Hey there…
I hope you are doing well, it’s Keith Horan here, the creator of The Mindfulness Community and this week’s blog is dedicated to….. Me!
I thought it would be nice to let you guys know a little more about me, what goes on around me and even what goes on in my head. I want people to know more about my personal journey, and how the person I have become has helped me to become a better teacher and guide.
So here goes…
What does a typical day for Keith Horan look like?
“The key to a good day for me is to be on the cushion at 7:30am. I usually meditate for 30 mins, ideally with some gentle stretching beforehand.
On Monday’s and Friday’s I guide a meditation session for members of The Mindfulness Community, where that extra connection of meditating with others really helps. Moving on from that, I have a nice hour with the kids and my wife before fully diving into my work.
My work varies but mainly involves writing, teaching Mindfulness courses, recording the TMC podcast and interacting with TMC members. Thankfully it’s all very interesting. I try to get some exercise everyday, ideally a sea swim, but if not then a walk or short run.
Dinner is family time again, and afterwards we usually watch one tv program together – it’s the Mandalorian at the moment. My day tends to be finished off with some reading, listening to music, chatting with Amanda and an early night. The aim is to get to bed before 11. “
Countries you have visited and studied mindfulness in?
“Mindfulness has taken me to different parts of the world and I appreciate each of them for their unique reasons and experiences. I traveled to India in 1999 visiting places like Dharmshala, Bodh Gaya and even spent a month in South India at the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. There was a wonderful retreat in Sri Lanka that i’ve been to as well as Kathmandu in Nepal.
I have also studied in the US in places like Arizona, New Jersey and even studying with a mentor in Oregon…I might even talk more about this experience at a later stage.
There are quite a few countries that ive travelled to and the list does go on with places like the Netherlands and Wales where I studied for a masters in mindfulness based approaches. There are loads of memories that I carry with me from my travels and when the world opens up again I will be travelling back to some of my favourite places.”
What year was TMC founded?
“TMC was founded in 2019. It took a year to build, and then our first test members joined in Jan 2020. The doors fully opened in the Summer of 2020… and we have been growing and practicing together since then!”
What did you do before you created The Mindfulness Community?
“I was a Secondary school teacher for 13 years (and I was teaching Mindfulness in the evenings!) I taught Geography and Science… and was always trying to also bring Meditation into the classroom. I could see how much it helped the students, and they really enjoyed it. Actually that’s what first inspired me to study to Masters level (in Mindfulness based Approaches) because that enabled me to bring mindfulness into a number of schools in the West of Ireland.”
If you could add one thing to your life right now, what would it be?
“I have good routines that support my own mental health and wellbeing. I eat and sleep well and exercise regularly. And I’m very grateful to have a steady Mindfulness practice.
But still, I am finding things much harder because of missing contact with friends and family. It makes me realise how much we all need connection and need other people.”
…
I thoroughly enjoyed answering these questions, If you have any more then don’t be afraid to leave a comment and ask! I look forward to answering more of your questions and having you join The Mindfulness Community (if you haven’t already).
Have a listen to my podcast and catch up on all my other blog posts here at https://keithhoran.com.
Until next time…
Keith
