Mindfulness Meditation & Cognitive Therapy for Depression & Anxiety Reduction

Courses under the The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the prevention of depressive relapse.

The mindfulness-based reduction (MBCT) course is designed to help you learn new ways of handling difficult physical sensations, feelings and moods. The core skill that you will learn is ‘mindfulness’ — a way of paying attention, on purpose and non-judgmentally, to what goes on in the present moment in your body, mind, and the world around you.

Mindfulness can enable you to see things differently, undoing mental and physical knots and tensions. It can increase your sense of personal confidence. You are likely to gain a sense of having more options and to realise there is a choice in our reactions to life. Mindfulness practice builds up more strength and knowledge to face the different challenges and difficulties in your life. We will learn to bring awareness to the landscape of unawareness in our minds. Most people completing ‘Mindfulness’ gain lasting benefits including more energy and enthusiasm, a greater capacity for relaxation, more self-confidence and an increased ability to handle difficult situations, and to be more present in ones daily life.

Who is the course for?

Everyone who wants to work to change themselves. The Mindfulness program is known to help with a wide range of problems, both physical and psychological. The course will be useful to anyone who is at that point where they are ready and willing to look deeply into themselves.The MBCT for Depression is run by Pippa OConnor who is a qualified Psychotherapist / teaching the program for the last 6 years.

What does the course involve?

The course consists of 8 classes. You will attend a 2.5 hour class every week to learn mindfulness practices. There are opportunities to discuss these and your experience of them in the group. Home practice is an important part of the course. You will be asked to do 45 minutes home practice, six days per week, between classes. To get the most from the program, you need to work at it. This requires a strong commitment to work through a gentle but rigorous daily discipline of awareness exercises.

MBCT for Depression

With Pippa O'Connor

A course which aims to prevent further episodes of depression.
Next course starts 13 Sept 2010.
8 Monday evenings. 13th Sept – 1 Nov 7.30pm – 9.45pm
£185/145 (includes materials).

MBCT for Stress

with Karunagita (Sara Burns)

Learning new ways to respond to sources of stress in our lives and reduce our experience of stress.
Next course starts 29th Sept.
8 Wednesday evenings 29th Sept – 24 Nov 7pm – 9pm. No class 27 Oct.
Practice day 13 Nov 10.30 – 4pm.
£185/145 (includes materials)

Mindfulness: Living Well with Pain and Illness

with Simon Osborne. Simon is an accredited Breathworks trainer.
8 wks. Wed 13 Oct – 1 Dec 10.30am –1pm.
Practice Day: Wed 8 Dec 10.30am – 4pm

This is an eight week course offering self-management mindfulness-based strategies for those living with persistent pain or ill health and the stress that arises as a result of these. It provides a tool kit of resources that can be applied to daily life.
£160/120/80 (includes course materials).