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Living Well with Parkinson’s Disease: My Journey with Mindfulness by Nick Cooke

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Living Well with Parkinson’s Disease: My Journey with Mindfulness

By Nick Cooke

There are moments in life that divide everything into a “before” and an “after.”

Receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was one of those moments for me.

Although I had already lived through other serious health challenges, including diabetes and cancer, hearing the words “you have Parkinson’s disease” brought a different kind of fear. It was not simply fear of illness itself, but fear of change, uncertainty, loss, and what the future might hold.

Like many people living with long-term illness, I experienced trauma following my diagnoses. Trauma is not always one dramatic event. Sometimes it is the slow and painful process of watching your life change in ways you never expected. Sometimes it is grieving the body you once had. Sometimes it is learning to live with uncertainty every single day.

For many years, mindfulness and meditation had already been a central part of my life. I had practised meditation for decades and worked as a psychotherapist helping others better understand the mind and their own human experience. But when illness entered my life more deeply, I realised something important:

The mindfulness I now needed was very different from the mindfulness I had previously known.

When Practice Changes

I remember the first time I realised I could no longer comfortably sit still in a meditation group because of my Parkinson’s tremors.

It may sound like a small thing, but for me it carried enormous emotional weight.

Meditation had always looked a certain way in my mind. Quiet. Still. Calm. Controlled. Suddenly my body no longer allowed that experience. I remember feeling embarrassed. Ashamed even. I worried I was distracting others. I felt grief for the loss of something that had once come naturally to me.

Over time, however, I began to understand something deeply important:

Mindfulness is not about forcing ourselves to fit a particular image of practice.

Mindfulness is about meeting ourselves exactly where we are.

That understanding changed everything for me.

Learning to Meet Suffering with Compassion

Living with Parkinson’s disease has taught me many things. It has taught me humility. It has taught me patience. It has taught me how fragile life can feel at times.

But perhaps most importantly, it has taught me compassion.

Not the kind of compassion that sounds nice in theory, but the kind born through struggle, loss, vulnerability, and acceptance.

There were times when my mindfulness practice became the very thing that held me together. Not because it made my illness disappear, but because it helped me stay present with what was happening without completely collapsing beneath it.

Mindfulness became a lifeline.

There were days when sitting meditation was impossible. So I adapted. There were times when stillness was not available to me, so I learned mindfulness through movement, through breathing, through listening, through simply being kind to myself in difficult moments.

I came to realise that mindfulness practice looks different for every person.

For some people it may be sitting quietly for forty minutes. For others it may simply be noticing the feeling of their feet on the floor whilst living with pain, anxiety, trauma, or illness. Both are valid. Both matter.

It must meet people where they are.

That phrase has become central to everything we teach.

The Birth of the Mindfulness Now Approach

Out of these experiences, the Mindfulness Now approach slowly emerged.

It was never created as a rigid programme or fixed method. In many ways, it grew organically through my own life experience — through illness, through healing, through listening to others, and through recognising that many people simply did not feel included in traditional mindfulness settings.

I began to see how many individuals were struggling silently. People living with trauma. Chronic illness. Anxiety. Disability. Grief. People who felt they were somehow “failing” at mindfulness because they could not sit still, concentrate, relax, or meditate in the “right” way.

But there is no one right way.

The Mindfulness Now approach was born from the belief that mindfulness must be adaptable, person-centred, trauma-informed, and compassionate.

Living with Parkinson’s Today

People sometimes ask me whether mindfulness cures Parkinson’s disease.

The answer is no.

I still live with Parkinson’s every day. I still experience difficult symptoms. There are still moments of frustration, exhaustion, sadness, and fear. Mindfulness has not removed my suffering completely.

But what it has changed is my relationship with suffering.

Mindfulness has helped me find moments of peace in the middle of uncertainty. It has helped me soften around fear rather than constantly fighting it. It has helped me reconnect with joy, gratitude, and meaning even during difficult times.

Perhaps most importantly, it has helped me accept my changing body with greater kindness.

That acceptance did not happen overnight. It continues to be a journey. But slowly, over many years, I have learned that healing does not always mean becoming free from illness. Sometimes healing means learning how to live fully and compassionately alongside what is here.

