Reviews | Mindfulness & Creativity Training, Courses & Workshops, Gorey, Co. Wexford

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS

MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course (8 week)

“I was blown away by the quality of the course contents and the support each week from Una. As the time went by, I was taken deeper into practices of mindfulness, we committed to a daily practice and had lots of support and handouts. I was challenged and excited by the processes, yet willing to give them all a go. Una inspired me by her commitment to her own practice of mindfulness. This course has changed the way I live my life. It has allowed me to be fully present in my day, both in my work and in all other areas of my life and I now know what to do when my attention is pulled in all directions. I feel calmer, more grounded and balanced. I am aware that I am kinder to myself, I have more patience and am less judgmental. This course is a wonderful gift; it will help you in all areas of your life. It is one of the best courses I have undertaken, brilliant contents/ delivery and amazing value for money. I am so delighted I gave myself this time.”

Breda Mc Donald (Employment Facilitator / Poet)

MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course (8 week)

I have recently completed the Mindfulness-Based stress reduction course with Una. I would highly recommend this course for everyone in all walks of like. This MBSR course is delivered to the highest professional standard by an excellent facilitator. It has given me an insight and awareness of my sense of self and sense of being in the present moment. It has equipped me with strategies and tools that will stay with me forever in the challenges of life today and tomorrow. Thank you Una.

Carmel Smyth (Palliative Nurse ) Bunclody, Wexford

MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course (8 week)

In short, Una’s MBSR course has changed the meaning of my life indefinitely. Una has been a fantastic instructor and has allowed me to go on a deep internal exploration of my mind, my emotions, my senses, my body and my soul. I cannot recommend this course highly enough because it has opened up a new world of applying mindfulness to every possible moment and living in full awareness. Without mindfulness, we are not living at all. And now after this course ? I am fully alive and stronger than ever. Thank you Una for transforming my quality of life. I will be eternally grateful.

Olive Power ( Engineer ) Wexford

(See Home Page for more reviews on the MBSR course)

Corporate Reviews

I work in a busy property management company. My role as a receptionist, with a 16 line switchboard, can be very demanding. Una Keeley’s Mindfulness Stress Reduction Course for the workplace, teaches one to relax and manage ones time better. This in turn makes your job easier. Una herself is such a relaxing person and really listens to your concerns or worries and shows you a different way to approach things. I practice mindfulness every other day and I’m now trying to put aside at least 15 mins to practice every day. Its hard to give yourself time, but worth it. I would highly recommend Una and this course. It puts everything in perspective . So enjoyable !

Evelyn Tolan (KPM Property Management) Dublin

I work in KPM, who gave us the opportunity to do a mindfulness course with Una in our office once a week for 8 weeks. It’s not something I would have contemplated but having done it and feeling the benefits, I’m so glad I took part. It’s like anything, what you put into it reflects how much you get out of it. I began to look forward to each new session and how it could help me to keep calm and in the moment. I now find myself more relaxed and able to stick to one thing at a time while multitasking, if that makes sense. Prioritizing my time and energy thus reducing unnecessary stress. Working with Una has had more of an impact on me than I originally thought it would have. I’m glad I did this course and still have my sessions to listen to when I need time for me, time to be calm and time to relax.

Catherine Ryan (KPM Property Management) Dublin

I’m an administrator for a property management company. Before meeting Una and taking part in the Mindfulness training, I was feeling stressed due to a hectic home and work life. I choose to take part, as Mindfulness was something that had appealed to me, and I was keen to learn about the practice. I found the whole course to be very beneficial to me, as it has made me more aware of myself, my thoughts and my reactions to things. The 15 minute meditations have been by favorite, along with the take home notes. Its had a very positive effect on my day to day life, as its making me more aware of being in the moment and enjoying things, as opposed to always thinking ahead, planning, worrying of whats next etc. I would encourage anyone who’s thinking of taking part in a mindfulness course, to take part in Una’s. Shes very good at explaining mindfulness and is very interesting and calming to listen to.

Rachael Staunton (KPM Property Management) Dublin

Participant Reviews

(LIVE Online MBSR 8 week Course / Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)

Mindfulness & Creativity Weekend Retreat in the Gorey School of Art

Mitzie Murphy, MIACP ( Psychotherapist / Counsellor)

“The mindfulness and Creativity Retreat , that I attended in the Gorey school of art was wonderful and definitely kick started my art, that had been tired and seemed like a job to get back into.

