I have taught meditation to students and adults alike for many years and in this time I’ve encountered quite a few questions! Some have been straightforward, at least on the surface, whilst some others seemed to be more intriguing. This book is an attempt to answer the most frequently asked ones as well as some that provoked deep reflection in myself and my groups! This book probably does not answer all the questions ever asked about meditation. But if you have any others please send them to me and I’ll answer it to the best of my ability.

Why does anything happen? That pretty big question is what this collection of short writings is focused on. The argument here is that beneath any event is a deeper meaning. Maybe. This meaning is always an aid to knowing what life is all about. It's a boost to helping us understand ourselves better. This way of seeing the world is odd at first, it can be addictive but it's always fun!

Exam stress is real. It hurts. And it’s growing as a problem year by year. This book aims to tackle this by showing a large number of ways in which both the student and the parents can help make this critical time far less stressful for all the family. It outlines what stress is, how it works in the body and then offers many practical and easy techniques to reduce it. These focus on planning, diet, exercise, relaxation, sleep and visualisation. In all these parents can (and are shown how to) play a massive part to help their child.

This little book takes the view that the processes in gardening and spiritual growth are very similar. We start with where we are, or what we have now. We then decide to change and devise an overall plan based upon those factors that motivate us the most. We will meet and overcome, or not, obstacles, both expected and unexpected. We look at a range of options to carry out our plan and decide upon one. We then commit to it and follow it with discipline, hard work, humility, good humour and flexibility. And we know the work will never end. It certainly doesn’t in my garden! Is gardening a metaphor for a good life?

Everything that comes into our life has the potential to teach us something. Something about ourselves. These books show how this might work by describing each of the scenes from life in a sentence or two. It then offers a view on what this might be trying to teach us, again in a sentence. By opening to the many opportunities we are presented by life each week we learn the value of events, situations and people in our lives. This enriches our experiences, boosts our emotional resilience as well as allowing our enjoyment and sense of wonder of life to grow.