Learn skills and practices to befriend
your body, mind and life so you can live with greater freedom, peace and ease.
Join me on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course this May...
This course is for you if you want to...
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Create a consistent daily mindfulness practice that supports you for life.​
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Learn evidence-based practices to regulate and befriend your nervous system to reduce stress.
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Show up more fully to the small everyday joys of your life.​
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Spend less time lost in thoughts, worries, daydreams about the future and the past. ​​
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Explore your own personal patterns of reactivity and how to create new habits of conscious wise responding.
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Relate to yourself and others with greater compassion, patience and acceptance.
This course is for you if you feel...
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Confused
You know that mindfulness is meant to have huge benefits but you are overwhelmed by all the options and don’t know where to start.
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Disappointed
You have tried meditation with books, apps or during a yoga class but you have struggled to develop a daily practice that sticks.
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Doubtful
You have tried meditating a few times and your mind was really busy and judgemental and you weren’t sure if you were doing it right.
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Stuck
You have been practicing mindfulness for a while and found lots of benefits but feel like you have hit a plateau and want to delve deeper into the practice.
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Unsupported
You have been learning mindfulness on your own and you want support from a teacher and others on the same journey.
If any of this resonated with you, you are in the right place.
In this course you will learn how to...
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Spend more time appreciating the small moments of pleasure in your life like really tasting your food, really soaking up the beauty of nature and really being present with your loved ones.
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Take care of your needs and health first so you can support those around you from a place of wellbeing, rather than exhaustion and self-sacrifice.
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Meet the challenges in your life with greater ease, skill and compassion, so you can bounce back quicker from stressful experiences and learn from them and make wise choices about how to move forwards, rather than getting stuck feeling stressed out for longer than you need to.
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Introducing
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course (MBSR)
A blend of modern psychology and ancient meditation practices brought together in a 9 week course.
Known as the ‘gold-standard’ of mindfulness courses, created by expert teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, and is now taught internationally in both community and clinical settings.
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Backed up by thousands of scientific research studies highlighting its wide ranging benefits such as increased emotional regulation, improved relationships, reduced symptoms of anxiety and improved pain management.
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A trauma-informed, safety held live container for personal discovery and transformation.
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A small group, high-support experience with in-between session check-ins with me as needed.
What does the course include?
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9 weekly 2.5 hour online sessions 4th May-29th June 2023
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Each session is an experiential blend of laid down, seated and movement (based on yoga) mindfulness meditations with guided group discussions and group activities to draw out the learning.
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A 6 hour online silent retreat day Sat 17th June 10-4pm.
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Home practice will be given each week to do between sessions. This will be 20-40 minutes of formal meditation a day and some practices to weave into everyday life. You will be given a selection of recorded meditations to practice and keep.
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Support from Katie between sessions if you get stuck.
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A beautiful handbook posted to you full of supportive material to use during the course and beyond.
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Access to regular sitting groups and retreat days for course graduates after the course ends.​​
Course Outline...
4th May | Orientation Session
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11th May | Week 1 - Introducing mindfulness
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18th May | Week 2 - Exploring perception & creative responding
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25th May | Week 3 - The power and pleasure of being present, coming home to the body
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1st June | Week 4 - Exploring stress and the difficult
8th June | Week 5 - Responding to stress & the challenges of our lives with acceptance, allowing & letting be
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15th June | Week 6 - Mindfulness in relationships: Exploring patterns of communication & interpersonal Mindfulness
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22nd June | Week 7 - Mindfulness & the wider world, life style choices & taking care
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29th June | Week 8 - Keeping practice alive
The Investment...
£275
Which includes:
All 9 weekly sessions
The retreat day
All the meditation recordings to keep.
A handbook posted to you.
In between session support.
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I am also offering two reduced rate spots at £150 on the course for those in financial difficulty/ on a low income.
Please let me know if this is you.
Testimonials...
“This was an amazing introduction to mindfulness. I’ve learnt so much over the 8 weeks - lessons that I hope to take into my daily life. Such as how to understand stress, my reactions to it and how to navigate it. Also the importance of pausing and reflection and how nurturing this is to our minds and bodies. Jen and Katie are fantastic, committed and supportive teachers. I wish I could do it all again!”
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Participant feedback Feb 2022
“I feel the course's value would benefit anyone who was looking for ways to become more present especially during life’s ups and downs.
The skilled guidance was supportive at every stage.”
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Participant feedback Feb 2022
“I wish I had had these skills 5 years ago when being diagnosed with a chronic disease. It would have made the severe stress so much more manageable.”
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Participant feedback Feb 2022
“This course was a peaceful oasis in a busy, often stressful life. I felt very safe and well guided and have benefited massively from the experience. I have learnt many techniques and have an overall greater awareness which I will take happily into my everyday life 🙂”
Participant feedback Feb 2022
About Katie...
I started practicing mindfulness in 2014 to help me navigate a period of low mood. Since then my practice has helped me to navigate the highs and inevitable lows of life with greater ease, presence and compassion.
