Mindfulness Reflections

There's much talk about climate change and all the challenges that need to be faced to remedy this situation we all find ourselves in, but what about SOLUTIONS? Our mind is an innate problem-solver. Without training, it'll focus on problems by default, because its intention is to be helpful. However, focusing on problems might not be as helpful as we think. It isn't a question of denying, repressing, suppressing or ignoring problems, but rather, of being able to recognise them, accept them, and still not lose hope or fall into despair. It is from facing challenges and being calm enough to allow solutions to come to us through insight that resilience is strengthened within us. This is why mindfulness practices can help us widen our perspective and see more clearly in order to include not only the problem itself, but also the possible solutions. So what are some of the solutions and sustainable development goals being talked about on the global table? Wh...

Do you know what English you need to be able to continue developing your language skills smoothly both personally and professionally? I'm very excited about sharing today's video, the first in a brand new series  full of useful vocabulary  for you to talk about global concerns in a deep, well-informed and discerning way. In this week's video, you'll be learning about the characteristics of the 3 Englishes so that you can decide which is best for you and why. WATCH HERE: WHICH ENGLISH IS BEST FOR YOU? ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA, GLOBAL ENGLISH OR LOCAL ENGLISH? Having a clear path ahead towards proficiency in English, and knowing that this path might be challenging at times but also very pleasant and nourishing throughout can be extremely helpful as you move forward and make tangible, concrete progress. My signature programme,  Confident English Training , includes a blueprint or roadmap of the English language and detailed instructions on...

Have you heard of the "Would you rather" game? It's a party game in which one person presents a dilemma to another in the form of a question starting with "would you rather" (or prefer), and you need to choose between 2 attractive or difficult options, for example: Would you rather spend the night in a luxury hotel room or camping surrounded by beautiful scenery? It is against the rules to answer "neither" or "both", and the idea is for the players to debate their rationales or reasoning as they think about and choose one of the options. Sometimes, however, the choice is a "no brainer", something that doesn't require much thought, because it's easy to see which of the two answers is conducive to the best results, and when it comes to becoming proficient in English, what you're looking for is RESULTS, am I right? So if I asked you this "would you rather" question, your answer would be obvious (this is a second c...

We usually think of karma as "good" or "bad", but I found this interesting definition as well, if we consider thoughts and words as actions: "Karma is the Sanskrit word for action. Basically, when we exhibit a negative force in thought, word or action, that negative energy will come back to us. However, karma is not meant to be a punishment. It is present for the sake of education. How else is someone to learn how to be a good person if they are never taught that harmful action is wrong? A person suffers much more if they have created the conditions for suffering. Karma is a lifestyle that promotes positive thinking and actions. It also employs self-reflection to fix the problems in one’s life." As you can see, the question of cause and effect can run very deep, and this is why conditional structures are so common and frequent in everyday language. We use them to talk about a wide spectrum of ideas and notions, from: "If it's sunny tomorrow, we...

  Do you know what grammatical structure is being used here: "If you read this, I'll be SO HAPPY"? If your answer is "the first conditional", well done! I need this conditional to express the real possibility that you'll read this post and watch today's video - the first in a new 3-part series - on conditional structures in English. And if you DO (read and watch), the result is that I'll be very happy. Do you know when and how to use conditionals in English? Even if you do, this will be a great way to review and confirm your understanding, and there might even be a twist or two and few unexpected tips! Watch here: ZERO, FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONALS P.S. What would you do if there were a programme that delivered your DREAM and ASPIRATION of becoming fluent and articulate in English? (Recognise the second conditional in this question?) You would want to find out how to join , right? Of course you would! Let me know in the ⬇️ Comments ⬇️ and I'll ...

Very excited to be sharing another English Transformation story: New Job, New Life, New You! Paz's story. Paz joined my programme just over a year ago with a view to becoming more advanced in English in order to apply for a position within a global, English-speaking organisation as soon as she felt ready. In our recent chat, Paz and I speak about where she was with her English when she joined, where she wanted to be, and the EXACT STEPS she took to make sure she was moving in the right direction. Hope you enjoy! WATCH HERE: NEW JOB, NEW LIFE, NEW YOU! PAZ'S STORY And if you feel that English is holding you back from achieving YOUR DREAMS and ASPIRATIONS, get in touch NOW My English coaching programme helps clients go from insecure, struggling or frustrated to confident, skillful and articulate users of English for personal, professional and/or academic purposes, so that they can communicate, interact and prosper socially and professionally with self-assurance, fluency and ease....

  I'm very excited to be sharing today's video with you because I know how helpful it'll be! A little story for you: I've been a teacher of English-as-a-foreign-language to adults for many years now, and it is always the case that courses and lessons are set up in such a way that little or no attention is given to  planning  and teaching the learners to be more  autonomous . The reason for this isn't that teaching centres don't consider planning and autonomous learning important, (they absolutely do!), but because it's taken for granted that clients will know what to do and how to plan their days while they take a course in such a way that English is included beyond the classroom lessons.  After all, this is what clients want, right? To use English in their own contexts. This is why they signed up for lessons in the first place, to be able to "take English with them" to their personal, professional and academic activities. And yet this i...