Minds are busy places! Mindfulness helps us manage that busyness and deal with those thoughts rather than stop them or block them out somehow. We start with 3-minute practices and build from there. Just 3-5 minutes per day has measurable benefits for our minds and bodies so you are better off aiming for regular short practices rather than occasional longer ones. Over time we feel more comfortable with what the mind is doing and generally find that it starts to get better at concentrating on what we want to focus on. Your brain has evolved to be busy, we just want to make sure that any busyness is helpful and that we can learn to find periods of quiet.

Yes! It is a myth that mindfulness & meditation practices can only be ‘done’ sitting still in silence for long periods of time. Some people choose to develop this skill, others prefer not to. Mindfulness in its true self is a state of mind, or being, that helps us to live the best life we can, so we want to practice it in some way throughout the day, whatever activities we choose to engage in. I teach mindful movement (Qigong Shibashi) as well as mindful walking and these are great for those times when sitting still just isn’t right for us, or as a valuable extra skill to practice alongside sitting meditations.

Meditation & mindfulness are safe and effective stress management tools for the majority of people. However, if you have complex conditions or are under supervision by the mental health team/health care provider, you will need consent from them to attend a meditation course. There are safe versions of these practices for most conditions but not all. It is important that you get the right treatment so we would discuss this beforehand. I have many years of experience and training in delivering mindfulness, meditation and hypnotherapy for diverse conditions so you can be assured that your safety is paramount.

Depending on what you are using (i.e. phone, tablet or laptop etc.) you need to use either the 'log in' button or the symbol which looks like a little head in a circle. If you can't see the log in option, click on the top right hand side of the home page to get the drop down menu and right at the top of the menu, above the wording, will be the icon or the words 'log in'. Click here to log in. If you can't see these straight away, hover at the top of the page above the 'home' button and the option should appear.

If you have booked a drop in class and want to reschedule, you can do this up to 48 hours before hand. First log in to your profile using either the 'log in' button or the symbol if you are on a laptop or desktop. If using your phone and you can't see the log in option, click on the top right hand side to get the drop down menu and click at the top of the page above the 'home' button. Once you have logged in, choose 'my bookings' and select 'reschedule'. Make sure that you reschedule rather than cancel, as this will incur a re-booking fee.

All Stillworks members can access the recordings for our free monthly meetups in the 'members' area. Once you have logged in, select 'members' from the menu and then 'free meetups'. You will then see a page with all the current videos.

NB: being on the mailing list does not automatically make you a member. You need to sign up to become a member using the form on the website or your invitation email. This gives you access to all the member benefits such as loyalty points which you can redeem against classes, courses & workshops, and the free resources. You can check if you are registered by clicking on the 'members' tab and see if your profile is there. This tab also gives you the opportunity to message other members.

If you attend Qigong Shibashi / mindful movement classes you can also access the free home practice videos. Simply select 'members' and then your class name (e.g. Qigong Shibashi or Strength and Balance) and you will be taken to the relevant page. These pages are only visible to people who are enrolled in a class.

If you have previously taken classes with me and wish to be added, simply sign up as a member and ask me to add you to the correct group.

Once you have created your profile, next time you visit the site you don't need to sign in again, just log in to your profile (see 'how do I log in to my account?'). The website will recognise you and you can simply book for whatever you want without needing to enter all your details again. You will also be notified of any points you have accumulated that you can use.

The address for your Sat Nav:

Island House

Colhugh Street

Llantwit Major

CF61 1SB (postcode for satnav)

This should take you to the Town Hall car park.  As you come past The Hair Studio and Illtud's Restaurant on your right you will see the Town Hall in front of you (and the Old Swan to your right and The Tudor just past the Town Hall). If you are driving, turn left immediately in front of the Town Hall into the car park.

Our house is directly opposite the Town Hall clock, we have a black gate and a white porch. There are two house name signs, one on the wall above the window to the left of the front door, and one on the gate post. The sign for Colhugh Street is against our wall next to the lamp post. If you can't spot us just phone on 07341 264686 and I will come and find you.

As you may know, we moved over to an automated booking system last summer. This was for several reasons. First it allows me to comply with the current GDPR and safeguarding regulations which includes ensuring that you are properly insured for any classes or courses. The old, paper-based, system was full of potential flaws and was very time consuming, e.g. it was my responsibility to keep checking that none of your details had changed. With over 300 people on my mailing list this was a big ask.

Second, I pay the website to handle all the digital paperwork and hold it all securely (I also pay the government extra insurance for this). Paying this is less expensive than paying a person to handle it all for me and means that I haven't had to increase the cost of classes much. To do the paperwork myself took around two days a week, time I was not teaching and therefore not earning, and this was unsustainable. This is why I almost closed the business last year. 

Third, once you have got the hang of it there are several benefits for you. You can choose the time of one-to-one sessions and book them without waiting for me to get back to the office and check for you, and you can change them if necessary. You can buy plans for reductions in the cost of one-to-one sessions, and accumulate loyalty points which give you reductions for classes, courses and one-to-one sessions.

So far it has worked well and we have ironed out most of the teething problems and I thank you for your patience!