Inquiry is often viewed as the most challenging aspect of a mindfulness teacher’s practice. Many of us come with transferable skills that help us bring warm relational qualities to inquiry – however these only take us so far.
Inquiry practice asks us to inhabit a space of open curiosity and ‘not knowing’, which can feel unsettling to hold. Alongside this, we’re encouraged to lean into session themes, artfully drawing them out as we lead inquiries. How to manage both?
Many of us fall back on tried and tested techniques, such as ‘reflecting back’, which are often helpful, but can become repetitive and predictable – and can reduce the engagement of the group.
This two-day workshop is for you if you’re a trained mindfulness teacher who’d like to deepen your inquiry practice whilst involving the group as an inclusive and diverse resource that enriches participants’ engagement, learning and sense of community.
The training will offer you an opportunity to immerse yourself in the subtle craft of inquiry and learn out of your direct experience as teacher and as participant. We’ll explore ways of leading inquiries that involve the group in normalising and validating experience, and in building safe, diverse and inclusive communities of practice and learning.
We’ll look at ways of keeping the group involved during the inquiry. Most of us tend to focus on how individual participants are doing. This training will help us facilitate inquiries that relate to the group as a whole – each one with its own character, needs and challenges. This enables our groups to be the context where rich learning can take place which not only deepens individual benefit but also supports future connections that move out beyond the mindfulness group sessions.
Watch Trish introduce the workshop
What to expect on this course
This training is predominantly experiential. Much of the learning will come from personal practice; experience of leading inquiries and being led by peers and the workshop leader, Trish Bartley; and through reflections and discussions.
The ‘taught’ component of the training will be drawn out of different inquiry processes in the main and from the discussions and reflections that follow.
There’ll be lots of opportunities to learn alongside your peers in practising inquiry, discussion, reflection and mindfulness practice in small breakout groups and the large group process.
Brief accessible practices will be introduced that actively sustain the mindful embodying of the teacher and offer you ways of supporting the group process.
By the end of the training, you’ll have had an opportunity to look at:
- Learning how to facilitate endings, moving on, and the overall pace of inquiry that seems to suit the group.
- Different dimensions of the inquiry process that deepen learning and insight.
- Ways of reading, holding, and responding to what is happening in the group in order to keep active levels of engagement during inquiry – and sustain the mindful embodying of the teacher.
- Understanding and practising horizontal inquiry, which can offer normalising and including – and understanding the difference to a ‘popcorn’ process.
- Exploring vertical inquiry and finding ways of deepening into the embodied sensations experienced, whilst involving the group in holding the process, when deep feelings may be present.
- How to stay grounded during inquiry when you’re not sure where to go next.
- Finding kind but effective ways to manage participants who tend to dominate inquiries.
Full course dates
This 2-day training takes place on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 June 2025, 08:00-16:00 UK Time.
Entry requirements – who can apply for this course?
You can apply for this training if you have:
- Trained as a mindfulness teacher in MBCT or MBSR or other MBPs, or teach mindfulness as part of your professional therapeutic practice. Please ensure your application includes all relevant information.
- An established and regular personal mindfulness practice, ideally for at least a year. Please see the Good Practice Guidelines for Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses.
- The ability to speak, write, and understand English to a level where you can fully take part in all parts of the training without the need for extra translation support.
- Strong internet, the right equipment and the technical skills to join an online training programme via Zoom, with the video always on.
- A private indoor space where you can take part in the training without being interrupted or overheard by other people.
Please note:
Confirmation of Attendance / Completion of Training Certificate will only be issued if 100% of the training sessions are attended. Please confirm you can meet this requirement.