Spiritual Rebellion: Mindfulness with Attitude
with Ondy Willson
What do we mean by that loaded word “spiritual”? To commune with nature and feel part of something bigger perhaps? Or to light candles, burn incense and summon the supernatural? And do we need to be religious to be genuinely spiritual?
With mindfulness becoming mainstream, many of us are turning to the practice as a way to de-stress, bringing much needed relief from the hectic pace of our lives. But can we utilize its dynamic quality to offer us a more comprehensive understanding of spirituality?
Ondy Willson, an experienced practitioner and international teacher of mindfulness and Buddhist psychology, (also Mum, Nanna and Maverick), will help us to find out how we can gain insights into life’s eternally discombobulating questions. And not necessarily by changing our belief systems or trying to be something we’re not! With warmth and wit, she talks no-nonsense, ego-busting self-discipline. Then, taking us by the hand, she gently guides us every step of the way, showing us how to use mindfulness to make titanic shifts of thought and action that can change our lives. To inspire us that transformation is possible, even for the most stubborn of minds, Ondy shares candid examples from her own life and asks us to, please, join her in a SPIRITUAL REBELLION!
Friday night (Nov 3, 2023) – Meet and Greet:
Ondy will give a brief talk about her book. This will be an opportunity to meet the author and get a signed copy of her new book, Spiritual Rebellion. In addition, refreshments will be served.
Weekend Course (Nov 4-5, 2023):
During the weekend she will go deeper into the heart of spirituality and how to engage with mindfulness as a dynamic tool for change. There will be teaching, discussion and reflective activities as well as time for questions and answers. The objectives of the course overall are:
- Clarify your understanding of what it means to be a spiritual practitioner (Does religion help?; What is Spiritual Materialism?; How to avoid the pitfalls of self-righteousness; What do we mean by spiritual bypassing)
- Deepen your understanding and use of mindfulness in everyday life: Practicing meditation; Transferring the practice to everyday experience; Ego-busting – how to manage your “self” without damaging yourself
- Take away: Pennies dropping; Lightness of being; Inspiration to change your mind and change your life; A curious mix of new self-confidence and utter humility
Recordings
To jump to a particular session on the playlist, click the playlist icon (near the top-right corner) of the video frame to select video.
About the Teacher
Ondy has been a Dharma practitioner since 1980, and established the Foundation of the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), Yeshe Buddhist Group in 2001 in the Lake District in Northern England, where she has since lived. She was a resident student in a large Buddhist community for 13 years until she moved out to continue raising her children and return to full-time work. Ondy has served as a FPMT Touring Teacher since 2007, and has taught introductory and intermediate courses and retreats in India, Russia and Europe, including UK centers. She specializes in making the teachings accessible and relevant to contemporary life and to this end created a Mindfulness Based Mind Training Program (MBMT) that encapsulates Buddhist Psychology in a secular framework. As founder of her Wellseeing Consultancy, Ondy has much experience of delivering training to both the public and private sectors, as well as in Dharma settings. Initially trained as a Drama specialist, she was a storyteller and schoolteacher for over 20 years, leaving her career in education as Head of Belief, Philosophy and Ethics in a large high school. Ondy is also a published author and her new book Spiritual Rebellion: mindfulness with attitude is the subject of one of the courses she offers.
For further information see: www.ondywillson.com, www.wellseeingconsultancy.co.uk