One thing I have also learned through illness is the importance of not taking myself too seriously. Mindfulness is often spoken about in very serious ways, but for me, gentle humour, lightness, and the ability to smile at the human condition have become deeply important parts of my practice. Even in difficult moments, humour can reconnect us with our inner resilience, warmth, and humanity. I have found that bringing gentleness, perspective, and even laughter into my approach to life has enormous power. It helps me reconnect with inner resources that can so easily become hidden beneath fear, struggle, or suffering.

Why Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Matters

One of the things illness taught me very clearly is that mindfulness must feel emotionally safe.

For many people, silence can feel frightening. Closing the eyes can feel unsafe. Sitting with bodily sensations can be overwhelming, particularly for those living with trauma or illness.

This is why trauma-informed mindfulness matters so deeply to me.

Within Mindfulness Now we encourage the use of what we call the NIA language model — Non-directive, Invitational, and Adaptive language.

This means we invite people rather than instruct them. We offer choice rather than pressure. We encourage people to listen to themselves and honour their own needs.

Because real mindfulness is not about pushing through discomfort at all costs.

It is about learning to listen deeply and compassionately to ourselves.

My Hope for the Future

When I first began teaching the Mindfulness Now programme in Birmingham around the year 2000, I could never have imagined it would eventually reach people around the world.

Today, alongside a passionate and compassionate team, we continue to train mindfulness teachers who share this vision of inclusive, adaptable, trauma-informed mindfulness.

My hope is simple:

That mindfulness becomes accessible to everyone.

Not just to those who are healthy, confident, calm, or able-bodied. But to everyone — including those living with illness, trauma, anxiety, grief, disability, or struggle.

Because mindfulness was there for me during some of the darkest periods of my life.

And I truly believe that within every human being there exists an incredible capacity for awareness, compassion, resilience, and wisdom — even in the midst of suffering.

Living with Parkinson’s disease has changed my life profoundly.

But it has also taught me how precious life is.

It has taught me to slow down. To appreciate small moments. To soften. To let go of perfection. To meet myself with kindness.

And perhaps that, in the end, is what mindfulness has always really been about.

About Nick Cooke Founder of the Mindfulness Now Programme

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About Nick Cooke

Dip. Psy. MNRPC FAPHP

Founder of the Mindfulness Now Programme

Nick Cooke is the founder and creator of the Mindfulness Now Programme and has over 40 years of personal mindfulness and meditation practice experience.

Although his professional life began in the fast-paced corporate world, from a young age Nick developed a deep passion for understanding the mind and helping others better understand their own inner experience. In his twenties, he trained as a psychotherapist and began working with clients, while continuing to pursue his lifelong commitment to meditation and mindfulness practice.

At that time, mindfulness was still largely outside mainstream healthcare and psychological services in the UK. It was not until the 1990s, when Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) became more widely recognised, that Nick began to see the possibility of bringing mindfulness more directly into his therapeutic work with clients.

A Personal Journey Through Illness and Trauma

Around this same period, Nick himself became seriously unwell.

Over the last three decades, he has lived with several long-term and progressive health conditions, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. Nick openly describes the profound trauma and emotional impact that followed these diagnoses, and how his mindfulness practice became not simply a professional interest, but a lifeline.

As his health challenges deepened, Nick realised he needed to relate to mindfulness in a very different way. Traditional approaches did not always reflect the realities of living with illness, trauma, pain, uncertainty, or a changing body.

Through his own lived experience, he began developing what he later called the Mindfulness Now Approach — an approach rooted in compassion, flexibility, acceptance, and meeting people where they are.

For Nick, mindfulness became a way not only to cope with suffering, but to live alongside it with greater kindness, resilience, meaning, and even joy.

Nick has also learned never to take himself too seriously! Bringing lightness, gentleness, and humour into both his mindfulness practice and his approach to life has been incredibly important to him and his teaching style. “Even during difficult times, humour can reconnect us with our humanity, resilience, and inner strength. Sometimes a smile, a moment of softness, or the ability to laugh at ourselves can be deeply healing.”

Nick believes mindfulness must be adaptable, trauma-sensitive, inclusive, and person-centred. Rather than expecting individuals to fit into a rigid model of practice, the practice itself must adapt to the needs, abilities, experiences, and realities of each person.

Mindfulness Looks Different for Everyone

One of the core understandings Nick developed through illness was that mindfulness practice does not look the same for everybody.

