Growing the Good - The Mindful Podcast: Recent Episodes
Neil West & Hayley Kearns
Are you happy? If you can't be happy in this moment, when can you be happy? Let growing the Good guide you on the path to learning more about mindfulness and how understanding a few simple principles can transform your life for the better. Mindfulness teachers Neil West and Hayley Kearns will gently guide you on a journey through the key aspects of mindfulness sharing stories and their own experience as well as meditation to bring a fascinating new twist to the practice of this ancient tradition. Join them, stress less, enjoy more and learn how to nurture better relationships with growing the Good - the Mindful Podcast.
Better known in Wigan as helper of hedgehogs and heritage buff, Lesley Price introduced Neil to the spiritual wisdom and powerful poetic language of Kahlil Gibran and she joins him in this episode to explore the mindful qualities of his great work, The Prophet.
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Author, agent and psychologist, Albert Bramante, joins Neil and Hayley to discuss successful strategies for raising self esteem and overcoming fears of both success and failure.
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Inspired by Ali Campbell’s NLP Made Easy we explore the methods and techniques that can reprogramme the brain to attain success and happiness.
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In this episode, we don our anorak and geek goggles for a deep dive into Wim Wenders' Zen movie, Perfect Days to explore the mindful aspects of cleaning toilets in Tokyo!
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Inspired by The Shamanic Journey by Paul Francis, we explore the many interesting parallels between Mindfulness and Shamanism.
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In this episode we get to speak with Charlotte McCartney, founder of Wigan based Mindful Events. She speaks honestly about her own sufferings that led her to mindfulness and demonstrates her authentic compassion for what she calls her ‘mindful family’ as she pursues her mission ‘to help people ease their minds and to love themselves more.’
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Thrive are a Wigan based CIC supporting adults with additional needs in a variety of ways but in addition to the practical support they also offer a safe space, friendship and compassion to some of the most vulnerable in our community.
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Inspired by the handy, fun and fascinating guide by Garcia and Miralles, Neil and Hayley explore the art of making the most of every moment.
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It’s the happiest ever episode of Growing the Good the Mindful Podcast! Let your happiness ooze with this hilarious and inspirational fable!
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In this episode we explore the concept of wabi sabi, an emotional state one experiences when one witnesses beauty and the passing of time, the patina of a beautifully aged piece of wood or the moss growing on the walls of an abandoned cottage. We recognise this beauty in nature, but as we grow older, can we be this kind about ourselves as we change, and our flaws become more apparent?
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Neil explores this step-by-step guide towards achieving your heart’s desire. Does it work? There’s only one way to find out!
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Hayley explores the classic theories of Rhonda Byrne and elicits the thoughts of the Mindful Audience.
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Neil and Hayley explore the mindful and prescient work of the Czeck writers and artists Josef and Karel Čapek who gave us the word robot in 1923, were opposed to Communism, and suffered persecution by the Nazis in the late 1930s.
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Neil spends an enjoyable and quite moving afternoon with Al Hart and Ian Unsworth of Music in Mind at Wigan’s MIM Dementia Café.
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Music in Mind organise a unique accessible music festival for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities that ensures everyone can access the music festival scene, have fun, make new friends and enjoy all the physical and mental health benefits that music can bring.
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Espinosa was just 14 when cancer caused him to lose a leg and a lung. After 10 years of treatment, his cancer was cured, but he was left with 24 ‘discoveries’ by which he would lead the rest of his life. We discuss some of those discoveries here and find out what it means to be a ‘Yellow’.
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Neil and Hayley explore a week's worth of relaxation tips and techniques from Pat and Colin Dyke's 90s pocket guide, why don't you try making your own relaxation tape?
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Series 4 Episode 8 – The Comedy Stylings of Sigmund Freud.
In 1905 Freud published ‘Jokes and their Relation to the Unconscious Mind’.
Join Neil and Hayley as they discuss the very serious matter of why we find
things funny. Content Warning – Neil does tell jokes in this episode!
