Finding mindfulness and developing a practice has really helped me deal with my own anxiety and feelings of overwhelm. I know that I feel my best and am most productive when I am able to ground myself in mindfulness, meditation, breathwork and yoga.
I trained in the unique Mindfulness Now programme which offers an integrated approach to using mindfulness techniques to deal with emotional pain and physical pain and trauma, while building emotional resilience. I spent 11 years in a primary school as a drama teacher while also being the Lead Mental Health teacher for the school. With the growing mental health crisis in the UK, I developed an interest in helping young people develop the skills needed to help prevent mental health issues becoming a problem in the future. I completed training in Implementing a Whole School Approach to Mental Health along with Place2Be’s Mental Health Champions programme. This led me to mindfulness, a practice that builds resilience and confidence, whilst enabling emotional regulation and calming the nervous system. I began to incorporate short meditations and other mindfulness practices into my teaching, encouraging the children to connect with their bodies, understand their feelings and develop the skills needed to help them find moments of calm.
Before teaching, I worked in Theatre Education with some of the country’s leading theatres, including the Royal Court theatre, London and the Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester. A passionate advocate for the transformative and empowering nature of drama and theatre, I have worked consistently to build confidence, self-esteem, self-belief and self-expression in others. I have an MA (Hons) in Theatre Studies and Social Policy from Glasgow University, along with a Certificate in Mindfulness Teaching from Mindfulness Now.
