In today's monthly meditation session, we looked at the inner critic - you know the one I mean? It's the soundtrack of your mind that has an opinion on everything (or so it would seem!)

We'd first encountered the topic of the inner critic / voice when reading The Untethered Soul (by Michael A Singer) in our group reading guide a couple of years ago.

Some of us have managed to befriend this voice, even so far as giving it a name. I know my writing mentor has done this too and says that it is most definitely a 'he' that shows up.

This Thursday (15 February), the women's writing group will be utilising the focus from the day before and our writing theme is love.

Join us! We meet in John Lewis restaurant (2nd floor) from 19.00 to 20.30 - it is free to attend (but please purchase a drink from the cafe)

Last night saw women from previous mindfulness courses attend for a A Mindful Top-up

As with any new endeavour, there's always the 'honeymoon period' and we have good intentions to continue with a chosen practice or activity.

All too soon, our tendencies and our defaults creep back in and it becomes harder and harder to maintain the enthusiasm, especially once outside the regular weekly classes now that they've finished.

With only 26 days until the early bird offer expires are you planning what you would like to do or achieve next year?

Now into its third year, my yoga retreat at the amazing Watermill in Posara, Italy offers a week of complete nourishment on every level.

Today I'm focusing on the meditation offering: We begin each morning at 08.00 with meditation - a gentle, guided practice to help ease you into the day and it also introduces the theme of the day's practices.

The most recent course of A Mindful Woman finished with joy and with sadness.

Joy that the women who attended received so much benefit from the sessions.

Sadness in that the sessions themselves had come to an end.

Just one of many testimonials can be seen within the image (above) and as a result of the wonderful feedback, I have decided to create something new.

A Mindful Top-up

A taboo topic has always been periods. Another topic that isn't as well known, is that many cannot afford to purchase sanitary protection.

Think about that for a moment.

Thanks to the initiative of Bloody Good Period we can all help by making donations of sanitary items.

w/c 30 October, I am collecting on behalf of a friend who will be taking sanitary donations along to the charity.

Last Saturday saw the last mind-training slogan (Lojong) in our monthly meditation sessions. We have been using these pithy little reminders for two years, which are teachings condensed into a one-line reminder. Having covered 24 of the 59 little gems (in no particular order), the time has come to create space for new ways of reflecting.

There is nothing stagnant about a meditation practice: as explained to the wonderful group of women on Saturday, it is ever evolving and can arise in any given moment wherever we find ourselves.

One of the wonderful gifts following a retreat, is to receive the feedback from those who attended.

Following last month's retreat in Italy, words have been filtering through from the guests I had the pleasure of spending a whole week with, in which I shared the delights of yoga, meditation and creative pursuits - all with one aim in mind: to nourish the women on every level.

The image at the top of this piece contains recent feedback which has moved me very deeply.