“There have been some interesting developments in terms of the types of courses we deliver through the Breathworks programme. Ratnaguna has designed a new mindfulness course aimed at people suffering from stress. Called 'Living Well with Stress', it’s based on the Buddha’s ‘Honeyball Sutta’ from the Majjhima Nikaya. It is broadly similar to the 'Living Well with Pain and Illness' course (based on the Buddha’s Sallatha Sutta, our 'root text' at Breathworks) but it’s been adapted for people primarily wanting to learn how to use mindfulness to manage and reduce stress.
On the Internet we’ve recently launched an 'Introduction to mindfulness" online course, developed in conjunction with Dr Ola Schenstrom from the Mindfulnesscenter in Sweden. Ola, author of Mindfulness i Vardagen, Sweden's bestselling book on mindfulness, has been working with internet experts to develop a bespoke internet platform for the course. After launching it in Sweden he approached Vidyamala and Sona to improve the English translations and record the audio introductions and meditations in English. This course is aimed both at individuals and also large organisations - the idea is that people within an office would all do the course together as it only involves 10 minutes meditation in the morning and afternoon at your computer. It's exciting to think that organisations can now access this kind of approach to help their workers be happier, more mindful and no doubt more productive. Breathworks is offering mentoring and group support to people doing the course.
For more information on any of the above please contact the Breathworks office or visit our website, where you will find many other resources - for instance there’s a great introduction to mindfulness here.