December Newsletter

2024 AGM, Opportunities to Connect, and Plans for 2025

Dear MTAI Members

Thank you for your support in 2024. As the year draws to a close, we would like to share some final updates and opportunities to connect in 2025. Below you’ll find details of the following:

1. Our recent 2024 AGM

2. Upcoming gatherings for 2025

3. Recognition of Mindful Birthing and Parenting Teacher Training Programme (MBCPTT)

4. Sharing your courses for 2025

5. 2025 Membership Renewal

The approaching winter solstice marks a time of darkness yet the beginning of brighter days to come. With that in mind, we share the invitation of Thich Nhat Hanh to “drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.”

Warm Wishes,

The MTAI Board

Our 2024 AGM

We were delighted to spend the morning with our members for the 7th MTAI AGM where we shared exciting updates from the board, the subcommittees, heard from our wonderful speakers Tony Bates and Orlaith O’Sullivan, and where members had a chance to connect and share insights on plans for the year ahead.

For those who couldn’t make it, the recordings are available now, one for the first half which includes Tony’s talk, updates from the board and subcommittees and another for the second half which includes our keynote address from Dr. Orlaith O’Sullivan about her innovative work in education. The password for both recordings is #13%rFSi Links to the resources that Orlaith kindly shared with us and mentioned in her presentation are available here.

Upcoming events for 2025

We have a busy line up of events for 2025 including the continuation of our supportive monthly peer practices of Deep Listening and Council Circle, some new events such as the Introductory Workshop on Business and Marketing Essentials and our nourishing Spring Retreat in the seaside venue of Ballyvalloo. You can register for them here.

There are a few final spaces on our Spring Retreat “Cultivating Peace and Joy” in Ballyvalloo from February 7th to 9th with Dr. Orlaith O’Sullivan. For a taster of what to expect, check out the teaser here where our board member Blanca is in conversation with Orlaith about what to expect at this nourishing retreat for MTAI members. You can register here.

Mindful Birthing and Parenting Teacher Training Programme (MBCPTT)

We are very excited to share that the MTAI standards subcommittee have, following an extensive review of the programme and recommended amendments, approved the Mindful Birthing and Parenting Teacher Training Programme (MBCPTT) as a recognised teacher training qualification of the MTAI. We look forward to welcoming students and graduates of the programme into the MTAI community and will organise an event to showcase their work with other members in 2025.

Thinking of running a course in 2025?

Are you running a mindfulness course with the public in 2025? Or are you planning to but unsure about location, whether to do it in-person or online etc.?

We are hoping to populate the website with all our members public course offerings for January so that we can showcase them when doing any upcoming PR work. The more courses we can showcase the better.

If you have already planned to run a public course, please post it on your online profile so it can be included on the public webpage and on our social media platforms. If you don’t know how to do this, please let us know and we will help you.

If you are considering running a course in 2025 and would like to be put in touch with other members who are also planning to run a course, either in your geographical area or online and you would like to coordinate dates and times, please let us know and we could put you in touch with each other.

2025 Membership Renewal

Membership renewal reminders will be sent out in January. As we transfer our member profiles to the new website (details shared at AGM if you missed it and want to watch the recording), we ask that you please renew as soon as possible after you receive the renewal email so we can ensure that our new website reflects our current membership.

2025 will see the launch of our new Associate Membership option for those who do not wish to have a public profile on the website or display their courses but who still wish to be involved and attend MTAI events.

As always, please feel free to get in touch with us with any suggestions or questions on theboard@mtai.ie