Leeds Mindfulness Festival 2023

Kirkstall Abbey
Abbey Road
Leeds
LS5 3EH

10 October
2.15 – 3pm
PAYF

Introducing Secular Mindfulness

Find out what mindfulness means in the modern world. Discover its purpose and why we practise it. An introductory session to mindfulness.

This session includes two led practises – the breath anchor and the bodyscan, along with a short talk.

With Steve Hart – Leeds Mindfulness, Wellbeing & Spirituality Centre

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

11 October
2.15 – 3pm
PAYF

Managing Pain with Meditation

Drawing on experience of living with pain based conditions and over 30 years of meditation, Steve Hart explores how we can approach our experiences of pain with meditation without overriding or ignoring pain and developing an open hearted compassionate approach to difficulty.

With Steve Hart – Leeds Mindfulness, Wellbeing & Spirituality Centre

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

11 October
3.15 – 4pm
PAYF

Buddhism in Leeds

An introduction to Buddhist values and practise. Prajnanartha will share his decades of experience of Buddhist meditation and practise.

With Dharmachari Prajnanartha, an Order Member in the Triratna Buddhist Community based at the Leeds and Horsforth Buddhist Centre.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

12 October
12.15 – 3am
PAYF

Loving Kindness: An Introduction

So often we can feel numb or dissociated from our deeper emotional life. In this practise session we will explore loving kindness as the basis for deepening our relationship with others and perhaps the world. Suitable for beginners or experienced practitioners.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

13 October
2.15 – 3pm
PAYF

The Sword of Durga – A Tantric Practise for Women’s Empowerment

Tantra is a path of liberation, a system of meditation practises for healing and transformation. During this session you will receive an introduction to the Tantric practise of Durga connecting with the feminine source of power, protection and wisdom. Durga means “fortress” and is usually personified as a beautiful golden goddess astride a lion, with qualities both fierce and compassionate. When we approach Durga in meditation practise , we access the energies needed to relieve our fears and difficulties and the strength and inner clarity needed to find our own agency in the situations in which we typically feel disempowered.

This practise helps us to step back from, and even cut through old limiting modes of thinking and feeling, bringing huge focus, awareness and presence to our being. This meditation incorporates core tantric tools of mindfulness, mantra and visualisation.

Zeenat Cameron is an initiate in the Hindu Tantra Shri Vidya tradition and has been authorised to share the practises by her teacher and lineage holder Parvathi Nath.

Part of a Women’s Practice Day for the 2023 Leeds Mindfulness Festival.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

13 October
3.15 – 4pm
PAYF

Mindfulness for Women

Explore how women practise and experience mindfulness.

With Dharmacharini Uddyotani and the Leeds Mindfulness Cooperative team.

Part of a Women’s Practice Day for the 2023 Leeds Mindfulness Festival.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

14 October
10am – 12pm
PAYF

Enhancing Positive Emotion

Exploring meditation themed in loving kindness, self nurturing and self compassion. Looking at how a foundation of kindness for ourselves forms the basis for interacting with others. Suitable for newcomers and experienced practitioners.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

17 October
12 – 1pm
PAYF

Connecting to Kirkstall Abbey

A spiritual journey through poetry with local poet Clare Wigzell.

Kirkstall Abbey
Abbey Road
Leeds
LS5 3EH

17 October
2.15 – 3pm
PAYF

Exploring Happiness & Self Nurturing

How can we find happiness in meditation? Exploring the subtlety of pleasure and how we can connect to a self nurturing practise. With Steve Hart.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

18 October
2.15 – 3pm
PAYF

Exploring Equanimity

Far from being a lukewarm or cold neutrality, equanimity is a deeply stabilised loving kindness that can negotiate the ups and downs of relationships and life in general – an ally to resilience. With Steve Hart.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

18 October
3.15 – 4pm
PAYF

Higher States of Consciousness in Buddhism

Explore the map of the ‘dhyanas’ – refined states of beauty.

