James Matthews

James believes that meditation is a vibrant sandbox for life, offering space to develop skills to navigate the often confusing and isolating modern world, not just to cope, but to thrive. His teaching is rooted in a dedicated personal practice since 2017, influenced by diverse meditation methods, including his current explorations in contemporary Vajrayana Buddhism. He offers a secular, non-dogmatic, life-affirming approach that draws on the wisdom of Western and Buddhist traditions. With a PhD in Biomedical Science, James values evidence-based approaches to personal development while acknowledging that a scientific worldview is one of many. His teaching is student-centered and designed to facilitate lasting engagement with meditative practices. It integrates mindful awareness with psychological science, focusing on experimentation and play. He incorporates findings from positive psychology, cognitive science, and embodied cognition, and uses the powerful change frameworks of Motivational Interviewing and the Immunity to Change model. This syncretic approach allows the development of skills to enhance your inner experience, your interactions with others, and being in this world. James' commitment to this approach is supported by his academic background, a Diploma in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Approaches from Bangor University, and his continual practice. For James, meditation is about being in this world as happily and effectively as possible.

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