The envelope arrived in the mail explaining the basic info I needed to know for my surgery. “Surgery?” I thought... I wanted to use this experience to really apply Dharma, to strengthen my refuge practice.

Each day I relentlessly chased the illusion of happiness then self-medicated with alcohol to numb out the pain. Totally exhausting all avenues, I finally hit rock bottom over 9 years ago which resulted in rehabilitation.

The first time I heard a teaching on death, it felt surprisingly like good news, like something I wanted to hear more of. What? Wasn’t the subject of death taboo, something nobody wanted to talk about?

I struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. I was so familiar with the feeling that I identified with it: ‘I am an anxious person’. This thought pattern had become a necessary part of how I processed the challenges I faced in my life.

Are you terrified of meditation? Congratulations, you are not alone! I was sure I couldn’t do it. I started by watching the classes online because I was anxious about looking like a complete idiot.

I feel as if I am always running, always late for something and always chasing something that needs doing yesterday. I’m exhausted pretty much all the time...

In 2001 a small newspaper advert caught the attention of a rather angry and exasperated single mother - trying to stay sane in an increasingly difficult situation. It said: ‘Are you angry? Would you like to find some peace in difficult circumstances?’ That was 23 years ago!

I first encountered Kadampa Buddhism when I was 16 years old. I was full of hope and ambition. But I was also midway through a new and crippling challenge that had crept up on me and begun to ruin my life, social anxiety.

I came to meditation when I was in a very dark phase of my life. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was experiencing high functioning depression and high functioning anxiety.