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All the information about Alistair Appleton's Mindsprings meditation Retreat at Gayles Retreat Centre in September 2023 London Weekend: Tapping into Freedom 15-16 April 2023 Turbo charge your meditation. Clear troubling blockages. Alistair shares his secret weapon in powering his meditation. And life. For more than 10 years, I've been using the techniques of energy psychology (tapping, chakra clearing) to break through blockages in my life. I worked in my personal therapy with an amazing EP therapist, and in my own work as a therapist I have used tapping with powerful results. But it's only recently that I've decided to share how I work with tapping in my meditation practice. Mastering the basic EP skills of tuning-up, muscle testing, tapping and chakra clearing have consistently helped me along the meditative path. And I want to share them with you. On this in-person weekend in London you will: get an overview of energy psychology and how it works learn to bring your mind-body 'online' when it's scrambled communicated directly with your mind-body using muscle-testing integrate EP techniques into your meditation practice master 'central clearing' to remove troubling patterns that stymie practice expand EP into dharma practice and into your life Book your place for April now What is Energy Psychology? Energy Psychology is a relatively recent arrival in mental health, starting in the field of kinesiology in the 1980s. Still, its roots go back to the yogic practices of the subtle body (chakras, meridians etc.) and to the Tibetan practice of Vajrasattva. In essence, EP works to clear the debris of trauma from the human nervous system/energy body. A common metaphor is that of a river. Trauma leaves big boulders in the river of life and water has to take a highly-pressurized or distorted route to continue. EP removes the boulders and allows the natural health of the body-mind to re-establish itself. Combining cognitive elements (phrase making) with meridian work (tapping on acupressure points or holding energy centres) this unusual form of therapy achieves astonishing results. Many people feel that psychic knots that have bedevilled them for many years are released all at once without remainder. Combining EP techniques with meditation practice can lead to great leaps in our spiritual path and a much more optimistic viewpoint for enlightenment. Master the basics of EP to improve your life Pricing Mindsprings is well aware that many people are having to tighten their belts at the moment, financially. So we offer two prices for this weekend. A full, supporters fee which helps us cover our costs and a subsidised concessionary rate for any of you who are struggling financially. If you can pay the full price that will help us invite more people on the concessionary rate. And if you would struggle to pay that reduced ticket rate then please do drop us a line. We never want people to miss out on meditation because of poxy old money. We can sort something out for you. Book the two kinds of tickets here. Enquire about bursaries here What to expect at Spa Road this April... • the course begins at 10am and finishes at 5pm each day. We'll have an hour for lunch and a couple of 15 minute tea-breaks. If you can get to Spa Road a little early on Saturday to make sure we can start promptly that would be great. • the nearest tube station is Bermondsey on the Jubilee line though there are buses that get a little closer. The postcode of the centre is SE16 3SA and their number is 020 33271650. • there is a very nice tea room at the Centre and they can make soup and sandwiches (we'll pre-order in the first tea break) or there are several nice cafes at the near end of Bermondsey Road which we can give directions too. There's also a lovely park opposite if you'd prefer to bring your own picnic. • we'll be using the beautiful Shrine Room at the Centre and sitting in chairs in a circle. • the weekend will consist of practice sessions, some instruction and discussion, working in smaller groups and some individual processing. • we'll provide electronic notes after the course so you don't need to write things down though it would be great if you could bring a pen and some paper or a notebook for some of the exercises. Recordings of the teaching will also be sent out after the course. • the Shrine Room is usually lovely and warm but please brings some layers, especially if you feel the cold. • If you have any specific psychological concerns, are on prescription psychiatric medication or have a condition that you think I should know about before the course then please do let me know in a private email. About the teacher Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings , his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands. Join us in London this April Join us in London this April Getting to KSD London Kagyu Samye Dzong is in the old Victorian library building on Spa Road Gardens in Bermondsey. The nearest tube station is Bermondsey on the Jubilee line though there are buses that get a little closer. The postcode of the centre is SE16 3SA and their number is 020 33271650. Please note that there is/was an older centre at Manor Place - this is not the one you want! Any more questions?

