After enjoying running our 2024 and 2025 Mindfulness and Meditation courses we are planning another in Woldingham from Tuesday January 20th 2026 from 10am-12 noon.   This time there will be 5 weekly sessions and a follow-on 3 months later.   As before, this is for beginners; you are welcome to attend wherever you live. 

We have found that practicing the skills of mindfulness has brought us the benefits of “adding life to years”.  Mindfulness is developed by practice in the hurly-burly of everyday life, but progress is greatly accelerated by regular meditation.  In meditation we set aside time for a pause in our routine, in a quiet and congenial space. Here we can hone our concentration skills by focussing on our experiences like breathing, sounds or sensations in the body.  In this way we find ease and relaxation. Regularly pausing like this can be enormously valuable even when we seem to be making little progress in mindfulness in everyday life!

U3A Mindfulness and Meditation

What is meditation?

Meditation means regular time set aside to practice bringing mindful attention to what is happening to us. As we all know, that is easier said than done. Many of us are faced with a myriad of activities competing for our attention, and we lead often distracted lives.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a technique with a deliberate approach to help us focus our attention on what is happening in and around us with kindness, curiosity and non-judgemental awareness.

Why meditate?

Regular meditation practice develops the capacity and quality of our attention, as well as our ability to choose how we respond to our experiences. It can also bring qualities of calm, clarity of mind, increased appreciation of our daily life as well as health benefits.

Course contents

We will explore mindfulness in everyday life and you will experience several types of meditation. We will help with developing a regular practice to maximise its benefits for you. Although our approach stems originally from Buddhist teachings it is applicable to people from all religious backgrounds, and to those who profess no particular faith.

Course guides

Patricia has been meditating for 40 years with different teachers and has an MA in Core Process Psychotherapy which combines Western and Buddhist psychology. Alastair graduated from an 8-week Mindfulness-based stress reduction course in 2010 and has been meditating daily for over three years.

When and where?

The initial commitment is for 5 weekly sessions at 10:00 am on Tuesdays starting on the 20th January 2026 in Woldingham.   

Facilitators Patricia & Alastair Macdonald

For more information and to express interest contact Patricia M