Mindfulness & Deep Listening

Practising mindfulness is a nourishing, calming, and restorative experience that brings a focused and compassionate quality to every session.

"Mindfulness is a kind of ‘energy’ that we generate when we bring our mind back to our body and get in touch with what is going on in the present moment, within us and around us. We become aware of our breathing and come home to our body, fully present for ourselves and whatever we are doing." – Plum Village Monastery

Kathryn is a skilled practitioner of mindfulness and deep listening, following the Zen Buddhist and Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monastic and peace activist. Along with many other trainings taught at the Plum Village Monastery, Kathryn integrates mindfulness and deep listening and offers it to her clients to enhance their capacity for reflection, relaxation of their nervous system and mind-body restoration.

The practice of deep listening can also be found in ancient cultures, such as the Aboriginal people of Australia. One such concept is "dadirri" (da-did-ee), originating from the Ngan’gikurunggurr and Ngen’giwumirri languages of the Aboriginal peoples of the Daly River region in the Northern Territory, Australia. Dadirri means deep listening and learning. It represents a sense of spirituality experienced through quiet, still awareness, allowing access to the deep wellspring within. As Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr, an Aboriginal activist, elder, and teacher, aptly put it, "When we listen to Country, we are made whole again."

Practising mindfulness and deep listening is an essential learning for the harmony of all people on our planet, as it serves as a path to ultimate peace, happiness and reconciliation. Clients enjoy learning the techniques and applying them to their everyday lives. To find out more, you may be interested in joining a Plum Village practising sangha or exploring the Plum Village online library to deepen your understanding of this valuable skill.