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Licensed, insured with enhanced DBS certificate mindfulness meditation teacher based near Banbury Oxfordshire. One-to-one training, group sessions, workshops and mindful walks.

Hello, my name is Kate thanks for looking at my website.

A bit about me, a bit about mindfulness and maybe a bit about you.

I have been practicing mindfulness and meditation for some years now. It has helped me to navigate life’s ups and downs: injuries, personal loss, anxiety, pain both physical and mental, menopause and distraction caused by a busy mind or ‘monkey mind’. I decided to train as a mindfulness meditation teacher through the Central England College and their Mindfulness Now Programme (approved by the British Psychological Society)

Moving Meditative Practices

Accredited to teach T’ai Chi Chih and Certified T’ai Chi Shibashi Qigong Session Leader, beautiful non martial art forms of moving meditation practice. Suitable for all abilities and ages, can be seated or standing.

T’ai Chi Shibashi Qigong is a gentle, flowing set of 18 movements based upon Medical Qigong for de stressing and relaxation. Sessions are about an hour long and begin with guided instruction regarding the 3 stances used throughout the 18 movements. We all move within our own abilities, and we go through the golden guidelines for comfortable safe practice. There is the opportunity to learn some gentle ‘warm up exercises’, time to ask questions and settle into the session. There is no expectation upon you to remember or learn anything, it is simply about relaxing and enjoying your time within a small group. In the second part of the session there is soft music playing and I guide you through the 18 movements, you can stand or sit and move at your own pace and in your own way. At the end of the session we enjoy a tea or coffee together before going on with your day.

T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) is an easy to learn set of 19 movements and a posture, the classes last for an hour and we learn the sequence of movements over a few weeks (maybe 8-12 weeks). The classes are guided and can be seated or standing and you learn at your own pace and within your abilities. TCC is a relaxing practice, we learn to bring awareness to the soles of the feet as we Yin and Yang weight shift to circulate and balance our bodies chi (energy) TCC is also known as “joy thro’ movement” and is an evidence based practice shown to improve immunity, improve sleep quality, reduce pain, strengthen muscles, ligaments and tendons, and improve balance. People report many other benefits when they practice regularly. Justin Stone the originator used to say “you can not appease the hunger by reading the menu”. That said just 10 minutes a day practicing a few movements can be really beneficial to feelings of well being so why not come and try a class or two.

For class times and days please see the events section, really look forward to welcoming you to a class soon. Zoom classes will also be available later in the summer of 2024.

To see some of the TCC movements read more please visit www.tcccommunity.net the community website for teachers, students and interested others.

Mindfullness

‘Monkey Mind’ – Is a term for a mind that refuses to be quiet and concentrated. It is when your meditation is interfered with by your attention constantly finding new objects, like a monkey roaming through your brain.

Does any of the following ring any bells for you……?

  • Imagine you are going to the cinema to watch a film, you take your book, your mobile and ear pods with you so that you can read and listen to a playlist at the same time. Take your laptop too maybe do work emails !.  We wouldn’t would we but ……….. sometimes our minds are so full aren’t they. We can be watching the TV or reading a book and after some time realise that we have been caught up in the inner dialogue…..shopping lists, meetings, packed lunches, worries, would have, should have, wasn’t good enough……
  • We can be going about our day missing a big part of it because we are constantly distracted by thoughts or working on autopilot. Busy lives with constant distractions, little time for self care and self compassion. Ever get to work and have little or no recollection of the journey ? Ever eat a meal whilst planning a meeting, going over a difficult conversation, thinking about what needs to be done next…….  ? Ever had indigestion !!!
  • Maybe you feel tense and stressed a lot of the time, restless in mind and body. Maybe you feel your mood is low and you don’t enjoy things like you used to. Maybe you feel you can’t express yourself or communicate with friends, family or work colleagues as you would like to.
  • Maybe you have physical or emotional pain which is wearing you down.
  • Maybe you find your sleep is disturbed……..
  • Maybe you have repetitive negative thoughts, caught up in a loop of thinking patterns…….
If any of these scenarios ring any bells then maybe mindfulness meditation could show you how to quieten the mind and body. That’s really the aim at Calmer Minds, helping you to learn how to train your mind with simple meditation practices, reconnect with the body and senses using gentle mindful movement and learn to live a happy present life.

