From HOD in Religious Education to giving my own Mindfulness-Meditation and Empowerment Workshops for resilience, improved mental health and happiness, in this little book, I am sharing something of the journey which has taken me from teaching RE in schools to offering an On line Seven Steps to Happiness Programme. My approach to Health and Wellbeing is holistic, with special insight into balancing the mind, body and spirit - which comes from an awareness that we humans are spiritual beings. My workshops are tried and tested - this programme works - and The spiritual side of life has always been important to me and I have been practising meditation for over 40 years. In this account I look back at how circumstances moved me from joyful and devoted Head of Religious Education in a large Secondary School, through a challenging time of unemployment as the Ebacc changed the educational landscape, through depression when during a period of deep questioning I received unexpected answers to my prayers - to becoming a Silk-Paint Artist, Pipe and Tabor Player - sharing the positive energy I receive in meditation, to developing increasing expertise in Health and Wellbeing - especially mental health, Resilience and Empowerment. After retiring from teaching, I have developed a unique and comprehensive program ‘The Seven Steps to Happiness.’ My approach to bringing about transformation, focuses on Raising Consciousness. Low consciousness is when we are feeling f Here I am sharing free the first three chapters of a book I am just releasing. The full book is also available from my shop. Before 2020 my Wellbeing and Empowerment Workshops were all face to face. I was about to expand into offering retreats abroad. Corona-virus has turned that on its head, forcing me to take my signature Program ‘The Seven Steps to Happiness’ on-line. Everyone is suffering from stress - but my particular concern is to support and empower teachers in every way I can, so I dedicate this little book to you. By offering the first three chapters here free you will find some practical strategies and exercises for reducing stress as well as an introduction to my full On-line Seven Steps to Happiness Program - which as an 8-week course. I am sharing the entire book as a paid resource and in it you will find my own philosophy and approach to dealing with stress. I worked on Supply for many years and saw more of the crazy side of classrooms than most, so I had to develop a strategy which worked. Brene Brown taught me a good lesson when she shared her research which showed that the most compassionate people have Boundaries of Steel! Watch her You Tube interview with Russel Brand. That’s where she shares this insight. When do you find the time for yourself that you need? What are your own strategies for reducing stress and increasing happiness? How can I best support you through my resources here? When we all share our experience everyone wins. Love and Peace DurgaMata

This is the full version of my book The Seven Steps to Happiness. I will add more info later but have to leave London within the next hour or can’t spend Christmas with my family (we are all strictly self-isolating - so no risks there. But I don’t want to get trapped by the lockdown so I have to move fast. I spent today just polishing this up and it is as good as I can make it but I would love some feedback. It is powerful. It contains a lot of value. Do share the link with anyone who you know who is finding life really tough and stressful as it works. My Programme - The Seven Steps to Happiness has evolved in face to face workshops over the past 5 or so years, since I retired from teaching. Now I am moving it online and my entire focus is to be of service to my beloved colleagues. Stress is massive - but I have been exploring ways in which we can better handle it. The aim is to learn to surf the stress, rather than be overwhelmed by it. Try it and see for yourself. LOVE AND ALL BEST WISHES DurgaMata

New Year Resolutions? Meditation, Conscious Breathing, Mindfulness and A Gratitude-Attitude. Part of an article I wrote for an online magazine about turning failure into success. The full article is shared as a paid resource for £5.00. There is a lot of material here to help in reducing stress, building resilience and increasing happiness - tried and tested, practical strategies which you can fit into your day. Since I retired I switched from teaching RE to working in Health and Wellbeing. I am keen to serve my wonderful colleagues. - so here is the first part free… A New Year has begun. Lots of people are talking about New Year’s Resolutions. The opportunity to make a fresh start is important – but it is not just restricted to New Year’s Day. Each day offers us the opportunity for a new beginning. Stress My work is all about reducing stress, building resilience and increasing happiness. I have developed a unique programme I call ‘The Seven Steps to Happiness’ which was in face to face workshops before 2020 but is now online. Most people know that a lot of stress is related to the thoughts we hold in our mind. Conscious Breathing is a strategy which gives our mind something positive and powerful to focus on. It is with us all the time. The outside situation may still be stressful. We may not be able to reduce the causes of our stress, but with this simple exercise, our mind can become our friend and ally instead of our chief tormentor. It’s like having an umbrella on a rainy day. The rain is still falling but we are not getting wet. In this case it is the mental exercise of consciously taking our mind away from our fears or negative mental chatter and directing it instead to our breath, then choosing to make our breath gentle, slow and deep. When we do that, our brain does not perceive the situation we are in as so alarming or dangerous anymore so stress is reduced and happiness increases. When we are in danger, our brain releases cortisol and adrenaline to prepare us for fight and flight. This is called the Stress response. If we are in physical danger, it prepares us for immediate action. But if the source of stress is not physical – and keeps recurring, these hormones build up and can cause both physical and mental illness. That is called Chronic Stress and is one of the biggest causes of ill-health in the world today. But by using conscious breathing, because we have calmed our mind, our brain stays quiet. No stress response. Risk of Chronic Stress - eliminated. Feelings come and go Like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. Thich Nhat Hanh

DurgaMata is a specialist Religious Education Teacher and a serious Spiritual Aspirant. She began practising meditation and mindfulness more than ten years before she qualified as a teacher, and she viewed teaching as part of her Spiritual Sadhana or Spiritual Journey. In this book she shares her strongly spiritual philosophy which informs everything she does. Her approach to life is heart-centred, an opportunity to grow in love and oneness. For her, teaching is an opportunity to see, love and serve what she calls God in the hearts of everyone. The God Question is one of the most challenging topics which we cover in Religious Education and DurgaMata shares some of her struggles and triumphs in the stories she shares here. There are some profound and moving poems and stories written by her pupils and a host of practical mindfulness strategies which you can enjoy. in addition to the stories, each page features an inspiring quotation, mounted on a colourful photograph from the world of nature. You are welcome to print these out and use for displays in your classroom and around the school.