I began my journey practicing mindfulness in 2002. Having studied for a Masters in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) at the University of Oxford, I passed the course with a Distinction. I was also trained as a mindfulness teacher at the University of Exeter Clinical Psychology Department where I graduated in PgDip and PgCert in Psychological Therapies Practice (MBCT and Approaches). Currently, I teach courses in both English and Czech and hold a Certificate of Competence according to the internationally recognized MBI-TAC, with my focus being on teaching the courses Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) and Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World. As part of my studies, I taught in The Mindfulness Project in London and further expanded my education at Oxford Mindfulness Foundation. Later in 2023, I will begin my DPhil in Psychiatry at the University of Oxford in the UK.
I teach courses at the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University in Brno and I am also a member of the Mindfulness Research and Practice Network of Masaryk University, an academic center that is a leader in the research of mindfulness in the Czech Republic. My teaching is under the regular supervision of experts in the field of mindfulness in Great Britain and I abide by the Code of Conduct and Good Practice Guidelines for Mindfulness Teachers of the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches.
Ing. Alena Lašková MSt (Oxon) MSc
I endorse the Code of Conduct of British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches.
I also endorse it as a member of the Mindfulness Research and Practice Network of Masaryk University, that deems this document as a recommended standard for mindfulness teachers in the Czech Republic.
Mindfulness practice is underpinned by personal ethical standards. As mindfulness-based teachers we therefore seek to embody ethical integrity as well as mindfulness, seeing both as central to the practice. The following guidelines offer a framework and anaspiration for ethical practice. We would expect that mindfulness supervision would include some inquiry into these issues including any questions about their interpretation in specific situations. Mindfulness teachers who are already bound by professional codes of conduct should of course continue to adhere to these ones; the guidelines below aim to complement professional codes of conduct and not to supersede them.
I agree to adhere to British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches Good Practice Guidelines for teachers.
This includes:
I endorse the Good Practice Guidelines for Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses of the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches. I also endorse them as a member of the Mindfulness Research and Practice Network of Masaryk University, that deems this document as a recommended standard for mindfulness teachers in the Czech Republic.
These guiding principles have been developed to promote good practice in teaching mindfulness-based courses. Mindfulness courses are intended to teach people mindfulness in ways that can help with physical and psychological health problems and ongoing life challenges. These guidelines cover secular mindfulness-based programs taught in mainstream settings, normally over eight weeks.
These programmes are: Informed by a clear rationale; Teacher-led; Have been developed to be scaleable; Have a set curriculum, typically at least eight sessions with 30 – 45 mins daily home practice, incremental development and experiential learning; and have a clear commitment to be evidence-based.
Hence the courses covered by this Good Practice Guidance for teachers include but are not limited to those courses listed in Appendix 1 below.
A teacher of mindfulness-based approaches should have the following:
It is also hoped that teachers of lower intensity mindfulness-based courses such as the Finding Peace in a Frantic World course will work towards these guidelines.
