Learn skills and practices of mindfulness meditation
to reduce the impact of stress in your life,
to live with greater freedom, peace and ease.
** I am currently on maternity leave and plan to return to teach courses in Jan/Feb 2025. Please join my mailing list at the bottom of the page to get updates**
This course will support you to…
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Create a consistent mindfulness meditation practice that works for you.​
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Practice how to weave mindfulness into your every day life to reduce the impact of stress.
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​Show up more fully to the small moments of your life.​​
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Spend less time lost in thoughts, worries, daydreams about the future and the past. ​​
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Explore your own personal patterns of reactivity and how to create new habits of conscious wise responding.​
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Relate to yourself and others with greater compassion, patience and acceptance.
This course is for you if you feel...
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Confused
You know that mindfulness is meant to have huge benefits but you are overwhelmed by all the options and don’t know where to start.
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Disappointed
You have tried meditation with books, apps or during a yoga class but you have struggled to develop a daily practice that sticks.
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Doubtful
You have tried meditating a few times and your mind was really busy and judgemental and you weren’t sure if you were doing it right.
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Stuck
You have been practicing mindfulness for a while and found lots of benefits but feel like you have hit a plateau and want to delve deeper into the practice.
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Unsupported
You have been learning mindfulness on your own and you want support from a teacher and others on the same journey.
In this course you will learn how to...
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Spend more time appreciating the small moments of pleasure in your life like really tasting your food, really soaking up the beauty of nature and really being present with your loved ones.
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Take care of your needs and health so you can support those around you from a place of wellbeing, rather than exhaustion and self-sacrifice.
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Meet the challenges in your life with greater groundedness, acceptance and compassion, so you can recover quicker from stressful experiences and learn from them and make wise choices about how to move forwards, rather than getting stuck feeling stressed out for longer than you need to.
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Introducing
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course (MBSR)
A blend of modern psychology and ancient meditation practices brought together in a 9 week course.
Known as the ‘gold-standard’ of mindfulness courses, created by expert teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, and is now taught internationally in both community and clinical settings.
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Backed up by thousands of scientific research studies highlighting its wide ranging benefits such as increased emotional regulation, improved relationships, reduced symptoms of anxiety and improved pain management.
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A trauma-informed, safety held container for personal discovery and transformation.
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A small group, high-support experience with in-between session check-ins with me as needed.
What does the course include?
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9 weekly 2.5 hour in-person sessions 5th Oct - 30th November 2023 at Newquay Community Orchard.
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Each session is an experiential blend of laid down, seated and movement (can be done in a chair too) mindfulness meditations with guided group discussions and group activities to draw out the learning. If you have any accessibility needs please let us know and we will try our absolute best to support you.
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A 6 hour in-person silent retreat day Sat 19th Nov 10-4pm location tbc.
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Home practice will be given each week to do between sessions. This will be 20-40 minutes of formal meditation a day and some practices to weave into everyday life. You will be given a selection of recorded meditations to practice and keep.
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Support from Katie and Jen between sessions if you get stuck.
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A beautiful handbook full of supportive material to use during the course and beyond.
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Access to regular sitting groups and retreat days for course graduates after the course ends.​​
Course Outline...
5th Oct | Orientation Session
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12th Oct | Week 1 - Introducing mindfulness
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19th Oct | Week 2 - Exploring perception & creative responding
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26th Oct | Week 3 - The power and pleasure of being present, coming home to the body
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2nd Nov | Week 4 - Exploring stress and the difficult
9th Nov | Week 5 - Responding to stress & the challenges of our lives with acceptance, allowing & letting be
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16th Nov | Week 6 - Mindfulness in relationships: Exploring patterns of communication & interpersonal Mindfulness
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19th Nov | Silent Practice Day - Location tbc
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23nd Nov | Week 7 - Mindfulness & the wider world, life style choices & taking care
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30th Nov | Week 8 - Keeping practice alive
Pricing...
We offer a three tier pricing system to support those of differing financial means to access the course. Please feel into which price is most appropriate for you and your circumstances and if you are at all unsure feel free to chat to us about this.
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The price includes all 9 weekly sessions, the retreat day, all the meditation recordings to keep, a course to keep and in between session support.
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* Payment plans available*
Supported Rate
£275
This is a supported rate to support those who would struggle to afford the other rates.
Standard Rate
£300
This is the basic rate of the course
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Sponsor Rate
£325
This cost includes a donation that supports others to access the course.
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Financial bursaries available upon request.
If you the cost of the course if still beyond your financial means we have a bursary fund to support a lower cost.
Testimonials...
“This was an amazing introduction to mindfulness. I’ve learnt so much over the 8 weeks - lessons that I hope to take into my daily life. Such as how to understand stress, my reactions to it and how to navigate it. Also the importance of pausing and reflection and how nurturing this is to our minds and bodies. Jen and Katie are fantastic, committed and supportive teachers. I wish I could do it all again!”
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Participant feedback Feb 2022
“I feel the course's value would benefit anyone who was looking for ways to become more present especially during life’s ups and downs.
The skilled guidance was supportive at every stage.”
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Participant feedback Feb 2022
“I wish I had had these skills 5 years ago when being diagnosed with a chronic disease. It would have made the severe stress so much more manageable.”
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Participant feedback Feb 2022
“This course was a peaceful oasis in a busy, often stressful life. I felt very safe and well guided and have benefited massively from the experience. I have learnt many techniques and have an overall greater awareness which I will take happily into my everyday life 🙂”
Participant feedback Feb 2022
About your teachers...