He has spoken openly about the experience of living with Parkinson’s disease and the moment he realised he could no longer comfortably sit still in meditation groups because of his tremors. He describes feelings of grief, loss, embarrassment, and shame during that time.

Over the years, however, his practice evolved into one of deeper acceptance and compassion toward himself and his changing body.

This lived experience became central to the philosophy behind Mindfulness Now.

The Creation of Mindfulness Now

The Mindfulness Now Programme was first taught at Nick Cooke’s clinic in Birmingham, UK, around the year 2000.

Since then, the approach has grown internationally and has supported people around the world in learning mindfulness in ways that feel accessible, safe, compassionate, and sustainable.

Today, Nick leads a successful mindfulness training school alongside a small and passionate team of colleagues who share his vision for a more inclusive and trauma-informed approach to mindfulness teaching.

A Vision for the Future

Nick’s hope for the future is simple but deeply heartfelt: to make mindfulness as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

Mindfulness was there for him — and continues to support him — during some of the most difficult periods of his life. His wish is that others may also discover the strength, wisdom, compassion, and healing potential that can emerge through mindful awareness.

At the centre of the Mindfulness Now approach is the belief that everybody deserves access to mindfulness, regardless of their background, health, age, experience, or circumstances.

The programme continues to grow from this vision: creating safe, compassionate, trauma-informed spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and discover new ways of living with greater awareness, kindness, and resilience.

The Changing Face of Mindfulness: Towards Trauma-Informed, Inclusive, and Compassionate Practice

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The Changing Face of Mindfulness

Towards Trauma-Informed, Inclusive, and Compassionate Practice

In recent years, the world of mindfulness has been undergoing a profound transformation.

Across mindfulness training, meditation teaching, and wellbeing programmes, there has been a growing recognition that mindfulness must evolve to meet the diverse realities of human experience. Conversations around trauma-informed practice, neurodiversity, accessibility, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and cultural sensitivity are no longer happening at the margins — they are becoming central to the future of mindfulness itself.

This shift is not about abandoning mindfulness traditions. Rather, it is about deepening our understanding of what compassion, awareness, and ethical practice truly mean in a modern world.

Why Mindfulness Practice is Changing

For many years, mindfulness was often taught using a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Participants were frequently encouraged to sit still, focus inwardly, and engage with practices in very specific ways. While these approaches have been deeply beneficial for many people, others began sharing experiences of discomfort, overwhelm, exclusion, or even re-traumatisation.

As more voices entered the conversation, the mindfulness community began to listen more carefully.

Today, there is growing awareness that mindfulness must be adapted thoughtfully and compassionately for people with different needs, backgrounds, identities, and nervous systems.

This includes:

  • Trauma-informed mindfulness approaches
  • Neurodivergent-inclusive mindfulness teaching
  • LGBTQIA+ affirming wellbeing spaces
  • Accessible mindfulness for different learning styles and abilities
  • Greater cultural humility and ethical awareness within mindfulness teaching.

These developments are not weakening mindfulness practice — they are helping it become more humane, responsive, and inclusive.

 

External Resources:

The Rise of Trauma-Informed Mindfulness

One of the biggest changes within mindfulness training has been the growing emphasis on trauma awareness.

Research in neuroscience, psychology, and somatic therapies has helped us understand that mindfulness practices can sometimes activate difficult emotional or physiological responses in people with trauma histories. Practices such as prolonged silence, body scans, or sustained inward attention may not always feel safe or regulating for everyone.

Trauma-informed mindfulness does not reject mindfulness practice. Instead, it invites teachers to offer greater choice, flexibility, pacing, grounding, and emotional safety within sessions.

This may include:

  • Encouraging participants to keep eyes open if preferred
  • Offering movement-based mindfulness options
  • Avoiding rigid expectations around stillness
  • Normalising different responses to practice
  • Creating environments rooted in safety, consent, and compassion

Organisations such as the Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Institute and researchers including Dr David Treleaven have helped bring these conversations into mainstream mindfulness teaching.

Neurodiversity and Mindfulness: Expanding Accessibility

Another important shift has come from neurodivergent communities asking to be meaningfully included within mindfulness spaces.