All the information about Alistair Appleton's Mindsprings meditation Retreat at the Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh in November 2023 Edinburgh Weekend: Tapping into Freedom 18-19 November 2023 Turbo charge your meditation. Clear troubling blockages. Alistair shares with you his secret weapon in powering meditation. And life. Book your place for November now For more than 10 years, I've been using the techniques of energy psychology (tapping, chakra clearing) to break through blockages in my life and the life of my clients. And - until recently - I only spoke about it in the context of therapy. But now I've decided to share how I work with tapping in my meditation practice. Mastering the basic EP skills of tuning-up, muscle testing, tapping and chakra clearing have consistently helped me along the meditative path. And I want to share them with you . On this in-person weekend in Edinburgh you will: get an overview of energy psychology and how it works learn to bring your mind-body 'online' when it's scrambled communicated directly with your mind-body using muscle-testing integrate EP techniques into your meditation practice master 'central clearing' to remove troubling patterns that stymie practice expand EP into dharma practice and into your life What is Energy Psychology? Energy Psychology is a relatively recent arrival in mental health, starting in the field of kinesiology in the 1980s. Still, its roots go back to the yogic practices of the subtle body (chakras, meridians etc.) and to the Tibetan practice of Vajrasattva. In essence, EP works to clear the debris of trauma from the human nervous system/energy body. A common metaphor is that of a river. Trauma leaves big boulders in the river of life and water has to take a highly-pressurized or distorted route to continue. EP removes the boulders and allows the natural health of the body-mind to re-establish itself. Combining cognitive elements (phrase making) with meridian work (tapping on acupressure points or holding energy centres) this unusual form of therapy achieves astonishing results. Many people feel that psychic knots that have bedevilled them for many years are released all at once without remainder. Combining EP techniques with meditation practice can lead to great leaps in our spiritual path and a much more optimistic viewpoint for enlightenment. Master the basics of EP to improve your life FEEDBACK FROM LONDON Thank you so much. I feel this has given me new and refreshing energy to get unstuck. Your teaching was really engaging. Thank you Alistair! I really enjoyed the course. I think it's the most beneficial one I have attended. I appreciated the respectful approach to personal issues (no pressure to explore personal issues with strangers) Thanks! Pricing Mindsprings is well aware that many people are having to tighten their belts at the moment, financially. So we offer two prices for this weekend. A full, supporters fee which helps us cover our costs and a subsidised concessionary rate for any of you who are struggling financially. Paying the full fee allows us to invite more people on the lower rate. But if you would even struggle to pay that reduced ticket rate then please do drop us a line. We never want people to miss out on meditation because of poxy old money. We can sort something out for you. Book the two kinds of tickets here. Enquire about bursaries here What to expect at the Salisbury Centre this November... • the course begins at 10am and finishes at 5pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. We'll have an hour for lunch and a couple of 15 minute tea-breaks. If you can get to the Salisbury Centre a little early on Saturday to make sure we can start promptly that would be great. • The postcode of the centre is EH16 5AB t heir website is www.salisburycentre.org and their number is 01316675438 . • The centre has a kitchen with a microwave so some people like to bring their own lunch but there are also several nice eateries along the nearby Newington Road. • we'll be using the beautiful Studio Room at the Centre (upstairs) and sitting in chairs in a circle. • the weekend will consist of practice sessions, some instruction and discussion, working in smaller groups and some individual processing. • we'll provide electronic notes after the course so you don't need to write things down though it would be great if you could bring a pen and some paper or a notebook for some of the exercises. Recordings of the teaching will also be sent out after the course. • the Studio Room is usually lovely and warm but please bring some layers, especially if you feel the cold. • If you have any specific psychological concerns, are on prescription psychiatric medication or have a condition that you think I should know about before the course then please do let me know in a private email. About the teacher Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings , his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands. Join us in London this April Join us in Edinburgh this November Getting to the Salisbury Centre By Train The nearest train station is Waverley Station. By Bus Buses from the city centre that pass Salisbury Road: 2, 14, 30, 33, N30 (west end of Salisbury Road, Commonwealth Pool stop – nearest bustop) 3, 5, 7, 8, 29, X29, 31, 37, X37, 47, 48, 49, N3, N31, N37 (on Newington Road, Salisbury Road stop – a two minute walk) By Car Parking: The Salisbury Centre is in the City of Edinburgh restricted parking zone 7. There are 12 pay parking spaces on the street with more in adjacent streets. Parking is free after 5.30pm. We are 5 minutes from the nearest unrestricted parking area. Park & Ride If you driving from out of town, please consider using Park & Ride on the South-West of the city P&R SherrifHall postcode EH22 1FF : busses 33 and 49 P&R Straigton, postcode EH20 9NP : busses X37, 47, X47 Any more questions?

