A short introductory course offering newcomers a first taste of mindfulness practice and theory. Sessions are modelled after Oxford Mindfulness's Introducing Mindfulness. The sessions combine taught input, guided experiential practice, application in daily life, and group discussion. The course is cumulative in structure, with each session's theme building on the previous one, supported by home practice.

The course aims to enable participants to:

• train attention and appreciate how attentional habits shape experience;
• cultivate alternative modes of being that offer support in the present moment;
• distinguish reacting from responding and apply this distinction in everyday life.

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• engage in short guided mindfulness practices independently (15–20 minutes daily);
• reflect on practice experience through structured group discussion and review;
• integrate informal mindfulness into everyday activity.

Mindfulness reveals a set of simple yet powerful practices that you can incorporate into daily life to help break the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and exhaustion. It promotes the kind of happiness and peace that gets into your bones. It seeps into everything you do and helps you meet the worst that life throws at you with new courage.

Finding Peace in a Frantic World is a modified version of MBCT, developed by Professor Mark William and Dr Danny Penman. It is aimed at people who are struggling to keep up with the constant demands of the modern world. It teaches the practitioner to become aware of patterns of one’s behaviour which contribute to unhappiness, stress, anxiety, and mental exhaustion. It focuses on promoting genuine joie de vivre, teaching joy and peace rather than banishing unhappiness. It is precisely focused to help people boost their happiness and confidence levels whilst also reducing anxiety, stress, and irritability.

Knowledge & Understanding

By the end of the course, participants will:

• distinguish between the being mode of mind and the doing mode of mind;
• identify the moments when the mind is on automatic pilot;
• recognise patterns of (negative) behaviour.

Skills

By the end of the course, participants will:

• use techniques to allow oneself to be in the ‘being’ mode;
• evaluate one’s habits.

Appropriate unit material will be provided by the tutor/s during the sessions. There are no set texts for the unit, though the tutor/s may recommend appropriate manuals to students who would like to take their work in this area further.

Interested participants may purchase the companion book Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World for further reading in this field.