Sue Oatley (was Knight)

The other week Dave Mather and I facilitated a We See You workshop for colleagues from the University. Dave's work focuses on recognition, identity and belonging, drawing on his expertise in Armed Forces education and his longstanding commitment to supporting service-connected communities within higher education. He works incredibly hard to raise awareness and give a voice to the importance of recognising Armed Forces, veteran and Blue Light communities, helping others better understand their...

Think of the nervous system a little like a constantly active communication and scanning system. The brain and body are continuously sending signals back and forth, scanning the environment, both internal and external, for cues about safety, danger, uncertainty and change. In high-pressure environments, this system can become tuned to scan for threat frequencies. Over time, training, repetition, culture and lived experience, including deployments, can calibrate the system towards these...

Over the last few years, through both my own personal practice and my work around nervous system literacy, military culture, and transition, I’ve found myself returning more and more to Buddhist wisdom. Not necessarily as religion. Not as dogma. And certainly not as a set of easy answers. But as a deeply practical exploration of human experience. Much of modern mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist contemplative traditions, though what interests me most is not belief, but observation. The...