crucial experience of the 'backspace which gives us the somatic field of loving-kindness into which our parts can peep. we can explore the parts that Schwartz identifies as firefighters, managers and exiles in our practice and bring some kindness and clarity to them. These parts often manifest in specific somatic ways as explored in the teaching around cylinders Two more talks about the wider ramifications of this work in our lives. Maitri Opening the Heart to Others Ultimately all our practice comes back to how we relate to others. The cast-iron patterns of selfishness are hard to soften. But therapeutic meditation turns a lot to Buddhist practice here: Guided practices to feel the embodied 'backspace' essential for compassion practice Embodied versions of the Buddhist practice of tonglen Explorations of the awakened heart or bodhicitta Discussing the practical challenges of loving others Compassion All the Guided Practices The Mindsprings Video library contains more than 50 guided meditations ranging from 10 to 50 minutes. Please use the search function to pinpoint the practice you want or look through the categories to find inspiration. All GMs All the Teaching The Mindsprings Video library contains more than 100 recorded teachings. Some are short answers to questions Alistair gave during sessions. Some are longer teaching on meditation, therapy or Buddhism. Please use the search function to pinpoint the practice you want or look through the categories to find inspiration. All Teaching

Alistair Appletons Mindsprings Videos VIDEOS Dive into this library of video teaching from Alistair. Guided meditations (usually around 30-40 minutes) Teaching on various topics: body-based meditation, compassion, internal family systems and much more Alistair's answers to students We've organised the 150+ videos into different channels and categories. You need to be a supporting member to access the golden ones! Films and Fun Things Good for Beginners Tips and Talks on How to Meditate Bringing the Body Online Buddhist Dharma Soothing & Centring the Body-MInd Maitri: Loving Your Inner Parts Community Favorites Opening the Heart to Others All the Guided Meditations All the Teaching Untangling Thoughts & Thinking Films and Fun Stuff This is a collection of some short films and documentaries Alistair has made: An Introduction to Holy Island Green Tara Island Thoughts on the Sea Sitting the Downs Reproducir video Reproducir video Kapalabati unpacked Another nuts and bolts explanation of a practice we often do in Mindsprings sessions, Skull Brightening Breath (Kapalabati). This is potential energy clearing breath practice #pranayama #explanation #kapalabti #meditation #short Reproducir video Reproducir video Is meditation in the real world better than meditation at home? Is meditation another thing you do or is it part of your everyday life? From the car park of M25 Services at Cobham, whilst away filming for Escape to the Country, .From the carpark of M25 Services at Cobham, I answer Jane's question about the benefit of formal practice vs. everyday practice. #short #meditation #practice #dzogchen #shamata Reproducir video Reproducir video Images for suffusing awareness As we practice the rising-descending torus meditation, the question of how to describe the process of 'suffusion' in energy leads to discussion of various images #short #imagery #awareness #meditation #suffusion #Pali #Tripitika Reproducir video Reproducir video The purpose is not to be calm Jane speaks about John Kabat-Zinn's refutation of meditation as a 'calming' thing. And I agree... It's much more powerful than that. Reproducir video Reproducir video Intro to the Practice of Five The introduction to my shamata-vipassana meditation called 'The Practice of Five'. This involves an alternating practice of calm abiding and beingful awareness, measured out by the fingers of each hand #explanation #practiceoffive #shamata #vipassana #meditation #teaching Reproducir video Reproducir video Practice of Fives unpacked From the car in Pembrokeshire, I unpack the practice of fives, which combines shamata and vipassana in an alternating sequence. #teaching #shamata #vipassana #explanation #meditation #guide Reproducir video Reproducir video The aerated sense of self Following on from Valerie's description of her experience in the four fields practice, I talk about the 'aerated' sense of self which comes when we learn to see our self as constructed of discrete phenomena. #fourfields #beingfulness #noself #self #teaching Reproducir video Reproducir video The Three Stages of Shamata Following Dameon's question about the shamata / self-soothing practice (without mantra) I go through the three stages of the practice and outline some of the benefits. #teaching #meditation # shamata #soothing Films & Fun Stuff Reproducir video Reproducir video 01:55 Without string a violin is just a box A snippet from our Tuesday evening live sessions where the focus is on stress-reduction and anxiety. This was a wonderful exploration of grief. Come and join us - the first month is completely free : https://www.mind-springs.org/online-live