I just returned from teaching the first MBCL Teacher Training in Poland. Małgosia Jakubczak, director of the Polish Mindfulness Institute, told me how, at a retreat in Auschwitz, she was inspired to bring secular mindfulness training to Poland. Since then the number of Polish mindfulness teachers has been steadily growing, reaching now around 100. Still a tiny number in a country with almost 40 million people and a history of unfathomable suffering. I felt touched and humbled to meet some of these courageous and dedicated pioneers, sharing the compassion practices and learning from each other.

Health is increasingly defined as resilience. The Polish know about resilience. The destroyed old town of Warsaw was entirely rebuilt – stone by stone. May it inspire to heal our suffering – step by step and breath by breath.