happy clients

"The retreat was an exceptional opportunity over three days to stop, recharge and reset from a busy life. Highly recommended"

“My sessions with Jo were really amazing. She has a soft and quiet way of teaching that sits alongside your experience. The mix of breathing at the start, understanding mindfulness and then gentle application (giving different techniques to try) whilst walking in a beautiful environment really does help bring a calmness to you, to take away into your everyday life and walks. The technique for walking mindfully is simple, easy to learn and after practising, can become part of your daily walking. Overlay this with mindfulness and you have a whole new experience.”

“I have just completed a course of mindfulness walking sessions with Jo, and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I loved learning a new and more effective way of walking. My muscles ached and I really felt that I had had a good workout after each session. This combined with mindfulness was just the perfect way to start my week. I learnt some great tools for practising mindfulness, and love the feeling of calm and peace that I now feel each time I go for a mindfulness walk. Jo is so professional in her approach and has the most wonderful capacity for making you feel relaxed and at ease. I will definitely be booking more sessions.”

"Jo brings magic to the day-to-day. The ordinary becomes extraordinary, movement becomes effortless, thoughts disappear. I never realised I could be so totally focused on the present for so long. I have been practising mindfulness and meditation for a few years, but Jo brings a new dimension to the experience by combining it with walking, and guiding one through it so effortlessly. The double intro session was relaxed, fun and quite an exhilarating experience. The best natural high I have ever had! Thank you."

"The retreat was everything I'd hoped for, an incredibly special few days."

"The retreat gave me inner strength, both physically and mentally."

"I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do this. I can be a bit too blokey, a bit too cynical of new stuff, particularly of someone re-teaching me to learn something that I am reliably informed I had mastered by the age of one. I already know how to walk, thank you, Jo. On the other hand, I have never previously practised mindfulness and I was interested in this, albeit that I needed some persuading on this too. So off we went… and it worked. On both counts, actually. Jo is a great teacher, calm voice, easy company, gently persuasive. If, like me, you had your guard up, you find that she has a manner that brings it down. The walking theory works. That is clear. No doubt. The mindfulness too; it was an introduction to something new and I would now like to do more. Guard down. Thoroughly recommended."

"The combination of mindfulness and walking works really well. I am sure that the walking is a significant aid to enable the mind to find and settle in the present moment. For me, the rhythm of walking and breathing formed a strong basis for focus, which was complimented by focusing on the various senses. Jo makes the learning and the experience both interesting and a pleasure."

“After just one session I felt genuinely uplifted and lighter, despite having a number of worries in my life. Jo’s descriptions about how to start training my mind were easy to understand and I was immediately able to visualise how I could step away from intrusive thoughts and concentrate my mind on one of my senses or on how my body was moving.”

"The food on the retreat was five star - delicious, magically produced, and it made vegetarian food exciting, tempting and inspiring."

"I am a total convert to Mindfulness Walking. Learning how to experience the present, and the richness of one’s surroundings, is truly uplifting. Westonbirt Arboretum is the perfect setting for this. Jo’s walking technique is transformative: I used to drag myself up hills but now I feel propelled and energised and my general deportment has even improved. Jo has a wonderfully light touch: we are gently guided on our walking technique whilst also focusing our attention on the joys of the natural world around us. Each session provides a real boost to both mind and body."

"This retreat was my first experience of Mindfulness Walking. I could not have enjoyed it more."

“Jo wisely says mindfulness comes to those people when they need it. As with everything she is wonderfully perceptive. Jo started coaching me the week before I was diagnosed with breast cancer and running through Jo’s wise words as I was given the diagnosis and subsequent hideous body scans made all the difference to my attitude to what was ahead. Not only did she teach me to relax, but how to take time out for myself. The walking technique married with mindfulness I find gives the most enriching mind/body experience. The sensation of both being aligned in a vertical, neutral space is heaven sent. Not only is Jo the most talented teacher, but her empathy and knowledge makes her connect immediately to her client. She uses words that create immediate understanding and support. I feel I am totally supported by someone who has a healing, calming and unique gift. Thank goodness for Jo.”

“Before my session with Jo, I had always felt quite attuned to what I thought was mindfulness walking, as I feel very connected to the nature around me when I walk and I find great solace in walking as a way to reconnect with myself. However, Jo’s approach unlocked something new. I became connected to a deep sense of peace and ease, something I have not tapped into before. To begin with my mind slightly battled with trying to concentrate too hard but with Jo’s calm guidance, I was able to unshackle my mind and just ‘be’. Combined with the new rhythmic walking technique, this was more than the sum of the parts by a long way. The optimal walking technique is quite simple to learn and I have been practising every day. I highly recommend learning Mindfulness Walking with Jo, so that you can experience this feeling for yourself."

