Porthcawl

u3a

Mindfulness

Status:Active, open to new members
Leader:
When: On Tuesday afternoons 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Weeks 1 & 3
Venue: Porthcawl YMCA

Links to discussion papers

What is Meditation
Resources
What is Mindfulness
9 Attitudes
Can Mindfulness help
Origins & Pioneers
Handout for new members


Mindfulness Poems

Guided Meditations

Past topics discussed

Mindful Moments Archive

What is Mindfulness

Put simply Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment – with intention, kindness, and curiosity. I’ve heard a saying that ‘Mindfulness is caught, rather than taught’ and this alludes to the fact that we need to experience mindfulness directly to really feel its benefits– just as, if we were learning to swim, we would need to get into the water!

This means that Life is the curriculum Mindfulness for Everyday Living.

We may believe that we live in the present moment – but through mindfulness practice, we realise that in fact– our attention is scattered, pulled in different directions, driven by automatic pilot or habitual thinking patterns that means we are often lost in thought, and far away from attending to the present. 

I’ve heard this explained as existing in ‘an unlived life’

Mindfulness helps us to wake up to the ways in which we create and recreate problems for ourselves by being unaware of the automatic choices that we make, moment to moment. We learn with more awareness how we move through the world, how the world touches us and how we touch the world.

Through mindfulness we also learn to practice compassion and kindness towards ourselves and others– gradually holding our experience more lightly and with less effort and noticing our harsh inner critic. By practising moment to moment awareness, through meditation, we begin to notice our patterns and with regular practise, can begin to loosen the roots of unhelpful patterns of thought and their hold on us.

If you haven’t attended before, please wear comfortable, unrestrictive clothing and bring a wrap if you think you might get cold.

Upcoming Meetings details

19th May 2026

Topic to be decided

2nd June 2026

Topic to be decided

No need to ring beforehand, just turn up. Everyone is welcome, the group format is a 15 min meditation to settle our minds , followed by a discussion on a theme, idea or arising issues, followed by coffee, tea and a chat and ending with a meditation. 

Mindful moments

Ways to meditate for people for anyone that doesn’t benefit from sitting still or silent meditations.

If sitting still in silence feels like a punishment rather than a practice, or you have a very busy mind and body, you’re not doing it wrong—you just need a different doorway in. Meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting cross-legged and zoning out. 

Here are eight alternative methods

Walking Meditation - Go for a slow walk and pay attention to each step—the feeling of your feet on the ground, the rhythm of your movement, the air on your skin. It gives your body something to do while your mind settles.

Mindful listening - Put on gentle music or natural sounds and really listen. Follow each instrument or sound as it comes and goes. It’s meditation with an anchor that keeps your attention engaged.

Guided meditation - Use a voice-led session so you’re not left alone with your thoughts. Being talked through it can make it far easier to stay present.

Breath with movement - Try something like slow stretching, yoga or Qi Gong, linking each movement to your breathing. It channels restlessness into something purposeful.

Noticing exercise - Look around and name 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. It’s grounding and keeps your mind occupied in a calm way.

Mindful Tasks - Turn everyday activities—making tea, washing up, brushing your teeth—into meditation by giving them your full attention. Notice textures, smells, and movements.

Counting the breath - If silence feels too open, count each breath (in for 1, out for 2, up to 10, then repeat). It gives your mind a simple job, so it doesn’t wander as much.

Journalling meditation - Write whatever is in your head without stopping or editing. Let thoughts spill out. It’s a form of mindfulness that suits busy, active minds.

Meditation doesn’t have to look one particular way. Whether you’re moving, listening, writing, or simply noticing, what matters is giving yourself a moment to be present. Find what feels natural, keep it simple, and let your practice fit your life—not the other way round.

Any hobby can become meditation by giving it your full, gentle attention. Whether it be crafting, to painting, even to playing games on apps on your devices. I’m hooked on jig-saw puzzles on my phone!

Notice the sensations, movements, colours, and sounds involved. Let go of rushing or judging the outcome and simply be with the activity as it unfolds. In this way, the mind settles, and the ordinary becomes calm, focused, and quietly restorative.

