Ostinato: Education and Wellness Consultancy 2.47

Founded by Dr Barbara Strahan in 2014, OSTINATO is a Dublin-based education practice focused on bringing mindfulness into all aspects of education. By combining almost 20 years of experience in education with mindful meditation, Barbara offers a specialized service to students aiming to find the balance between academic success and personal well-being. Barbara has gained experience in a variety of educational contexts: Music Teacher (19 years); Tutor and Lecturer – Maynooth University and Trinity College Dublin. Barbara has been incorporating mindfulness and meditation into her music and third-level teaching for several years and has therefore directly experienced the multiple benefits of this practice.

Barbara holds the following qualifications: PhD (musicology); B.Mus (1st Class Hons); performance diploma in piano (A.L.C.M.); and also completed a mindfulness course with Fidelma Farley in Oscailt, Integrative Healing Centre in 2013. Barbara was the recipient of the esteemed Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council and a John and Pat Hume Scholarship (Maynooth University) to help pursue and complete her PhD. Additionally, her music students have been recipients of the High Achiever Awards from the Royal Irish Academy of Music with a 100% exam success rate.

The Ostinato Philosophy:
The term Ostinato has its etymological roots in music, where it is defined as a frequently repeated musical phrase or rhythm. Such a definition closely alludes to the core philosophy of Dr Barbara Strahan’s Education and Mindfulness Consultancy, where the programmes all incorporate and encourage the regular practice of mindulness and mindful meditation. This regular practice is hugely beneficial in multiple contexts: preparing for your Leaving Cert, college exams, studying, music exams and performances or just for everyday life, relaxation and stress-relief.

What is mindful meditation?
Mindful meditation requires the individual to place their attention on ‘what is … right now’ in a non-judgemental way. The primary focus is on the breath and on the present state of your body and mind. Following the philosophy of Jon Kabat-Zinn, the recurring practice of simply sitting with the breath can achieve multiple benefits: improved concentration and memory, relaxation, restfulness, and calm to name but a few. In order to maintain such benefits, mindfulness requires cultivation and mindful meditation is a perfect way to do this.