Enriching Mindfulness
Introduction
A 6-week course focused on cultivating kindness, awakening joy and developing compassion. The course material is based on material from Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) and is an ideal follow-on course to do after completing an 8-week course such as MBSR.
Background
In MBSR the emphasis of the material is on training ourselves to focus on being in the present moment with the attitudinal foundations of patience, trust, openness, curiosity and interest; we did not explicitly work with cultivating kindness. Based on material from MBCL and other books this 6-week course focuses on practices that explicitly cultivate the qualities of kindness, joy and compassion.
Kindness, joy and compassion are all innate qualities that can be cultivated. When we cultivate kindness and joy we build our capacity to cultivate compassion, we strengthen our ability to turn towards not only our suffering but to the suffering of others. Compassion is when kindness meets suffering, if we have not already developed kindness we will find offering compassion more challenging.
Recent studies have supported the idea that compassion and self-compassion play a key role in supporting physical and mental health.
Course structure
This is a 6-week program and each session lasts for 2-2.5 hours. The sessions include meditation practices, cognitive exercises, group discussions and reflections on home practice. The class size will be no more than 10 participants.
Participants are invited to carry out a daily mindfulness practice between sessions using guided meditations. A handbook is provided and there may be some cognitive exercises for you to complete or revisit at home.
Important information
The cost includes:
Full course workbook with theory, exercises, journaling and home practice, initial 20-minute orientation call, eight weekly sessions, guided recordings and practices, and email contact during the course.
Previous mindfulness experience:
It is essential that you have completed the MBSR course, though not necessarily with me.
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Support during the course:
As always I am here to support you between sessions especially if you have to miss a session for any reason.
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Support following the course:
There is a regular group practice sessions, retreat days, additional follow-on courses as well and individual coaching in order for you to continue exploring and practising mindfulness following the course.
"This course has indeed started me on an enriched journey with my mindfulness practice. We all need kindness and gratitude in our lives. As Dionne Warwick once said, ‘A fool will lose tomorrow looking back for yesterday.’"
Paul Ham