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For 4 weeks, young players from a local soccer club took part in One Together’s pilot mindfulness programme – Playing Attention. In this episode we listen to coaches, parents and the young players themselves as they talk about the benefits of taking part.
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This week we discuss the book, Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know: Ten principles for spiritual and emotional fulfilment by Barbara De Angelis and consider how its teaching relates to mindful practice.
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At times bitter and resentful, at others, filled with hope and joy, but always life affirming. Like in all of us, powerful emotions sweep across the ever-changing emotional landscape of L E Bowman’s heartfelt poetry. Let the power of her work sweep you up and take you on a remarkable journey that may lead to discovering more about your own self and your place in a sometimes hostile, sometimes beautiful world.
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A calm sea and a prosperous voyage! The wish springs to the lips when a ship’s company sets sail. But, as Gertrude N M Ramsay explains in her book, The Road Home, published in 1930, life is never plain sailing. Challenges will present themselves in all our lives, how will we meet them? How prepared are we to navigate our own rough seas?
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In 1938, Napoleon Hill unlocked the secret to communicating with the Devil. In a fascinating interview, he persuaded the Devil to reveal all his secrets. The Devil challenged Hill that he would never dare reveal the nature of the interview as people's reaction to the revelations would destroy him. The book remained unpublished for 70 years. Listen to this episode of Growing the Good, the Mindful Podcast and learn why the Devil's words were so controversial.
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Neil and Hayley get out and about taking part in Haigh Woodland Park's Playday and exploring how important it is to young people and their families to get out into nature and have fun.
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Join Neil as he takes us on a journey through his recent illness and open heart surgery, exploring how a Mindful attitude helped him manage the difficulties of, and the learning he took from his experience.
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Thich Nhat Hanh is the hugely influential Zen master who's teachings are mentioned in pretty much every episode of Growing the Good. As we take a break now for a few months while Neil recovers from heart surgery, it seems appropriate to go out on a high with our favourite teachings from Thay!
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One Together CIC do quite a lot of work with teens, through their Mindfulness and Well Being/Character Strengths (SOMA) programmes. We have been asked what resources we find useful so here's a quick rundown and review of some of our favourites.
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When a complete stranger took and ate Douglas Adams' biscuits at a train station without a word, he was filled with judgement about the other person. What happened next would change the way both he and the stranger would remember the incident for the rest of their lives.
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‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there,’ wrote L. P. Hartley in 1953. Join us as we take a trip through a copy of Psychology and Successful Living from September 1965 and find out how much has changed in the practice of mindful living.
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At One Together, we love movies but do we enjoy the same ones? In this episode Neil shares his top ten mindful movies with Hayley but will she agree? Lights, camera, action...
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In his quest to free Hayley of her fear of death, Neil brings out the big guns! Ikkyu, Zen Master of Medieval Japan, was shunned by the monasteries for his unconventional practice, preferring bars and brothels to the temple, but his wisdom surrounding death was unrivalled.
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Is Hope a Mindful quality? We are taught to find happiness in this present moment, does Hope catapult us into an uncertain future with the promise of happiness yet to come? In this way, is Hope not a cause of suffering rather than comfort? Listen as Neil and Hayley discuss the apparent paradox of Mindful Hope.
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It's Hayley's turn to choose her top 5 influential movers and shakers in the world of Mindfulness!
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Death. It’s part of the inevitable cycle of our worldly existence. Wouldn’t life be easier if we learned to accept, even embrace our fragile mortality, rather than dread an inescapable fate? Neil has a go at convincing Hayley to smile in the face of her mortality, dive in and have a listen, come on baby, don’t fear the reaper!
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Neil and Hayley, teachers with decades of experience, discuss whether maths and mindful attitude are congruent with one another and Neil makes a revelation that leaves Hayley lost for words!
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Do you agree with Neil's top 5 picks of inspirational mindful individuals? Get in touch and let us know who you would choose!
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Hayley and Neil explore the work and philosophy of Zen teacher and best selling author Haemin Sunim and learn just what you can see when you slow down.
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Woohoo Missus! How tickled we are to bring you an episode all about the power of Laughter Yoga, no seriously!
