A photo of Maureen in a sunlight forest on one of the first days of spring

Hello - my name is Maureen and I’d like to tell you a bit about myself….

I have always been interested in trying to understand how the world works and finding some kind of place in it for myself where I could make a difference. It’s why I taught for many years in inner London, and grappled with all the joys and heartbreak that entailed.

My ten years of working for an international Buddhist non-profit introduced me to working with mindfulness, awareness and compassion not just as an exercise but in the hustle of everyday life and trying to make things work. In spite of having a long way to go in managing to do that 24/7, the experience of even attempting to behave with these ideas foremost in my mind was—and still is— exhilarating.

It was that experience that led me to establish Awareness in Action and to work with organisations, businesses and individuals to try and implement the experience of fully awaking to life. It was an exciting and rewarding time.

Now my goal is to continue to work in this way but on a more personal level, to go deeper, explore further. My wish is simply to share my story and see if that resonates with what is going on for others. The experience of growing older and learning to navigate life from that perspective is proving an invigorating, demanding and powerful incentive. It urges me to discover the means by which I can learn to flourish as I age and so increase my sense of meaning, purpose and belonging.

Three important drivers in my flourishing journey

Waking up to my life

Becoming a Buddhist in the Tibetan tradition and being a meditator for many years has helped me to come to value each moment of my life. I have a deep wish to be awake to whatever happens to me and recognise how I can learn and grow through it.
Finding meaning

So now as someone in the second half of life, I have quite a few years of meaning to look back on. As I grow older I am interested to nourish what I have learnt and look ahead to all the opportunities that are still before me. I consider this heart of flourishing as I age.
Creativity

As a young woman I longed to become an actress but was guided into a profession that I ‘could count on’—so I became a teacher. I loved teaching but now I am determined to pick up my creative thread. Painting and textiles have taken over where acting left off.