The Oxford Mindfulness Podcast

Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 6 - What am I supposed to do with all this noticing?

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking: “I came to mindfulness to feel better… so why am I noticing more?”, then this episode is for you.

In Episode 6 of ‘Getting Real with Mindfulness’, Claire Kelly and Victoria Fontana explore a question that comes up again and again in mindfulness courses: What’s the point of noticing if we’re not being asked to fix anything?

Together, they reflect on why noticing can feel uncomfortable, overwhelming, or even frustrating at first, and why it’s also a crucial foundation for change.

From trust and patience, to kindness, choice, and agency, this conversation gently unpacks what’s really being trained when we “just notice”.

This is a grounded, honest discussion about:

• Why awareness often comes before change
• How noticing isn’t passive even when it feels like “doing nothing”
• What mindfulness is training beneath the surface
• And how compassion, rather than striving, opens new ways of responding

If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email admin@oxfordmindfulness.org

👥 About the Hosts 

Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education. 

Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/ 

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Between the Lines Ep. 2 Kristin Neff on "Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout: Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You’re Wrung Out by Stress"

Join us for "Between the Lines", an online series that brings the mindfulness community together to explore the books, papers, and other resources that have shaped the mindfulness field — alongside the authors and thinkers who created them.

 

In this insightful session, Kristin Neff responds to community questions from our book club–style discussion of her title, "Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout: Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You’re Wrung Out by Stress".

 

Our "Between the Lines" events will take place monthly over 2026. View more of our upcoming mindfulness courses and events ▶️ https://oxfordmindfulness.org/courses-events

 

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness.

Visit our website https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Between the Lines Ep. 1 Norman Farb and Zindel Segal on "Better in Every Sense"

Join us for "Between the Lines", an online series that brings the mindfulness community together to explore the books, papers, and other resources that have shaped the mindfulness field — alongside the authors and thinkers who created them.

 

In this insightful session, Norman Farb and Zindel Segal respond to community questions from our book club–style discussion of their title, "Better in Every Sense".

 

Our "Between the Lines" events will take place monthly over 2026. View more of our upcoming mindfulness courses and events ▶️ https://oxfordmindfulness.org/courses-events

 

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness.

Visit our website https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Between the Lines Ep. 3 Mark Williams on "Deeper Mindfulness"

Join us for "Between the Lines", an online series that brings the mindfulness community together to explore the books, papers, and other resources that have shaped the mindfulness field — alongside the authors and thinkers who created them.

 

In this insightful session, Mark Williams responds to community questions from our book club–style discussion of his title, "Deeper Mindfulness".

 

Our "Between the Lines" events will take place monthly over 2026. View more of our upcoming mindfulness courses and events ▶️ https://oxfordmindfulness.org/courses-events

 

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness.

Visit our website https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 5 - Does Mindfulness Make You A Pushover?

In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness) and mindfulness teacher Victoria Fontana discuss the question: does mindfulness make you a pushover?

 

Together they unpack the difference between acceptance and passivity, challenging the idea that mindfulness leads to weakness or compliance. Through real-life examples and reflections from their own work, they highlight how mindfulness can actually support courage, clarity, and more skilful action, especially in difficult conversations and high-pressure environments.

 

If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email claire.kelly@oxfordmindfulness.org

 

👥 About the Hosts

Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education. Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work.

 

Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/

 

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 4 - Mindfulness is Boring

In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness) and mindfulness teacher Victoria Fontana unpack boredom in mindfulness practice – why it can show up, why it feels so uncomfortable, and how it might actually be a doorway into creativity and awareness. 

 

The function and roots of boredom are explored, including its evolutionary role as a motivator and the neuroscience behind it. Claire and Victoria emphasise not judging feelings of boredom, but using it as a signal to practise mindfulness more skilfully.

 

👥 About the Hosts

Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education.

 

Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/

 

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

 

If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email claire.kelly@oxfordmindfulness.org

 

📑 Episode Resources

Oxford Mindfulness Resources https://oxfordmindfulness.org/events-and-resources

Oxford Mindfulness Podcasts https://oxfordmindfulness.org/podcasts

Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 3 - Mindfulness Doesn't Work

Have you ever felt like mindfulness just isn’t working for you?

In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness) and mindfulness teacher Victoria Fontana dive into what is means for mindfulness to 'work'. They explore why expectations matter, what “working” really means, and how shifting from 'shoulds' to a sense of curiosity and patience can be really helpful for your mindfulness practice - particularly during the holiday season.

🎧 Listen for honest reflections, practical insights, and a few surprising truths about what mindfulness can, and can’t, do.

👥 About the Hosts

Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education.

Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

If you'd like to get in touch to share your thoughts, reflections or ideas for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email claire.kelly@oxfordmindfulness.org

📑 Episode Resources

Oxford Mindfulness Resources https://oxfordmindfulness.org/events-and-resources

Oxford Mindfulness Podcasts https://oxfordmindfulness.org/podcasts

Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 2 - Is Mindfulness Just Fluffy Nonsense?

Is mindfulness just fluffy nonsense?! In this episode of 'Getting Real with Mindfulness', hosts Claire and Victoria take on one of the most common misconceptions about mindfulness - that it’s soft, indulgent, or lacking substance.

Through personal stories, practical examples, and a touch of neuroscience, they explore how mindfulness is far from fluffy. It’s gritty, challenging, and surprisingly practical. From mindful colouring to fierce compassion, they unpack what mindfulness really is and what it isn’t.

Whether you're a curious beginner, a trained teacher, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how mindfulness builds agency, supports emotional resilience, and helps us respond, rather than habitually react, to life.

👥 About the Hosts

Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education.

Victoria Fontana is a certified mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and educator who helps people cultivate calm, clarity, and resilience in their lives and work. Victoria teaches mindfulness and compassion-based programs internationally through IE University, the Mindfulness and Health Institute, and through her own programs at https://www.mindgazing.com/

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉 https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

📑 Episode Resources

• Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT): https://www.mindgazing.com/cbrt
• Gilbert, P. (2019). Explorations into the nature and function of compassion. Current opinion in psychology, 28, 108-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.002
• Desbordes, G., Negi, L. T., Pace, T. W., Wallace, B. A., Raison, C. L., & Schwartz, E. L. (2012). Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 6, 23050. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00292
• Neff, K. D. (2023). Self-compassion: Theory, method, research, and intervention. Annual review of psychology, 74(1), 193 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047
• Luberto, C. M., Shinday, N., Song, R., Philpotts, L. L., Park, E. R., Fricchione, G. L., & Yeh, G. Y. (2018). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors. Mindfulness, 9(3), 708-724. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8
• Charlson, M.E., Loizzo, J., Moadel, A. et al. Contemplative self healing in women breast cancer survivors: a pilot study in underserved minority women shows improvement in quality of life and reduced stress. BMC Complement Altern Med 14, 349 (2014). Https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-349, https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-349
• Britton WB, Shahar B, Szepsenwol O, Jacobs WJ. Behav Ther. (2012) Emotional Reactivity to Social Stress: Results from A Randomized Controlled Trial https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3495556/
• Mindfulness-Based Interventions and How They Work (Gu et al., 2015) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735815000197 

 

Getting Real with Mindfulness Ep. 1 with Claire Kelly and Victoria Fontana

New Podcast 📢 Getting Real with Mindfulness

Ep. 1: "Down and Dirty" with Mindfulness: What We Wish We’d Known

In this first episode of Getting Real with Mindfulness, Claire Kelly (Oxford Mindfulness Director of Teaching and Training) and Victoria Fontana (mindfulness and compassion teacher and executive coach) sit down for a candid conversation about what they wish they’d known when they started practicing.

From the pressure to “get it right” to the surprising emotional breakthroughs, they explore the messy, magical, and deeply human side of mindfulness.

They get, as they say, “down and dirty” with the practice - sharing personal stories, hard-earned insights, and gentle reminders that mindfulness isn’t about perfection, but presence.

Whether you're a personal learner, or a trained teacher, this episode offers something real, relatable, and refreshingly honest.

Claire Kelly is a mindfulness-based mentor and the Director of Teaching and Training at Oxford Mindfulness. With over 25 years in education, she's also passionate about developing and delivering evidence-based programmes to support mental health and wellbeing in education.

Victoria Fontana is a mindfulness and compassion teacher, executive coach, and trainer with over a decade of experience leading transformative programmes. She's a certified instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT), and Introducing Mindfulness (IM).

Find out more about Victoria 👉 https://www.mindgazing.com/

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website 👉  https://oxfordmindfulness.org/

Professor Willem Kuyken and 'A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters' - Chapter 12 'A Life Well Lived''

Join us for Chapter 12 "A Life Well Lived”, of our year-long Guest Speaker Event series: "A Life Well-Lived: Mindfulness for Life in 12 Chapters," in collaboration with Professor Willem Kuyken.

In this final session, Willem explored being “the change you want to see in the world”; within ourselves, our relationships, and our shared world. Through a sample of recordings from characters featured in his book 'Mindfulness for Life', Willem discussed what it means to live well, and mindfulness as a tool to support a life well lived.

Oxford Mindfulness is a not-for-profit organisation helping people achieve greater well-being and improved mental health through research-based mindfulness. Visit our website