Adaptations For Breathing for Trained Teachers

The first part of this event – lasting approximately 1hour 30 minutes -is open to trained teachers and others with a keen interest and personal practice in mindfulness. The topic will be outlined and explored with time for general Q&A at the end

After a short comfort break of around 15 minutes, trained teachers (only) are invited back for a more in-depth discussion with each other and the session facilitator.
This second part of the event will include breakout room discussions to explore:

What we can learn from this and each other as a shared community of teachers

• How this topic may inform our teaching

• What we are taking away from the session

We will end with a final Q&A session.

Please note: These sessions are normally designed to be interactive and so recordings will not be available afterwards. We warmly encourage you to join live and keep your camera on where possible to support a collaborative and connected experience. Where available, presentation materials such as slides will be shared with those who attended after the event so you can revisit key points.

At the end of this event, you’ll have a better understanding of:

• The physiology of breathing
• Alternative sense-based anchors of awareness for use in meditation when breathing is difficult or challenging
• Ways to engage with breathing that can be calming and stabilizing if normal breathing patterns are disturbed or dysregulated

This event is open to fully trained teachers who have participated in a 12-month teacher training programme to deliver 8-week mindfulness-based courses.

This event is included as part of the Oxford Mindfulness Members’ Programme benefits for Trained Teachers.

Learn more about the Members’ Programme here https://oxfordmindfulness.org/members-programme

Trained Teachers who are not members can attend by selecting the appropriate fee.

If you are not a trained teacher, you may still apply to attend the first part of this event by booking on this link: INSERT LINK TO Learner Session

Please note: We know that sometimes life happens! If your plans change and you can no longer make this event, as places are limited, we ask that where possible you advise us 48 hours in advance so we can offer your place to another participant and transfer you to a future event. For members, your registration to this event will count towards your membership allowance.

In her own words Vidyamala says: “Today, I am lucky to have a rich and happy life, but the journey has been long, slow and at times very tough. At age 17, I sustained spinal injuries that required multiple surgeries and left me with a complex back condition, chronic pain and partial paraplegia. After experiencing despondency, anger and hopelessness, I discovered mindfulness as a way to ease the mental torment associated with the physical pain. Soon I was meditating everyday, and the results were truly life changing and transformative.

“I’ve spent the subsequent decades exploring my mind with all the depth and commitment I can manage. As a Kiwi, I’m a born nature lover and mountaineer; I like to imagine that I have now become a mountaineer of the inner world, where the peaks are infinite and the vistas awe-inspiring.

“My mission from the start has been to inspire and empower people to thrive by unlocking the tools and knowledge to reduce suffering. As someone who lives with a disability and chronic pain, I hope that my life experience can help others like me to harness the power of their minds and hearts so they too can have fulfilling and meaningful lives.

“I founded the mindfulness organisation Breathworks in 2001 with Gary Hennessey and Sona Fricker and today I’m proud to see the organisation reaching thousands of people every year with courses, retreats and teacher trainings (with now over 600 mindfulness teachers across 35 countries)”.