In 2019, I started training to teach mindfulness through Bangor University and have a Postgraduate Diploma in Mindfulness-Based Approaches. I am continuing studying to the highest level of teacher training in the UK with The Mindfulness Network.
I have also been a yoga teacher since 2016 and have always woven mindfulness into her yoga classes and retreats. Since 2020 I began to regularly teach mindfulness in the community through regular mindfulness courses, workshops and private sessions.
How do I book?
To book please fill out the application form below.
We will then arrange a 30 minute free call to discuss if the course details. ​This gives you the space to ask questions and is a chance to connect one to one before coming together as a group. There is absolutely no pressure to book after the call.
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Phone: 07930712425
Email: katieaustinyoga@gmail.com
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This course might not be right for you if:
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You are currently going through a period of severe depression or mental illness. This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t ever come on the course but it may mean waiting until you are a bit better.
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You are looking for therapy - MBSR may be therapeutic but it is not a form of therapy like other one to one of group therapies with qualified therapists and trained medical professionals. It may be that you can do the course alongside seeing a therapist though.
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You have experienced a big life upheaval recently, such as a bereavement. It is wise to wait until you are a bit more settled before committing to the course.
FAQs
Q: How much does the course cost?
£275 including all sessions, the retreat day, between session support, the handbook and meditation recordings.
Q: What if there is a week I can’t come?
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A: It is okay to miss one session but if you know in advance you will be missing more than one we would advise waiting until you can attend the whole course. I will always try my best to catch you up with a call if you miss one.
Q: Who is the course suitable for?
A: The course is suitable for total newbies to meditation and mindfulness but also to experienced practitioners looking to deepen their practice or have the support of group learning.
Q: What if I hate speaking in a group?
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We understand speaking in front of a group can be some people’s worst nightmare. There will be no pressure to speak each week, however, as you get to know the group better you may begin to feel more comfortable. There will be opportunities to talk in smaller groups of one or two as well throughout the course.
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Q: Where will the sessions be held?
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A: All of the sessions will be held online via Zoom. You can get a free Zoom account if you haven't already to access the calls. I will ask that everyone has their cameras on during the sessions for safety and group connection.
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Q: Is there a payment plan available?
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A: We require a non-refundable £50 deposit to secure your spot or you can pay in full upon booking. We can organise a payment plan too. The full amount is due by 1st May.
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Q: How many people will be in the course?
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The max number of participants will be 10.
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Q: What happens in each session?
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The course is very experiential, which means we learn mainly through meditating together and sharing experiences of the practice in a particular way guided by the teacher, called enquiry. There will be opportunities to share with the whole group and in pairs and groups of three. There is no pressure to share every week, it is just as valuable to listen at times.
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Q: When is the retreat day?
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A: The retreat day will take place on Zoom on 17th June 23.
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Q: What happens on the retreat day?
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A: The retreat day will be 6 hours dedicated to mindfulness practice. It is a real chance to let the learning of the course so far consolidate.
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Q: What if I am on medication?
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A: You can still take part in the course if you are on medication but please let us know about this. It may be wise to consult your doctor or therapist before taking part if you are concerned.
Q: What will I need for the sessions?
A: You will need a private room where you can close the door to respect the privacy of others and headphones might be helpful if there is a lot of background noise in your house. You will need a laptop or tablet to join the sessions on and a free Zoom account. I don't advise joining on a mobile phone as it is good to have as big a screen as possible so you can see anyone.
You may want to invest in a yoga mat and meditation cushion or bench for the sessions and to practice with at home. However, you can use ordinary household cushions or a chair to sit on too and do the yoga movements on a rug or carpeted floor.
Q: What is the course cancellation policy?
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A: If you cancel any time up until 1 month until the start of the course you will receive a full refund minus £50 deposit. If you cancel between 1 month and 2 weeks before the beginning of the course you will receive a 50% refund. If you cancel after 30th April and at any time during the course the course fee is non-refundable. If for any reason I have to cancel the course you will receive a full refund.
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Q: Can I join if I limited mobility?
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A: Absolutely. The mindful movement can be done on a chair or on the floor. If you are unsure please get in touch.
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Q: What kind of meditations will we practice?
There will be meditations where we lie down on the floor, sit on the floor or a chair and also mindful movement practices such as walking and mindful yoga (which can be done in a chair too if needed).
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Q: What is the history of MBSR?
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course is one of the most well-known modern methods of mindfulness training in the world. It was developed in the late 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn in a hospital in Massachusetts, USA and is now taught all over the world. There have been thousands of research studies published evidencing its wide ranging benefits, including reducing stress, improved emotional self-regulation and increased empathy and compassion for ourselves and others.
Q: Is the course religious?
The practices and methods taught in the program are deeply rooted in the ancient Buddhist practice of mindfulness meditation. However, the course itself is not religious as Jon Kabat-Zinn wanted to draw out the profound mental training methods from traditional mindfulness meditation and make them accessible to anyone, no matter what religious background or belief system. MBSR is also strongly influenced by modern psychology, neuroscience and pedagogy.