We’re all different, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ or no ‘right or wrong way’ to meditate, the important thing is to make it a consistent practice, so be kind to yourself and discover what works for you 🙏

*** Our mindfulness group is a respectful, safe space for all our members,
but we are not therapists or a replacement for professional advice.
If you think you have mental health issues, please visit your GP. ***

All images used on the Mindfulness pages are either the Group Leader's photos or are AI generated.

Full list of Groups

Groups listed alphabetically

  • Astronomy
    Status: Active
    On Thursday afternoons
    Weeks 1 & 3 at 2 p.m.
  • Book Club 1
    Status: Full
    Monthly on Friday mornings
    Last Friday of month
  • Book Club 2
    Status: Full
    Monthly on Wednesday mornings
    week 2
  • Book Club 3
    Status: Full
    Monthly on Thursday afternoons
    Week 1 @ 2 p.m.
  • Canasta
    Status: Active
    On Monday afternoons
    Week 1 & 3
  • Ceramics
    Status: Waiting list
    Weekly on Wednesday afternoons 2:00 pm
  • Coffee Morning
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Saturday mornings 10:30 am
    Last Saturday of the Month
  • Conversations Group
    Status: Active
    On Thursday afternoons
    Weeks 2 & 4 at 1.45 p.m.
  • Crafts
    Status: Active
    On Thursday afternoons
    Week 1 & 3
  • Evening Talks
    Status: Dormant
    Weekly on Friday evenings
    Through July
  • Exploring Poetry
    Status: Active
    On Monday mornings
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • French for All
    Status: Active
    On Tuesday mornings
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Gardening
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Tuesday afternoons
    Week 4
  • History
    Status: Active
    On Monday mornings 10:00 am-12:00 pm
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • International ZOOM
    Status: Active
    On Monday afternoons
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Italian for All
    Status: Active
    Fortnightly on Thursday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Kaffee Klatsch
    Status: Active
    On Tuesday mornings
    Weeks 2 & 4 - 11 a.m.
  • Latin
    Status: Active
    On Monday afternoons
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Litter Picking
    Status: Active
    On Tuesday mornings 10:00 am
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Mah Jong
    Status: Active
    On Thursday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Mindfulness
    Status: Active
    On Tuesday afternoons 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Monthly Meeting
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Wednesday afternoons
  • Origin and Development of Drama
    Status: Active
    On Monday afternoons
    Week 2 & 4
  • Painting Workshop
    Status: Waiting list
    Weekly on Thursday mornings
  • Philosophy and Ideas
    Status: Active
    On Friday mornings 10:00 am-12:00 pm
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Photography for Everyone
    Status: Active
    On Tuesday afternoons
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Play Reading
    Status: Active
    On Thursday afternoons
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Psychology
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Thursday mornings 10:00 am-12:00 pm
    Week 3
  • Quiz
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Monday afternoons
    Week 2
  • Rummikub
    Status: Active
    On Friday afternoons
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Scrabble
    Status: Active
    On Monday mornings
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Search for Knowledge
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Monday afternoons
    Week 3
  • Singing for Fun
    Status: Dormant
    On Friday afternoons
  • Social Cycling
    Status: Active
    On Thursday mornings
    Ad Hoc
  • Social Dance
    Status: Active
    On Thursday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
    2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month
  • Sustainability
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Tuesday afternoons
    Week 2
  • Table Tennis
    Status: Active
    Weekly on Friday mornings
  • Technology Help Desk
    Status: Active
    On Monday mornings
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Ukulele
    Status: Active
    On Friday afternoons
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Understanding Modern Art
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Monday mornings 10:00 am-12:00 pm
    2nd Monday
  • Walking
    Status: Active
    On Friday afternoons
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Welsh
    Status: Active
    On Thursday mornings
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Whist
    Status: Active
    On Monday afternoons
    Weeks 2 & 4
  • Wildlife
    Status: Active
    Monthly on Tuesday afternoons
    Week 1
  • Writing for Pleasure 1
    Status: Active
    On Friday mornings 10:00 am
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Writing for Pleasure 2
    Status: Full
    On Friday mornings 10:00 am
    Weeks 1 & 3
  • Writing for Pleasure 3
    Status: Active
    On Friday mornings 10:00 am
    Weeks 1 & 3