Mindfulness Courses

No crystals, no perfect postures, just real mindfulness for real life.

Picture this:

It’s 7pm and you don’t know your name anymore - you’ve had a full day of ‘circling back’ and got ‘5 minutes back for you’ between back-to-back meetings as though that ever helped anyone. Your mind is going 100 km/h making a list - start a wash, 30 minutes of exercise, shower, make some (healthy?) food, take the rubbish out, sleep early. Sounds reasonable - but oh no - about 7 other things pop up, and your brain thinks they’re all ‘urgent’.

Naturally, you continue sitting and do some good doom-scrolling. Now it’s 7:30pm, you’re hungry, tired, and annoyed at yourself because you’ve not done anything. Might as well write the evening off - but not without feeling guilty and desperate because there seems no way out, and everyone else seems to handle it all better.

If you’re reading and nodding along, a mindfulness course may just be the thing for you.

Finally, mindfulness that doesn't ask you to empty your mind (as if that was ever possible)

From…

  • Brain constantly on fast-forward - 27 tabs open at all times

  • Feeling like you have to always think, plan, decide, worry - or else you’re wasting time and “not doing enough”

  • Trying to do everything at once, so it’s difficult to focus on one thing at a time

  • Feeling tense and uncomfortable in moments of down-time (like waiting for the bus or for the computer to start) - so reaching for your phone for distraction/stimulation

  • Exhausted and overwhelmed but somewhow still unable to really rest - mind and body always "on”

  • Small things leading to big reactions

  • Trying to meditate and ending up making to-do lists

  • Living on autopilot while life whooshes by

To…

  • Having a brain that knows how to downshift gears

  • Being able to slow down without the guilt soundtrack

  • Actually being able to watch Netflix without simultaneously planning next week and answering emails

  • Finally understanding what "being present" means (and it's not what you think) and how to be ok (and even content!) just “being”

  • Finding pockets of calm and rest in your day (yes, even on busy ones)

  • Catching yourself before the spiral starts

  • Meditating without beating yourself up about "doing it wrong"

  • Having more choice in how you build your life

MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)

MBSR is probably the best-known and established formal mindfulness course in the world (but don’t be put off by the word ‘formal’ - it just means there are some things that all MBSR courses offer or else they wouldn’t be MBSR - there’s lots of creativity and flexibility involved!). The course was initially developed in the 1970s by Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, for people with a wide range of difficulties or conditions which were not improving with more standard treatment. Since then, it’s helped millions of people handle stress, anxiety, low mood, or pain better, and generally, reduce suffering and improve mental and physical wellbeing - including me! The course is evidence-based, which means that a lot of scientific research supports all the good stuff that’s likely to happen for you if you give it a good go. Jon Kabatt-Zinn describes the programme in his book Full Catastrophe Living.

This course is for people who are ready to spend a good chunk of time learning all things mindfulness and make some space for it in their lives - whether it’s your first time practising, or whether you are an experienced meditator who wants to get back on track. Having said that, it’s works out to… just over an hour per day for 8 weeks. You probably spend at least half of that doom-scrolling or re-watching some Netflix shows because you can’t bear being with your own mind and body. Isn’t this worth a go?

Here’s how it works:

Curriculum

  • Session 1: Simply ‘being’

  • Session 2: Perceiving and ‘coming home’

  • Session 3: ‘Being’ vs ‘doing’

  • Session 4: Stress and how we react to it

  • Session 5: Responding vs reacting

  • Session 6: Stressful communications and interpersonal mindfulness

  • Session 7: How can we best take care of ourselves

  • Session 8: Keeping our mindfulness alive

Pricing

Your investment for the course is £275, to be paid in full when you book. The orientation session is FREE.

Logistics

  • 1 x 1-hour orientation session (FREE)

  • 8 x weekly 2.5-hour sessions (with the first and last session potentially up to 3 hours)

  • 1 x 6-hour silent retreat day between sessions 6 and 7

  • ~40-45 minutes daily home practice between sessions

Mindfulness for Everyday Life

The Mindfulness for Everyday Life course is based on MBSR, but also MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) - and it’s very similar to the Finding Peace in a Frantic World course, developed by the Oxford Mindulness Foundation (basically, MBSR-light with some MBCT). So, it roughly follows (and slightly condenses) the outline of the book Mindfulness: A Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World, co-authored by Mark Williams, co-founder of the MBCT programme and leading mindfulness researcher. That’s so you know I didn’t just make it up.

The course is ideal for you if you still want to get a good grounding or refresher in mindfulness, but you feel more comfortable with the time-frames (it works out to… just over half an hour per day for 6 weeks). You still get most of the core principles and practices, but delivered in a shorter format, so there’s not much excuse!

Curriculum

  • Session 1: We’re all on autopilot

  • Session 2: Thinking or experiencing?

  • Session 3: The How

  • Session 4: Different perspectives

  • Session 5: What do you take in?

  • Session 6: Your wild and precious life

Logistics

  • 1 x 30 minutes orientation session (FREE)

  • 6 x weekly 1.5-hour sessions

  • No retreat day

  • ~20 minutes daily home practice between sessions

Pricing

Your investment for the course is £195, to be paid in full when you book. The orientation session is FREE.

All courses involve…

Trauma-informed approach

As a senior cognitive behavioural therapist and responsible mindfulness practitioner, I take a trauma-informed approach, and will always offer options and adaptations for the practices included in the programme.

So, when you book most courses, the first thing you’ll need to do is complete a personal history questionnaire - to make sure I’m aware of any particular difficulties. I might reach out to arrange a follow-up call, and if during this call we both agree that the course isn't for you at this time, I’ll offer a full refund or credit for any future courses.

