About
​
We are Dr Carolyn Drake and Annie Akasati McAuley.
We have been delivering mindfulness training since 2014 through public classes and courses. We have worked as well with a range of clients within business, charity, social care, education, and the NHS.
We gain inspiration from both scientific research and the ancient Buddhist teachings.
We enjoy what we do and hope to convey that to you through our teaching.
​
We work from Sussex in the UK.
Annie Akasati McAuley
Mindfulness and meditation have been the source of much creativity and joy throughout my adult life.
​
I am a freelance mindfulness teacher and supervisor. I run drop-ins and courses through Love Mindfulness, and as an associate mindfulness teacher with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre, 360MindBodySoul and the Brighton Buddhist Centre. I have also co-created our new our Wise Awareness and Long Covid Recovery courses. I am a registered member of the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches (BAMBA).
​
I write a monthly blog on themes related to mindfulness, compassion and wisdom. This is available on our website and other publications.
​
I have a teaching background and have worked with adults and young people over four decades.
​
I am an ordained Buddhist since 1999, leading courses and retreats using my Buddhist name, Akasati.
​
Dr. Carolyn Drake
My practice of mindfulness meditation underpins my approach to teaching.
My scientific background is in Cognitive Psychology, Education and Neuropsychology. I have a particular interest in brain development and function. I also have practical experience in primary education.
Since 2003 I have explored mindfulness in its secular and Buddhist contexts. I delight in the heart-opening qualities of awareness and positive emotion it brings.
​
Since co-founding Love Mindfulness in 2014 I have taught many courses and training sessions. I have also co-created our new our Wise Awareness and Long Covid Recovery courses.
​
I became ordained as a Buddhist in 2020 when I became known as Karuna Hridaya. I currently teach and support other Buddhists in France.
​
Our training
We both trained with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. We qualify to teach Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). We also qualify to teach within the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP). These are courses for learners of all ages and staff.
​
Annie qualifies to teach Mindfulness-based Compassionate Living (MBCL) 8-week courses. She is also registered with the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches (BAMBA). She qualifies through the UK mindfulness Network to offer Supervision. This is to support people using mindfulness-based approaches.
​
We both maintain up-to-date enhanced DBS checks.
Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
This is the original programme developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It helps people manage the stress of chronic pain and extreme health conditions.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
This has developed from MBSR in the UK to help prevent relapses into depression. It is now adapted for a range of clinical and non-clinical situations. It is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (N.I.C.E).
​
Mindfulness-based Compassionate Living (MBCL)
An evidence-based 8-week course developed by Dr Eric Van Brink and Frits Koster. It is a continuation course from the 8-week mindfulness courses.
​
Mindfulness-based Wise Awareness
We have developed an 8-week course on wise awareness as a companion to the MBCL course. The course draws on our own research into wisdom and Carolyn's science background. It is a continuation course from the 8-week mindfulness course.
​
Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP)
These courses help children negotiate life with focus and positivity. We qualify with the project to teach courses developed for Key Stages 2-5. We have also developed our own course for Key Stage 1 and sessions for staff and young people.