Described as ‘a home from home’, the Chaplaincy at 1 Bristo Square houses the University of Edinburgh’s core pastoral and spiritual services for students and staff. It is open to all members of the University, of all faiths and none. Services include the Listening Service (1:1) and Mindfulness programme, plus faith and belief support throughout the year. 

Dr Kitty Wheater, the Mindfulness Chaplain, says: “Our service has been called 'a home from home', whether it's as a quiet and friendly place to study or bring troubles and concerns, or as a host of events and weekly resources offering time to reflect, revitalise, and grow with others.  

Kitty continues: “In such challenging times, we offer a breadth of wisdom from across the world's major faith and belief traditions, as well as a pragmatic warmth and listening ear to students and staff navigating the opportunities and complexities of University life.” 

The MindLetter 

As well as running the University’s Mindfulness programme, Kitty writes The MindLetter, a weekly email essay that started in March 2020. It offers her a space to reflect on current times and to reach a larger audience who may not want or be able to visit the Chaplaincy in person or via an online event.  

Subscribers to The MindLetter can expect a graceful, thoughtful reading experience that regularly incorporates poetry alongside musings on philosophy, art, Edinburgh and its surrounding areas, and, often, the joys of dog ownership. 

Kitty says: “The MindLetter began in March 2020, when Covid struck and the University moved online, and I was unable to teach people in person as I had been doing. I had an idea to keep connecting with people in a way that would bring something reflective, comforting and (hopefully) beautiful into their inboxes on a Friday amidst all the worrying things that were landing. It quickly took off and formed this quiet University-wide community of readers.”

On what inspires Kitty’s writing, she says: “The MindLetter often captures something that's been on my mind for a while, that I want to think through with my readers - some aspect of wellbeing, or living a good life. It might be prompted by a conversation with a student, a colleague or a friend, or something I see on my way to work or walking the dog. It is usually in some way about being present and mindful with the joys and sorrows of our lives, in all their beauty and perplexity. I am also endlessly inspired by Edinburgh as a city, and the people I meet here.    

Kitty continues: “I think the ultimate aim of the MindLetter is to celebrate the beauties - some obvious, some hidden - of life, and offer ways to make it more liveable when it is hard. In this sense, my intention is to walk alongside people and direct their attention as we go, in a way that's both playful and pragmatic. If readers feel in some way comforted or inspired, gain a flash of recognition or a new perspective from the stories I tell, then I am glad.” 

About the Chaplaincy 

The Chaplaincy is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can contact the Chaplaincy by coming into the centre based in Bristo Square, phoning the reception or emailing the departmental email address. Details are available via the link below. 

Visit the Chaplaincy mindfulness webpage for all events and resources open to you. To sign up to the MindLetter, email mindfulness@ed.ac.uk.