Máire O'Higgins

Máire’s commitment and passion for co-creation, agency, creativity, and spiritual development, has given her joy and strength in her professional life. Máire’s intention as an educator is to help people to develop a practice that enables them to embody what they are learning and to flourish and become more fully present to themselves and to others. 

Máire is an educator and mindfulness teacher with 35 years’ experience working with young people in areas of socio-economic disadvantage, and with educators, artists, community leaders and businesses.

Máire trained with Linda Lehrhaupt at the Institute for Mindfulness Based Approaches (IMA) in the teaching of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

Máire is a qualified .b mindfulness in schools teacher and trained with with Richard Burnett and the MiSP UK.

Máire holds a Masters in Applied Spirituality from South East Technological University and a Masters in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care from Dublin City University.

Máire has trained with restorative justice practices in education and uses restorative, mindfulness, and creative engagement practices to co-create healing spaces to strengthen agency and nurture positive social cohesion. 

As a theatre practitioner Máire worked as a Director with Passion Machine Theatre Company. She was a founding member of Pigsback Theatre Company and has worked as an actor and director in theatre.                                                                            

Máire is currently an Assistant Principal and Chaplain in Larkin Community College in Dublin’s North Inner City. She developed the first partnership arts in education Junior Cycle programme in secondary schools in Ireland in 2002. Throughout her thirty four years in education, Máire has enjoyed nurturing partnerships and residencies for artists, arts organisations and businesses in schools. 

In her community development work, Máire has led intergenerational and intercultural initiatives for civic community engagement, with the National Museum of Ireland, the National College of Art and Design, the Abbey Theatre, Fishamble The New Play Company, and Localise Youth Volunteering. She served as a Board member of Localise for ten years and on the Steering Committee for the National Citizenship Education Network. She was asked to represent Irish citizenship educators at the Council of Europe in 2012.  

Máire is currently a Director with the Board of the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre.

In 1989 I trained to become a teacher of Religion in schools and taught Religion for a decade in inner city schools in Dublin. In 2002 I trained to become a Chaplain and worked for many years in a multi denominational inner city school. In 2011 I met the Buddhist mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village. His way of being and his teachings helped me to deepen my awareness of embodied stillness. My mindfulness practice has become more embodied, heart-centred and self compassionate in recent years. The rigour of my daily practice supports and nurtures my capacity to live mindfully and authentically. It has helped me to strengthen my work as a meditation teacher.

I have taught mindfulness courses in schools, universities, arts centres,  the Sanctuary in Dublin, education centres, community centres, and businesses. I have led retreats with young people, parents, artists, and business and community leaders.

I have taught the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme, the .b MiSP programme, and Mindfulness and Compassion programmes. I also lead Retreats and Days of Mindfulness for the corporate and community and education sector.

In 2014 I initiated a Silent Lunch initiative four days a week in Larkin Community College in the North Inner City of Dublin. The Silent Lunch continues to be a beautiful and restorative pause in my working day.

MBSR Course with educators and climate justice activists (Sandymount Dublin)

MBSR Course with community leaders in Elder Care, the Church, Youth Clubs and Early Learning Centres (NEIC Dublin)

MBSR Course with artists, social justice leaders and educationalists.

Pop-up meditations with young people (Larkin Community College)

Silent Lunch (Larkin Community College)

Mindfulness and Wellbeing Programmes with former Bord na Móna employees engaged in Just Transition training with the City of Dublin ETB

Weekly meditation practices with educators (City of Dublin ETB)

Weekly meditation practices with frontline workers of YPAR (Young People At Risk) in North Inner City Dublin

Harvesting the Wellbeing of Educators Courses with Educators (online)

Accessing mindfulness in Educational Entrepreneurship Courses (The Innovation Academy University College Dublin)

Meditation and Strength and Conditioning Programme (Shelbourne Football Development Programme Larkin Community College)

Days of Mindfulness for Teacher Associations, Yoga practitioners, young people, Ukrainian mothers and grandmothers (Sandymount, North Inner City Dublin) 

Meditation workshops for the Blackrock Education Centre (Dublin), the Teaching Council (Limerick), the Carmichael Centre (Dublin), Trinity College Nursing Conference (Dublin)