Learning MBSR

MBSR is taught on an MBSR course.

What does the course involve?

The course consists of eight two-hour weekly classes of up to 15 people working together as a group, preceeded by an introduction session with an optional follow-up session approx. 4 weeks after the course and a one all-day session. On it, you will learn several key mindfulness practices and have the chance to discuss these and your experience of them in the group. Home practice is an important part of the course, and each participant is required to undertake to do one hour of this, six days per week, between each class. To get the most from the programme, you need to work at it. This requires a strong commitment to work on yourself through a gentle but rigorous daily discipline of awareness exercises.

Who will teach the course?

The course is led by Ruchiraketu who was ordained into the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. He has practised and taught meditation and related disciplines for over twenty years. He is currently the Chairman of the Cambridge Buddhist Centre. At present he is completing an MA at the University of Wales, Bangor, focusing on mindfulness-based clinical approaches.

Michael Chaskalson, who has practised and taught meditation and related disciplines around the world for over twenty years. Under the name Kulananda, he is the author of several books on Buddhism and meditation. More recently, he has trained with the North Wales Centre for Mindfulness in the teaching of the MBSR programme and has completed an MA at the University of Wales, Bangor, focusing on mindfulness-based clinical approaches.

Who is it for?

Everyone who wants to work to change themselves. The MBSR programme is known to help with a wide range of problems, both physical and psychological. But its benefits extend beyond that. We all have times when we experience stress and difficulty. MBSR can significantly change the way we relate to these, greatly enhancing our capacity to cope. By developing more awareness, you can learn to deal more effectively with difficulties and take more pleasure in the good things in our lives. The course will be useful to anyone who is at that point where they are ready and willing to look deeply into themselves.

Although the course is held at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, it is completely secular in nature and is open to those of any religious denomination or none.

Learning Mindfulness-Based Pain Management

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Living Well with Pain and Illness using Mindfulness. This is an 8 week course plus day retreat.

The Breathworks Living Well with Pain and Illness Course is a self-management mindfulness-based programme aimed at anyone wanting to learn new strategies for managing chronic physical pain and ill health.

Pain and illness are innately unpleasant and inevitably many of us develop unhelpful habits in reaction such as aversion, avoidance and tension. This just adds to our overall experience of suffering. Mindfulness can help us break this cycle of reactivity and regain a sense of initiative, confidence and control. Paradoxically, by learning to live with our pain or illness we can broaden our perspective and experience a greatly improved quality of life.

Who is the programme for?

The programme is open to all on a self-referral basis. So far we have welcomed people with conditions such as chronic back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, post-operative pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s disease, and other non-specific pain. This list is not exhaustive and we welcome your enquiry whatever your condition.

The only requirement for joining the course is a willingness and commitment to engage fully with the programme, which will involve practice at home between sessions for 30 - 45 minutes a day.

Price includes 3 CD's, workbook and day retreat.

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