Reproducir video Reproducir video The Island For those who have never been to Holy Island, Alistair gives some introductory pointers and a little taste of why it's so magical... Reproducir video Reproducir video Green Tara Island Alistair speaks from Holy Island about the need for clean, compassionate action in the world, represented by the Tibetan figure of Green Tara. Reproducir video Reproducir video Caves Alistair continues his exploration of Holy Island. In this video he ponders the magic of meditating in caves. Reproducir video Reproducir video The Sea! The Sea! Alistair ponders the role of the sea in spiritual practice Reproducir video Reproducir video Mindsprings - Sit the Downs Alistair Appleton teaches us how to open to the landscape below us using somatic meditation Reproducir video Reproducir video Head-in-the-Sand Land Alistair speaks to the psychological underpinnings of climate change denial. We can find a way of empathising with that desire to dissociate the unthinkable. Beginners Good for Beginners Here are a dozen practices that give you a good taste of embodied meditation. Many of them done standing up: Starting with a lovely set of energy practices, bring energy into the standing body Then moving into the classic Mindsprings relaxation, Polyvagal Tuning . Then a brace of practice looking at tracking the energy around the somatic circuit And three practices working with awareness and stillness: 3 Objects , Mantra and the Practice of Fives Then there are two tasters of Beingfulness and Tonglen Finishing with a recap of the energy workout with my dog, Ben. Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:39 Windhorse Practice I During the Summer 2025 retreat on Holy Island, Alistair introduced a new, short meditation practice that is based on the Tibetan Windhorse practice. This was the first time he taught it to the Zoom community. #windhorse #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 36:07 GM Windhorse III Reproducir video Reproducir video 36:03 Windhorse Standing and Sitting A 40' guided version of the Windhorse practice - both standing and sitting. A great everyday practice that uses 7x7 breaths. #windhorse #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 32:06 Fighting Festive Frazzle The Annual Mindsprings session giving some tips and tricks from the world of therapy and meditation to navigate the ups and downs of Christmas #fightingfestivefrazzle #XmasFirstAid #holidaystress Reproducir video Reproducir video 22:09 Festive Do's and Don'ts A list of 10 Dos and Don'ts for getting through Xmas in one piece #FightingFestiveFrazzle Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:37 GM Kaleidoscope Returning to a classic Beingfulness practice, in this Monday session from Spring 2024, we enjoy sitting in the four fields like a child playing with a kaleidoscope. #kaleidoscope #beingfulness #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 42:23 GM Expanding Through the Senses Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:38 Three Objects 2024 Starting 2024 with the classic meditation for sharpening our experience of awareness and how we have the power to move it at will. A wonderful practice for any occasion. #threeobjects #Beingfulness #Monday #awareness Tips and Talks on How to Meditate After and during many of the live Mindsprings sessions, Alistair talks about some of the misconceptions and common questions arising for meditators. These 13 short talks address a potpourri of subjects: Eyes shut or open during meditation? Not identifying with our thoughts The goal of the 'aerated' self Meditation on the cushion vs. meditation in the 'real' world Not falling into the pitfall of looking for calm Some practical unpacking of practices like kapalabati and the practice of fives How to Meditate Reproducir video Reproducir video Kapalabati unpacked Another nuts and bolts explanation of a practice we often do in Mindsprings sessions, Skull Brightening Breath (Kapalabati). This is potential energy clearing breath practice #pranayama #explanation #kapalabti #meditation #short Reproducir video Reproducir video Is meditation in the real world better than meditation at home? Is meditation another thing you do or is it part of your everyday life? From the car park of M25 Services at Cobham, whilst away filming for Escape to the Country, .From the carpark of M25 Services at Cobham, I answer Jane's question about the benefit of formal practice vs. everyday practice. #short #meditation #practice #dzogchen #shamata Reproducir video Reproducir video Images for suffusing awareness As we practice the rising-descending torus meditation, the question of how to describe the process of 'suffusion' in energy leads to discussion of various images #short #imagery #awareness #meditation #suffusion #Pali #Tripitika Reproducir video Reproducir video The purpose is not to be calm Jane speaks about John Kabat-Zinn's refutation of meditation as a 'calming' thing. And I agree... It's much more powerful than that. Reproducir video Reproducir video Intro to the Practice of Five The introduction to my shamata-vipassana meditation called 