With Steve Hart – Leeds Mindfulness, Wellbeing & Spirituality Centre

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

19 October
2.15 – 3.15pm
PAYF

Visions of the Ultimate – exploring emptiness in the Buddhist traditions

An introduction to meditative explorations of “emptiness” – suitable for practitioners drawn to “insight” meditation exploring the true nature of self and phenomena – emptiness and plenitude or fullness. With Steve Hart.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

20 October
2.15 – 3pm
PAYF

Introducing Sufism for Women

Part of a Women’s Practice Day for the 2023 Leeds Mindfulness Festival.

With Firdaws Khan, Islamic & Sufi Practitioner.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

20 October
3.15 – 4pm
PAYF

Mindfulness of the Physical Body

The practise will seek to explore the very special relationship between mind and body – it involves bringing full awareness to each part of the body and noticing whatever sensations are there to be felt. This core practise can help you to enter a deep state of relaxation, noticing what arises in the body and accepting what is there to be felt with gentleness and kindness – working effectively with any feelings of discomfort, or pain bringing powers of concentration and mindful awareness.

The facilitator, Lynsey is a Mindfulness Now registered teacher who trained through Oxford University and has 18 years experience as a meditation practitioner. Lynsey is qualified to teach Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction(MBSR). She works with Macmillan and Leeds Cancer Support where she coaches patients undergoing cancer treatment in both one to one and group settings. She also coaches individuals who are suffering from anxiety and stress related disorders and those wishing to cultivate bringing mindful awareness into daily life.

Part of a Women’s Practice Day for the 2023 Leeds Mindfulness Festival.

Abbey House Museum
Abbey Walk
Leeds
LS5 3EH

Full programme of events

ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM

Opening Hours

Monday: closed
Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 12 – 5pm
Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Last admission: 4.30pm

Address

Abbey Walk
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH

Ticket Provider

Location

LEEDS ART GALLERY

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 11am – 3pm

Address

The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 3AA

Location

LEEDS CITY MUSEUM

Opening Hours

Monday: closed*
Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 5pm

*Open Bank Holiday Mondays 11am – 5pm

Address

Leeds City Museum
Millennium Square
Leeds
LS2 8BH

Ticket Provider

Location

LEEDS DISCOVERY CENTRE

Opening Hours

Visits by appointment only.

Free public store tours are now available by booking in advance. Please call or email us.

Address

Leeds Discovery Centre
Off Carlisle Road
Leeds
LS10 1LB

Location

LEEDS INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM

Opening Hours

Mon: closed (open bank holiday Mondays only 10am-5pm)

Tues – Fri: 10am – 5pm

Sat – Sun: 12 – 5pm

(last admission one hour before)

Address

Canal Road
Leeds
LS12 2QF

Location

KIRKSTALL ABBEY

Opening Hours

Monday: closed*
Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 4.30pm
Last admission: 4pm

*Open Bank Holiday Mondays 10am – 4pm

Address

Abbey Road
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH

Ticket Provider

Location

LOTHERTON

Opening Hours

Open Daily

Estate opens: 8am
Hall: 10am – 5pm
Wildlife World: 10am – 5pm
Estate closes: 7pm
Last entry 45 mins before estate closing time

Address

Lotherton Lane
Aberford
Leeds
LS25 3EB

Buy tickets

Ticket Provider

Location

TEMPLE NEWSAM

Opening Hours

House : Tues – Sun: 10.30am – 5pm
Home Farm: Tues – Sun: 10am – 5pm
Last entry 45 minutes before

Address

Temple Newsam Road
Leeds
LS15 0AE

Buy House tickets

Buy Farm tickets

Location

THWAITE WATERMILL

Opening Hours

Mon – Fri: closed (open 10am – 4pm during the school holidays)

Sat – Sun: 12 – 4pm

Last admission: 3pm

Address

Thwaite Lane
Stourton
Leeds
LS10 1RP

Location