Testimonials

“Calm, positive and encouraging…Dr Jane Hartley is a treasure, she will help.”

— Professor Frank Gunn-Moore, Head of School of Biology, University of St Andrews

“Dr Hartley brings a rare combination of attentiveness, intelligence and extensive in-depth knowledge to her teaching. These qualities are combined with a lightness of touch and the ability to laugh that is extremely uplifting, enabling and helpful. Her presence is a great stress-buster in itself, but she is also very good at finding simple, easy, quick ways to help relieve stress, pressure and aches and pains from muscle tension which have plagued most of us who have to work long hours at a desk and at a screen.

What Jane offers exists in the interface between mind and body. In my experience this is a much needed but neglected area of expertise and as a professional psychologist I am aware that professionals mostly work in just one area, rather than in that all-important interface. I think this interface is the future. Jane also has a strong background in academic research and this makes her such a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to better manage the stress of everyday life no matter your age or ability.”

— Lorna Champion Ph.D, Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist

“This course has helped me to better understand the way my body responds to stress and to create new ways to identify and cope with the stressors in my life so that they no longer inhibit my overall feelings of well-being…Jane explains the stress response science simply and in digestible chunks. I now understand how our nervous system works and how our body is programmed to react. I love how she offers proven practices and techniques to alleviate symptoms of stress and her guided relaxation helps me drop into such a peaceful state. Thanks to Jane, I have learnt to pay more attention to my mind-body health and feel more in control of my work demands and less uneasy amid these turbulent times. With increased awareness it has been easier to feel calm more consistently. I feel so much better in myself and feel more connected towards others and the world.”

— Sarala Sharma, EFL Teacher

“I really enjoyed Jane’s course and found her description of the stress response useful and clearly explained. As a busy GP I enjoyed using the short de-stressing practices and felt the benefit to the quality of my sleep when I did the evening relaxation. In turn this has helped me to manage my stress levels at work.”

— Dr. Susie Baxter, GP

“I thought the course was fantastic. The pacing in particular was helpful - being able to move through it in my own time and being able to revisit key parts was important regarding how I framed my wellbeing. I was very much a sceptic when I initially started the course and I suffered from trying to 'complete' the course in a self-imposed timeframe. However, key points stuck with me and I found myself revisiting these and building them into my days, especially on days that were difficult or stressful. This really helped me to refocus and redirect my energies. I would definitely recommend this course to my colleagues.”

— Dr Iain Donald, Senior Lecturer, School of Design and Informatics, Abertay University

“I really enjoyed this course. I found it to be very informative and will take the skills learned into my daily life to help with my stress levels.  The presentation of the course itself I found peaceful, comfortable and calming. The section on the Polyvagal Theory was very interesting and I am already incorporating the ‘work-life balance’ practices into my weekly routine which is making a great difference to the enjoyment of my day-to-day life. Thank you!”  

— Jane Williamson, Head of Administration, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews

“I’d recommend this course to my colleagues. I liked the way it could be accessed at a time convenient for me. I found the course to be very insightful and it presented me with new ideas and reminded me of others I had long forgotten - such as the benefits of relaxation, therefore, getting me to assess and refresh my work/life practices.”

— Dr Andrew Blight, Research and Teaching Associate and Wellbeing Officer of School of Biology, University of St. Andrews

“This course has had a really positive impact on me. The information about the stress response science has helped me to understand my own experience of stress as well as the behaviour of my family. The practices are accessible and easy to follow. My sleep and mood have improved, I have more energy and feel more focused and productive. I definitely recommend this course to any families who are interested in improving their wellbeing.”

— Vaala Gandchi, Lecturer at Perth College

“When the kids are arguing all the time I do the breathing to calm myself down – they (her grandchildren) don’t listen if I shout, so I just count to ten and breathe.”

— Margaret, Grandmother and Kinship Carer

“Jane’s course has helped me with general de-stressing and was full of great advice. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to improve their wellbeing.”

— Professor Sascha Hooker, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews

“In the past I would think 'if I can just get on top of this next thing then I will have time to take better care of myself/prioritise time for wellbeing', but of course 'that next thing' is always changing and is never done. Now I know that if I make the time for self-care then I’m actually more productive and better able to manage the things I haven’t done. I have a more positive perspective and and my clients feel the benefit of that too!”

— Susan McIntosh, Social Worker

“The worst thing about work is being rushed all the time and going very quickly from one topic to the next. Our days are broken up by multiple meetings, and then we have to try to be productive in between in the short gaps we have. Often it’s hard to switch off at the end of a day, your head is just buzzing with things needing done and what you have to remember.

Working with Jane has provided us with tools to help with this, including transitioning from one state to the next, and how to switch off and relax completely…we have felt the benefit both for our physical and mental well-being.”

— Dr Gurå Bergkvist, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh & Steven Tait, Senior Business Manager at Life Science Integrates

“I’m usually really quite highly strung. I’m a bit of a control freak as well, to be honest. I like things to be done the way I want them to be done, and of course teenagers don’t work like that, but I’ve noticed now [after the wellbeing course] that I’ve been calm and saying, ‘Look, I know it’s not fair, but this is what we have to do, blah, blah’. Before he’d come into the kitchen and his music’s blaring and the first thing I would have said is ‘Turn that down, can’t hear the telly!!’, like that’s the most important thing in the world. But he was singing and I started singing too, doing all the harmonies and laughing, so it was really nice.”

— Brenda, Grandmother and Kinship carer

“Yoga with Jane is a part of the week that I always look forward to. She has enabled me to develop my understanding of yoga at my own pace.  She explains some quite difficult concepts very patiently and always with a smile! The techniques that Jane has shown me have helped me to recover following pregnancy and a C-section to be back doing lots of sports and activities. I know that Jane is able to think about me as an individual and devise the most appropriate practice for me – what a luxury! At the end of the session I always feel relaxed and ready for whatever is coming next (often sleep).”

— Dr Fiona Reid, Director at Bayfirth Research  

“While you’re concentrating on that [the yoga], your mind sort of goes blank, if you like, so you’re not thinking about, oh god, steak pie for tea, right, I’ll do this or that, you’re just concentrating on your balancing, and then last week I realised, actually, I feel quite relaxed!”

— Sharon, Grandmother and Kinship Carer

“I've been doing yoga with Jane for some time now, and she's really great to work with. Jane knows a great deal about her subject and her clients' abilities, and is always able to adapt and modify a planned session to accommodate any issues such as a carpal tunnel flare-up, or recovering from illness, and she knows when - and how - to push us just that bit more at times too! I look forward to every session, knowing I will feel wonderful afterwards.”

— Michelle Moore, Author

“I need to remember that I am the actual adult, and I know if I kick off it’s like the ripple effect. I kick off, he [grandson] kicks off, the baby kicks off...and it’s not been like that this week [after doing the course]. I think my neighbours must think I’m away on holiday.”

— Melanie, Grandmother and Kinship Carer