WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
about the Glasgow Zen Group online 8-week
Introduction to Zen Meditation and Mindfulness Course
Mondays from 6.30pm to 7.45pm starting on 13th January 2022, ending on 10th March 2022. There will be no session on 3rd February.
MINDFULNESS AND ZEN MEDITATION
Contemporary mindfulness meditation fosters being aware of what is going on in the present moment, rather than getting drawn into regret about the past or anxiety about the future. It can help us to respond creatively and compassionately, rather than reacting unconsciously or habitually. Buddhist meditation is the foundation for contemporary mindfulness.
HOW DID CONTEMPORARY MINDFULNESS DEVELOP?
In 1979, Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor of Medicine, founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course at the University of Massachusetts to help people deal with chronic pain and stress.
Mindfulness ideas and practices are now used in Medicine to help treat a variety of conditions and to promote physical and mental wellbeing. MBSR and similar courses are now widely applied in the NHS, schools and business as well as for individuals.
WHY AN 8 WEEK COURSE?
The Glasgow Zen Group 8-week online course is based on MBSR, and provides a foundation for the traditional practice of Zen meditation, or zazen. As the course progresses, the philosophy and practice of zazen will be introduced. The course is designed for people new to meditation and also provides an opportunity for those who already meditate regularly to explore their practice from a new perspective. The practices are carefully constructed to help participants gain insight and establish new habits.
The course is delivered over eight weeks, with one online session of an hour and a quarter each week. Each session builds from the previous one and adds another ingredient to establishing mindfulness in mind and body. Further material is provided in a handout and home practices after each session. There’s no charge to attend but each person on the course contributes by their involvement, so it really matters that everyone participates in all aspects of the course including the home practices.
WHAT DOES THE 8 WEEK COURSE COVER?
Week 1 Awareness and waking up to the autopilot
Week 2 Keeping the body in mind and staying grounded
Week 3 Gathering the scattered mind. Coming back to the here and now by connecting with the breath and body
Week 4 Recognising reactivity. Noticing how the wish to avoid unpleasant sensations takes us away into rumination
Week 5 Allowing and letting be. Relating differently to unpleasant feelings and sensations
Week 6 Relating to thoughts rather than from them
Week 7 Taking care of ourselves. Considering how to weave mindfulness into daily activities and establish a meditation practice
Week 8 Living mindfully. Reinforcing how to build awareness into everyday life and introduction to Glasgow Zen Group practice
WHO ARE THE TRAINERS?
Margaret Kerr and Anne Dick are both qualified mindfulness teachers and longstanding members of Glasgow Zen group. Their mindfulness teacher training was in line with UK Mindfulness network’s guidelines.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO SIGN UP?
The course will be online, using Zoom, on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 7.45 pm starting on 13th January 2022 and ending on 10th March 2022. There will be no session on 3rd February.
If you would like to attend the course could you contact either of the trainers by email giving a note of your phone number. One of them will phone you for a brief chat to check that the course is right for you.
Their contact details:
Anne: anne@inkdancemediation.co.uk
Margaret: margaret.heatherkerr@gmail.com
