Adrian plans workshops to highlight benefit of meditation

A PROFESSIONAL gardener from Teesdale aims to share three decades of meditation experience during a series of mindfulness workshops in the new year.

Adrian Rose, who runs his Down To Earth Garden Care business from Staindrop, first developed an interest in meditation when in his early 20s.

Now aged 52, he will be presenting day-long workshops on mindfulness and its therapeutic benefits.

Mr Rose said: “It is extraordinarily simple. The mindfulness approach is used clinically for all sorts of conditions like depression and addiction, and it has found its way into people’s lives in all sorts of ways.”

He added that people can be referred for an eight week mindfulness programme by their GP.

He said: “It helps to manage and spot the triggers that precipitate a spiral into depression.”

The meditation practitioner has already run a pilot workshop at his Staindrop studio which was attended by 14 people.

Mr Rose said: “There is something about being in a group – there is a stronger collaborative feeling. The mood of the day is light-hearted and relaxed – this is definitely not about a teeth-gritted march towards ‘enlightenment’.

“On the other hand, active enquiry into the practice is warmly welcomed. We will take an experiential and experimental approach.”

During the day there are a series of sitting meditation sessions which last about 20 minutes each.

The day-long pilot session was aimed at allowing people to explore the simple and traditional way of meditation, which is the foundation of contemporary mindfulness practice.

Mr Rose said: “Meditation is a western term. Mindfulness is from the Sanskrit word Sati, which has lots of different meanings, awareness and the like.”

The workshops are planned for January 20 and February 17 and run from 10am to 5pm.

For more information contact Mr Rose on 0771 5652828 or email adrian1652@hotmail .co.uk.