The mindfulness for life program offers mindfulness practices and cognitive-behavioural techniques in ways that are intended to be accessible to all. It guides participants in how to apply this learning in everyday life both to manage what is painful and difficult but also to cultivate qualities such as compassion and equanimity. It offers a different way of living that supports people to work with challenges, including recurring patterns of thought and behaviour that create suffering, but also to savour life and to flourish. Mindfulness for Life is an in-depth programme intended to cultivate lasting and sustainable change.

Research shows that mindfulness courses like this one have many benefits:

• Reduced feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression

• Improved ability to cope with pain and illness

• Less worrying and obsessing over things

• Greater appreciation of what is pleasant and enjoyable in life

• Feeling clearer about what is truly meaningful, and living life with a stronger sense of purpose

• Improved overall wellbeing, even in difficult times

I can’t guarantee all of these benefits for everyone, but my own experience and the published research tell us that changes like these are very common and make the challenges of participating worthwhile.

Sessions follow a consistent pattern. After greetings and getting settled, we begin with a guided meditation practice, followed by reflection on the experiences of the practice. Then we discuss the experiences of the home practices during the week. Each session has a theme that is woven into the discussions. We often do another short practice or a cognitive exercise and reflect on what can be learned from that. Near the end of each session, we explain the home practices for the following week.

The teacher will provide recordings for the main practices and ask you to practise up to an hour each day. You may need to reorganise aspects of your life to fit this in. It might be helpful to talk with family or friends about what is involved. If you find this difficult, experiment with practising at different times of the day, and remember to keep an open mind as best you can. You may notice that your experience changes from day to day or week to week. The teachers are available to discuss any difficulties you are having with home practice.