Mindfulness Courses
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CROYDE VILLAGE HALL (Thursdays 7pm - 9pm, 18th October - 13th December 2018, ) £150*
This 8-week course is based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course originally taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The course starts from basic beginnings, so no previous knowledge is neccesary, although participants who have had some experience of mindfulness or meditation can also find it an extremely rewarding experience to start from scratch. The groups are carefully constructed to ensure the best learning experience possible, and to make sure you are suited to the course we will ask you a bit about yourself before the course begins. The first week is an orientation session to let you meet the other participants and give you a taste of what to expect so you can find out whether or not the course is for you. During the course you are invited to try the main practices used in mindfulness, and to reflect on and discuss your experiences which is an important part of the course. The course is run on an invitational basis meaning that you will never be put on the spot to contribute to discussion, or made to take part in any practices which you feel uncomfortable about. That said, mindfulness practices are only effective when people actually practice them, and it is recommended that you commit to spending forty minutes or so per day doing the practices which you are introduced to in the sessions.
*Fees for this course will reduce dependent on how many people sign up... the more people on the course, the less you will pay (£180 max). Course fee covers the 8 weeks of the course, all course materials (CDs and informations sheets). Further concessions available on request. Please contact us for more information.
Mindfulness Outdoors
The Mindfulness Outdoors course is, in essence, the same as the 8-week course above, but is intended to be taught through encounters with the natural world rather than in the cosy confines of a teaching room. While walking around the beautiful coast and countryside of the south west of England, we use everything the world can offer our senses in order to connect more fully with our experience and to find new ways to relate to it. While no extremely tough expeditions are attempted, it is expected that you are able to walk a few miles over rough and undulating terrain, and that you are able to provide your own weather specific outdoor attire.
Our principal teacher and course leader Richard Crossman is trained to teach the Mindfulness in Schools Project's .b (dot-bee) course aimed at bringing mindfulness to learners aged 11-18, and the .b Foundations course aimed at giving teachers and school staff an introduction to the skills. A qualified secondary school teacher, Richard has taught this course in a south west FE college to help students overcome the stress of exams and the everyday trials and tribulations of teenage life. The course is built on the model of MBSR/MBCT, and is keenly supported by leading academics and some of the most important players in the world of mindfulness including Jon Kabat-Zinn and Professor Mark Williams. The .b Foundation course is based on the standard 8 week courses like MBSR and MBCT, but has been adapted to fit into the lives of busy teachers. This well structured course is an excellend introduction to mindfulness practice for anyone working in education, and is a good preparation for going on to train as a .b teacher. Richard has recently finished some research on the effects of this course on a group of PGCE students.
If you don't want to study mindfulness in a group of strangers, you can arrange to learn in the comfort of your own home, either as an individual or with a small group of friends or family. Courses can be tailored to you, but it is recommended that learning be based around the same tried and tested 8-week course model as set out above. In the comfort of your own home, a mindfulness course can take on the feel of a friendly book club, and can enable a group of friends to share in a highly rewarding experience.
Our aim is that eventually we will be able to facilitate groups of mindfulness practitioners who can support each other, with or without the help of a teacher, by meeting to practice and share their experience together. We can help to set up such groups as and when demand dictates.
Please contact us if you would like to attend a course or to find out more information about mindfulness, all our courses will be pre-book only unless stated otherwise. Discovering Mindfulness does not currently teach mindfulness as a clinical intervention, and our staff are not trained to give mental health advice or counselling. Please contact your GP or health worker if you require information of that nature. Our aim is to help, so if you have any questions regarding any of our mindfulness courses, please don't hesitate to contact us.