Mark Sidney

I was first taught to meditate at school in 1980, although at the time I didn’t actually know it was meditation! One of the teachers would sometimes ask us to focus on our breath or physical sensations. I found it calming and used the technique from time to time when feeling stressed. I went off to university and nobody else seemed to do it - certainly no one talked about it. So for the next thirty years I was an occasional secretive meditator. I qualified with a degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Leeds.

I had a successful career in homelessness and addiction services for 30 years. I chaired Homeless Link’s National Advisory Council, chaired the SITRA National Homelessness Conference in 2010. I found that meditation helped manage my stress and maintain a separation between my work and home life. I was made redundant in 2010 and became aware of this thing called mindfulness. It brought context and meaning to my previously irregular and unstructured practice. However, it was not until I experienced redundancy for a second time in 2012 that my practice became consistent and regular. In 2013 I completed an 8-week Breathworks mindfulness course: I became fascinated by the science; I embraced the attitudes; it felt like coming home. In 2015 I suffered a period of illness and was diagnosed with a Crohn’s Disease. A life-threatening allergic reaction to the medication means I have primarily relied on mindfulness and meditation to manage my condition. It isn’t all plain sailing but mindfulness helps me adjust my sails when the storms come.

In 2016 I trained as a mindfulness teacher to bring the benefits I have received from practicing mindfulness to others.

Along with my business partner, Rachel Jones-Wild I now run a not for profit Social Enterprise, Mindfulness Based Therapies. Our mission is to bring the benefits of mindfulness to as many people as possible, particularly to those that face financial barriers. We also deliver mindfulness into workplaces to support staff wellbeing and business performance.

I am, and have been happily married to a local artist, Alison, since 1993 and we are parents to two wonderful children, Lydia and Isaac. We live near the coast in the North East of England.

When not working I enjoy cooking, attending music festivals and supporting Newcastle United as a season ticket holder since 1990.