Frank Liddy was a driving forces in the Twinbrook Residents Association in the seventies and eighties, taking a break for a short period to try his hand as a saxophonist in a punk band, before embracing the study of Zen Buddhism and mindfulness.
He has over 35 years’ practice-based experience with mindfulness programmes that have helped to transform the lives of many people across Ireland.
Frank is the co-founder of the Black Mountain Zen Centre and Compassionate City Belfast. He now lives in North Belfast but a return to Twinbrook is on the cards.
I CAME across a beautiful story this week from the Babemba tribe of Africa, who believe that we come into the world as good, each one of us desiring only safety, love, peace, and happiness.
THROUGH hail, rain, snow, Brits and loyalist death squads, Giant George never stopped opening his den of delights at the Giant's Foot. He was a steadfast part of community life. In a world where many spoke grandly about service, few embodied it quite so unpretentiously as George Devlin did. If ever there was someone at the coalface, tending to the everyday needs of his neighbours, it was George.
I WAS first introduced to the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, often translated as 'forest bathing', during a walk with a friend up in Colin Glen.
WHEN I first walked through the doors to rehearse with the Belfast Rock Choir, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Part of me felt like a nervous schoolboy again, waiting to find my place amongst strangers, while another part of me was quietly excited.
It was a bittersweet weekend for the parishioners of St Luke’s as the community gathered to bid farewell to Father Brian McCann and to honour the extraordinary contribution of Sinéad McAllister.
IT'S that time of year again, and as Gerry Adams said at his talk in the Balmoral: "Féile is a state of mind."
In memory of Dr. James R. Doty.
Sunday 6 July, marked the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. When his birthday comes around, I pause and pinch myself as I reflect on one of the most surreal experiences of my life: meeting the Dalai Lama during his visit to our wee city in the autumn of 2000.
'THE moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.' Henry Miller.
I HAVE to admit this is my favourite time of year for personal reflection as I always experience an awakening of thankfulness as we enter into the spirit of the Clonard Novena.
AT the very heart of all true prayer and meditation lies silence.
AS part of the North of Ireland’s Mental Health and Arts Festival, I had the great fortune of attending a talk by a man would describe as a legendary sculptor – our very own, home-grown Tim Shaw.
THE African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" emphasises that raising a child successfully requires the support and involvement of many people within a community, not just the parents. It means a network of individuals, including extended family, neighbours, teachers, and other community members all play a vital role in a child's development and wellbeing.
OVER the years I have appreciated more and more the power of metaphors as tools for transformation and as a self developing pathway for growth in an ever changing world of uncertainty. These nuggets of wisdom are constants in the shifting sands of time.
WHEN it comes to mindful living, I love the saying 'No mud no lotus'. The quote comes from the great Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, who was lovingly called Thay.