Supporting busy people to live their lives with greater mindful awareness and attitudes, The Present approach offers an accessible introduction to mindfulness and well-being for ages 3 to 103.
“The Present feels unique in that it brings us directly into the fullness of life so easily with simple practices to draw on and integrate and experience mindfulness infusing into your day. A beautiful course.” (Living in the Present participant)
Sarah Silverton is passionate about making mindfulness accessible to all. Helping busy people bring kindly awareness into their everyday lives, introducing mindfulness to all ages and building lifelong practice for wellbeing and flourishing is central to the mission of The Present approach.
An experienced mindfulness teacher, Sarah Silverton has been involved with mindfulness in Wales since its very beginnings here. She attended Mark William’s first MBCT 8-week programme in the mid-90s before training with him to teach MBCT and, in 1999, making the journey to the Center for Mindfulness in Massachusetts to complete their Intern Programme.
Over the years she has been very successful in bringing mindfulness practice and teaching into education and into the everyday lives of children and their teachers. She has been involved in the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MISP) and co-authored what became the Paws b and .b foundations courses, which have since been translated into many languages and are taught and loved throughout the UK and far beyond.
The Present courses have developed out of this ongoing desire to break down barriers to accessing mindfulness. People who have felt that mindfulness may not be for them because of lack of time or other factors are finding a way in through The Present approach, finding that they can develop and build a meaningful and nourishing practice from exactly where they are. This accessible and flexible approach builds the realisation that any moment can be an opportunity for mindfulness.
“The experiential nature of the course makes a subtle impact week on week, until the end of the course when you realise that what you’ve experienced and learned together will be there supporting you for years to come.” (Living in the Present participant)
Since 2018 The Present courses CIC have been spreading and growing the opportunities to engage and learn far and wide and in a variety of ways. Since early 2024 The Present for schools/children and young people have been offered through Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) with courses being delivered throughout the UK. Sarah teaches and trains others to teach Living in the Present online regularly. She also teaches The Present for Schools and Living in The Present courses in China and Taiwan.
Sarah also teaches Enquiry and Mindful Movement workshops to mindfulness teachers, and currently Sarah and some members of her team are working on writing a book. She also runs residential and online retreats three-four times each year.
“The January Present Online Retreat is the perfect way to reconnect and start the New Year refreshed and with our practice reinvigorated.”
“I always find Sarah’s retreats, both in person and online, so helpful. Her approach makes me feel comfortable and able to settle to learn and grow.” (Retreat participants)
The Present Courses CIC and Sarah Silverton Mindfulness are reaching a wide variety of populations and settings including schools, junior doctors, medical students, clinical populations, athletes, Men’s Sheds and in the outdoors to name just a few.
The approach has been researched and there are Masters and PhD studies, including a study of whole school training to teachers and children in Warrington, and a study from Cardiff University on a Living in the Present that was delivered to parents of children with chronic skin conditions and a current PhD study with coaches.
Through their offerings and growing network of trained teachers and practitioners The Present courses CIC and Sarah Silverton Mindfulness are innovating and nurturing the growing community of people and children in Wales and beyond that are experiencing the benefits of mindfulness.
“The joy of the range and surprising settings that The Present approach fits and flourishes has been present over the last 6 years. I look forward to seeing how and where it finds a home over the next few years.” (Sarah Silverton)
To get in touch…
Visit the websites:
www.sarahsilvertonmindfulness.co.uk
www.thepresentcourses.org
E mail: sc.silverton150@gmail.com
Facebook/Instagram: Sarah Silverton and Living in The Present
LinkedIn: Sarah Silverton and The Present Courses