Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been defined as the moment-by-moment awareness of what is happening while it's happening, without preference. It might be also be described as 'near as possible constancy of awareness of reality'.

Over the past twenty years Mindfulness as a system of practice has become widely known through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and others, who have adapted Buddhist teachings and practice for a western and largely secular clientele. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is one development pioneered by Kabat-Zinn that has been used with considerable success in medical, therapeutic and even business environments.

Mindfulness has shown itself to be of benefit to nearly all who follow it. Whatever the reason, to deal with pain, managing personal chaos or simply to find a way of being that is aware and responsive to life's opportunities and challenges, mindfulness has a central part to play.

However, mindfulness, or remembrance, is at the heart of all spiritual traditions the world over. At the Beshara School, following the core tenet of its education, the unity of all existence, mindfulness is approached neither in a secular nor religious way exclusively. Rather devolving from this tenet of unity is the possibility for every human being to realise, through education and practice, their infinite potential and thereby to become truly of service to the world, to others and to reality as a whole.

These three mindfulness modules will include both teaching and practice in awareness, through meditation, study, group work and movement.

They are open to all who wish to attend, and for whatever personal reasons, whether new to the Beshara School, or established students of the School wishing to deepen their practice.

If you apply you must be free to attend all three modules, and to agree to undertake a daily programme of meditation practice at home, for the eight weeks, approximately, between the modules.

Course leader:
Peter Young, (all three modules)

Peter Young – principal of the Beshara School

Peter studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge, and Ottoman Turkish at Oxford. He worked as a psychiatric nurse and for a time ran his own building company. He joined the Beshara School as a student in the mid-seventies and undertook two six-month intensive retreat courses during that time. He became principal of the school in 1984. For the last 27 years he has worked to develop study and retreat courses in both self-enquiry and self-knowledge, based on the oneness of existence. He regularly lectures and supervises courses in Australia, the US, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Israel and Great Britain.


Course fee includes lunch and refreshments, but without accommodation: £100 per module.
Accommodation £42 per night as required for dinner, bed, breakfast.
Bursaries may be available on application prior to the course.


Back to Courses page | Practical information | Booking