Una keeley is in my opinion an exceptional facilitator of mindfulness and creativity. She not only has all the experience and education behind her, but you get a sense that she really practices and fully believes in what she is doing and that is infectious and can spark great things in your life.

The pace of the one day workshop was just right and nothing was rushed.

We practiced mindful listening, mindful watching, mindful drawing and painting and also mindful yoga and a body scan. Can’t even believe now we fit that all in and nothing felt rushed.

This does not happen without good caring preparation and planning and I am most appreciative of that.

The learning is so simple but I really believe life changing.

I did not find every practice easy but that’s the point of mindfulness, that our minds will get in the way and Una explains how normal this is, but also helps you to practice and develop and to be gentle with yourself in all that comes in our thoughts and judgments.

She gives clear instructions and with plenty of different mediums that will allow you to experiment with nothing spared in her materials. The attention to detail is just beautiful and something that is important to me and allows me to get right down to the creative process.

Work is not compared, just fully seen and appreciated in the moment and for me continued way passed the group.

We can all learn from books and You.tube videos and may even feel we know all about mindfulness, as I sometimes did, but being part of a small group that are practicing in the moment by moment, to me is invaluable learning and so much is brought out and so much is gifted to us when we work in groups.

Una has many years experience in working with groups and this shows.

Una is able to have a laugh and she is part of the group that makes it special.

As I work as a psychotherapist, self care and new learning is always great and a space to have fun and Just simply be in the moment is wonderful.

I have done a couple of workshops with Una and I am now booked in for a 6 week course that starts soon. I look forward to more learning and support, which keeps me in the practice, and which is so helpful to my work and my relationships.”

Thanks so much Una, Your a Gem.

Contact: Mitzie Murphy, MIACP ( Psychotherapist / Counsellor)

Some Participant Reviews of Past Retreats

Amber Springs Full Day Mindfulness & Creativity Retreat

“I attended Una’s Mindfulness and creativity workshop today. It was so relaxing and enjoyable. Una creates such a safe space for you to feel free to explore your creative side, that for me are lying dormant, but found myself being able to locate that childlike creativeness. It felt so nurturing for for me.. Thank you Una for a lovely day and to all the other participants, It was lovely to meet you all.”

Bernie Slattery (Psychotherapist / Counsellor)

“I was at the Mindfulness and Creativity retreat on Saturday and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.. It awakened once more my creative side and because I tend to live in my head alot, I felt grounded and uplifted leaving.. Una comes from a place of gentleness and her passion for what she does shined through on the day.. I’d highly recommend her and this workshop .. Thank you Una.”

Regina Redmond (Healer)

Gorey School of Art One Day Retreat

I recently took part in the one-day Mindfulness & Creativity retreat at the Gorey School of Art, having previously completed the evening course. It was an amazing day with a very open and creative group of people; I even got to meet one of the students of another of Una’s classes whom I had been connecting with ‘creatively’ in the course participants’ Facebook Group! The relaxed environment Una creates really fosters an atmosphere of acceptance and play, which allowed us as a group to ‘let go’ and allow our creativity surface! I thoroughly enjoyed the vast variety of exercises and approaches to exploring both mindfulness and creativity, from meditation and body scanning to mixed media creative exercises and mindful yoga. Una provided us with various tools to anchor our awareness in the present, which we can use in our daily lives to continue the practice following on from the course. Furthermore, I came away with new creative techniques that I’m already exploring and developing further since the course, not to mention lots of new creative buddies! As ever, a massive thank you to Una, whose expertise and experience in this field are second to none. The adventure continues!

Elizabeth Cuddy (Artist / Web Programmer)

Gorey School of Art One Day Retreat

Recently I participated in a one-day Mindful Create retreat. Una creates such a safe space for people to become present in themselves and feel relaxed to explore new territory creatively. Through her gentle guidance and focused intuition, her generous and stimulating materials, her imaginative and spontaneous activities the day’s events moved seamlessly and effortlessly. Una is a skillful facilitator who applies such effective resources to the practice of both disciplines. I came away with an understanding and better knowledge of what mindfulness is and gained clarity on how many blocks I stack in the way of my creativity. There was a real sense of non-judgement and support from Una and within the group and I think we all felt nurtured and minded to continue on our journey of awareness and expressing our unique selves. Thank you, Una and Mindful Create.

