Be Calm, Be Happy is a mindfulness course sharing simple and concrete ways to generate energy and wellbeing and release the stresses and strains of daily life.
Monday afternoons, 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm (UK time), from 23rd January to 27th February
Specific benefits:
- Increased enjoyment of life
- Increased ability to be calm and relaxed
- Increased ability to take care of emotions
- Improved sleep quality
- Fewer feelings of anxiety and low mood
Through each of the weekly sessions, you will learn how to meditate effortlessly, so you can ease painful thoughts and emotions; you will also be encouraged to use mindfulness practices to bring joy into your daily life.
“This has been a life-changing experience”
“What I have gained from the course has given me real optimism for a calmer and happier future”
Course Experience
Mindfulness is a way of experiencing life with increased calm and happiness. It is rooted in Buddhist meditation, with effects verified by neuroscience, and as such is open to non-Buddhists and Buddhists alike. Everyone is welcome.
Recent participants have found it helpful in relation to the specific circumstances we are currently facing as a world community. We particularly welcome people struggling with stress for whom life has been difficult lately, folks from marginalised groups, and health and social care workers who offer support to others.
Be Calm, Be Happy is run by Plum Village UK, a charity created to share the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh (often referred to as ‘the Father of Western Mindfulness’, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. and author of numerous best-selling books). Our Course Leaders are practitioners trained to empower you with mindfulness skills for life, which can support personal and community wellbeing.
We invite you to join this course comprising guided practices, small group discussions and practical exercises.
“Thank you so much for assisting me to further my journey in such a lovely, peaceful way”
“I’ve experienced a very real shift in my ability to be present and enjoy simple things”
Course Sessions
The six sessions of the course explore the following themes:
- Stopping and calming
- Turning to the positive
- Loving communication
- Nourishing happiness
- Interdependence and community
- Guidelines for a happier life
Commitment
For this course to be most effective, we recommend that you commit to attending all six sessions and be aware that 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 Facilitator so that you can understand the content of the missed session. Please note, you will be using a computer/laptop, iPad, phone or device with internet access, and will need a functioning camera and mic. (remove bold)
Feedback from the online course – “The supportiveness of the whole group was lovely, and I was surprised to be able to feel that with an online course. I came away from each session feeling calm and happy”.
Course Leaders
Experienced mindfulness practitioners, Clare Carlile and Kesley Cage will be leading this course.
Clare Carlile first encountered Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings through his books and subsequently retreats from 1998.She became increasingly committed to her daily practice with the support of the Sanghas in York and Kirkbymoorside, and it is now a central part of her life.
The Plum Village tradition has enabled Clare to work with the demands of a complex life managing a large shared household to benefit the needs of adults with special needs, alongside bringing up her own four children. She provided guidance and teaching for young interns over many years. Clare’s mindfulness practice is deeply rooted in her daily practice which includes drawing and painting in the Helmsley Walled Garden. Clare studied Fine Art at Newcastle and completed her postgraduate degree at Edinburgh. Clare’s practice transforms and enlivens everything she does.
Kesley Cage teaches mindfulness inspired by ‘dwelling happily in the present moment’, friendship and nature connection. He was guided to mindfulness in 2012, which helped him to find freedom and healing after living through adverse experiences. Kes’s personal practice deepened in 2018 when he joined Plum Village (France), as a long-term retreatant, and received the practice name ‘Spiritual Friend of the Heart’. Kes feels that Thich Nhat Hanh’s mindfulness teachings empower him to befriend his inner suffering, live deeply according to his purpose, and build meaningful friendships and peaceful community relationships. He now resides in Somerset, where he enjoys meditation with friends, practices as a counsellor, and teaches mindfulness in a variety of settings.
In his professional experience, Kes has shared mindfulness to assist people to take care of deep suffering. His practice includes working with young people in crisis, LGBTQ+ refugees, and people on paths of personal development, in need of a little extra support with mental health and spiritual growth. Kes is delighted to share his experience through mindfulness courses, and one-to-one practice guidance consultations supporting Plum Village UK. If you wish to learn more about Kes’s work and mindfulness practice, please visit his website/read his blog, via: www.kesleycage.com / lifebeyondanxiety.co.uk/blog
How to attend
We ask you to consider carefully what you can realistically afford without depriving yourself and your family or dependents. Supported and Concession Tickets are intended for those who are unwaged, have a low household income and/or limited funds available. In offering a range of ticket prices we aim to make the course available to as many people as possible.
£30: Supported Ticket, unwaged
£60: Concession Ticket, low income
£95: Standard Ticket, breakeven price
£130: Supporter Rate – this ticket helps us to be able to offer ‘concession’ places on our courses.
£160: Sponsor Rate – this ticket further helps us to be able to offer ‘supported’ places on our courses.
For more details, and to book, please visit Eventbrite.