Name: The Compassionate Body
Start: 2023-06-06
End: 2023-07-11
Location: Online

Bring Some Balance Back in to YOUR Life.

The Mindful Body Programme runs over three levels which are aligned with the Mindfulness Association Mindfulness, Compassion and Insight Training, whilst drawing on the ancient arts of Yoga and Qigong. The course also draws on Chinese Medicine traditions of working with the energy channels, called meridians, in the body, to help soothe and heal. Research is beginning to inform us how we hold emotions in the body, how they get trapped and how we can begin to release them through gentle, skilful movement. During this 3 level course, you will begin to learn how.

Each course will take place on Zoom over 5 evening sessions from 7pm-9pm.

Why practice Mindfulness with Qigong and Yoga?

Scientific Research evidence suggests that training in Mindfulness comes with an array of benefits for our physical health, psychological wellbeing and overall flourishing. These include coping better with life’s ups and downs, feeling less stressed and anxious, worrying and ruminating less.

Qigong is very gentle ancient movement practice traced back some 5000 years. Research also tells us that a regular practice of Qigong or gentle Yoga can help to lower stress and anxiety, increase focus, and build strength, balance and flexibility in the body.

Developing awareness of feelings in the body is a key part of mindfulness practice. It enables us to go deeper and tune into sensations going on all the time in the body as part of the communication channels within the body. This interoception lies behind our sense of intuition – when something just feels ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ without being able to explain why. Therefore we are able to become more aware of what is happening while it is happening and tune into the wisdom of the body.

What you will learn

In this short online course, you will learn some short, easy to do, gentle QiGong and Chi Yoga movements integrated with Mindfulness practice. By integrating the two, we become more aware of sensations in the body, not only as a place to keep us in the present moment, but also as a way of feeling more deeply.

We will explore the 12 energetic meridians in the body which are key to the wellbeing of our internal organs in Chinese Medicine together with the chakras, which, any of you who do Yoga, will be familiar with. There are gentle stretches we can do to help keep the flow of energy, and therefore fluids in the body, to run smoothly to these organs.

Once you have completed The Mindful Body course, the course progresses to The Compassionate body and the Insightful Body, as the practices go deeper and we tune in to a deeper knowing and wisdom in the body. We will learn how begin to soften and move these trapped energies through with the movement, mindful breathing and sitting practice.

How you will learn

Each five week course will include gentle, easy to follow mindful movement – finding stillness through movement using Qi Gong and Chi Yoga. You will learn short, easy to follow movements and sequences as we go on a journey bringing mindfulness, compassion and insight to every move. We will also explore the 12 major meridians which run throughout the body and learn how to be mindful of feelings deeper inside the body as we move and stretch gently. The Yoga we will do is very gentle, even if you think you cant do yoga, the moves will be so easy that anyone can do them, then before you know it you are doing Yoga.

The sessions will include sitting mindfulness practices as we transition from sitting to movement and back to sitting.

In our Mindfulness Training – awareness of the body helps us to remain present and can reveal a multitude of emotions that we are experiencing or even hiding. This new awareness provides us with the opportunity to give some space and kindness to any pain or tight sensations we are experiencing.

This course is for everyone – no prior experience required – so if you are a beginner or experienced practitioner, this course will help you begin your mindfulness journey or bring a new element to your practice. To take part in Levels 2 – The Compassionate Body and 3 – the Insightful Body – you will need to have completed the Level 1 – The Mindful Body.

This course counts as Continued Professional Development (CPD) for Mindfulness teachers wishing to learn more about mindful movement in their practice and teaching.