MindCraft

06/05/2026

I wonder if you're done waiting... Waiting for things to calm down so that you can get off the hamster wheel... As if waiting for Life to finally begin...

I wonder if, amidst your job and family, the to-do lists, the chores, Monday to Friday / weekend on repeat you're thinking: 'Is this it? Is this what life is supposed to be like?'

Perhaps, you sense there's something missing... It's difficult to put into words. It's just a feeling. But you don't stay too long contemplating it because that'd lead to more questions... And you're not ready to think about them, just yet...

So you just 'get on with it' and you keep moving forwards. And, in essence, there is nothing wrong with that.

However, if this feeling of 'something is missing' keeps coming back then the following words and the invitation that follows is for you:

I was once like you. I remember standing outside my, then, office building in a busy street in the centre of Bristol. By this point Life had already thrown me a few curve balls but I was determined to make it happen. I was doing all that was supposed to bring me happiness in life: studied (a lot), got a (corporate) job, got married, and started a family. I even uprooted myself and moved countries. And yet, the 'promised' happiness was nowhere to be seen.

Something inside of me wondered why I'm not content. Part of me knew there must be more to life, there must be (some sort of) meaning to our existence on this planet. Our lives must have a purpose...

Little did I know at the time that Life/ God/ the Universe would very soon put me on a path to find out exactly that. My journey within was about to begin...

The journey I've been on has again and again led me back to me. Now and again I thought I'd found the answer I needed outside of me, only to realise I need to return to myself again.

The journey inwards has been (and continues to be) the greatest adventure. It's not for the faint-hearted but it's totally worth it!

I am inviting you to give it a try. Start small. Learn to slow down and pause, allow space to just BE, turn your gaze inwards. My monthly group mindfulness and meditation sessions can be a great place to start ( the next Calm with Katerina is this coming Monday, 11th May, link in the comments). Or if being in a group isn't your thing - message me and let's chat, meet for a (virtual or real) coffee, walk and talk. Just a conversation.

This is my invitation for you to stop surviving and start Living is here 🙂 Your Life is happening now. I've said 'yes' to it. Have you?
PS: and the magical thing is that on this journey you may begin to see meaning and purpose even in the ordinary and mundane... What a gift ✨

03/05/2026

'A central challenge of autism: for the wast majority of people on the spectrum, autism can be best understood as a disability of TRUST. Because of their neurological challenges, autistic people face tremendous obstacles of three kinds: trusting their body, trusting the world around them and - most challenging of all - trusting other people.'
Barry M Prizant, PhD: Uniquely Human

03/05/2026

01/05/2026

Client's reflections at the end of our last session: 'I am entering a new chapter. I won't let fear and external pressure dictate how I live my life. I choose from the heart knowing I am supported and don't have to do this alone.' 🙂🙌❤

29/04/2026

The more we matter to them,
the less they are wounded
by outside wounds.
The key is in the relationship.
It’s not in the teaching.”
- Dr. Gordon Neufeld

→ Find free lectures and talk by Gordon Neufeld - link in bio

29/04/2026

LIVING ON THE FRINGE
An evening stroll in the sunset. I felt I needed to take myself out tonight... 🌇

I loved watching the sun rays shine through the leaves and pop through, the intensity of their light coming through... The clouds in the sky had a hint of purple and you can just about make out the (nearly full) moon 🌙

All you need sometimes is to feel the fresh breeze on your face, look up towards the sky and watch the river flow to clear your head, ground and feel at peace.

Today I came to a realisation that living on the 'fringe' can actually be a pretty cool place to be.

No matter how hard you have tried in your life to get people to get you, to understand you, to accept you.

No matter how much you have tried to fit in, to conform and how much masking you have done in your life only to still end up being the 'odd and weird one'.

There comes a point (if you give yourself permission) when you realise that you can, actually, play by your own rules, become the one who leads. When you have awareness, know, love and accept yourself and your uniqueness to such a degree that conformity, diminishing yourself and dimming your own light is no longer an option.

It's when you truly stop worrying about whether you fit in, whether people get you, whether people will challenge or question you. It takes courage but it's truly freeing. 😁

Just glanced up my screen...78% battery as I type... The year I was born. Maybe this year ( the year of the Fire Horse 🐎 - I am born in the year of the Horse 😉) is about me starting anew and show up from a place of genuine acceptance and belief in self...

For all the neurospicy folk out there, this is your invitation to look and live beyond labels and diagnosis and become a leader. The world 🌍 , actually, needs you 😊

26/04/2026

Does this sound like you, or your child?

It can be a very confusing experience to be gifted and have another neurodivergence. Your gifted mind moves in one direction, while your other neurodivergence(s) sometimes pulls you in an opposite direction. The resulting internal tension can leave you feeling stressed, unsure, insecure or even ashamed. It can make it really hard to know what exactly you want, what exactly you need, and what precisely you should do to meet those needs, both in any given moment and in a bigger life purpose picture. It can also make communicating your thoughts, desires, needs and feelings to others difficult, even when you really want to connect well with them!

