Mindfulness Practice Guidance – One-to-One

I have lived a long and eventful life, disengaging from school as a teenager, and taking on various means of bringing home the veggie-burgers as a single parent in Notting Hill, London, until the mid-‘80s.  I escaped with the then teenage children and found rewarding work as a part-time teacher and fundraiser for an experimental secondary school founded by Satish Kumar, in North Devon.

The head teacher of the school had worked with Thay in the ‘70s to found Refugee Action.  I joined him on a camping trip in France in 1988, and we were invited to visit Plum Village.

I have been active in Thay’s spiritual community ever since, receiving the 14 trainings in 2000 and the lamp transmission in 2016.

At the same time as developing stability in the practice I trained at Europe’s first School for Storytelling, with Nose to Nose clowning, and revived my musical skills.  I worked professionally as a storyteller and member of an improvising clown group for over 15 years, then ventured onto the cabaret stage a few years back, enjoying the freedom cabaret offers to address edgy subjects while offering Dharma messages as entertainment, and taught courses in Clown and Mindfulness with Nose to Nose teachers at the EIAB and elsewhere.

Family deaths, then Covid, put stage life on hold.   However, I enjoy opportunities to engage with practitioners online in many ways and look forward to meeting new Dharma friends.

Visit Teri’s SoundCloud via https://soundcloud.com/tj-fool

Teri is also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inbedwiththebuddha

Teri’s videos – Zen and the Art of Cabaret – https://vimeo.com/142889818 and https://vimeo.com/104751089

To select a date/time for a 30-minute online consultation with Teri, please book here. 

I inherited some family connections to Buddhism via my Dad who shared his interest when I was a kid, living in Chasetown, Staffordshire. In my early twenties, I remember going through a tough time and reading loads of books. I was drawn in by the title “No Mud, No Lotus” by Vietnamese Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) and started to read him more; I learnt more about Thay’s Plum Village teachings bit by bit.

Later on, I joined a local practice group i.e. ‘sangha’ in Glastonbury, and I went on a long-term retreat to stay with the Plum Village community in France, to immerse myself as much as I could in Zen wisdom. I practised mindfulness to become a more moral, peaceful, happier person and to cope with difficult and painful thoughts and feelings about life and the world. And I wanted to be around peaceful people. I brought many of the Plum Village practices home with me to Somerset.

I’ve struggled in life now and again, like everyone does in one way or another, sometimes more, sometimes less. Thay’s teachings give me something to lean on or rest within as I learn to love and accept myself and others, be at peace and change the world. Mindfulness informs how I work as a counsellor too. Sometimes I write about it on my blog. Besides all that, I also share bits and pieces of what I’ve learnt about mindful living, as one of the Be Calm, Be Happy course leaders.

I was chuffed to be invited to provide one-to-one mindfulness practice guidance consultations, to assist some of the Dharma teachers with the many requests for one-to-one support from the sangha. I think of being a consultant as being a bit like a mentor, someone to offer some friendly listening, and chat about mindfulness or possibly explore some deep questions, and ways for you to to practice. I’m sure I’ll learn from you too! I live in Wells, but wherever you are we could meet up online and drink tea together. You’re very welcome. It’s worth saying I’m LGBTQ+ friendly as well, and love all people.

To select a date/time for a 30-minute online consultation with Kesley, please book here.

To select a date/time for a 30-minute online consultation with Gary, please book here.

My name is Allison Fraser. I have worked in what was known as the voluntary sector and spent many years working in local government. To support myself and that work I trained as a counsellor and worked as a volunteer with CRUISE and a local doctors practice. In more recent years I have been a mentor for a number of individuals.

I am married with 2 children and 6 grandchildren. I live in the countryside just outside of Stratford upon Avon.

I discovered Thay in the 1980s and became an Order Member in 2010. The practice is central to my life and gives me huge support.

To select a date/time for a 30-minute online consultation with Allison, please book here.

Presently, he is committed to the monastic path, delving into Buddhist psychology as well as Buddhist history. He also enjoys connecting with people and communities, helping them along their path however he is able.

To select a date/time for a 30-minute online consultation with Brother Phap Vu, please book here.

Jane’s Initiation Gatha:

Sita began her spiritual journey with the Church of North India and Quakers. In her teens she began to practice meditation and learn more about Buddhism. In the late 90s, she travelled through Malaysia and was ordained briefly as a Buddhist nun in Northern Thailand. She met Thay in 1999 and received the 5 Mindfulness trainings. She received 14 Mindfulness Trainings from Thay in 2006, with the name True Lotus Wisdom. She is a trained in Postive Impact Coaching. She regularly leads creative and mindfulness retreats. She started teaching meditation and Buddhism in prisons in 2005 as a Buddhist Prison Chaplain. She is also a storyteller.

To select a date/time for a 30-minute online consultation with Sita, please book, here.