FAQ’s

What are the benefits of taking a Mindfulness Course?

Research shows that an 8 week Mindfulness Course can improve your physical and emotional wellbeing and includes:

  • reduction in stress, worry and anxiety
  • reduction in relapse of depression
  • improved sleep
  • improved focus and resilience
  • improved pain management
  • improved self esteem and relationships
  • Enhanced overall wellbeing

What will I learn on an MBCT 8 week course?

  • In the first part of the course you will learn to identify when you are living on auto-pilot which can sometimes take away experiencing life. We start to learn to bring mindfulness to all experiences in life including those things we do every day.
  • Mindfulness helps us to recognise unhelpful patterns and habits and we start to see when we can get entangled in thoughts, emotions and feelings.
  • You will learn to bring an attitude of curiosity, kindness and acceptance to your experience which opens space for you to skillfully choose how to respond.
  • You will learn how to “be with” all experiences in life including the pleasant and unpleasant, cultivating the skills in finding stability and balance with all the ups and downs life brings.
  • You will quickly learn that the mind wanders off many times during meditation, this is what our minds do! Mindfulness practice involves bringing your attention back to a focus point again and again. With practice, we start to gather our attention and recongise our thoughts, sensations, impulses and emotions.
  • You will learn how to use your breath and contact points of your body to ground yourself and realign yourself back into the present moment.
  • You will learn how to slow down, take a pause and make choices that will benefit your wellbeing.
  • Mindfulness enables you to see life through a different lens. This new found awareness means we can choose to engage more with joy, contentment and gratitude and with practice you will gradually learn to live and love life through this alternative perspective.

What is involved in the sessions of an 8 week course?

  • Participants will explore a variety of meditation practices including laying, sitting, gentle moving and walking. You are encouraged throughout each session to take care of yourself and approach yourself and the practice with kindness.
  • Each session has a different theme which you will explore with your teacher. You will have an opportunity to reflect on each practice.
  • Each session is opened with a short practice to enable you to feel settled, you will explore two mindfulness practices during the session and have a discussion related to the theme.
  • Participants are encouraged to practice what they have learnt during each session, this involves approximately 30 minutes of formal mediation practice and reflection (a workbook is provided for this). In addition to this, participants are encouraged to engage in informal practice which may include bringing purposeful awareness to a regular activity such as eating or cleaning your teeth.

Is an 8 week MBCT course right for me?

Mindfulness can be practiced by anyone however, it is important the time is right for participants. During a mindfulness course, participants are invited to come fully aware of all experiences including the difficult, participants learn to turn towards difficult experiences with an attitude of kindness, acceptance and friendliness. It is advisable not to participate in a Mindfulness Course if you are currently experiencing a challenging period in your life such as severe mental health issues, recent bereavement and difficulties with addiction. Please get in touch if you are unsure whether or not this course is right for you at this time.

What is a Beginners Mindfulness Course?

This course has been designed as an introduction to mindfulness. You will learn key elements of mindfulness to start you off on your journey. In each class you will learn to understand how mindfulness works and how to apply it to your every day life. The sessions are 45 minutes long which will include a meditation practice of between 10-20 minutes plus group reflection and exploratory exercises to enhance learning.

What is the difference between the MBCT 8 week Course and the Beginners Course?

The 8 week course is more in depth and you will cover a wide range of exploratory practices and group reflections. The 8 week course goes more indepth and helps participants to do intensive and extensive inner work. In the Basic Beginners, you will learn the foundations of mindfulness to start you off on your journey. You will cover the basic elements of practice and begin to understand the workings of your mind. You do not need to attend the beginners course in order to particpate on the 8 week course although these courses are complimenary and will enhance learning if done together.

Is a Beginners Course right for me?

A beginners course will open the path to your journey into mindfulness. If you are interested in learning a new approach and living life mindfully then this course is for you. If you are just intrigued and want to know a little bit more about mindfulness then this course is for you. Anyone can particpate in this course, it is a great opportunity to learn new habits and learn how this useful tool can aid you to live a more peaceful life.