Autistic people, people with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, sensory processing differences, and other neurodivergent experiences may engage with mindfulness differently. Traditional teaching styles that rely heavily on long periods of stillness, verbal processing, or internal awareness may not work equally well for everyone.

Increasingly, mindfulness teachers are recognising the importance of adapting practices to suit different nervous systems and learning styles.

This might include:

  • Shorter practices
  • More movement-based mindfulness
  • Visual or sensory supports
  • Clearer structure and expectations
  • Reduced emphasis on “emptying the mind”
  • Greater flexibility around posture and attention

At its heart, mindfulness is about awareness and compassion — not conformity.

Accessibility should never be seen as “watering down” mindfulness. Rather, it reflects the very essence of mindful practice: meeting people where they are with kindness and understanding.

External Resources:

 

Creating Inclusive Mindfulness Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Communities

The mindfulness world is also becoming more aware of the importance of genuinely inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities.

Mindfulness teaching cannot fully embody compassion if people feel unseen, unsafe, or unable to be themselves within practice spaces. Inclusive mindfulness means recognising the impact that discrimination, stigma, minority stress, and exclusion can have on wellbeing and mental health.

For mindfulness teachers and organisations, this may involve:

  • Using inclusive language
  • Avoiding assumptions around identity or relationships
  • Creating psychologically safe group environments
  • Continuing education around diversity and inclusion
  • Listening openly to lived experiences

True mindfulness asks us to cultivate compassion not only inwardly, but relationally and collectively as well.

External Resources:

 

How Mindfulness Training and 8-Week Programmes Are Evolving

These conversations are increasingly shaping how mindfulness training courses and 8-week mindfulness programmes are delivered.

Traditional programmes such as:

  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

remain highly respected and evidence-based approaches. However, many mindfulness teachers and training organisations are now thoughtfully adapting these programmes to become more trauma-aware, accessible, and inclusive.

This shift may include:

  • Greater flexibility in home practice expectations
  • More emphasis on participant choice and autonomy
  • Trauma-sensitive facilitation skills
  • Accessible language and delivery styles
  • Awareness of sensory and cognitive differences
  • More compassionate pacing within sessions

Importantly, these changes are often emerging not from a rejection of traditional mindfulness teachings, but from a deeper understanding of how to apply mindfulness ethically and compassionately in contemporary society.

At Mindfulness Now, we believe mindfulness training should be accessible to all people — regardless of learning style, identity, trauma background, or life experience.

 

Honouring Tradition While Embracing Change

As mindfulness evolves, many teachers and practitioners understandably ask an important question:

How do we adapt mindfulness without losing the integrity of the traditions it comes from?

This is a conversation that deserves care and humility.

Mindfulness has roots in ancient contemplative traditions that carry profound wisdom and ethical depth. These traditions should be acknowledged and respected. At the same time, mindfulness has always evolved across cultures, contexts, and generations.

Perhaps the future of mindfulness is not about choosing between tradition and inclusion.

Perhaps it is about learning how to hold both.

To remain rooted in the heart of mindfulness — compassion, awareness, non-harming, and human connection — while continuing to listen deeply to the changing needs of the communities we serve.

No teacher or organisation will get everything perfectly right. We are all learning together.

But if mindfulness is truly about reducing suffering, then inclusion, accessibility, and humility must remain part of the path forward.

Further Reading on Inclusive and Trauma-Informed Mindfulness

You Are Not Your Thoughts: A Mindfulness Perspective on Inner Peace

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The Water Beneath the Waves: Finding Peace Beyond Our Thoughts

“The water itself is always pure. Whether you put poison or medicine into it, the nature of the water does not fundamentally change.”
— Matthieu Ricard

In our daily lives, it’s easy to become completely identified with what we are feeling. When anxiety rises, we think I am anxious. When anger appears, we believe I am angry. During periods of sadness or self-doubt, we can even begin to think there is something fundamentally wrong with us.

But what if these emotional states are not who we truly are?

Buddhist monk and meditation teacher Matthieu Ricard offers a powerful metaphor for understanding the nature of the mind. He compares awareness to water itself — naturally clear, open, and peaceful. Thoughts, emotions, and reactions are like substances temporarily mixed into that water. Some are nourishing, like medicine. Others are painful, like poison. Yet beneath it all, the essential nature of the water remains unchanged.

This simple image offers a profound shift in perspective — and one that lies at the heart of mindfulness practice.

