The first chapter of my life was spent living in London. School was a challenge and there was a disconnect resulting in me leaving at the earliest opportunity and starting a job as an office junior with a publishing company.
Although I enjoyed the freedom of a workplace, I didn’t feel passionate about the industry I was in and after a couple of years returned to education where I completed a leisure-based course at Westminster College.
Sport was the only area I had ever really thrived in and my thinking was that by studying something I enjoyed it would lead to good things – I went on to enjoy a 25-year career in the leisure industry, most recently as Chief Executive for a charitable trust in Cornwall, where I currently live.
From a young age, I had been aware of a tendency to ‘live’ in my head and as the years rolled by and my responsibilities grew, I became ever more conscious that I wasn’t connected to my body, heart and soul in the way that I’d have liked to be and began to feel lost.
Finding mindfulness in 2018 was a revelation and my on-going practice has been nothing short of transformative. There is a strong community of teachers/practitioners in Cornwall and I also find inspiration from the global mindfulness movement.
I feel privileged to now be a trustee of the Mindfulness Network (MN) and hope my current journey supporting third sector and ethical businesses, along with my previous roles, will serve me well working alongside the MN community to achieve its charitable aims.
Outside work and practice, I love being outside in nature, especially the sea and continue to enjoy my passion for sport – regularly surfing, wild swimming, skateboarding, cycling and generally keeping myself active, wherever possible in a mindful way.
For further information:
I can be contacted via: alexander_clifton@hotmail.com