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Ikigai is the Japanese philosophy that everyone can have a reason to make them get up each morning filled with a sense of purpose and wellbeing. How can you find and nurture your own passion?
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Inspired by The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, we explore the idea that the Toltecs found the path to joy and an end to suffering over a thousand years ago.
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Inspired by Authentic Happiness and Flourish by Martin Seligman, we explore the qualities of well-being, as identified in Positive Psychology, and learn how knowing your signature Character Strengths and ensuring balance can lead to being the happiest you that you can be.
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We have all seen the traditional image of meditation where people sit and chant 'Ohm' but why? What is Ohm and what does it mean? There's only one way you'll find out.
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Eudaimonics means good spirits, or more actually good demons, or the god within ourselves. When we are aware of our lives and that the lives we live have purpose and meaning, then we can unlock the potential of our inner demon and live the best possible life.
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In this episode, we pay tribute to the remarkable writer, life coach and inspiration that is Louise Hay. Hopefully it will inspire you to find out more about her life and work.
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Usually in mindfulness we teach that things are as they are. There are no good or bad things, we simply learn to acknowledge and accept the world as it is. But if we do that, does that mean we just let climate change and environmental disaster happen? Well, there's only one way to find out...
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It's the question we get asked most frequently and it's equally the most difficult to answer. In this episode, we've had a go but please get in touch if you still want to know more about who we are and what we do!
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Our mind, ego, schema, call it what you will, builds layers of misunderstanding and judgements around us that we mistakenly think is 'us'. In this way we build communities where we feel we belong among people who seem to reflect and share our own values. this causes us to see people from different groups as 'the others' to be feared and treated with suspicion. For young people, trying to fit in, feeling judged by peers and compromising our values to reflect that of a 'counterfeit' community are a big challenge. In this latest episode of Growing the good, the Mindful Podcast, our teen group discuss this issue and share their solutions. This is the last episode created as part of our Positivity Explosion project and we thank Wigan Council for their support through The Deal funding.
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Why do some young people find it so hard to be happy? Sometimes it is because they set their sights on conditions for happiness that cannot be achieved like wealth and celebrity instead of focusing on the conditions for happiness they have right now in their lives like family, friends and pets!
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All of us have busy lives and busy minds but none more so than young people. In this episode we ask out teen mindfulness group what worries pull their minds into worrying about the future and what strategies help them keep their present moment awareness. We also feed them chilli chocolate which is a bit of a giggle!!
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We all find our buttons being pushed at one time or another, letting off steam, blowing our top, but why? What is it that tips us over the edge into our fight or flight reactive state? We asked a group of young people to share their ideas with us and tell us the strategies that help them keep calm when things get tough.
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In this series we will be talking to the teens attending our mindfulness workshops so that they can share their experience and give helpful advice to other young people from their lived experience. In this first episode, we explore what are the barriers to happiness for young people and how can these be overcome through mindful practice?
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Our mindful insight allows us to see things not as they are, but as they really are. We view the world as fragments like a broken mirror instead of seeing the truth, that all things are connected. In fact all things are part of the same oneness. After all, we are all children of stardust!
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All too often it is our impulses, cravings and unfulfilled desires that cause us to act in ways we later come to regret, can mindfulness help grow and strengthen our willpower so we can be in control of our lives instead of giving in to our desire for immediate gratification?
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Neil and Hayley found there was still lots to talk about on the topic of resilience after the last episode so here's Resilience Part 2! It's easy to think when things get hard, 'why me?' but we know that without mud, there can be no lotus. In a difficult situation? Can you flip it? Yes you can!
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It's the rub that shines the penny, we all encounter difficulty in our lives, it's part of what this being human is all about. Can mindfulness help you navigate difficulty more skilfully? What does it mean to be resilient and how can we achieve it? Only one way to find out...!
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Can mindfulness help you lose weight? Can it cure fussy eaters? There’s only one way to find out and that’s by listening to episode 16 of Growing the Good – the Mindful Podcast, it’s the one about mindful eating, yummy!
