Mindfulness and self-care workshop: Cyclone Ditwah Fundraiser

Learn how to bring curious and compassionate attention to your body, heart and mind as you witness sensations, thoughts and emotions arising and passing in the space of consciousness. Instead of allowing ‘radio me’ to dominate, learn to let go into a state of focused relaxation. No previous experince of meditation needed as full instructions are given.

What You’ll Learn:
​​- Breathwork for stress reduction
- Gratitude practices to enhance your enjoyment of life
- Mindfulness tools for focus and clarity
- Meditations that boost emotional intelligence
- Self-care practices to cultivate kindness in areas where you struggle
- Compassion techniques for processing difficult emotions
- Resilience-building to overcome challenges and adapt to change

About the facilitator:

Nick (he/him) learned to meditate at 20. At 27, after living in a Buddhist commune in Cambridge, he entered a Buddhist monastery, where he lived until the age of 35. Those years were foundational: deepening his love of community and shared endeavour, and grounding him in the principles of meditaiton practice. They also taught him the power of individual commitment held within a collective framework.

Since leaving the monastery, Nick has continued to explore spiritual life through a more embodied path — tantra, massage, and dance — discovering how the wisdom of meditation comes alive through the body. William Blake wrote that “energy is eternal delight”, and Nick’s work is an ongoing exploration of how to reconnect with the wellspring of life force within us, allowing it to flow more freely and carry us closer to joy, intimacy, and bliss.

Since 2009, Nick has run a weekly meditation group for gay/bi/trans men, welcoming around 25–40 men each week.

- He teaches the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course twice a year, supporting people through meaningful inner change.

- Each month, he leads a massage workshop for men, gently guiding participants into the core principles of tantra, consent, erotic touch, and caring connection.

- Every weekday morning at 8.15am (UK time), he leads an online meditation via Insight Timer and YouTube Live.

- Nick also offers workshops for workplace wellbeing so do get in touch if you workplace needs a little less stress!

- Other modalities Nick teaches include TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises), lucid dreaming, forest bathing, and Tummo (the Tibetan Tantra “inner fire” practice).

Why are we fundraising?

We are hosting a series of online wellbeing workshops in January and February 2026, offering accessible practices to support rest, healing, and connection. The programme includes sessions such as yoga, dramatherapy, and mindfulness, led by experienced facilitators. All workshops are designed to nurture collective care while raising funds for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Cyclone Ditwah brought intense rain, flooding and landslides to the Hill Country and North-East Tamil regions, with some areas seeing over 350 mm of rainfall in 24 hours and more than one million people affected by loss of homes and livelihoods.

Structural marginalisation—including lack of land ownership and historical injustice—means many Tamil families face severe barriers to accessing relief and reconstruction support, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities.

War displacement forced many Muslim families into temporary, unrecognized settlements. These precarious shelters face extreme vulnerability to flooding and landslides.

Malayaham communities endure compounding vulnerabilities: generational discrimination, exploitation by plantation companies, and substandard housing increase their exposure to landslides and floods.

Gender-diverse and trans individuals navigate daily discrimination, including under Penal Code sections 365, 365A, and 399. Standard relief camps often feel unsafe, and government aid may be withheld entirely.

This online fundraiser supports community-led relief and recovery efforts that prioritise dignity, care and long-term support for marginalised individuals and families.

Sambol Foundation works at the grassroots to support women, children, and marginalised communities through education, healthcare access, and community development initiatives.

Arokiyam pour toustes Collective (France–USA) and the Jaffna Trans Network – JTN have come together to support our people during this critical time. The JTN continues to fight against all forms of sexual, gender, and identity- based discrimination, while also working toward ethnic harmony and justice for Tamil and Muslim communities in the post-war North.

Blue Magpie Foundation supports community-driven projects focused on health, education, and sustainable livelihoods, prioritising empowerment and locally led solutions.

If you have any questions about this fundraiser please reach out the the organisers Amisha Abeyawardene, They/She (hello@amishathebirthworker.com) and Vizyandan Vijayakumar He/They (viz_v@hotmail.com).