Here's a look at some of the classic internal tension points of gifted people who also have ADHD. Naturally, some of the listed elements can apply in both cases. For example, gifted people also generally love novelty, stimulation and sometimes rapidly shift attention. However, when ADHD is present, the love of novelty, etc, is heightened and seems to enter into consistent conflict with the gifted mind's desire for sustained attention and depth. Conversely, people with ADHD are known to go into periods of 'hyperfocus' - sustained attention toward depth, where they struggle to come out of total immersion in an area of interest. The key here is to understand that maintaining a balance and flow between the two states (depth and novelty) seems to be a bigger struggle when ADHD is present alongside giftedness.

If we look at the next point, complexity vs. simplicity, this is a thinking vs. behaving issue. In the abstract realms of thought, a gifted person with ADHD can explore the most complex realms with ease. But their ADHD will come with a need for comparative simplicity in order to take action on those abstractions. In other words, they might have a huge, multi-dimensional vision in place, but functionally struggle to implement the steps in order to make that happen. To some degree, again, this is a classic gifted-only dilemma (big picture vision, relative struggle with minutia). But for a gifted person with ADHD, that contrast is more dominant and pervasive in managing their daily life and task management (usually called 'executive function').

So any comparative list has to be taken in context. The helpful thing to remember here is the world *relative*. While any gifted person may at times show some of the same tendencies that are listed under the ADHD heading, people with ADHD know that these tendencies are a relatively stronger part of their everyday experience than for those without this particular form of neurodivergence, and that these strong tendencies create a relatively constant internal struggle and tension that needs loving care and mindful *attention*.

Here's an article on our blog about nurturing the multiple inner neurodivergent parts of a twice or multiple exceptional profile: https://intergifted.com/giftedness-neurodivergence/

There's a lot that can be done to ease the inner tension between conflicting parts of our neurodivergence(s), and the above article supports a kind and realistic reframing of the struggle. A good start is just being able to identify and name the conflicting energies within. With that validation, we can gain a meta-view of our own inner system, and what we can do to support harmonious inner workings and more nourishing and fluid engagement with the outer world.

What are some of your favorite resources on this topic?

20/04/2026

The truth about aggression.

"Aggression is the failure of adaptation when we have not yet had our tears about the things we cannot change in life." - Gordon Neufeld

***
Aggression problems are deeply rooted in instinct and emotion and are therefore resistant to conventional discipline practices. Dr. Neufeld uncovers these roots and outlines steps to addressing them in his course 'Making Sense of Aggression'.

His rich professional experience with aggressive children and violent youth informs this refreshing approach to an age-old problem. The principles apply to children of all ages and all settings: home, school, and treatment.

Learn more - Link in bio

16/04/2026

The conflation of giftedness with performance, superior achievement, perfectionism, and external measures and proofs of exceptionality, has led many of us away from understanding and inhabiting the inherent value of our life, which sits underneath whatever can be done in the visible world.

Everything we can ever endeavor and create, everything we struggle with, is an expression of our being. Our giftedness shapes that expression, but a specific, externally measured or expected outcome of our efforts (i.e. stereotypical gifted success or eminence) isn't required for our life to have value.

For any of you who find yourselves carrying demanding expectations for yourself, this reminder can be liberating. Reflecting on your life's inherent value can bring creativity and joy back into your gifted journey. You remember that you don't have to be perfect and that there's no one right answer to the question of what you should do with your life and your gifts. What matters most is letting your authentic expression emerge from the value *that is already in you*.

14/04/2026

Last night's Calm with Katerina session brought gentleness and joy... We engaged our breath to calm the body and gave our mind permission to relax. We cultivated joy from the inside - yes, it is possible 😊

My guided meditation anchored us in nourishing, supportive and protective energies of the Earth as well as the Sky and we spent time in a (imaginative) place in which we can feel free, feel whole and truly ourselves.

The gongs and chimes' sound vibrated gently across the room providing gentle healing.

One of the attendees shared with me afterwards that in the second half of the session (especially whilst listening to the gongs and chimes) his mind became completely still and free of thought (normally it's always busy and filled with thoughts) and he experienced waves of beautiful gentle energy moving through his body.

What a wonderful experience for him. Entering a state of genuine deep relaxation opens a doorway to experiencing the world in new magical ways.

If you'd like to try this for yourself, join us next month, I. Monday 11th May at 7.30pm.
You can book your place now.
Details in the comments 🙂

11/04/2026

Does life and the world feel a bit overwhelming right now?
Do you spend a lot of time in your head and it isn't always a good place?

Is it tricky to feel centred and trust that all is going to be OK?

I invite you to join me this Monday 13th April at 7.30pm for a unique mindfulness, meditation and sound healing session at the heart of , Calm with Katerina
You will learn how to calm your nervous system and release stress gently and effectively.Find peace and stillness in your mind and body.
Connect with a place inside of you where true well-being resides.You will leave feeling deeply relaxed renewed, reinvigorated and connected to your spirit, ready to face the world again.

My monthly sessions have been running for 2.5 years and provide a true sanctuary and a healing space.

No previous experience necessary, I will gently guide you through the session.

It's for you if:
- you are a highly sensitive person who is easily affected by the energies of others and the environment they're in

- you are a parent of a highly sensitive/neurodivergent child and want to learn how better care for yourself so that you can be there for your unique child.

- you are someone who would like to learn to meditate and learn to regulate your nervous system.

- you are going through awakening and are on a journey of self-discovery.

- you want to be able to navigate the challenges of life from a place of more calm and presence.

Only £14 per person

Booking link in the comments ✨