So what’s it all about then mindfulness and meditation? how could it help you?

When we practice mindfulness, or awareness, our body and mind becomes calmer, we become more peaceful, less reactive. If we can step back and look at our thoughts and feelings, rather than from them, we can learn to respond rather than react to our lives as they unfold moment by moment. Mindfulness is a workout for the mind and there are many scientific studies that document the health and wellbeing benefits to be gained.

The organisation Breathworks note there are some 4000 published works and modern brain imaging technologies that are demonstrating the physiological effects upon the brain. Read more…

Some of the benefits include:

Improved Sleep

Reduced Stress

Improved Immune Function

Pain Reduction

Reduced Anxiety

Improved Sleep

Reduced Stress

Improved Immune Function

Pain Reduction

Reduced Anxiety

Improved Mood

Become Less Self Critical

Improved Mind Body Connection

Recognising Negative Thinking Patterns

Why not try one of the short meditations:

The short breathing space a really useful little ‘tool’ for your mindfulness toolkit, a circuit breaker for when you feel a little ‘frazzled’ or the seated breathing meditation. Choose a quiet safe space (not whilst driving or operating machinery) and give yourself a gift of some quiet time, just for you.

Sample Meditation track

Short Breathing Space Practice

Sample Meditation track

Breathing Meditation

Sample Meditation track

Raisin Meditation

“In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy but alert and awake.

Meditation is not evasion ; it is a serene encounter with reality”.

(Hanh T.N. Miracle of Mindfulness, 2008)

What we do at calmer minds?

When we bring our attention to the here and now, become mindful and present we can enjoy our life moment by moment. Mindfulness requires concentration and practice, through gently guided formal and informal practices, simple mindful movements and shared enquiry we learn to become more grounded and present.

In person teaching near Banbury, Oxfordshire

Learn To Be Still

About Me

Mindfulness and meditation has helped me to become more resilient and happy while experiencing life’s ups and downs.

Through self-guided learning, workshops and retreats I continue to learn from my lived experiences using meditation, mindfulness and enquiry to help control pain, menopausal symptoms, reduce stress and anxiety, connect mind and body and feel peaceful.

I decided to train as a Mindfulness Now teacher so that I can help others learn to develop and maintain a mindfulness practice either one-to-one or within small supportive groups. Being outside within nature seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and moving can be a great starting point. A love of walking and nature has always given me great pleasure and has led to developing ‘mindful meanders’.

See more in the events section.

FAQ’s

What is mindfullness?

Mindfulness is having your attention on purpose to the hear and now, when we become mindfully aware we can enjoy life moment by moment, become more grounded and present. We can practice this throughout our day by really paying attention…….enjoy your shower: the scents, sensations :warmth or cold, how you feel after. Preparing and eating your breakfast, really pay attention tastes, smells, sensations within the body. Studies have shown that we miss great chunks of our day because of distractions, thoughts of past and future. This can lead to anxiety, depression, stress, irritability, poor concentration, tension, pain, bodily inflammation……

What is meditation?

Meditation is a formal practice it can be thought of as gymnastics for the mind. When we learn to become still, focus on a sense usually the breath then we can observe our thoughts and feelings rather than being within them…we get a bit of distance from them. We don’t try to empty the mind or achieve some sort of forced ‘state’ ,we become aware, in a non judgmental and compassionate way of what is happening now. At calmer minds we learn to use these formal practices and develop them using journalling and enquiry.

What happens after you contact calmer minds?

A free telephone or on line consultation is offered to discuss your needs and reasons for contacting calmer minds. A short health questionnaire to check current health status and consent regarding safeguarding. Most importantly how you learn are you visual ? How you like information presented and how we best tailor the sessions to you. In some instances written medical consent may be required prior to teaching commencing, this would be discussed in initial consultation.

Are you insured?
Yes! I hold professional Insurance.
What is the payment and cancellation policy?

Payment is made upon booking sessions/courses via BACS. Bookings are strictly non transferable. Requests to change times/days requires 3 days notice and cancellations 24 hours prior to a session is non refundable.