Participating experientially

In every session, there’s a mix of various mindfulness practices, learning exercises, and group discussions - in pairs or smaller groups as well as the larger group - as would happen in a traditional classroom.

Home practice

20-45 minutes of formal meditation per day and informal practices to weave into your everyday life.

Appropriate equipment and setting

  • Laptop or tablet (preferably not phone) with good internet connection, working camera and microphone, and Zoom installed.

  • Table or desk (and chair) to place your device on, rather than holding it, to free up your hands and body - or you can do what I sometimes do, which is sit on the floor with a cushion and have my laptop on a chair in front of me.

  • Comfy clothes, cushions, and a blanket.

  • Be in a quiet, private place - this really means having a room you can close the door to and be by yourself in - so you don’t get too many distractions, and the other participants’ privacy is protected. Other than that, you can be anywhere in the world!

Materials and further support

  • A course handbook, which includes brief outlines of the material covered in each session and the home practice

  • Recordings of practices to engage with as home practice

  • Opportunities for brief check-ins between sessions if you’re having any trouble

Are these courses for me?

    • You want to explore the beneficial effects mindfulness can have on your life, even if you’re a bit sceptical

    • You are either completely new at mindfulness, or you practise mindfulness and want to refresh/deepen/engage/get more guidance

    • You want to commit to attending all sessions and engage with daily mindfulness practice (as described above)

    • You want to become more aware of everything that’s happening for you moment-by-moment, so you have a choice as to how to respond, instead of reacting automatically

    • You’re experiencing severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, or any other mental health difficulties, including suicidality or self-harm

    • You’ve recently experienced or are still experiencing a major life event or change, including loss or trauma

    • You don’t feel you can commit to attending all sessions and engage with daily mindfulness practice (as described above)

    • (for online courses) You don’t have access to a space in which you can be undisturbed for the sessions and daily practice, and/or you don’t have access to a reliable device with an internet connection, camera, and microphone

FAQs

About the courses in general…

  • You don’t need anything in particular to attend any of the courses, no (apart from an internet connection and a device with a camera, headphones, and microphone) - as long as you’re committed to engaging in the sessions and home practice.

  • This will depend a lot on how your difficulties manifest themselves, and therefore, the level of care needed to meet your needs. Please complete the pre-course questionnaire, and we will be able to discuss further.
    Generally though, research suggests that the mindfulness courses may not be not ideal for those who have a current episode of depression or suicidality, and the group format can also be difficult for some people with social anxiety. The mindfulness courses may also not be suitable for those who are experiencing addiction (or are in early recovery), psychosis, PTSD, or that have suffered a recent loss or trauma.
    For those presenting with common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety disorders, the ACT course may be more suitable - but please also read about it and complete the pre-course questionnaire, after which we can discuss further.

  • I try to strike a delicate balance between not having too few people that it doesn’t really feel like a group anymore, and not having too many that it feels like a lecture. I’ve settled on a minimum of 8, and a maximum of 14 participants, so you can make the most of it.

  • No, you don’t have to speak. However, part of the learning experience is sharing things you noticed while engaging in the practices and exercises, so we all learn from each other. This may be participating in discussions in the larger group, or it may be in smaller groups where you may talk, for example, about your experience of the home practice. It is all an invitation though, and no pressure - I would suggest you come to the course with an open mind, and see what happens. Some days you may not talk at all, perhaps on others you’ll share a little, or a lot.

  • The sessions are live. As part of my continuous training and development, I may ask for permission to record some cohorts, but I will always make it clear, and the recordings will only ever be shared with my supervisor.

  • I do not recommend that you miss any sessions if at all possible - so please make sure this only happens in unexpected circumstances. If you miss the first session, you will either be offered a refund, or credit for a future course, as per your choice.

  • It’s helpful if you can book as soon as possible - so I can review your pre-course questionnaire and arrange a follow-up call if needed, to make sure your chosen course is right for you at this time.
    Bookings close 48 hours before the start of any type of service. Please contact me if you want to discuss last-minute bookings, but these are not guaranteed.
    It is not helpful to join a course after the first week as this can affect the group dynamics, so this is not allowed.

  • The last session of the course provides opportunities to discuss taking your learning further, including things like what you are taking away, how will you (continue to) make small changes and so on.

About the mindfuless part…

  • That’s absolutely fine - you don’t have to have any previous knowledge or experience of meditation, and the course is built such that all participants learn together throughout. Even if some people may have meditated before, every practice brings something new.

  • Definitely - honestly, I myself am not great at sitting down for a long time because of back problems. You can sit on a chair, sit on the floor, lie down, or stand up while we meditate, and you can switch between these, as long as you do it mindfully. I usually incorporate invitations to do this during the practices.

  • Definitely - while the coursed do technically involve a bit of movement, the invitation is always to take care of yourself and only do as much as is possible for you. This may even vary day to day, or within a day. It may look like sitting down when others are standing up, choosing not to participate in certain movements and either doing something else, or just not doing anything. I usually incorporate invitations to do this during the practices.

  • The retreat day is an important part of the MBSR course, which most participants find really valuable and helpful. It is mostly silent from the part of the participants, with the teacher guiding practices (or inviting unguided practices), and sharing poems or short teachings. The silence is then broken towards the end, in a gentle, supportive way. Please make sure you can attend the retreat day before booking your course. You should really only miss this in exceptional circumstances - if this happens, please contact me as soon as possible, and I may be able to either offer an alternative with myself, or recommend a trusted alternative provider.

  • While mindfulness has been found to have many benefits as described elsewhere on this website, and while I abide by the BAMBA (British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches) Good Practice Guidelines, no, this is not therapy. When I teach any type of mindfulness, be it the courses or 1:1 support, I am not acting as a psychotherpist, and mindfulness-based approaches do not replace psychological or medical input.