Goodies. And Baddies.
This does not tend to feature in the marketing of mindfulness! I was so cross when I received that email! It was the latest salvo in a...
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Annie Akasati McAuley
- Aug 10
- 4 min
An unexpected Gift
Shame is an uncomfortable, unwanted, emotion. But is it always a bad thing? I arrived early in the meditation room, looking for a place...
680
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Jul 14
- 4 min
Is there a right kind of attention?
Ellie (as I'll call her here) arrived at our school with a fearsome reputation. I was warned: “Watch out! She’ll go for your eyes!”...
550
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Jun 16
- 3 min
Grace: the art of receiving love
I have tried a few times to express appreciation to my friend. He has a big heart and he’s also a capable, practical man. But he shies...
380
Annie Akasati McAuley
- May 5
- 3 min
On being non-judgmental
There is a well-known definition of mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn: Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on...
770
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Apr 6
- 3 min
*Not* pursuing pleasure
When I say I’ve recently come home from a week in Spain, a typical response is, ‘Nice, I hope you had a lovely holiday!’. Well, it wasn’t...
780
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Mar 9
- 3 min
PreCrastination: what is it and what’s the problem?
It’s the weekend and I’m taking the day off work to relax. It’s not easy! From force of habit, I click onto my inbox and spot a message...
731
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Feb 5
- 4 min
Confidence, Certainty, Vulnerability
Can we be confident without being certain? Life is unpredictable, which leaves us feeling vulnerable. We could even say, with certainty,...
310
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Jan 21
- 3 min
How to Face Discomfort – and why it matters
It is a little-mentioned fact that mindfulness requires bravery. It takes courage to face our less appealing aspects. The feelings that...
680
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Dec 9, 2023
- 4 min
Goals, Intentions, Acceptance
When we focus on where we would like to be, anything short of that can seem unsatisfactory. Being over-focused on the future, we may lose...
390
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Nov 12, 2023
- 4 min
A Big Fat 'Yes'
As we strolled through the woods, our conversation took a turn that gave me a jolt. My friend Hannah and I had both been noting a...
950
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Oct 14, 2023
- 6 min
Does Compassion Fatigue You?
Yesterday, three-year-old Tara cried for five hours straight. The earache was painful for her but also for her parents, for whom her pain...
1650
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Sep 16, 2023
- 4 min
Who do I think I am?
This is not how I want to see myself. Or how I wish others to see me! Yet coping with these embarrassments has shown me something about...
1660
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Aug 19, 2023
- 4 min
A Hole in my Bucket
Our media portray adventure-filled, best-seats-in-the-house lifestyles. We are urged to never let go of our dreams. Yet, this can be the...
1030
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Jul 14, 2023
- 6 min
Think you'll live forever?
Sufi master Uwais was asked "How do you feel?" He replied, "Like one who has risen in the morning and does not know if he will be dead in...
660
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Jun 18, 2023
- 4 min
3 ways to let go into freedom
As a young woman, I saw myself as someone who did not get angry, imagining that I was the kind, caring person I wished to be. I could...
190
Annie Akasati McAuley
- May 20, 2023
- 4 min
One mindful superpower we rarely talk about
Many years ago, a wise farmer had a trusty stallion. The horse was invaluable for the heavy work around the farm. But one day someone...
1210
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Apr 14, 2023
- 4 min
Between Tasks. Between Thoughts.
Life is made up of events. There are big events: a new job; the birth of a child; a special holiday. Then there are everyday events. Work...
720
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Mar 17, 2023
- 6 min
7 Aspects of Self-Compassion
From schooldays onward, there is encouragement for us to be kind to others. But what about being kind and understanding to ourselves? Is...
820
Annie Akasati McAuley
- Feb 20, 2023
- 3 min
In Praise of Boredom
A few years ago, I was on a meditation retreat in North Wales. It was winter: wet, windy and dark. Fields had become quagmires. There was...
602
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