“I genuinely hugely enjoyed the entire session and found it enormously beneficial too – so a BIG thank you – you are a wonderful teacher!”

"I got so much more out of my session with Jo than I expected. I’ve never been any good at clearing my mind or, dare I admit, seen the point. However, Jo took me through a series of exercises which enabled me to stop thinking of “to do lists” but instead focused me on the now. Her tricks (as she is a magician) heightened my enjoyment of nature to almost surreal levels. I felt at times that I was scuba diving on land. On top of this, she made sure I was walking properly, not slouching, but stretching and pushing off through my feet. There are not many opportunities in life where you can exercise the body as well as the mind but Mindfulness Walking with Jo does just that. The result being that you feel refreshed, invigorated yet calm."

"I don’t think it is too much of an exaggeration to say that Jo’s Mindfulness Walking is life changing! She explains her walking technique with knowledge and empathy, and I quickly found myself sinking into a way of walking which feels both exhilarating and energising as well as offering an opportunity to become absorbed in the process of walking and to appreciate my body’s strength. Layered on top of this is her gentle guidance to notice all that is around us and to drop into a stillness and calm in the process. I particularly appreciate her suggestion of looking forward to the horizon, keeping everything else in the peripheral. Jo is a warm and knowledgeable teacher, and I would recommend everyone give it a go."

"I have recently completed a six-week Mindfulness Walking course with Jo Dunne. Wow, it truly is the most positive and powerful exercise I have ever experienced. Jo quietly guides you through the techniques of mindfulness; planting your feet firmly on the ground, reconnecting you to the earth by allowing your mind to gently calm into the here and now. Enriched, relaxed and really quite empowered, we moved on to the walking and it is not a stroll in the park. With heightened awareness we set off, Jo gently correcting my posture and improving my walking technique, listening to the wind, birdsong and appreciating the glorious surroundings. With over four miles of brisk walking each session, it is one of the best workouts I have done. I felt energised and calm at the same time, with a much improved core. I didn’t know what to expect when I booked this course, but it exceeded my expectations. A wonderful workout for both mind and body and so much more; a great combination and cleverly put together by a fantastic teacher. I look forward to learning more on my next course."

“I feel that I have learnt a skill that will be used forever and that’s such a good feeling. Thank you so much – I have absolutely enjoyed our sessions and you are a brilliant teacher and a great person generally. I will practise my new technique until it is totally natural – thank you for passing on your knowledge and skill!”

“The overriding thought of the wonderful Jo is that she lives and literally breathes what she teaches. It’s completely extraordinary and as I write this I have goose bumps; there is a spirituality to her that carries you throughout every session. She radiates strength, belief and support. Honestly it is quite remarkable and a force one very rarely, if ever, comes across. It’s therefore a joy, a complete relief, and a gift from above to hand yourself over to her for a period of time. How often do we do that? It is such a treat I forgot almost to breathe and felt more relaxed, unwound and light than I had for years. Jo will teach you techniques to centre your mind in the moment whilst practising a wonderful walking technique I use every time I am on my feet. An incredible combination, 360 degrees for your body.”

“I booked six mindfulness walking sessions with Jo. She is a wonderfully patient and caring teacher with great ability to explain and give examples. I had done walk fit with her before so had an idea of the optimal walking technique. But the mindfulness side has been an extraordinary awakening. I feel calmer and kinder to myself and to others. I have been awakened to what is actually going on around me in nature, and shown the skills of focusing on these, rather than the torrent of thoughts and feelings that usually charge through my head! It has been quite literally life-changing - improving my physical and mental health.”

“Once you have spent just a few hours walking mindfully under Jo’s amazing tuition, I guarantee that all your future walks will take on an entirely new and more fulfilling dimension. I am the middle-aged, dyed-in-the-wool grumpy sceptic, but Mindfulness Walking with Jo - even for just 6 weeks - has been a wonderful and enlightening experience. There have been wonderful moments when walking alongside Jo that I suddenly felt I was almost walking on air, whilst all my surroundings became enhanced. When everything comes together like this, the connection between your body and your mind really enhances the world around you. This for me is the pleasure I get from Mindfulness Walking - I think it has probably changed for the better not only the way I walk but also the enjoyment I get from simply just walking. No one ‘needs' to learn Jo’s mindfulness walking, but everybody should!”

"I enjoyed my introductory session with Jo immensely. It was structured and easy to understand, and unexpectedly powerful and calming. I have since found myself using her technique whenever I go for a walk, which is amazing for me, I am stubborn!"

“I have recently discovered mindfulness walking with the marvellous Jo. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy some weekly exercise combined with the chance to focus into one’s centre and open up all the senses. I hugely enjoy this weekly group in Westonbirt, it is a real feast for the senses. The technique is unique and trims you up, great rehab for stiff joints and fitness too, what’s not to love!"