Mindfulness Skills

31/03/2026

Have you ever wished your mind would just quiet down for a while?

Many people tell me: "I just want my mind to be less busy."

But the harder we try to stop thoughts, the more they seem to keep coming.

In mindfulness practice, there’s a gentler approach. Instead of fighting thoughts, we learn where to place attention.

For example, something as simple as walking can become a practice:
• noticing what you see
• listening to the sounds around you
• feeling your body moving

When attention shifts outward like this, something interesting often happens — the mental chatter softens on its own.

Not because we forced it to stop…but because attention is now somewhere else.

I’ve written a short article exploring this idea — how Focus In and Focus Out can change our relationship to thoughts and bring more clarity into daily life.

To learn more about Har-Prakash’s Cultivating the Jewel of Mindfulness course: https://www.cultivatingthejewel.com/module-one-course

You can read more of my review of the topics covered in Class 3 here: https://www.mindfulnessskills.com/post/cultivating-the-jewel-module-1-class-3-review

One of the most practical shifts in mindfulness training is learning where to place attention. In Class 3 of Cultivating the Jewel, we explore two simple strategies: “Focus In” and “Focus Out”, and how they can profoundly change our experience of stress, clarity, and daily life.At this stage...

25/03/2026

In a world that often avoids talking about death, I’m glad to share the launch of a new initiative close to my heart — Mindful End of Life.

This initiative brings together mindfulness practice, open conversation, and compassionate support for those exploring death, dying, and a deeper appreciation of life.

1) 🌿 Weekly Thursday Mindfulness Sits A dedicated practice exploring themes of death, dying, and impermanence, supporting greater clarity, acceptance, and presence.

First session: Thursday 9th April 2026 🕤 9:30pm UK / 4:30pm EST

2) ☕ Online Death Café (last Thursday of each month) Hosted by Choshin Blackburn & Bob Chiang

An open, respectful space for conversation about death and life — where people can share, reflect, or simply listen.

First Death Café: Thursday 30th April 2026 🕤 9:30pm UK / 4:30pm EST

3) Workshops and sessions from various teachers

These sessions are offered freely, with optional donations.

My intention is to support those approaching the end of life, those caring for others, and anyone who feels drawn to explore these themes in a mindful and grounded way.

If this resonates, you are very welcome to join — or to share with others who might benefit.

🌐 More details: https://www.mindful-endoflife.com
📧 Email: contact@mindful-endoflife.com

Warmly, Bob Chiang

Embracing Life’s Final Journey with Compassion and Grace Mindful End of Life offers compassionate guidance, coaching, and safe spaces for mindful navigation of death, dying and aging – fostering acceptance, well-being and deep appreciation of life. Learn More Compassionate Guidance for Your Jour...

12/03/2026

What happens when you can’t check your phone for an hour?

I recently ran a mindfulness session for a group of corporate managers and invited them to try a simple experiment.

For one hour, the agreement was simple: no checking phones.
If anything urgent came up, someone else could handle it.

What happened next was interesting.

Despite agreeing to the experiment, about half of the participants found themselves automatically reaching for their phones — checking emails, messages, or notifications without even realising it.

It wasn’t a conscious decision. It was simply habit.

That moment revealed something important about how our attention works — and how mindfulness helps us become aware of the habits that quietly shape our behaviour.

And when we become aware of those habits, we begin to have the possibility of changing them.

I’ve written a short article exploring this simple experiment and what it teaches us about attention, habits, and mindfulness.

Read the full article here:
www.mindfulnessskills.com/post/why-we-check-our-phones-without-realising-it

What Happened When I Asked Corporate Managers Not to Check Their Phones for One HourI recently ran a mindfulness session for a group of corporate managers. At the beginning of the session, I invited them to try a simple experiment.For the next hour, the invitation was not to check their phones or sm...

03/03/2026

From Distraction to Empowerment

Ever sat down to meditate… and realised your mind feels busier than before you started?

Modern life doesn’t really give our nervous system a break. News, emails, social media, conversations, expectations — it’s constant input.

I’ve been reviewing Cultivating the Jewel, and in Class 2 one idea really stood out to me:

Weak concentration is not failure.
Noticing distraction and gently returning to your focus is doing the
technique perfectly.

That reframing can be such a relief — especially if you have a strong inner critic.

The class also introduces the idea of “Walls and Windows.” Every obstacle in meditation — agitation, dullness, self-judgment — can become an opportunity for training.

Instead of trying to eliminate distraction, we learn how to work with it.

Instead of being pushed around by our internal weather, we develop steadiness and choice.

Over time, something shifts.
Obstacles become practice.
Distraction becomes workable.
And that’s where real empowerment begins.

If you’d like to read the full review, here’s the blog article:
https://www.mindfulnessskills.com/post/cultivating-the-jewel-module-1-class-2-review

From Distraction to Empowerment: Turning Walls into WindowsEver sat down to meditate and realised your mind feels louder than before you started?Modern life bombards us with input — news alerts, social media, emails, conversations, expectations. Before we’ve even had breakfast, the nervous syste...

26/02/2026

Why mindfulness is not a quick fix — but a lasting one

When we’re stressed, most of us just want relief.

Something to take the edge off.
A distraction.
Reassurance.
A way to feel better right now.

There’s nothing wrong with that — relief has its place.

But relief and lasting change are not the same thing.

As mindfulness teacher Shinzen Young says:

“Mindfulness may not be a quick fix, but it is a deep fix.”

If you’re curious how mindfulness supports lasting wellbeing, I’ve written a short article about this:

In times of stress, most of us look for a quick fix.We want something that will make the discomfort go away, quickly if possible. A distraction, reassurance, a solution, a way to feel better right now.There is nothing wrong with seeking relief. In many situations, it is sensible and necessary. But r...

