About us

Pause & Breathe CIC is a not-for-profit organisation run by husband and wife Susie Hooper and Phil Blackburn. Pause & Breathe is all about creating safe and welcoming spaces to form connections and improve physical, mental and emotional health.

Our vision is that participants at our sessions will develop the skills to deal with life’s challenges.

We support and encourage participants to build skills and resilience to manage life’s ups and downs, to find inner balance.

We are passionate about making wellbeing more accessible financially, as we believe everyone is entitled to access services to enable good mental, physical and emotional health. Based in Bonnybridge, with a second centre in Bo’ness - both within the Falkirk area (Central Scotland), it is our mission to promote the health and wellness of our local community through providing wellbeing sessions that are accessible to all. We encourage habits that contribute to improved physical, emotional and mental health by increasing awareness of factors and resources that contribute to wellbeing. 

Our Values:

  • Inclusivity: everyone should be able to benefit from wellbeing services. We’re passionate about not leaving anyone out. Our approach is invitational, inviting connection. Respect is an important part of this too - we celebrate each individual’s uniqueness, whilst championing inter-being, knowing that we are all connected. We understand that fairness does not mean treating everyone the same.

  • Growth: helping people to become unstuck, working with and celebrating transitions. Support participants to move forward - and whatever pace is right for them. This value also links to our understanding of our connection to nature, and the natural cycles we all journey through. This relates to teachings on impermanence - nothing stays the same, change is a given.

  • Self-compassion: enabling participants to increase their levels of self-acceptance - seeing themselves as they truly are, not through the eyes of their self-critic. Celebrating strengths and understanding flaws. Offering a nourishing, nurturing environment in which people can relax and be themselves. This links to the loving-kindness practice (metta) - helping to increase compassion to self and others.

Ways we can work with you:

Accessibility is our main mission, so we have a number of ways that you can access our services:

  • Attend regular sessions: online or in one of our centres (Bonnybridge and Bo’ness)

  • Retreat with us: Experience nurturing retreats, dedicated to your well-being. Step away from daily pressures to relax, recharge, and reconnect with yourself.

  • Corporate Events: Invite us along to work directly with your organisation - online or in-person.

  • Hire our space: bring your wellbeing services to our local community.

For more information, contact Susie at susie@pauseandbreathe.co.uk.

  • Susie Hooper

    In 2010, Susie was introduced to mindfulness within her role as a Criminal Justice Social Worker, delivering group-work to men who have committed sexual offences. Initially, the aim of this was to introduce mindfulness to clients, however, Susie found practising mindfulness to be extremely beneficial, and started on her own mindfulness journey. After practising mindfulness for some months, Susie realised how disconnected she was from her emotions.

    After several years of practice, Susie undertook the One Year Teacher Training course with Youth Mindfulness. She has been facilitating mindfulness sessions within her local community since January 2017. At the start of 2021, Susie left her role as a Social Worker to commit to teaching mindfulness full-time. She’s loving this next stage of her life, devoting her time to Pause & Breathe CIC.

  • Phil Blackburn

    Phil Blackburn

    Phil is a well-recognised Martial Arts teacher, specialising in Japanese Ju-Jitsu. Phil is a mindfulness teacher, having trained through Skillful Minds. He has also undertaken Youth Mindfulness training in their kid’s programme, and is qualified to teach this to 7-11 year olds.

    Training for a little over 40 years in Martial Arts, Phil has coached throughout Europe whilst studying in the main Shaolin Zen meditation, this being single point meditation. Phil started his path of meditation after being introduced to it by his martial arts instructor JF Yamaue, who is also a Shaolin priest, over 25 years ago.

    Phil is also our treatment provider, he’s a Reiki Master and also offers Acupressure and TFT/EFT – otherwise known as Tapping. You can find out more about these practices on our “services” page.

Coming Soon: Information About Our Board