As mindfulness teachers, many of us will refer to Jon Kabat-Zinn, the ‘father of contemporary, western mindfulness programmes’. His secular mindfulness is now taught in health settings, schools and workplaces across the world. Jon Kabat-Zinn actually learned mindfulness from several Zen Buddhist teachers, including Thich Nhat Hanh. In an essay in 2017, he said that ‘the mainstreaming of mindfulness has always been anchored in the ethical framework that lies at the very heart of the original teachings of the Buddha’. Rachel says: Our teaching can be greatly enriched by sharing this ancient philosophy that still holds so much value for our lives today.

Tony O’Shea Poon – Lead trainer London