The Mind Beneath the Noise

Most of us spend our lives reacting to the ever-changing weather of the mind. Thoughts race, emotions surge, worries pull us into the future, regrets drag us into the past. We often assume that because we feel something intensely, it must define who we are.

Mindfulness invites us to pause and look more closely.

When we sit quietly and observe the mind, we begin to notice something remarkable: thoughts and emotions are constantly changing. Anger comes and goes. Fear rises and falls. Joy appears and fades. Even our strongest moods are temporary visitors.

Yet there is something within us that notices all of this.

That noticing awareness — calm, alert, and present — is like the water Ricard describes. It is the stable background beneath the movement of thoughts and emotions. While the surface may become stormy, the deeper water remains undisturbed.

We Are Not Our Thoughts

One of the most liberating insights in mindfulness is recognising that thoughts are not facts, and emotions are not identity.

There is a subtle but powerful difference between saying:

  • I am angry
    and
  • Anger is present right now.

The first statement fuses our identity with the emotion. The second creates space. It allows us to observe the feeling without becoming consumed by it.

This doesn’t mean suppressing emotions or pretending difficult experiences don’t exist. Mindfulness is not about denying pain. It is about relating to it differently.

When we stop clinging to our thoughts and feelings as permanent truths about ourselves, we begin to experience greater freedom. We can respond rather than react. We can hold our emotions with compassion instead of fear.

The Practice of Awareness

Mindfulness helps us return to the “water” — the deeper awareness beneath the mind’s activity.

Through practices such as mindful breathing, body scans, or compassionate awareness, we learn to observe our internal experience with openness and curiosity. Over time, this strengthens our ability to remain grounded even during difficult moments.

We begin to realise:

  • Thoughts are events in the mind, not commands.
  • Emotions are waves, not permanent states.
  • Difficult experiences do not define our worth.

This understanding can be deeply healing, especially in times of stress, anxiety, grief, or overwhelm.

Rather than being swept away by every mental storm, we learn to rest in a steadier place within ourselves.

A More Compassionate Relationship with Ourselves

Many people carry a harsh inner critic — a voice that tells them they are failing, broken, or not enough. When we identify completely with these thoughts, suffering deepens.

Mindfulness offers another way.

If the mind is like water, then painful thoughts are simply passing conditions moving through awareness. They are not the essence of who we are.

This recognition naturally cultivates self-compassion. We stop treating ourselves as the problem and begin meeting our experience with kindness and patience.

And from this place, healing becomes possible.

Returning to What Is Already Here

The peace we seek is not something we must create from scratch. According to mindfulness teachings, it is already present beneath the noise of the mind.

Like clear water beneath muddy currents, our natural awareness remains intact even in difficult times.

The invitation of mindfulness is simply to remember this.

To pause.

To breathe.

To notice the thoughts and feelings moving through us without becoming lost in them.

And to reconnect, again and again, with the quiet, steady presence that has been there all along.

 

Further Reading & References

  • Matthieu Ricard — Official Website
    Insights, articles, and teachings on meditation, compassion, and altruism.
    Visit Website
  • Why Should I Meditate? — Matthieu Ricard, Lion’s Roar
    A thoughtful introduction to Buddhist meditation and awareness practice.
    Read Article
  • Mind & Life Institute — Matthieu Ricard Podcast
    Discussion on compassion, emotional wellbeing, and contemplative science.
    Listen to Podcast
  • Greater Good Magazine — Matthieu Ricard Profile
    Articles and reflections connecting mindfulness, compassion, and happiness research.
    Explore Resource
  • NHS: Mindfulness
    An accessible overview of mindfulness and its mental health benefits.
    Read NHS Guide
  • Study Buddhism — Interview with Matthieu Ricard
    Reflections on mindfulness, awareness, and meditation in modern life.
    Read Interview

This article was inspired by the teachings and writings of Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard on awareness, compassion, and the nature of mind.

Neurodiversity-Informed Mindfulness Teacher Training

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Neurodiversity-Informed Mindfulness Teacher Training

Mindful Inclusion: Supporting Neurodivergent Participants

As mindfulness continues to grow in reach and relevance, so too must our commitment to accessibility and inclusion. As mindfulness teachers, we are increasingly working with people who experience the world in diverse ways—and our teaching needs to reflect that.

