This month, we celebrate our wonderful register member Francesca Askew a meditation teacher based in Leicestershire. Francesca teaches meditation for everyday life, with a particular focus on helping new mums and mums to be.
We asked Francesca to share some information about her business, her teachings and her own meditation experience, so that you can get to know her better.
Here is what Francesca told us about her own meditation experience…
“I started meditating as an undergraduate when I was feeling quite overwhelmed with the move to university and studying a degree. I dragged a friend along to the local Buddhist centre where we’d sit and learn guided breathing meditations and Loving Kindness on alternate weeks. I loved it, looked into different meditations, did lots of reading and continued a personal practice that has seen me through the years. My practice has changed a lot since then, when I’d lean on it just when I needed some headspace. Gradually I built it into each day and in 2020 over lockdown I had much more time, so I really enjoyed a longer practice at the start and end of the day. Two little children later and I don’t have the same luxury. Motherhood has highlighted just how important it is to rest and feel regulated so I’ve adapted my practice and although it’s still daily, I’m really flexible with when I practice and how long for. It suits me, and I think it feels more purposeful now than ever”.
Francesca trained with BSoM to become an externally accredited meditation teacher because…
“I think I’d have benefitted from meditating long before I really found it and I wish I’d known how to meditate, and what its impact could be from a younger age. When I was on maternity leave the first time around I very quickly felt that I didn’t want to go back to my old job and wanted to be much more intentional with my work. I was meditating during feeds and contact naps with my tiny baby and it was something I knew I wanted to incorporate more into my life. Leaving my job and training with the British School of Meditation seemed like a really natural decision to make and one that really aligned with my new life as a mum. I was really excited to read about the training and I’m so glad I found it”,
What she loved about the training was…
“Aside from the really fascinating course content and how motivating it was to study such interesting things, something I really enjoyed was connecting with other people who shared the same passion as me but whose experience, work and lifestyle was different. There was so much to learn from the other students as well as from the course itself, and the way the course was structured allowed us all to discuss, collaborate and share experiences, even online”.
About Francesca’s business and classes…
“I run a weekly group meditation class for everyday life, and I’m working on launching some online sessions for mums and mums to be.
The first ones to run online are sessions for mums with babies who are either in the NICU or have been in the NICU and are now home. I found myself in this position a few months ago and my meditation practice was so crucial to keeping me going, especially once we were home and and processing our experiences whilst hitting the ground running with a baby and toddler.
With modern life and modern parenthood, it can feel like there’s such little time, but I think meditation is one of the things we can do in our downtime that gives us the biggest return and most significant impact on how we experience our day to day life”.
Francesca’s favourite aspect of teaching is…
“My favourite aspect of teaching is the space there is to be really creative with what’s included in a class. I love to write scripts that each person attending can adapt to themselves so that their practice becomes really personal and useful to them. My aim is to teach people how to use meditation in a way that works for them, feels joyous, and has an effect they can truly feel on their lives and the people around them”.
How you can work with, or find out more about Francesca and her meditation sessions:
You can join Fran’s group classes if you are local to Leicestershire, get in touch to arrange one to one sessions, or look out for upcoming online sessions at www.francescaaskew.com.
Social Media and Website Links
www.francescaaskew.com
www.instagram.com/francescaaskew.meditation