All the information about Alistair Appleton's Mindsprings meditation Retreat at Gayles Retreat Centre in September 2023 Summer Retreat on Holy Isle 22-29 July 2023 Brighten your life with Beingfulness Enjoy your mind afresh. For almost 20 years, Alistair has been running Mindsprings Retreats on the beautiful Holy Isle off the coast of Arran in Scotland . This year we are holding a summer week of Beingfulness on the Island, a practice that celebrates the joy of being human. Come and enjoy the powerful energy of the Island, the delicious island-grown food and the wonderful presence of good-hearted people practicing together. Friendships are born on Holy Island that last for years! We will be exploring Alistair's embodied meditation practice, Beingfulness . A comprehensive way to deepen and enjoy your experience of the world and yourself. It's a beautiful and profound practice - something precious to take with you when you leave the retreat. And it's suitable for beginners and more seasoned meditators. The Centre for World Peace on the Island is a comfortable and well-staffed place to stay with single, double, sea-view and dorm rooms available. The food is delicious and vegetarian. And the Island itself has a transformative magic. Book your place for July now What is Beingfulness? Beingfulness is a form of meditation that helps us enjoy life more. It's a simple step-by-step process. First, we learn to recognise when we are aware Then we master moving awareness from object to object The next step is to anchor awareness on restful objects like the breath or sounds. Then we sift all the various phenomena of our here-and-now into four fields: body, emotions, senses and thoughts. In various exercises, we deepen our enjoyment and curiosity about these phenomena Next, we explore the 'fifth field' of our unexamined preferences And finally, we relax into a wide-open enjoyment of the kaleidoscopic display of the human mind. The practice allows us to be full of being, not just full of thinking! Treat yourself to a week of Beingfulness About Holy Isle Holy Island is a stunning granite outcrop in Lamlash Bay off the isle of Arran in West Scotland. It's been a holy site since the times of Celtic Christianity when St. Molaise lived in a cave here. In the last few decades, it's been a place of Buddhist-inspired contemplation under the auspices of Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche. But the World Centre for Peace and Health where this course takes place is open to all faiths or none. It's a uniquely nurturing place for practice and draws people from all over the world. You can watch an aerial tour of the island here . What to expect from a Mindsprings Retreat Our first evening together on Saturday is a chance to arrive, enjoy some food and get to know one another. Most people are tired from travel and we'll have an early night after some relaxation. The daily schedule for the Sunday-Friday is fairly similar We start with some gentle stretching and a silent sit before breakfast . This is a great way to start the day. Before our delicious breakfast, Alistair will lead us in some t'ai chi on the beachfront which is optional. But does involve hugs - which everyone seems to love. The morning sessions are exploring the Beingfulness practice with breaks for tea. After lunch, the afternoon is a period for rest or walking or taking the practices out into the natural world . We will meet for discussion of the practice and a short period of meditation before supper. After supper, there is a further chance to practice together and integrate what we have learned during the day. Generally, it's light's out and silence after 9.30pm - so early nights, though you could go for a moonlight walk! We often have the mornings silent and one full day of silence somewhere in the middle. It's a very friendly silence and, again, many people love this element of the retreat. Book the retreat About the teacher Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings , his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands. Alistair will be leading this retreat supported by Kirsty. We will begin each day with some gentle embodiment practices and then move into exploring Beingfulness. Rough timetable : On Saturday 22nd at 7.30 pm, we have a welcoming circle after soup and the beginning session of the retreat ending around 9pm. Then from Sunday to Friday: 7am- 8am: Early morning yoga + silent sit 8am-9am: Breakfast break 9am- 12.30 pm : Practice and Alistair teaching 12.30pm - 4pm : Lunch self-practice, rest 4pm - 6pm : Practice 6pm -7.30pm Supper time 7.30pm-8.30pm: Sitting practice Team and schedule Food, Accommodation and Pricing One of the greatest joys of Holy Isle is the fantastic food harvested directly from the biodynamic and organic gardens that surround the centre. The resident kitchen team will be providing delicious vegetarian food throughout. There will be breakfast, lunch and supper and tea and snacks available throughout the day. Vegan and wheat-free diets are also catered