Beshara Magazine | Unity in the Contemporary World

Professor Mark Williams is a clinical psychologist and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford, and the co-developer of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Originally designed to help with chronic depression, this has found wide acceptance among the general public interested in understanding the workings of the mind to bring about a greater sense of well-being and relief from the triggers that cause mental distress. Mark has also played a leading role in bringing mindfulness into mainstream clinical practice and public health, including its adoption within the UK's National Health Service. One of his more recent books that he co-authored is Deeper Mindfulness: The New Way to Rediscover Calm in a Chaotic World.

Alastair McIntosh is a Scottish writer, theologian, and environmental activist whose work bridges spirituality, ecology, and social change. He is also a Quaker who is deeply committed to nonviolence at every level of life. Raised on the Isle of Lewis, he draws on the deep stories of his Hebridian upbringing to explore belonging, community, and the sacredness of place. Alistair has been a key figure in Scottish land reform, contributing to movements like the Isle of Eigg community buyout and the campaign against the Harris Superquarry. He is the author of Soil and Soul and Poacher's Pilgrimage, books that blend activism with myth, imagination, and the inner life. Poacher's Pilgrimage was the subject of a Magazine article back in 2017. His latest book is Riders on the Storm, where he addresses climate science and the debates around it, and the human response required to meet the challenge.

Lisa Petersen is a yoga and somatics educator whose work blends embodied anatomy, therapeutic practice, and spiritual inquiry. Drawing on Hanna Somatics, Body-Mind Centering, and over twenty years of collaboration with Donna Farhi, she teaches an inside-out approach to yoga that restores natural movement and deepens awareness. Lisa's method emphasizes nervous system repatterning, embodied presence, and trust in the body's innate wisdom. Through her organization Living Yoga, she leads trainings and retreats worldwide, guiding students toward integration, healing and wholeness through mindful, somatic exploration and the lived experience of breath, movement, and consciousness. Lisa offers various forms of training, both in person and online, and you can discover more about her and her teachings on her website, living-yoga.ie. You can also find Lisa on Instagram at livingyogalisapetersen.

LD Deutsch is a writer based in Los Angeles and holds an MA in Religious Studies. Her work focuses on time, consciousness, technology, mythology and the fall of the materialist paradigm. Laura's first book, "Time, Myth & Matter: Essays on the Natures and Narratives of Reality," was published by Sacred Bones Books in May 2025, and is available in bookstores in the US, UK and Europe.

Colin Tudge is known for his influential work on food, agriculture, and ecology. A former journalist for the BBC, New Scientist, The Listener, and The Independent, he has authored numerous books, including The Variety of Life, Feeding People is Easy, and The Great Rethink. He is a passionate advocate for “enlightened agriculture” — farming that is sustainable, equitable, and rooted in ecological principles. He co-founded the Campaign for Real Farming and the Oxford Real Farming Conference along with Ruth West, which promote alternative, regenerative food systems. In 'The Great Re-Think', Colin Tudge argues for a global renaissance driven by ordinary people to address societal and ecological collapse. This involves rethinking everything based on morality, ecology, metaphysics, and the arts to build convivial societies within a flourishing biosphere. Prince William says, in support of these efforts, "If we as a society are to meet the challenges ahead, it will be about learning from the land and those who tend it with wisdom and humility". And, "[R]egenerative farming is not a fringe alternative. It must be a foundation stone for British agriculture to help us rebuild the health of our nation."

Mark Vernon is a British author, psychotherapist, and speaker whose work explores the intersections of spirituality, philosophy, and the inner life. With a background in theology, physics, and philosophy, he brings a rich, interdisciplinary approach to questions of meaning, consciousness, and human flourishing. He is also known for his writings on friendship, depth psychology, and the revival of ancient wisdom in contemporary life. A central focus of his recent work is the visionary poet and artist William Blake, whose insights into imagination, the soul, and spiritual awakening Vernon illuminates for a modern audience. His book, called "Awake: William Blake and the power of the imagination," will be in bookstores in the UK in June, and in the US in September, 2025.