Glasgow Reviewed; Mindful Parenting at The Wee Retreat

As most people reading will know, this last year has been a time of change for me. Having a baby is no walk in the park and it has taught me a huge amount about myself whilst I experienced the various challenges it presents  pretty much daily (sometimes hourly!) I was so lucky that in among all the madness I met Vicky from The Wee Retreat and through attending classes with her, she has helped me navigate a lot of these challenges and I definitely feel the positive changes in so many areas of my life. 

If you missed my review of my first mindfulness course with The Wee Retreat then you can catch it here. I was delighted to  be invited back to meet a new group of people and do The Mindful Parenting Course, and it has been such a refreshing and valuable experience. As I said in my last post, The Wee Retreat has settled in to beautiful new premises in the southside of Glasgow and Vicky is now able to offer a truly phenomenal range of classes, courses and experiences from this bright and airy space that feels like the perfect space to try something new.

This course is aimed at parents with children of any age as each week we discussed topics that we then applied to our circumstance and experiences. The group was a calm, warm and private space for people to share what they felt comfortable with as Vicky led us skillfully through ideas and discussion to help us address and often reframe our parenting approaches. With a background in education psychology, her passion and knowledge in this area just shines through, she is always able to really hear a problem and help you dial down to the possible root and how you might make things less overwhelming.

On week one we jotted down a few notes on ourselves as parents and it is so interesting to compare how we felt at the end of the course in comparison. It was heartening to hear everyone in the group return each week and share how they had tried out new techniques or ideas and found themselves much happier with their relationships and their general mood. Some weeks I would find it also helped me see areas for change that I was previously blind to, or simply ignoring. Tackling these then felt easier as Vicky had provided me with the right tools to be able to look closer at what I was really feeling and how I might deal with it.

Of course mindfulness practice is still at the root of the whole session and we would have a guided meditation in various forms throughout the course. Whether you are new to mindfulness completely or have dabbled in the past, Vicky still walks through the process and ties the aspects of parenting and meditation together and I can now see how well they complement each other and how important taking that time for yourself can be when trying to raise little ones. The whole experience was both powerful and empowering, while providing a safe and joyful place to come together and learn from others. It felt so unique and well put together, I highly recommend giving it a go if you are a new parent or just looking to work through your role as a parent and your relationship with a child.

The new spring timetable is now live for all the hugely exciting new things on offer at The Wee Retreat and I was super excited when Vicky told me she is now offering the Beginners Mindfulness Course as a 4 day retreat to allow for anyone who cannot commit to various weeks in a row. There is also the next 8 week course running from this Thursday from 7 to 9 which is fab for anyone who wants to try after work. ( details for sign up is here) 

From candlelit evening meditations to book clubs and workshops , there really is an incredible spectrum of things to try and I applaud Vicky for welcoming such a great variety of activities to the building. I know how many people it is already benefiting and I cannot wait to see where The Wee Retreat takes us next. The Spring timetable is just loaded with opportunity to try something new and if parenting is an area you want to spend some time on then I would absolutely sign up for the next Mindful Parenting course.