My name is Sheena Burke and I have been practising mindfulness and psychology for more than 25 years. My first doorway into mindfulness was through the practice of mindful movement yoga. There I was invited to connect with the breath and body and as I experienced a breather from the constant chattering, driven-doing mind, I found myself landing in the present moment. Later, during a particularly stressful time in my life over a decade ago, I was re-introduced to Jon Kabat Zinn’s MBSR programme through his book, Full Catastrophe Living. A revelation! As a psychologist, how had I not ‘discovered’ this in my working life?
My mind was opened to the truly practical and simple yet deeply transformational, revealing and empowering path of mindfulness. The unexpected reveal was a reconnection with joy and a simple pathway that helped to heal old wounds, let go of future fears and remember stability and steadiness in this ever-unfolding and changing world. The practices and teachings have helped me to take charge of my mind, reconnect with my heart and discover a fulfilling life, ready for growth and open to learning and living in kind and forgiving ways. The science and evidence-base for mindfulness was growing and deepening too.