How to get the most out of this course

In this course we assume that you have completed the introductory course, Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance, and/or have had some other experience of learning about and practising mindfulness.

What will you do?

Each week, we introduce and explain different concepts and provide links to other resources to help you learn. We’ll also ask you to participate in learning activities that will help you to apply the course content to your own context, and share your ideas with other learners.

We also encourage you to practise and experiment with the meditations provided each week. However, you may find it beneficial to also continue doing the very short practices, such as the mindful Comma exercise, on a regular basis. Over time, find the practice or practices that you like and do these regularly.

How we refer to work

We refer to work and study throughout the course, but we recognise that a lot of our learners are older and no longer in full-time work or education. We also recognise that work doesn’t just include paid employment, but can also include volunteering, caring, parenting and working around the home. Learning can also include learning for interest and not just at a school or university.

Your time commitment

You will need to allocate a minimum of three hours per week for four weeks to make your way through the course material and sample each mindfulness exercise.

However, making mindfulness a real part of your life will require more than three hours per week. This doesn’t have to be three hours in a single block, but you will find it easier to learn if you can set aside a regular time to study and focus on the course without distraction.

Articles and additional reading

We have also included a number of links and articles for those who want to dedicate more time and explore the science of mindfulness in more depth. These are also to provide additional information when claims or references to research are made in the course.

These papers and articles are included to help demonstrate some of the research in this area, but we do not expect you to purchase a journal subscription to read full papers. Hopefully, just reading the summary provided in the free abstract will be sufficient for those that are wanting to know more about specific studies.

These additional materials can be found in the See Also sections of steps and accessing them is entirely optional.

Moving through the course

We’re hoping that we’ll move through the course together, roughly in the order of each week. We strongly encourage you to, where possible, take time to review and reflect on the week’s content and really solidify your learning before progressing to new materials and practices

Doing this will also give you the opportunity to reflect on the comments made by the course mentors as well as other learners.

Use of video and audio

Sections of this course make extensive use of video and audio. Before you begin, make sure the computer or device you’re using has the ability to play video and audio and you have access to speakers or headphones.

Note: You might find headphones more suitable for the sections of the course that guide you through mindful meditation exercises.