'The Practice of Five'. This involves an alternating practice of calm abiding and beingful awareness, measured out by the fingers of each hand #explanation #practiceoffive #shamata #vipassana #meditation #teaching Reproducir video Reproducir video Practice of Fives unpacked From the car in Pembrokeshire, I unpack the practice of fives, which combines shamata and vipassana in an alternating sequence. #teaching #shamata #vipassana #explanation #meditation #guide Reproducir video Reproducir video The aerated sense of self Following on from Valerie's description of her experience in the four fields practice, I talk about the 'aerated' sense of self which comes when we learn to see our self as constructed of discrete phenomena. #fourfields #beingfulness #noself #self #teaching Reproducir video Reproducir video The Three Stages of Shamata Following Dameon's question about the shamata / self-soothing practice (without mantra) I go through the three stages of the practice and outline some of the benefits. #teaching #meditation # shamata #soothing Maitri How to Meditate Buddhist Dharma Every Thursday, Alistair lets his 'dharma flag fly' and leads the Mindspringers in an exploration of Buddhist teaching (known as dharma). How do the 2,500 years of Buddhist practice and teaching help us suffer less, and how can we apply these amazingly useful skills in our meditation and in our everyday life? Some teachings are arranged in series (Karama, Atisha etc) and some are more diffuse. Please explore! Reproducir video Reproducir video 54:01 Shantideva: Patience (14/05/26) Alistair led a Thursday morning session focused on Buddhist Dharma and the concept of love in Buddhism, specifically examining Chapter 6 of Shantideva's "The Way of the Bodhisattva" on patience. The session began with energy work and meditation practices before delving into Shantideva's teachings on how patience can help practitioners sit with difficult emotions rather than reacting to them. Participants, including Sian and Patti, shared personal insights about working with anger and hatred, with Alistair guiding the group to understand that emotions are temporary phenomena created by conditions rather than solid, permanent things. The discussion emphasized that patience is a foundational parameter of love, requiring practitioners to acknowledge and sit with difficult emotions without judgment, as a preliminary step toward emotional maturity and reducing suffering. Reproducir video Reproducir video 48:49 Shantideva: Mega Stretchy "I" (11/06/26) Alistair led a Buddhist meditation session focused on Chapter 8 of "The Way of the Bodhisattva," exploring the practice of Tonglen (exchanging self for other) and the concept of expanding the sense of self to include all beings. The session began with energy work and stretching exercises before delving into the "mega stretchy eye" practice, where participants were encouraged to gradually extend their sense of identity to encompass family, friends, neighbors, and eventually all living beings throughout the universe. Alistair explained that this expansion helps dissolve the arbitrary division between self and other, making it easier to practice Tonglen by taking in others' suffering and giving away one's good fortune. During the practice period, Alex shared difficulties with letting go of the sense of self, while Alistair offered guidance on recognizing that the concept of "I" is largely a habitual construct rather than a fixed reality. The session concluded with participants offering the benefits of their practice into the world and expressing gratitude to one another. Reproducir video Reproducir video 59:25 Shantideva: Equalising Self and Other (18/06/26) Alistair led a Thursday morning Buddhist Dharma session focused on Mahayana Buddhism and the practice of equalizing self and other from Shantideva's "The Way of the Bodhisattva." The session began with energy work and subtle body practices before exploring the concept of loving awareness and cultivating an open-hearted, boundaryless state. Participants discussed questions about boundaries, with Patti asking about the balance between needing personal boundaries and the spiritual practice of boundarylessness, and Amanda highlighting how physical boundaries, particularly for women in patriarchal societies, differ from psychological boundaries. Alistair explained that while therapeutic boundaries are necessary, spiritual practice aims to soften rigid boundaries by recognizing that ego and solid self-identity are not fixed but fluid and interconnected with all consciousness. Reproducir video Reproducir video 56:53 Shantideva: Tonglen (04/06/26) Alistair led a Thursday morning Buddhist study session focused on Shantideva's eighth chapter on meditation and the practice of Tonglen. The session began with physical exercises and breathing practices before exploring the concept of equalizing self and other, which is essential for understanding Buddhist conceptions of love. Alistair explained that Shantideva teaches students to recognize that pain is pain whether it's personal or someone else's, and that the distinction between "my pain" and "your pain" is merely a habit of mind that amplifies suffering. During the discussion, Rosie expressed confusion about applying this concept in practice, while Patrizia shared a related teaching from Patrullo Rinpoche about removing either the subject or object of emotions to dissolve suffering. Alistair emphasized that this teaching represents a radical shift in consciousness that takes time to understand and implement, encouraging participants to continue exploring these concepts even if they found them challenging. Reproducir video Reproducir video 53:07 The Heart Sutra 3 (30th June 26) Today we were looking at one section of the Heart Sutra that focuses on letting go of attainment and using the 'blade' of emptiness to cut through our fear and suffering #heartsutta #mahayana #dharma #emptiness Summary Heart Sutra Study Session Alistair led a Thursday morning session focused on the Heart Sutra, one of the main teachings in Mahayana Buddhism on emptiness, as preparation for studying the Lojong slogans in September. He explained that bodhisattvas who have gone beyond attainment rely on the perfection of wisdom to overcome fear and achieve enlightenment in the present moment rather than over time. The session included a guided energy practice and concluded with contemplation on how understanding emptiness can dissolve fear and lead to a mind of perfect love and compassion. Summer Break Meditation Practices Alex shared feelings about missing the morning sessions and meditation practice during the upcoming break, which Alistair acknowledged as a natural response to impermanence. Alistair suggested practices to help with the transition, including daily chanting of the Heart Sutra mantra and exploring additional Buddhist teachings during the summer break. The group ended with a collective chanting of the mantra "Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhiswaha" as a practice to remember the teachings and support continued spiritual growth. Reproducir video Reproducir video 52:14 Shantideva: Heroic Perseverence (21/05/26) Alistair conducted a discussion on Buddhist concepts of love, focusing on the Mahayana idea of Bodhichitta (enlightened heart quality) and heroic perseverance from Shantideva's text "The Bodhisattva's Way of Life." He explained that Bodhichitta extends beyond romantic love to include universal love for all beings and all aspects of existence, including one's own body. The discussion explored the four paramitas of cultivating love: generosity, discipline, patience, and heroic perseverance or diligence. Alistair emphasized that difficulties and suffering should be seen as opportunities to practice love and kindness rather than obstacles, drawing parallels to existential philosophy and encouraging participants to view challenges as springboards for growth rather than sources of suffering. Reproducir video Reproducir video 49:10 Heart Sutra 1 (16/07/26) Alistair led a Buddhist teaching session focused on the Heart Sutra, describing it as a quintessential Mahayana text on the perfection of wisdom (prajnaparamita) that continues the exploration of Buddhist pathways to love begun with Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva. He explained the historical context of the text, traditionally attributed to the Buddha but likely composed much later in China, and guided participants through a physical energy practice to prepare for contemplation. The session included listening to the Heart Sutra sung by monks and nuns from Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village community, with Alistair emphasizing that the practice aims to overcome suffering and delusion by understanding emptiness, ultimately leading to a profound spiritual love rather than romantic attachment. Reproducir video Reproducir video 54:16 Shantideva: Wisdom and Emptiness (09/07/26) Alistair led a Buddhist study session focused on Shantideva's "The Way of the Bodhisattva," specifically examining Chapter 9 on wisdom and emptiness. The session began with gentle energy work and breathing exercises before diving into the complex philosophical teachings about the relationship between relative and ultimate truth. Alistair explained that wisdom (Prajna) is essential for ending suffering and that true wisdom recognizes the fluid, interconnected nature of self and other rather than solid, separate entities. The group discussed how understanding emptiness leads to compassion rather than detachment, with participants sharing their experiences of the profound insights presented in the text. The session concluded with plans to explore the Heart Sutta in the following week's meeting. Bringing the Body Online Bringing the Body Online Mindsprings grounds a lot of the meditation we do in the body and this is a great selection of somatic practices: We start with two simple energy exercises which you can use before any practice session. Then there's little talk on the specific nature of somatic practice. Two practices introduce Alistair's Polyvagal Tuning which is a great somatic practice for bringing us into a positive body-mind state. Then there is a suite of practices introducing the Somatic Circuit - a great way to find your way back into the body. Next, are practices opening up this space: the Somatic Tent . Followed by a more advanced energy practice known as the Torus . Finally, there is the classic practice of Earth Breathing and some somatic practices opening the heart for Compassion work. Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:29 GM Energy Workout & Tune Ups Starting a new sequence of Tuesday teachings looking at energy psychology, Alistair explains the concepts of online/offline and guides us through Donna Eden's energy workout #energypsychology #tapping #online #tuneups #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 42:07 GM Being with the Body Following the May Cliffhouse retreat with the subject of "Sitting with the Body", this Monday morning session took up the same theme. #4fields #7cycles #body #beingfulness Reproducir video Reproducir video 39:18 GM Earth Breathing & Ego Loop From our Tuesday evening session in late March 2024. Combining the classic earth breathing practice with an exploration of the source of our anxiety - the ego loop. #earthbreathing #egoloop #tuesday #meditation Reproducir video Reproducir video 34:56 GM Voo & The Jellyfish From our Tuesday session in April 2024. This was in 2 parts. The first using the VOO breath to calm the nervous system and then a lying-down practice exploring the vagus nerve. #vagus #nervoussystem #calming #guided #breathing Reproducir video Reproducir video 42:43 GM Shamata on Sounds From our 2024 season looking at Shamata - Vipashyna. This Shamata practice uses sound as the anchor. #shamata #sounds #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 33:15 GM Polyvagal Tuning The classic stress busting exercise from Mindsprings. Lie down and let the ventral vagal tone take over. #PVT #Stress #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 33:36 GM The Blind Body From our Monday session in mid June 2023, where we were exploring the body-from-within. #beingfulness #body #somatic #guided Reproducir video Reproducir video 43:12 GM 8 Cycles of the Body From our Monday session on 3rd July 2023, looking at the body field in our exploration of Beingfulness. This is a lying down practice exploring the 8 interlocking and inter-nested cycles of somatic phenomena. #beingfulness #somatic #cycles #guided Thoughts & Thinking Untangling Thoughts & Thinking After and during many of the live Mindsprings sessions, Alistair talks about some of the misconceptions and common questions arising for meditators. These 13 short talks address a potpourri of subjects: Eyes shut or open during meditation? Not identifying with our thoughts The goal of the 'aerated' self Meditation on the cushion vs. meditation in the 'real' world Not falling into the pitfall of looking for calm Some practical unpacking of practices like kapalabati and the practice of fives Soothing & Centring the Body-Mind Central to all meditation is the ability to calm and soothe the body-mind. Without this, all further therapeutic elaborations tend to disappear in a morass of fizzy distraction: The soothing practice of Earth Breathing Shamata or calming practice: the practice of Fives Working with mantra Frond breathing Tonglen and compassion for our own experience Soothing & Centring Maitri: Loving Your Inner Parts Before we can love others we have to be aware of and love the multiplicity of parts within our own psyche. The practice of maitri (of self-compassion) explores this with the help of Richard Schwartz' Internal Family Systems. Beginning with a short overview, we dive into the crucial experience of the 'backspace which gives us the somatic field of loving-kindness into which our parts can peep. we can explore the parts that Schwartz identifies as firefighters, managers and exiles in our practice and bring some kindness and clarity to them. These parts often manifest in specific somatic ways as explored in the teaching around cylinders Two more talks about the wider ramifications of this work in our lives. Maitri Opening the Heart to Others Ultimately all our practice comes back to how we relate to others. The cast-iron patterns of selfishness are hard to soften. But therapeutic meditation turns a lot to Buddhist practice here: Guided practices to feel the embodied 'backspace' essential for compassion practice Embodied versions of the Buddhist practice of tonglen Explorations of the awakened heart or bodhicitta Discussing the practical challenges of loving others Compassion All the Guided Practices The Mindsprings Video library contains more than 50 guided meditations ranging from 10 to 50 minutes. Please use the search function to pinpoint the practice you want or look through the categories to find inspiration. All GMs All the Teaching The Mindsprings Video library contains more than 100 recorded teachings. Some are short answers to questions Alistair gave during sessions. Some are longer teaching on meditation, therapy or Buddhism. Please use the search function to pinpoint the practice you want or look through the categories to find inspiration. All Teaching