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To book your place for this Saturday morning workshop just click the Book Now button and complete your registration and pay the €25. The fee is being kept as low as possible to be inclusive. If you can pay more, there will be an opportunity to offer a further donation to the teacher on the day via cash or Revolut.
This course is fully booked. if you would like to be put on a waitlist - email info@mindfulness.ie with your name and number
Like most people I was initially drawn to meditation because of suffering in my life. At the time I was working as a newly qualified solicitor. It was a stressful job and I experienced panic attacks. I learned how to meditate and it helped. I was able to stop and breathe. The inner pressure was more bearable. Over the years it completely changed my life for the better, to the point where I ultimately changed career in order to teach mindfulness full time and share the benefits with others.
In the beginning, if someone asked me why I meditate, I would probably emphasise how it helped me to “reduce stress” in my life. That felt like a socially acceptable thing to say. We are all interested in managing stress (particularly in the corporate world). There is something stoic about it. We endure stress because we are so busy.We manage it and we persevere. I would have been very hesitant to tell the same person how meditation made me more “joyful”. At the time, the word “joy” felt self-indulgent and, dare I say, a bit “happy clappy” to me. It didn’t feel socially acceptable to say that I just wanted to be happy… that life sometimes felt a bit grim and grey and relentless and I needed a counterbalance.
I think that in Ireland this attitude still prevails to a certain extent and it’s a pity. What is the point of life if not to experience moments of deep connection and meaning? The good news is that copious research has shown that joy, happiness and gratitude are states of mind that can be practised and cultivated. Neuroscience has shown how our brains have a “negativity bias” – we are hardwired to notice and remember unpleasant experiences and disregard pleasant experiences. If we are aware and we have the right intention we can bring this bias back into balance. We can be more objective. Awakening Joy doesn’t mean that we look at life through rose tinted lenses. Without glossing over the challenges of life which we are always faced with, we can discover that joy is always here in the present moment if we want it.
Certified MBSR Teacher (Institute For Mindfulness Based Approaches); Certified Yoga Teacher (500 hours Yoga Alliance); Director of the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland
Barry is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher and yoga instructor. He has practiced meditation for over ten years and has trained as a mindfulness teacher with the Institute for Mindfulness Based Approaches. He has since completed further training in a range of other mindfulness-based interventions including Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living and Awakening Joy. He is a member of the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland and is a registered member of Yoga Alliance UK & Ireland (Certified Experienced Teacher).
Barry worked for over ten years as a corporate lawyer and has significant experience delivering mindfulness training to organisations in the corporate sector. In 2017, he founded Mindfulness for Law (www.mindfulnessforlaw.ie) with the intention of bringing the benefits of mindfulness training to the legal profession. He has facilitated workshops and courses in many of the top Irish law firms.
In 2016, he co-founded Nature in Mind (natureinmind.ie), an educational organisation which aims to help people improve their health and well-being through mindfully connecting with the natural world.
