If you’re new to mindfulness, want to cultivate a regular daily practice, or re-connect with your practice, then this is for you.

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What is it?

The Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC) is an 8 week experiential mind training course for adults. During the course you’ll learn the skill of paying attention to what is happening, in the moment, as you begin to develop your own daily mindfulness practice.

The MBLC is held with a trauma sensitive approach, an awareness that your experience is unique, and that we share common-mind humanity.

Daily mindfulness practice development is more easily cultivated within a supportive and compassionate group environment.

The MBLC provides a foundational training that can help you to create more mind space and ease (mind-fullness) by exploring the following weekly themes:

  • Week 1: Start where we are
  • Week 2: The body as a place to stay present
  • Week 3: Introduction to mindfulness support
  • Week 4: Working with distraction
  • Week 5: Exploring the undercurrent
  • Week 6: Attitude
  •    * Optional day retreat
  • Week 7: Self acceptance
  • Week 8: A mindfulness based life
  • Follow up session: the rest of your life

The MBLC is taught with a compassionate attitude towards being with the mind. A way of kindly and curiously turning towards our experience.

This present moment compassionate way of being is available at any moment, for anyone! Yet, it is not easy to remember, learn about, or practice, on our own.

Who is it for?

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf “

Jon Kabat-Zinn

The MBLC is ideal for beginners, and also for people who have experience of mindfulness, particularly if your personal practice has lapsed or is difficult to maintain.

The course is generally offered within a group environment. It can be helpful to feel the support of a group as we learn about the mind common mind) and our unique patterns of mind behaviour. Knowing that we are not alone with common mind challenges, and celebrating the journey as we turn more kindly towards the mind, supports us to continue with our daily mindfulness practice.

If being in a group brings discomfort, the MBLC can also be offered on a 1:1 basis.

Noticing what is happening, as it’s happening, no matter what it is, with a kind and curious attitude.

Mindfulness is…

Aims and Benefits

The aims of the course are to help you to develop an in-depth experiential learning of mindfulness, and to build the foundations of a sustained personal mindfulness practice. A practice that you can apply in your daily life. A kinder way of being.

There are many potential benefits to this kinder way of being including: an increase in focus, brightness, clarity of purpose, playfulness, creativity and inner peace. A more balanced mood, improved sense of well-being, and a healthier mind.

For many, the surprise is not what is increased, but the behaviours of mind that are lessened. Less anxiety, reactivity, inner criticism, negative emotional states and self judgement.

Course Structure

Introduction to mindfulness will give you a feel for what to expect from the weekly sessions that follow. It includes 2 mindfulness meditation practices, an outline of what mindfulness is and its benefits. There’s no obligation to continue onto the full course after the introduction.

8 weekly MBLC sessions: 2 hours per week. Each week of content builds on the previous week, as we explore the weekly themes. This includes: mindfulness meditations, reflections and exploration, gentle enquiry of the experiential experience of being. Relational enquiry, and personal self enquiry can help us to better understand what is happening as part of common mind experience, and our own unique mind and behaviour patterns. Enquiry helps us to discover what mindfulness essentially is…

Home practice: 15-45 minutes daily. you will be encouraged and supported to practice formal and informal mindfulness meditations that are shared during the course, as part of your daily life. The practice time builds gradually: beginning with 10-15 minutes practice each day and increasing to 30-45 minutes each day by the end of the course.

Home practice is an essential part of the course. It supports the central aim of the MBLC: to develop your own personal daily mindfulness practice, so that it becomes easier to remember. In this way, our practice becomes a part of daily mind care, and a mind state, something else to do!

Follow up session – typically 1 month after the course. This explores how your personal practice has been going, and offers supportive ways of re-connecting with your personal motivation for practicing.

Included in the course

  • 8 week course – 2 hours per week (live online)
  • support between weekly course sessions
  • MBLC Manual
  • Access to the Mindfulness Associations audio meditation app. You don’t need to wait for this. It’s freely available
  • Follow up session – up to one month after the courses ends.

Course Cost

Early Bird until February 7th: : 270€ (tax/alv included)
Fixed cost: 320€ (tax/alv included)
Pay what you can spaces are available: please apply on registration.

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MBLC recommendations

“I have just completed an 8 week Mindfulness Course led by Maria. I can honestly say that this has been a fascinating, inspiring and life changing experience.”

Alison – MBLC participant

“I have already told so many friends and family about Maria and the Mindfulness Based Living course and could not recommend it more.”

Blair – MBLC participant

“Our sessions were filled with laughter, joy, tears and love and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the group”

Fiona – MBLC participant

“Although I had practised meditation for a number of years, I had lapsed and found it difficult to get back in to it. I did the MBLC with Maria 3 years ago and can’t explain what a difference it has made. Mindfulness is now part of my daily routine and I couldn’t manage without it.”

Katie – MBLC participant

For more recommendations, visit my fb page

FAQ’s

I’m interested in teaching Mindfulness – how can the MBLC help?

The MBLC is an accredited Mindfulness Course that exempts you from Module 1 of the Mindfulness Association’s (MA’s) Level 1 Being Present course. The Level 1 course is a 9 month foundational mindfulness training, taught in-person and online over 4 modules. It is a pre teacher training requirement.

On completing the Level 1 Being Present course, you can join the Level 1 Teaching Skills, followed by the Level 2 Teaching Skills. There is also a teaching pathway available via the Mindfulness Associations Postgraduate MSc, taught at Aberdeen University. You’ll find more information about the MA’s teaching pathways over here 

The MA is affiliated to the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA) an organisation ensuring Mindfulness Based teaching and supervision adhere to evidence based good practice guidelines.