WORKSHOPS

COURSES

EVENTS

Mindful Meander

Mindful Meander

Come and join a mindful walk where we explore our environment using our senses. Choice of a 2 mile and 4.5 mile circuit within the lovely...

read more

Disclaimer: It is important to note that these sessions, workshops, and courses are not a therapeutic treatment. They are not a substitute for professional medical care, counseling, talking therapies or other specialist care.

Immediate help and support must be sought if you have suicidal thoughts, are self-harming or you feel your mood is seriously low.

Seek help /support from trained professionals:

Oxfordshire Mind

Oxfordshire Safe Haven

NHS Mental Health

Samaritans

Mindfulness and meditation practices are generally safe and used within varied clinical and teaching settings. For one to one sessions an individual client assessment is undertaken with basic health status, and requirements. Further permissions may be required in certain circumstances. Confidentiality within the limits of legality are maintained and consented.

Calmer minds works within the terms of the Mindfulness Now licence agreement and adheres in all respects, including Clinical Practice Development, supervision, and the Mindfulness Now code of ethical practice.

Testimonials

“I am new to mindfulness meditation. I find Kate’s calming voice helps with the session. She has the ability to put things across in an understandable way, I am trying to put some breathing practices into my everyday life”

BR Warwickshire.

“While walking with Kate on her mindfulness meanders I’ve learned techniques that have helped raise awareness of my surroundings to a level that surprised me and also to use positive images to counter my poor sleep routine. Looking forward to learning more.”

B.M Northants.

“Simply soaking up the natural world around us whilst receiving sensitively presented mindfulness exercises definitely gets my thumbs up ! It helps me to release that inner mental baggage . Try it !

M.M. Oxfordshire.

“I had experienced Mindfulness before, but only indoors. I love walking with groups, but have often wished we could have a slower, more meditative experience with more time to take in the surroundings. A Mindful walk seemed to be the perfect opportunity, and I have now tried two of these with Kate. Walking slowly through the village, we stopped to smell the roses and philadelphus, and enjoy the attractive streets before going out into the countryside. Kate introduced us to several practices, to help us focus on the here and now – on our breathing, our balance, a distant tree, the sounds of birdsong and the breeze. Otherwise, we enjoyed a leisurely walk through ripening barley, the dry golden soil beneath our feet, and taking in the many luxuriant sights, sounds and smells of summer.
On an earlier walk, Kate talked us through a ‘body scan’, lying in the grass, which I found wonderfully relaxing.
I am always amazed how easily my mind wanders onto other things, but this is all part of Mindfulness practice and the trick is just to bring it back, many times!
It made a pleasant change not to have to keep up with a faster group, and I felt calmer and more grounded afterwards. I’d recommend giving walks like this a try, and am looking forward to more Mindful experiences of the great outdoors in future.”

S.E. Oxfordshire.

“We had a very well attended January meeting which included 4 visitors. It was an interesting and enlightening talk by Kate Angell on Mindfulness. Kate brought this to life and guided us through its meaning and making us aware of the fact that it can help so many different people. Initially we wondered why we were asked to bring a piece of fruit- now we know why!”

JW Oxfordshire.

“I have had some experience of mindfulness before so I guess I knew roughly what to expect. I enjoyed learning new techniques and also enjoyed noticing the effect of mindfulness on the others in the group. I hadn’t attended a group before”

AF Oxon.

“A belated thank you for yesterday, very enlightening. Your voice is so soothing”

CI Northants.

“Hearing some of the comments from the others made me realise how my meditation has progressed since I started – something that is not always obvious when you practice alone”

AF Oxfordshire.

“Well done today that was a well packed session with plenty to think about. Who knew I’ve been doing expressive writing for donkeys years but never had a name for it”

SF Northants.

PRIVACY NOTICE
 
Last updated June 22, 2022
 
This privacy notice for Calmer Minds ('Company', 'we', 'us', or 'our',), describes how and why we might collect, store, use, and/or share ('process') your information when you use our services ('Services'), such as when you:
  • Engage with us in other related ways, including any sales, marketing, or events
Questions or concerns? Reading this privacy notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us at enquiry@calmerminds.co.uk.
 
