Whole Yoga & Mindfulness

12/07/2025

21/06/2025

Fabulous morning leading a retreat at the Fairmont hotel today in honour of the summer solstice. Stay tuned for more opportunities

21/06/2025

Fabulous morning leading a mini retreat at the stunning Fairmont hotel. We slowed down and honoured ourselves through a series of gentle mindfulness-based meditations that developed awareness of the body and breath.

06/03/2023

Spring MBSR course starts online on Wednesday mornings 10am - 12:15pm. This is an 8-week programme running from May 10th -June 28th with a silent day on Sunday 18th June.

02/03/2023

Spring 8-week online MBSR course starting soon!

My next MBSR course will run on Wednesday mornings 10.00-12.15pm from May 10th to June 28th with a silent day on Sunday 18th June. I continue to offer this course at a reduced price of £100 (RRP £300) while I complete my training.

To find out more send me a message or email me at arlene@wholeyogamindfulness.com

12/01/2023

A fabulous article on what a mindfulness journey is all about.
My free, weekly Wednesday drop in classes resume next week at 8pm.

Contact me for more details on what to expect and how to join.

Mindfulness meditation is not a one-time thing. You do it again and again. To get started, here’s a user's guide to mindfulness.

09/12/2022

Lessons from retreat

#1 You’re never fully dressed without…mascara, contacts and a bra

A dear friend recently ‘caught’ me without my contact lenses, bra or mascara on. My heart skipped a beat. In my mind, I wasn’t adhering to the standards I set for myself; I wasn’t fully ‘dressed’, despite the smile.

This 'incident' got me thinking about the conditioned habits that seem to provide me with inordinate amounts of security and assuredness. Why do I need to adorn myself with these 3 things before leaving the house every day? For sure, my vision is poor, but I’ve nothing to put in a bra and I’m fairly confident that nobody notices whether I’ve my mascara on or not.

Mindfulness practice invites us to show up exactly as we are, without pretence or a need to be a better version of ourselves. I tried this out while retreating online this week and it was agonisingly uncomfortable. But, as the hours turned into days, I found that I was able to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. I ditched my meditation stool and took up residency in my comfy armchair, the one I breastfed the kids in and, with time, I came home – braless, bespectacled and bare faced. I even made it to the supermarket that way.

Who knows what’s possible when we are true to ourselves.

04/12/2022

22/11/2022

Why do people attend mindfulness courses? How can a daily meditation practice bring about positive change?

People attend mindfulness courses for many reasons and usually report feeling stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, disconnected, unhappy or unfulfilled - difficult emotions to shoulder in an already busy, demanding and fast paced world! They wish to find a sense of peace; they want to be present for their children, their families and friends. They want to feel connection and be heard.

Mindfulness courses aren't intended to fix, but rather to initiate a process of healing from within. We learn how to practice mindfulness, both formally and informally, in our everyday lives, with attitudes of kindness, patience and tolerance. We begin to recognise our judging, critical mind and the tendency we all have towards negative bias.

The silence created by the group amplifies the murmurings of our heart; we get up close to what we truly value and hold dear. We become more adept at letting go of things that don't serve us, and at holding on more tightly to those things and people that truly nurture us.

My next 8-week MBSR course begins on Wednesday 25th January 10-12:30pm.
This is an online course and the price is £250. We meet each week for 2.5 hours online, with a silent day on Sunday 5th March. Everyone is welcome; no experience is necessary.

The orientation class is on Wednesday 18th October at 10am and lasts about 90 minutes.

Sign up on my website: https://www.wholeyogamindfulness.com/reserve
Contact me to find out more: arlene@wholeyogamindfulness.com

20/09/2022

Why do people attend mindfulness courses? How can meditating and sharing one's experience in a group based environment bring about positive change?

People attend my mindfulness classes for many reasons and usually report feeling stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, disconnected, unhappy or unfulfilled - difficult emotions to shoulder in an already busy, demanding and fast paced world! They wish to find a sense of peace; they want to be present for their children, their families and friends. They want to feel connection and be heard.

Mindfulness courses aren't intended to fix, but rather to initiate a process of healing from within. We learn how to practice mindfulness, both formally and informally, in our everyday lives, with attitudes of kindness, patience and tolerance. We begin to recognise our judging, critical mind and the tendency we all have towards negative bias.

The silence created by the group amplifies the murmurings of our heart; we get up close to what we truly value and hold dear. We become more adept at letting go of things that don't serve us, and at holding on more tightly to those things and people that truly nurture us.

My next 8-week MBSR course begins on Wednesday 2nd November 10-12:30pm.
This is an online course with an introductory price of £100. We meet each week for 2.5 hours online, with a silent day on Sunday 11th December.

The orientation class is on Wednesday 12th October at 10am and lasts about 90 minutes. Everyone is welcome; no experience is necessary.

Find out more and sign up on my website: https://www.wholeyogamindfulness.com/reserve

Interested, but can't do weekdays? Register your interest for a weekend course by emailing me - arlene@wholeyogamindfulness.com

18/09/2022

The past 3 Sundays I’ve had the freedom to walk as far as I want along the Fife Coastal Path. I’ve clocked up 92kms and have been gifted with beautiful scenery, chance encounters and the same questions from my kids when I depart and arrive home:

- but why?
- but why?
- but why?

You might wonder why I consider these repetitive questions as gifts! The answer is that the unimaginable prompts them to imagine and wonder for themselves. And I secretly hope that one day they will accompany me on these journeys!

My love for walking intensified when we lived in the Netherlands. I walked for miles and miles in the dune reserves of North West Holland, and the official walking challenge events were aplenty!

I’ve since developed a committed meditation practice of which mindful walking is an integral part. Each step is an opportunity to re-connect with my body; to feel the strength in my legs and the aches in my lower back when I’ve absent-mindedly relaxed my core. I feel alive.

Walking also brings a sense of mastery. When life feels out of control, doing something that beings a sense of achievement can be very affective. Walking fosters a sense of peace and equanimity within me. It brings me home.