In the quietest, most gentle way, with every breath or practice I’ve found myself to be more myself. So I’ve not changed, there’s been no glorious technicolour moments of enlightenment, but I’ve begun to notice the things that really were always there but that I had lost connection with – the bright colour of the daffodils on the way here, the sound of my son laughing, the coolness of a glass of water on a warm afternoon.

I am a NHS consultant who has suffered recurrent episodes of depression and was at the point of ‘burn-out’ prior to attending the 8-week Mindful Now. The course has taught me so much about myself and my habitual patterns of negative thinking. Myself and my family are already seeing the benefits of incorporating mindfulness into my daily routine and I am keen to develop the basic skills and knowledge that I have acquired.

The 1-2-1 coaching has been a real eye-opener for me. Insightful, interesting and extremely well delivered. Highly recommended all round. Sad that it has to come to an end.

I feel like the personal coaching with Matt has been a ‘gift to myself’. I am at the start of a journey to explore these practices in more depth and to use the tools I have learned to help me be kinder to myself. I would highly recommend this course to everyone and I would love my children to experience a similar course to help them grow, develop and deal with life

It has enabled me to break the negative thinking cycle that overshadowed my everyday life. As a perfectionist, the critical voice was constant and I felt down most days. Since the course, I have been able to quieten this voice (but not get rid of it) and show myself kindness. I have found the 3 minute breathing space and the ‘silent’ and ‘sound’ meditations the most effective.

Having coaching with Matt has let me give myself permission to be kind to myself. To understand that thoughts are not truths. To help me give myself permission to take time out to meditate and build a tool box for the future.

The course has taught me to be more aware of my thought patterns and see more clearly how they affect my responses to situations. I think I have learnt to take more time out to look after me and although meditation has proved difficult to fit in to a busy life, it has been and will continue to be very beneficial.

I have a much better understanding of what Mindfulness is all about. I think I appreciate how it can help me cope with ‘sticky’ mindsets. I am learning to be kinder to myself and stopping before I work myself to a frazzle. Matt’s gentle guidance though the discussions has been amazing in opening my eyes and facilitated learning compassion and kindness towards myself.

I have spent a lot of my life battling with my mind and it’s habit of constant, obsessive, repetitive (negative) thinking. To start to understand that I need to observe my thoughts/mind with kindness and observe my thoughts with interest and return to ‘the moment’ via the breath, has helped me enormously to feel I can move forward more peacefully.

The 1-2-1 coaching may well be a live-saver. I needed help with ‘getting’ mindfulness. This has been done. The tools were much needed as things were not getting better for me despite enormous efforts on my part.

I feel the course content, participants and tutors have provided a good basis for further practice and development.

I will miss these sessions very much. The course has helped me realise that life will still be busy and complicated and stressful and my mind will still go places that are not very happy or relaxing; but I feel better equipped now to tell myself that I have a choice, that thoughts are not facts and that I can choose to be kind to myself and that it is ok.

When I began the course I was at a really low point. I had been on antidepressants for over a year and despite increasing to the highest dosage I couldn’t see a way out of the negative thoughts and feelings. I have learnt and gained so much from this course it is difficult to summarise it, but in the last couple of weeks I have felt more awake again, I have begun enjoying things I used to enjoy, I have space in my mind for others and I have energy that I had lost to be able to do anything other than ‘auto pilot’. Thank you so much.