Be Calm, Be Happy is a 6-week group course teaching mindfulness meditation, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, as an effective counter-balance to the stresses of life and as an opportunity to become happier.
Course overview
Be Calm, Be Happy provides a gradual introduction to mindfulness and meditation and key teachings on positive happy living over six weekly classes. Each class includes guided mindfulness exercises and meditations, group discussions and practical exercises led by an experienced facilitator in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Course content includes:
Week 1: Stopping and calming
Week 2: Turning to the positive
Week 3: Loving communication
Week 4: Nourishing happiness
Week 5 : Interdependence and community
Week 6: Guidelines for a happier life
Reported benefits of attending this course include:
- Increased enjoyment of life
- Increased ability to be calm and relaxed
- Increased control of emotions such as anger and anxiety
- Improved sleep quality
- Fewer feelings of anxiety and depression
Who can attend
This course is suitable for beginners, as well as those wishing to refresh their mindfulness practice. It is suitable for those of all faiths and none. Our course participants come from a wide range of backgrounds. Many of our participants are keen to learn new ways to look after their own well being and to identify positive responses to challenging situations.
Proposed commitment
Participants will gain most from this course if they are able to attend all the classes and to do the suggested homework and home practice in between. Creating a stable and strong practice of mindfulness is a habit that needs regular, ideally daily, practice. If you know ahead of time that you cannot make a session then please discuss with your course leader so that you can understand the content of the missed session.
Course schedule
This course is taught over 6 weeks from 7 -9pm on the following dates:
- January 14th & 21st
- February 4th, 11th & 25th
- March 4th
Please make sure you are able to attend every session. We recommend that you aim to arrive 10 minutes before each class is due to start (i.e. by 6.50pm).
Monday 28th January and Monday 18th February will be opportunities for extra (optional) practice, led by Shaun Donaghy of the Plum Village UK Warrington Meditation and Mindfulness Sangha. For these extra two evenings you are welcome to make a cash donation to cover the cost of the room hire, should you wish to do so, if / when you attend.
Course leader
The course leader Katie Sheen (FDSc, DipION, PGCE, MA).
I have been practising mindfulness for over 16 years. Originally teaching nutrition, my cancer experience in 2015 highlighted even more clearly than before my appreciation of the practicality and joyful simplicity of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings. I offer free online tools and an app to support a mindful, happy life at my ‘Soul Nutrition’ website (www.soulnutrition.org), which I developed for my MA in Education. I received the 5 Mindfulness Trainings in 2016 and was given the Dharma name ‘Dharma Light of The Heart’.
