Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life is an 8-week programme that provides mindfulness practice and cognitive behavioural techniques to general public. It is suitable for individuals who want to improve their physical and mental well-being. It teaches participants how to apply achieved knowledge in everyday life and how to deal with trying and difficult situations. It also cultivates qualities such as empathy and mental balance. It proposes a way of life that helps us to work with problems such as recurring mind patterns and behaviour that can cause distress. It also teaches us how to enjoy life. The Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life is a thorough programme that aims to nurture long-term and sustainable change. The programme is not being offered as a treatment for any specific physical or psychological conditions. It is not suitable for people who are currently experiencing very severe problems in these areas.
8 weeks x 2 hours, same day and time each week.
1-day retreat, Saturday 10:00-15:00 (in person), 10:00-13:00 (online).
The course is aimed at everyone who is looking for a structured and practical way of learning mindfulness. Mindfulness practice is like working out – the more we practice, the bigger benefits we get. It is suitable for individuals who are only just beginning with mindfulness as well as for those who have been practicing it already to some extent and who wish to experience a structured course led by an experienced teacher.
The Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life is more of a skill-focused programme rather than a group therapy. It cultivates the following understandings:
Lessons have a given structure. They begin with stabilisation and continue with a teacher-led meditation practice. This is followed by a conversation during which we learn about our experience and reflections from the meditation. After that, we spend some time on discussing our experience with home practice. Each lesson has a designated topic. This part is often followed by another short practice or exercise and we think about what we could learn from it. At the end of each lesson, we discuss home practice for the upcoming week.
I will provide recordings with mindfulness practice and I will ask you to exercise for up to one hour a day. It is possible that you might have to re-organise your schedule to ensure that you have dedicated time and space for the practice. It might also help telling your friends and family about your plan so that they are aware of the fact that you will need some time for yourself. Should this be complicated, experiment with different times during the day and remember to be as open-minded as possible. You might notice that your experience will change each day or week. I will be there for you in case you need to consult potential problems with home practice.
Studies confirm that a mindfulness programme like this one can have many benefits, such as:
I cannot guarantee all of these benefits to everyone but my own experience and a published study confirm that changes like the ones described above are common, and that difficulties that might be connected to attending the course are worth the hard work.
A retreat offers an opportunity to spend more time on practicing. I will lead you through the exercise and the whole time will be spent in silence which supports the practice. At the end of the day, we will have an opportunity to share the experience within a group and to ask questions. Wear comfortable clothes so that you are able to do exercise, walk, lie down on a mat or do gentle stretching. An online course takes place between 10 a. m. and 1 p. m. A face-to-face course runs between 10 a. m. and 3 p. m. with a lunch and tea break and a walk outside, if conditions and weather allow. Please, let your family and friends know that they will not be able to reach you during this time, unless it is an emergency.