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Doing things in a mindful way simply means slowing things down and paying attention to what's happening right now, in this moment. Mindful walking helps bring us back to present moment awareness and nurture a sense of joy and gratitude simply for being alive right now. Join us and find out more about the miracle of mindful walking.
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Think mindfulness is all about sitting still and meditating? Think again! In this week's episode, Neil and Hayley explore and explain the benefits of the many different ways mindfulness can be experienced through movement from the gentle actions of qigong to doing the dishes!
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Can positive affirmations really help you to be the thing you want to be? Absolutely they can! In this episode Neil and Hayley have far too much fun exploring brain plasticity and how affirmations can transform your thinking and be the path to a happier you.
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In visualisation meditation, the brain has difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imagined. This can help us rewire the brain so that we can enjoy being more relaxed, more calm, happier, or whatever positive experience we seek. This practice can also help anchor you in your calm space when you experience difficulty. In this episode, Hayley guides us on a beautiful sacred journey meditation practice.
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We all have that negative voice inside our heads that tells us we need to be better, that we aren't good enough. In this episode Neil and Hayley discuss how this is perfectly normal and suggest strategies that can help us acknowledge that we are experiencing these negative feelings and not be led by them into anxiety, illness and depression.
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Probably one of the key reasons people come to mindfulness, we all have to manage difficult emotions at some time in our lives. Indeed, to some extent, we're dealing with difficult emotions all the time. In this episode, Neil and Hayley share their top tips for managing the mud and growing that lotus!
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In the Tibetan Tradition, two tools were needed to control the wayward mind; the rope of mindfulness and the hook of awareness. In this episode we explore all the benefits that open awareness can bring. It is helpful to visit https://www.facebook.com/onetogethercic where you will find an illustration of the samatha meditation from the Tibetan tradition which is discussed in the episode (along with lots of other fascinating stuff of course!).
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Kindness is sometimes mistaken for weakness but in actual fact it takes great strength to be kind. Moreover, there are some very real benefits to kindness that Neil and Hayley explain in this episode. Listen and you will soon understand why being kind to others is actually a kindness to yourself.
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Join Neil and Hayley as they explore just what a remarkable, miraculous thing it is to be alive, in this moment. So many of us are trapped on a hedonistic treadmill, in pursuit of wealth and a life of deferred gratification, that we completely fail to see and appreciate all the blessings we have right now, here, in this moment! Listen to this podcast and you will wake up every morning and smile.
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The big one, everyone wants to be happy, don't they? But what does happiness really mean and how can you achieve it? Join Neil and Hayley as they reveal the secrets of true happiness that are within easy reach for those who live in a mindful way.
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Is there such a thing as 6th sense? Mindsight comes close but you have to train your mind to use it well. How skilful are you at recognising the feelings of others? Crucially, how able are you to let go of your own fixed opinions and truly be open to seeing the world through the eyes of others? Let Neil and Hayley explain how world peace might just be a possibility after all!
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Can you approach everything in life with fresh eyes? Free of judgement and preconceived opinions? It is a skill you were born with, to be open and curious about the world, and with training, it is a quality you can develop again. Once you see the world with a beginner's mind you may just start to see the world more as it really is and not through the distorting lens of your own fixed ideas.
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Join Neil and Hayley as they share with you the secrets of turning off the auto pilot. Even in the busiest of lives, there is space to slow down, increase awareness, and enjoyment, of this present moment. After all, it is the only moment you have!
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Learning how to get in touch with the breath and the body is one of the fundamentals of mindful practice. Our breath is always with us wherever we go and can be relied upon to calm us down and bring us back in touch with the present moment. It is also something to enjoy and be grateful for as Neil and Hayley will explain.
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Your brain has an amazing capacity to grow and change. Once you understand how this works, anything is possible. In this episode, Neil and Hayley explore how a mindful approach can help you to train your brain and be happier, more positive and learn to be the leader of your own mind.
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An introduction to Growing the Good - the Mindful Podcast with mindfulness teacher Neil West. Join Neil for an overview of the podcast and a taste of things to come.
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