Colin Bexley

 

I have practised meditation for around 25 years. I have undertaken mindfulness training and a number of Buddhism courses, most recently around Ecobuddhism. I have also undertaken several meditation retreats.

I have found my meditation practice very helpful in managing anxiety, improving focus and being compassionate and empathetic to those around me, and I continue to seek to develop these skills further. I am also very interested in how wider uptake of meditation and mindfulness in society could help create a better, kinder, more sustainable way of living.

I’ve been a member of Blue Lotus Sangha since its early days, and now regularly facilitate meditation sessions

Malcolm Henderson

 

I came to understand mindfulness through Buddhism, having completed a course with the Buddhist Society of which I am still now a member. This was some twenty years ago after returning from the Far East (Beijing and Seoul) where I had worked for three years and during which time I had first discovered Buddhism through visits to the numerous temples which I encountered.

I was particularly taken by Buddha's teaching on suffering (dukkha) and its causes.: suffering caused by three factors, one of which is anger and ‘negative’ emotions. Some kinds of suffering are an inevitable aspect of life: anxiety surrounds illness and death, for example. We all suffer and in today's world we are often negatively affected by the pace of life, the pressure to succeed, the international political tensions and war as well as personal circumstances and relationships which can sometimes harm us. Anger, fear, conflict, hatred, envy and other ‘negative’ emotions are, in some way, the product of feelings of isolation, separateness, division, disconnection and alienation.

My own life hasn't been free of these experiences: there were times of great stress when I was a teacher and a dreadful 'low' due to a bad experiences when I was Director of Training in not one but two financial services companies.

In Blue Lotus, we are aware that living mindfully helps alleviate our suffering. One of the ways of learning how to alleviate our suffering is through meditation. Blue Lotus focuses on meditation and mindfulness: its where the concept of observing one's thoughts and actions first comes from. 

 

Sylvia Nash

 

I first became aware of Buddhism and Mindfulness back in my 30’s when I met someone, in business, who struck me with his significantly calm and balanced approach in this hectic world. I later learned that he was a member of a Buddhist group and practiced meditation regularly.
It was to be several years later before I looked at Buddhism again, as I was ‘too busy’ working my way through this hectic world, which can often fill us with stress and anxiety… but when I did look, I began to think about and view life from a different perspective.

In 2018 I saw an advert for a mindfulness course which Malcolm was running, it proved to be an excellent course which I found very helpful. At the end of it several of us asked Malcolm if he would continue with our meditation sessions… and so the Blue Lotus Meditation Group was born.

I look forward to our weekly meetings which are a great opportunity to come together for group meditation, a deepening of our understanding of Buddhism, it’s practices and benefits, together with discussion, friendship and of course a cuppa too!

Marcel Patrick

Anita Harper

Katy Smith

I have been involved with the Dragonfly  Reiki Circle and Meditation group for about four years now. I help behind the scenes with recruitment, publicity and administration.

I practise mindfulness and self healing but still feel that I am a beginner when it comes to remaining in the present moment.

We have to have a beginner's mind and realise that the road to mindfulness is not easy and that's why, I for one, need to practice shamatha breathing every day.