evening 8-week mindfulness course + retreat day, September 2020, Maidenhead

This is a comprehensive Mindfulness Based Cognitive Training (MBCT)  course, developed at Oxford University by Drs. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale.  Following the creation of this course back in the early 90's there have been 1000s of scientific studies in how MBCT mindfulness can benefit many of us in many different situations.  So much so that the Government has now pledged to embed mindfulness into the NHS, Criminal Justice System, Parliament, Schools and beyond.  MBCT is the only mindfulness course recommend by The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE).

 

The course has been very cleverly designed in layers, with each week revisiting what has been learned, giving people a very comprehensive knowledge base and toolkit for a mindful future.  The first half of the course concentrates more on the basics of what mindfulness actually is, why our minds work the way they do and learning how to use our breath and body to become present.  The second half of the course looks more deeply into what is taking our minds away in the first place, how to challenge some of our thoughts and behaviours with mindfulness and then developing a more personalised plan of how to best take care of ourselves and putting plans in place for a mindful future.

The course outline in brief:

 

• Week 1 - Automatic Pilot
• Week 2 - Living in our Heads
• Week 3 - Gathering the Scattered Mind
• Week 4 - Recognising Aversion and Staying Present
• Week 5 - Mindful Acceptance  
• Week 6 - Thoughts are not Facts
• Week 7 - How do I best take care of myself?
• Week 8 - Your mindful future!

What is the retreat day?

The retreat day will be 09.45 - 13.30 on a weekend, in or on the outskirts, of Maidenhead.  There will be 3 retreat days to choose from in 2019 and you will be free to join whichever day suits you best.  

 

At 10.00 full instructions for the day will be given before we begin the day of blissful silience. There will be lots of fully guided practice throughout the day, which you will have experienced before if you have attended any 8-week mindfulness course, including:

 

• The Body Scan
• Mindful Movement
• Sitting Meditation
• Mindful Eating at lunchtime
• Mindful Walking
• Mountain Meditation
• Breathing Space

 

Most of the day will be in silence but of course there will be opportunities to ask questions throughout and there will be plenty of time at the end for everyone to chat about the day.

Course joining instructions will be emailed to your shortly after payment.

When and where is the course held?

Tuesdays, starting 7th May until the 2nd July.  There will not be a class on the 28th May due to the school half-term.    

 

Time

19.30 - 21.30

 

Venue

Windsor Parish Hall

All Saints Church

Frances Road

Windsor

Berkshire

SL4 1HU