Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: a Ten-session Course, Peterborough

About Mindfulness Mindfulness can be defined as knowing what is happening, while it is happening, without preference or judgement, in order to develop self-acceptance and compassion both towards oneself and to others.

Learning to practice Mindfulness can help to bring us back to our direct experience and to the present moment. It prompts us to re-examine the relationship we have with our experience of day-to-day life and its problems, dramatically improving the quality of our lives and expanding our resources for coping with stress. This course provides a firm foundation in Mindfulness practices and skills. It blends together the skills contained within Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as taught by Mark Williams at the University of Oxford. It also incorporates kindness and acceptance practices.

The course The programme enables participants to bring Mindfulness practice and qualities into their own lives, to become familiar with the range of core practices, and to devise their own personal practice to support the development of their own Mindfulness. The classes will be experiential and practical. The key practices will be introduced, and there will be opportunities to reflect on and inquire into what we notice as we practice together, and alone. As the programme progresses, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about recognising and responding to problems and difficulties, and bringing Mindfulness skills into daily life. The sessions are developmental, and participants are provided with full learning support, in the form of a course handbook and practice CDs.

To gain the maximum benefit from the course, participants are encouraged to commit to home practice of around 45 minutes a day outside of the weekly sessions, using the handbook and CDs for guidance. The weekly sessions will take place in a safe and relaxed context, with space for reflection and conversation. The emphasis will be on providing space for Mindfulness practice to unfold, and bringing kindness and a light heart to this process. Who the course is for Most of us can benefit from developing Mindfulness. Whether we come to the practices out of personal curiosity, from a place of stress, because of an illness or trauma, or because of a work interest, Mindfulness can reconnect us with the tracts of our life experience that we avoid or that we unconsciously miss out on. Some people join the courses for personal reasons, others because they are interested in bringing the principles into their work. Whatever your interest, the first step is to establish a firm foundation of Mindfulness practice for yourself.

This course focuses on helping you to make this step, and then maintain your commitment. Course dates The course is developmental, and attendance at all sessions is needed in order to complete the programme.

The dates are:

• 11th Jan. 2010 (induction);
• 18th, 25th Jan.
• 1st, 8th, 15th February (no class on 22nd February – half term)
• 1st March;
• full day of practice: Sat. 5th March (note: no class on 8th);
• 15th, 22nd March. Weekly classes are from 18.00 - 20.00.

The day of practice on 5th March will run from 10.30 – 17.00.