for. The cost of the retreat is £310 per person and then you will need to book your accommodation through the Holy Island office separately. They have single rooms, a couple of double rooms and male and female dorms. The dorms (and the doubles) have sea views! You will have to book the retreat AND then your room separately! Please note that Holy Island is not taking accommodation bookings until the beginning of 2023. Book Mindsprings Retreat here Choose your accommodation here Don't let money stop you coming on retreat... Mindsprings would like people to practice even if they are struggling financially, for whatever reason. We offer a limited number of partial bursaries for these retreats. Drop us a line about bursaries Getting to Holy Isle Reaching Holy Island is part of the experience of going on retreat there. It is a pilgrimage. Details can be found on the Holy Island site here . But in essence, you need to get to Lamlash pier by lunchtime on the 22nd July. Ideally, you might want to come a day early to give yourself some time. The little ferry from Lamlash to the Island is very weather sensitive so it's a good idea to speak to the Island closer to the retreat. Also you will need to book your ticket with Grant at this site . A little bit of planning and double-checking never goes amiss! Frequently Asked Questions My login doesn't work anymore. Can you help? This new site needs a one-time signup. If you have a email/password combo from the Mindsprings School (Beingfulness, Anxiety courses etc.) then I suggest using the same one. But you will need to sign up one time only to access the site (use those same details if you like) and then you'll be able to access everything with that login the next time you visit! Where have my online courses gone? All the online self-study courses are still on the Mindsprings School. You can access this under Courses > Self Study on the navigation bar. I'm trying to find a way to synchronise the school with the new site - but everything is safe and sound there for your perusal. When are the live online classes starting again? I'm starting to teach online three times a week from the 20th October 2022. You can find out more and book your classes here. Any more questions?

All the information about Alistair Appleton's Mindsprings online six-week study group looking at the spontaneous songs and teachings of the medieval Tibetan mystic, Milarepa. 2nd Feb - 9 March 2023. 6 Week Course: Milarepa 2 February - 9th March 2023 Tibet's great mountain mystic - studying the "100,000 Songs" together Immerse yourself in Tibetan Buddhism and the magical life of Milarepa The 11th Century was the time of the Norman period in England, and the Song Dynasty in China. The Toltecs were ruling Mexico, Angkor Wat was being built. It was the twilight of the Byzantine empire. But in a mountainous region of Tibet, a young man was undergoing a profound spiritual transformation from a murderer of 35 people to one of the most legendary and highly-regarded practitioners in Tibetan Buddhism. Milarepa (c.1051-1135) was from a well-to-do family who had been cheated of their wealth. And driven by a vengeful mother he learned black magic and caused the death of 35 of his relatives. Inspired by simply hearing the name of his teacher, Marpa, he went through gruelling penances to get to a place where he could receive the highest Buddhist teaching and then spent the rest of his long life teaching from icy mountain retreats - and singing spontaneous songs (doha) of enlightenment. These "Hundred Thousand Songs" were collected many years after his death and are considered one of the pinnacles of Tibetan religious literature. As well as being astonishing works of poetry, they are also inspirational for practitioners of Buddhism. I feel they are also a wonderful gateway into the sometimes dizzying world of Vajrayana Buddhism. Having loved these Songs for many years, I thought it would be wonderful to spend six weeks exploring them. We'll start with an overview of Milarepa's life on the 2nd February and then take one song each week for the subsequent five sessions. We'll meet at 7.30pm UK time on Thursday evenings - for about an hour. Book a place on the 6-week course Pricing You can attend the six-week course as part of your Baobab membership (and if you book Baobab before the end of January it's only £10 a month for the first three months of 2023). Or you can pay £30 for the six week course. Book £30 course Get it free with Baobab membership Book the 6-week study course About the teacher Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher. He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings , his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems. Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects: helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress. working with mental health in the LGBTQ community. exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices. teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands. Any more questions?