It’s estimated that around 15–20% of the population is neurodivergent (Doyle, 2020). This means that in almost every group we teach, there will likely be participants whose brains process, feel, and respond differently from what is considered “neurotypical.”

Neurodivergent is a term that describes natural variations in how people think, learn, process information, experience emotions, and interact with the world. It includes experiences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, and sensory processing differences.

Rethinking Mindfulness Teaching

This training is an invitation to gently rethink what mindfulness teaching can be, who it is for, and how it is offered.

Becoming a neurodiversity-informed mindfulness teacher isn’t about learning a new toolkit to apply to “different” people. Instead, it’s about widening our understanding of human experience—and allowing mindfulness to meet people where they actually are, rather than where we expect them to be.

Neurodiversity reminds us that there is no single “correct” way for a brain or nervous system to function. These differences are not deficits to be fixed, but natural and valuable variations in human experience.

From this perspective, mindfulness becomes something that must be flexible, adaptive, and inclusive.

Why Inclusion Matters in Mindfulness Practice

Many traditional mindfulness practices have developed around neurotypical norms—such as stillness, silence, sustained attention, and inward focus.

While these approaches can be supportive for some, they can feel:

  • uncomfortable
  • inaccessible
  • or even overwhelming

for others.

Neurodivergent individuals are also more likely to have experienced:

  • trauma
  • marginalisation
  • misunderstanding
  • pressure to mask who they are

For some participants, turning attention inward can feel intense or unsafe rather than calming. This training acknowledges these realities with honesty and compassion.

Book Neurodiversity Informed Mindfulness Training

What You’ll Explore in This Training

During this course, we explore how different forms of neurodivergence—such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and sensory processing differences—can shape how people engage with mindfulness.

Through discussion, reflection, and experiential practice, you will:

  • deepen your understanding of neurodivergent experiences

  • explore inclusive and flexible teaching approaches

  • learn practical adaptations to support accessibility

  • practice applying these approaches with fellow participants

This is not just about techniques—it’s about a shift in mindset, rooted in curiosity, compassion, and respect.

A Compassionate and Flexible Approach

At its heart, this training is grounded in:

  • compassion
  • flexibility
  • respect for individual differences

It offers both practical tools and a broader perspective, supporting you to create mindfulness spaces where more people feel safe, seen, and included.

Meet the Trainers

Madeleine Agnew and Sue Hutton bring a powerful combination of lived and professional experience to this work. Both are deeply committed to making mindfulness more inclusive and responsive to neurodivergent ways of being.

Madeleine has over eight years of experience training mindfulness teachers. She has developed programmes in trauma-informed mindfulness, work with children and teens, and compassion-focused wellbeing. Her work supports teachers to offer mindfulness safely and skilfully in complex and sensitive contexts.

Sue teaches mindfulness in Toronto, Canada, with a strong focus on compassionate inclusion. For over a decade, she has worked with a research team at the CAMH Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopment Centre, adapting mindfulness practices for autistic adults, adults with learning disabilities, and their caregivers.

Together, Madeleine and Sue have developed this training to support mindfulness teachers across a wide range of settings—offering practical insights, meaningful adaptations, and inclusive approaches that help mindfulness truly meet the needs of all participants.

Moving Toward Truly Inclusive Mindfulness

Mindfulness has the potential to be a deeply supportive practice—but only if it is accessible.

This training is part of a wider movement toward mindful inclusion—where difference is not something to work around, but something we actively welcome and learn from.

Because mindfulness isn’t about fitting people into a practice.
It’s about shaping the practice so it can meet people—just as they are.

“Developing as a neurodiversity-informed mindfulness teacher is an ongoing journey. These resources offer a starting point—supporting us to listen more deeply, adapt more thoughtfully, and create spaces where everyone can access mindfulness in ways that feel safe and meaningful.”

Click here to find out more and to book training

Further Resources (UK)

We encourage ongoing learning and signpost the following trusted organisations and professional bodies:

Mindfulness teaching standards & professional bodies

  • Mindfulness Teachers Association (MTA) – the UK’s largest professional body and register of accredited mindfulness teachers
    https://mindfulnessteachers.org.uk

  • British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA) – good practice guidance and standards for mindfulness-based teaching in the UK
    https://bamba.org.uk