B AT H L I V E S
Q&A
elegraph columnist Linda Blair is a chartered clinical psychologist and a mindfulness psychotherapist based in Bath. She’s also an author, her most recent book being The Key to Calm – Your Path to Mindfulness and Beyond. Starting this month, and continuing throughout 2017, Linda will be running a series of lifestyle, holistic and wellness workshops at Combe Grove on Brassknocker Hill, Bath, which will range from courses on meditation and sleep cycles, to classes revolving around balanced eating, intelligence and fulfilment.
How do you juggle being a psychologist, author and psychotherapist? My working life is wonderfully varied. I still maintain a very limited clinical practice, but this has now been overtaken by writing and public speaking. I have a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph, I’m working on my next book and I’m doing my PhD in creative writing at Bath Spa University. I broadcast regularly on the radio and appear on TV from time to time. In my role as a public speaker, I give talks in schools and corporations about parenting issues, mindfulness and stress management. I am also hugely excited about an ongoing series of mindfulness workshops in Bath which I’ll be running from this month on. What’s your professional background? Initially I trained as a clinical psychologist and that has opened undreamed of opportunities over the course of my career. A series of lucky breaks led to the broadcasting, and that in turn allowed me to write books and articles. I love being able to share what I’ve learned in every way I can, to give people the motivation to make changes and to believe that their situation can get better. What are the best and most challenging parts of your job? The best is when someone I’ve spoken to lights up because they can see a better way ahead. And the worst is having to say ‘no’ to new and interesting requests when my schedule is full. There’s so much more I want to do. Why do you think practising mindfulness – which you’ll be teaching at Combe Grove – is so beneficial to health? We don’t mean to overlook our own wellbeing, but it’s all too easy because life is so busy. Focusing on one thing at a time, and enjoying the here and now, is the best way to live.
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LINDA BLAIR The mindfulness expert talks Harvard, her biggest fears and creative writing at Bath Spa University What are your best tips to finding the keys to calm? The most important thing is to expect it to be a part of your life, rather than a bit of time set aside to focus on separately. Where do you call home and what are the pleasures of living in Bath? I moved to England in 1973. I couldn’t believe I’d had the courage to leave America and start a whole new life somewhere that had seemed so far away. I’ve lived in Bath since 2000, when my partner and I married here. I live on the North side with my husband, who is an architect, my daughter, and two dogs. The fact that so many people choose to live in and visit the city makes the atmosphere really positive and vibrant. My husband has also taught me so much about architecture, so now I feel that I can appreciate the beauty of the buildings here. What are your favourite shopping hotspots? For shops, it’s a tie between Sweaty Betty for casual everyday wear, and Jigsaw for professional speaking engagements. The staff in both shops are wonderfully helpful. What about your favourite view? Up by the racecourse, there’s a view right across Bath and beyond, which is amazing. The other one I’m lucky enough to have is out of my back window. On a clear day you can see all the way out to Avebury, which is around 20 miles away.
In your opinion, what is Bath’s best bit? I love walks along the canal and up on the north side, especially when I’m out with the dogs. You see the city, but you’re in the countryside. What would you change about Bath if you owned it for a day? I’d need more than a day to plan this, but I would free up the traffic system. What’s your most treasured possession? I have tried to think of a possession, but honestly what I love most are my relationships with friends and family – they matter more to me than any of my possessions. Proudest moment? When I was offered a full scholarship to do my PhD at Harvard – it was sent to me by telegram, no less. It was beyond my wildest dreams. Surprise us… Everybody who knows me knows that I love to swim, but what they don’t know is that I was terrified of water until I was eight. Also, on a good day, I can recite poetry for over an hour without a pause. This comes in handy when I give talks – great poets say things much better than I can.
For more information on Linda’s courses, visit www.combegrove.com