Andy Hobson combines mindfulness and music to make mindfulness accessible to all. He’s been meditating for over 17 years and has been teaching mindfulness to groups and individuals for 9 years. Before becoming a mindfulness teacher, Andy worked as a professional drummer and has toured the world playing in a number of successful bands. It was during this time that he began to study Buddhism and explored a more spiritual path. Andy now brings his two main passions, mindfulness teaching and music, together with his guided meditations.
Contact Info
Website: www.MindfulnessForAll.com
Twitter: twitter.com/4allmindfulness
Most Influential Person
Jon Kabat Zinn www.mindfullivingprograms.com
Effect on Emotions
[Mindfulness has helped me be] less up and down. More level. More like this rather than like that. (Andy motions with his hands to show more even and consistent rather than more rolling and up and down).
Thoughts on Breathing
Breathing is a huge part of my mindfulness practice. It's everything. It's what I turn to during the day. It's something I use a lot during my meditation, but it is my kind of home place to go to if I'm having a difficult conversation with someone or anything. I get my breath while I'm still listening to them. I'm going to pause my breathing.
Suggested Resources
Book: Mindfulness Meditations in Everyday Life and Exercises and Meditations by Jon Kabat-Zinn
App: Insight Timer www.InsightTimer.com
Bullying Story
Yeah, I was bullied, definitely, a lot. I think a lot of kids are. It wasn't really for a long time or anything really bad, but it was enough. I still remember it, you know, I was in secondary school and I was a small kid and you know, I wasn't great at sports and things like that and it was just a little group of lads who used to pick on me.
Nothing huge, but, when I think back at it, it had an impact. But there was nothing really around at that time. There was no one you could talk to, so you'd kind of swallow it and then deal with it later on.
Later, I did a lot of temp jobs and when you're a temp, you're at the bottom of the ladder, and people can be bitter because they kind of know you're moving onto something else probably.
I think at that time I was more of aware of it and I used to name stuff and it usually used to clear it up, and I'd say, oh, you're really annoyed today, or something like that. I'd just pick up on it and run with it. I'd let them know that this was not okay. Sometimes I'd say, hey, talk to me about that. That kind of worked and it definitely works with children as well actually.
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