 
SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
 
This summary provides key points from our privacy notice, but you can find out more details about any of these topics by clicking the link following each key point or by using our table of contents below to find the section you are looking for. You can also click here to go directly to our table of contents.
 
What personal information do we process? When you visit, use, or navigate our Services, we may process personal information depending on how you interact with Calmer Minds and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. Click here to learn more.
 
Do we process any sensitive personal information? We do not process sensitive personal information.
 
Do we receive any information from third parties? We do not receive any information from third parties.
 
How do we process your information? We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason to do so. Click here to learn more.
 
In what situations and with which parties do we share personal information? We may share information in specific situations and with specific third parties. Click here to learn more.
 
How do we keep your information safe? We have organisational and technical processes and procedures in place to protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorised third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Click here to learn more.
 
What are your rights? Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information. Click here to learn more.
 
How do you exercise your rights? The easiest way to exercise your rights is by filling out our data subject request form available here, or by contacting us. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
 
Want to learn more about what Calmer Minds does with any information we collect? Click here to review the notice in full.
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
 
Personal information you disclose to us
 
In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us.
 
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us.
 
 
Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following:
  • name
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Sensitive Information. We do not process sensitive information.
 
 
All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.
 
 
2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?
 
In Short: We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent.
 
We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including:

 
  • To respond to user inquiries/offer support to users. We may process your information to respond to your inquiries and solve any potential issues you might have with the requested service.

 

  • To enable user-to-user communications. We may process your information if you choose to use any of our offerings that allow for communication with another user.
 
  • To comply with our legal obligations. We may process your information to comply with our legal obligations, respond to legal requests, and exercise, establish, or defend our legal rights.
 
 
3. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
 
In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following third parties.
 
 
We may need to share your personal information in the following situations:
  • Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
 
 
4. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES?
 
In Short: We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.
 
We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to access or store information. Specific information about how we use such technologies and how you can refuse certain cookies is set out in our Cookie Notice.
 
5. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?
 
In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this privacy notice unless otherwise required by law.
 
We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements). No purpose in this notice will require us keeping your personal information for longer than 2 years.
 
When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymise such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.
 
6. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?
 
In Short: We aim to protect your personal information through a system of organisational and technical security measures.
 
We have implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organisational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorised third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of personal information to and from our Services is at your own risk. You should only access the Services within a secure environment.
 
7. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS?
 
In Short: We do not knowingly collect data from or market to children under 18 years of age.
 
We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Services. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will deactivate the account and take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we may have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at enquiry@calmerminds.co.uk.
 
8. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?
 
In Short:  You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time.
 
If you are located in the EEA or UK and you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection supervisory authority. You can find their contact details here: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index_en.htm.
 
If you are located in Switzerland, the contact details for the data protection authorities are available here: https://www.edoeb.admin.ch/edoeb/en/home.html.
 
Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, which may be express and/or implied consent depending on the applicable law, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section 'HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?' below.
 
However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal, nor when applicable law allows, will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.
 
Cookies and similar technologies: Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove cookies and to reject cookies. If you choose to remove cookies or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Services. To opt out of interest-based advertising by advertisers on our Services visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/.
 
If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at privacy@calmerminds.co.uk.
 
9. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES
 
Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ('DNT') feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage no uniform technology standard for recognising and implementing DNT signals has been finalised. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this privacy notice.
 
10. DO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS HAVE SPECIFIC PRIVACY RIGHTS?
 
In Short: Yes, if you are a resident of California, you are granted specific rights regarding access to your personal information.
 
California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the 'Shine The Light' law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us using the contact information provided below.
 
If you are under 18 years of age, reside in California, and have a registered account with Services, you have the right to request removal of unwanted data that you publicly post on the Services. To request removal of such data, please contact us using the contact information provided below and include the email address associated with your account and a statement that you reside in California. We will make sure the data is not publicly displayed on the Services, but please be aware that the data may not be completely or comprehensively removed from all our systems (e.g. backups, etc.).
 
11. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE?
 
In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws.
 
We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated 'Revised' date and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.
 
12. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?
 
If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at enquiry@calmerminds.co.uk
 
 
13. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU?
 
Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, change that information, or delete it. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please submit a request form by clicking here.
This privacy policy was created using Termly's Privacy Policy Generator.