19/02/2026

I’ve just completed Class 1, Module 1 of Cultivating the Jewel, a mindfulness programme developed by Har-Prakash (senior teacher of Shinzen Young), and I really appreciated how clear and grounded it is.

The class focuses on what mindfulness actually trains — not just as an idea, but as real skills of awareness. It clearly distinguishes Mindful Living from Mindful Awareness, and shows how developing sensory clarity can reduce overwhelm and stress.

I found the framework for understanding experience particularly helpful. By organising experience into body, mind, and world, it becomes easier to see what’s happening moment-to-moment — and to respond with more choice rather than reactivity.

The programme speaks to both everyday benefits (better habits, emotional balance, improved relationships) and deeper aspects of practice, such as insight and freedom from limiting patterns.

It also includes practical ways to work skilfully with the inner critic — something many of us know all too well.

👉 Full article on my blog:
https://wix.to/3O5VWaD

👉 For more details about the programme:
https://www.cultivatingthejewel.com/

I have designed the Cultivating the Jewel of Mindfulness comprehensive practitioner programs for meditators who want to deepen and integrate psycho-spiritual growth in all aspects of their lives.

17/02/2026

Parenting a child with additional needs can be incredibly challenging and demanding.

If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or simply running on empty, you’re not alone ❤️

Join us for a gentle, practical workshop exploring calming techniques for stress and anxiety — specifically for parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

You’ll learn simple tools you can use in everyday life to calm the body, steady the mind, and restore a sense of balance — even during difficult moments.

Friday 6 March 10:00 AM, SEND Dynamic, Derby.

No prior experience needed — just come as you are.

To book or find out more, please contact SEND Dynamic.
Please feel free to share with anyone who might benefit 💙

12/02/2026

How Intense Emotions Can Be No Problem

Most of us try to control difficult emotions.

We distract.
We suppress.
We push away.

But what if the first step isn’t control?

What if it’s willingness — the willingness to experience what’s actually happening?

In my latest blog, I explore a talk from Shinzen Young on working skilfully with intense emotions.

When we allow an emotion fully and notice its essential qualities, something shifts. What feels overwhelming can become workable.

If you’re interested in emotional resilience and learning how to respond rather than react, you might find it helpful.

Read here:
https://www.mindfulnessskills.com/post/how-intense-emotions-can-be-no-problem

03/01/2026

Most people think meditation means trying to relax.

What if tranquillity is already present—and the skill is learning how to recognise it?

This January, I’ll be teaching Shinzen Young's Home Practice Program, with Focus on Rest.

Rather than forcing calm, we’ll explore how to notice and gently stay with naturally pleasant, restful experiences that are already here. When you learn to recognise tranquillity and remain with it, something simple but powerful happens: the more you notice it, the easier it becomes to stay present.

Moments of warmth, quiet, softness, and ease are already woven into everyday life. Most people miss them not because they aren’t there, but because they haven’t been shown how to recognise or stabilise them. As this skill develops, even ordinary moments can begin to feel quietly extraordinary.

🗓 Saturday, Jan 10
⏰ 4–8pm Eastern | 9pm–1am UK
🔗 https://homepracticeprogram.com/january-2026

No prior meditation experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to explore what’s already here.

In this session, we practice the See, Hear, and Feel technique. We allow visual images, sounds, and body sensations to arise, staying with each experience for a few seconds. The focus is on building concentration, clarity, and equanimity—noticing moment-to-moment experience just as it is, without ...

13/11/2025

What if mindfulness could be taught with the same clarity and precision as science?

Unified Mindfulness (UM), developed by Shinzen Young, offers a practical and accessible way to learn mindfulness as a set of simple, trainable skills anyone can use.

More workplaces, community groups, and individuals are now turning to UM to support mental health, resilience, and overall well-being — with benefits that are meaningful, sustainable, and easy to integrate into daily life.

Blending scientific insight with the depth of traditional contemplative practices, UM provides a clear and structured approach that helps reduce stress, improve focus, and cultivate emotional balance both at work and at home.

👉 Read the full introduction to Unified Mindfulness here: https://www.mindfulnessskills.com/post/introduction-to-unified-mindfulness

Unified Mindfulness (UM) is a comprehensive framework for contemplative practice developed by Shinzen Young, a pioneering mindfulness teacher known for bridging traditional meditation systems with modern science. After decades of study across Buddhist traditions, Western psychology, and neuroscience...

04/11/2025

It’s okay to talk about grief — to open up, to speak its name.

Supporting a friend through terminal illness is a journey filled with emotional depth, reflection, and love.

As an end-of-life doula and mindfulness coach, I often witness grief not just in the moment of loss, but in the months and years that follow.

I recently wrote about walking beside a close friend during his final months. If you or someone you love is living with loss, I hope these words resonate, bring gentleness and connection.

Read more 👉 https://wix.to/srmyW7i

19/11/2024

🌟 Free Mindfulness Session for Parents of Children with SEND 🌟

Are you a parent of a child with SEND? Take a moment to focus on you and your selfcare.

Join us for a FREE Mindfulness Session hosted by The SEND Dynamic, designed to help parents like you find calm and balance in the midst of life’s challenges.

🗓 When: Monday, 9th December
⏰ Time: 8 PM
📍 Where: Online (details email info@thesenddynamic.co.uk)

This session offers a peaceful space to unwind, connect, and recharge. Don’t miss out on this chance to invest in your well-being.

📩 Reserve your spot today: Email info@thesenddynamic.co.uk for details!

Feel free to share this with other SEND parents who might benefit. Let’s take this moment for self-care together! 💙