Jen Hannibal
Meditation has always been a significant part of Jen's life. During her travels she encountered and explored countless contemplative traditions. It was in 2017 during Vipassana in Java that clarity struck and she knew she wanted to pass on the gift of meditation.
In 2019 she started a Master’s degree in psychology, specialising in Teaching Mindfulness based Stress Reduction at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University.
Seeing the need for mental health management rise significantly through the Covid-19 Pandemic, Jen responded by setting up her business - Mental Hygiene with Jen in 2020. She delivers mindfulness-based stress reduction though courses, private sessions and retreats in the workplace and community.
Katie Austin
Katie started practicing mindfulness since 2014 to help her navigate a low period of her life. Since then her practice has helped her to navigate the highs and inevitable lows of life with more ease, presence and compassion.
In 2019, Katie started training to teach mindfulness through a post-graduate diploma in Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Wellbeing specialising in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses, at Bangor University.
Katie has also been a yoga teacher since 2016 and has always woven mindfulness into her yoga classes and retreats. Since 2020 she has begun to regularly teach mindfulness in the community through teaches regular mindfulness courses, workshops and private sessions.
How do I book?
To book please fill out the application form below.
We will then arrange a free call to discuss if the course details. ​This gives you the space to ask questions and is a chance to connect one to one before coming together as a group. There is absolutely no pressure to book after the call.
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Phone: 07930712425
Email: katieaustinyoga@gmail.com
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This course might not be right for you if:
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You are currently going through a period of severe depression or mental illness. This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t ever come on the course but it may mean waiting until you are a bit better.
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You are looking for therapy - MBSR may be therapeutic but it is not a form of therapy like other one to one of group therapies with qualified therapists and trained medical professionals. It may be that you can do the course alongside seeing a therapist though.
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You have experienced a big life upheaval recently, such as a bereavement. It is wise to wait until you are a bit more settled before committing to the course.
FAQs
Q: What if there is a week I can’t come?
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A: It is okay to miss one session but if you know in advance you will be missing more than one we would advise waiting until you can attend the whole course. We will always try our best to catch you up with a call if you miss one.
Q: Who is the course suitable for?
A: The course is suitable for total newbies to meditation and mindfulness but also to experienced practitioners looking to deepen their practice or have the support of group learning.
Q: What if I hate speaking in a group?
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We understand speaking in front of a group can be some people’s worst nightmare. There will be no pressure to speak each week, however, as you get to know the group better you may begin to feel more comfortable. There will be opportunities to talk in smaller groups of one or two as well throughout the course.
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Q: Where will the sessions be held?
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A: All of the sessions will be held downstairs in the cafe space at Newquay Community Orchard. This space is wheelchair accessible and there is a accessible toilet close by the space.
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Q: Is there a payment plan available?
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A: We require a non-refundable £50 deposit to secure your spot or you can pay in full upon booking. We can organise a payment plan too. The full amount is due by 1st Oct.
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Q: How many people will be in the course?
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The max number of participants will be 10.
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Q: What happens in each session?
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The course is very experiential, which means we learn mainly through meditating together and sharing experiences of the practice in a particular way guided by the teacher, called enquiry. There will be opportunities to share with the whole group and in pairs and groups of three. There is no pressure to share every week, it is just as valuable to listen at times.
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Q: When is the retreat day?
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A: The retreat day will take place on 19th Nov at a venue to be confirmed.
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Q: What happens on the retreat day?
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A: The retreat day will be 6 hours dedicated to mindfulness practice. It is a real chance to let the learning of the course so far consolidate.
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Q: What if I am on medication?
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A: You can still take part in the course if you are on medication but please let us know about this. It may be wise to consult your doctor or therapist before taking part if you are concerned.
Q: What will I need for the sessions?
A: You don't need any equipment to start the course, we provide mats and chairs.
However, you may want to invest in a yoga mat and meditation cushion or bench for the sessions at some point and to practice with at home. However, you can use ordinary household cushions or a chair to sit on too and do the yoga movements on a rug or carpeted floor. We will talk you through all this before and during the course.
Q: What is the course cancellation policy?
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A: If you cancel any time up until 1 month until the start of the course you will receive a full refund minus £50 deposit. If you cancel between 1 month and 2 weeks before the beginning of the course you will receive a 50% refund. If you cancel after 30th April and at any time during the course the course fee is non-refundable. If for any reason I have to cancel the course you will receive a full refund.
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Q: Can I join if I limited mobility or accessiblity needs?
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A: Absolutely. The mindful movement can be done on a chair or on the floor. If you are unsure or have particular accessibility needs please get in touch and we will do our absolute best to support you.
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Q: What kind of meditations will we practice?
There will be meditations where we lie down on the floor, sit on the floor or a chair and also mindful movement practices such as walking and mindful yoga (which can be done in a chair too).
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Q: What is the history of MBSR?
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course is one of the most well-known modern methods of mindfulness training in the world. It was developed in the late 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn in a hospital in Massachusetts, USA and is now taught all over the world. There have been thousands of research studies published evidencing its wide ranging benefits, including reducing stress, improved emotional self-regulation and increased empathy and compassion for ourselves and others.
Q: Is the course religious?
The practices and methods taught in the program are deeply rooted in the ancient Buddhist practice of mindfulness meditation. However, the course itself is not religious as Jon Kabat-Zinn wanted to draw out the profound mental training methods from traditional mindfulness meditation and make them accessible to anyone, no matter what religious background or belief system. MBSR is also strongly influenced by modern psychology, neuroscience and pedagogy.