“One of the benefits for me involves the slowing down of many of life’s moments, which otherwise may be missed. Stepping out of automatic pilot to see, feel, hear or just be, is such a simple but amazing act.” (Tess)
Tess Sutton is based in Machynelleth. She has been exploring mindfulness and meditation for most of her adult life. In her twenties, she was looking for a way of coping with difficult emotions and hoping to find a sense of peace within herself. Everything she had read about mindfulness really spoke to her and connected with a way of being that aligned with her hopes and intentions. This led her to start dabbling with practices and reading about Buddhist teachings and the researched benefits of self-compassion and mindfulness. A decade later, she committed to a Buddhist Psychology Counselling training with the Tariki Trust, and it was through this that her mindfulness practice really took off. Through the simple act of slowing down and becoming more aware of many of the moments in her days, she began to regularly notice the extraordinary within the completely ordinary, and how this alone made her life so much richer and fuller.
Following on from the counselling training, Tess joined the Mindfulness Masters programme at Bangor University. This combines theoretical underpinnings of mindfulness with support to deepen personal practice. It covers many aspects of contemplative practice, giving Tess an in-depth understanding of the fast-growing field of the cognitive neuroscience of mindfulness, as well as a grounding in the Buddhist roots of the practice. She is currently developing her awareness of the ethical considerations of teaching mindfulness and learning how to guide others through the core practices, hold group inquiries and teach mindfulness theory. She finds these elements both challenging and rewarding, being out of a zone of comfort and moving towards areas of personal growth and expansion.
Despite the challenges of sustaining a daily practice alongside work, parenting and the busyness of modern life, Tess has really learnt the importance and application of coming back to practice again, and again, and again. Something that has supported this commitment has been cultivating the attitudes of non-judgement, curiosity and compassion. These qualities have been key in enabling her to return time and time again.
“The Master’s at Bangor University is a brilliant course. The most profound learning for me has been the importance of embodying the practice, and how a strong and regular practice is essential to this embodiment.” (Tess)
Through immersing herself in mindfulness in this way, it’s now clear to Tess that all aspects of her life are impacted by it in subtle but powerful ways: from parenting and relating to others, including the clients and couples that she works with, to the simple act of breathing and making choices of how to respond in any given moment.
Going forwards Tess plans to soon begin teaching her own MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) courses online and in-person in mid Wales, as well as continuing to integrate mindfulness into her counselling and couples therapy work. Her key intention, however, is to always prioritise continuing to come back to herself through a strong personal practice.
To contact Tess:
Email: tess.sutton@outlook.com
Website: www.therapywithtess.com