Sarah Malin (Artist & Care Worker)

Una Keeley is a professional MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Instructor. She is the founder and owner of Mindfulness Wexford. Training Adults (including Executives, Managers & Staff ) to De-Stress with Mindfulness Stress Reduction Skills. Una is a HSE approved Mindfulness Instructor, training HSE staff in mindfulness. (Irish Health Services Executive). She offers Courses & Workshops to the general public and the corporate sector.

Una has been practicing meditation for 25 years. She is a professional member of The Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland (MTAI) and adheres to The Irish Good Practice Guidelines for Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses. Una is a trained MBSR Mindfulness Instructor with the Institute for Mindfulness Based Approaches, IMA Germany.

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In 2021 the National Concert Hall of Ireland, specially commissioned Una to create a New Mindfulness & Music Listening Track . This is a Deep Listening collaborative work with Musician/composer Nick Roth.

Una is also a professional Artist with a Masters in Art Education. She has designed educational programmes for arts organisations and institutions for over 25 years. Including 15 years with The Irish Museum of Modern Art. Her background includes a Masters in Art Education, an Honors Degree in ceramics, and a Diploma in illustration for children's books. Una designs and offers courses which combine Mindfulness and Creativity; exploring divergent thinking, ways of attending, poetic perception and creative response.

I was blown away by the quality of the course contents and the support each week from Una. As the time went by, I was taken deeper into practices of mindfulness, we committed to a daily practice and had lots of support and handouts. I was challenged and excited by the processes, yet willing to give them all a go. Una inspired me by her commitment to her own practice of mindfulness. This course has changes the way I live my life. It has allowed me to be fully present in my day, both in my work and in all other areas of my life and I now know what to do when my attention is pulled in all directions. I feel calmer, more grounded and balanced. I am aware that I am kinder to myself, I have more patience and am less judgmental. This course is a wonderful gift; it will help you in all areas of your life. It is one of the best courses I have undertaken, brilliant contents/ delivery and amazing value for money. I am so delighted I gave myself this time.

BredaMc Donald (Employment Facilitator / Poet) Arklow

“Silence is Golden” are the words that comes to my mind when I think back to my day long Silent Mindfulness Retreat with Una Keeley in September at the Amber Springs Hotel. Set at a really gentle pace, the day held no agenda, “doing” was on pause and simply being was celebrated through each mediation, poem read, meal shared, rest taken and movement made. All the ingredients needed to allow the mind and body to rest, giving permission to allow the inner voice to reflect and move through the ebb and flow of one’s emotions in a very dignified and respectful shared space. The learning in the here and now compounded and my own mindfulness practice was refreshed and brought to a deepened level, which I’ve been able to bring more often into my everyday life. I was really grateful that I got the opportunity to spend the day on this Silent Mindfulness Retreat. I would highly recommend the day to anyone who needs some “me time”, along with anyone who wants to deepen their practice at a very personal level. Thank you Una for a really super day.

Zoe Dixon (Social Care Worker & Art Therapist) Arklow

The MBSR Course on Mindfulness with Instructor Una Keeley, which I attended for 8 weeks recently, was completely new to me & I had no real knowledge or concept of what it entailed, but for stress related reasons I made a commitment to take part. I feel very fortunate to have met wonderful people, who seemed to be there for different reasons, All of whom, brought uniquely different helpful views to our meetings. Every meeting was challenging for the right reasons, with plenty to practice at home on a daily basis. Every Monday was so well planned, organised & executed in such a thoughtful, caring, professional & different way each night, that seemed to lend itself to each participant really benefiting. I for one, found this course enlightening, thought provoking & I would say, very important & most helpful for today’s challenges.

Paschal Whitmore (Jeweller) Gorey, Wexford

(Mindfulness Through Art & Meditation Course) I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Una is an inspiring teacher and in each of the classes she created a welcoming, safe and nurturing environment in which I felt motivated and comfortable enough to allow myself to reconnect with my creative side, which had been a bit neglected! I have been practicing mindfulness for a number of years and was very familiar with the concepts and theories behind it but this course helped me to gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation for it as the concepts were taught in a hands on, visual and practical way. The tasks we were set were enlightening, motivational and fun and they have each left a lasting impression on me. The course helped me to find my creativity again, for which I am so very grateful. Everyone in the group was so lovely and a really relaxed atmosphere of encouragement and support developed over the 6 weeks. Each lesson was planned out so carefully and we all took so much from each session. I really looked forward to going each week. Thanks so much Una. I will most definitely be back again soon!

Jan Feeney (Yoga Teacher) Ferns