How present are you in your own life? Do you sometimes spend long periods of time without checking in with yourself? Are you thinking about lunch while you are working, and work while you are lunching? Do you sometimes feel that life is slipping through your hands? Or that there is something really important that has somehow been forgotten?

Being truly and profoundly present in our own life is not as easy as it appears to be. Instead, imagining the future and dwelling in the past, ruminating on troubles and wishing for something better or just different can easily take over the space that awareness of this present moment could occupy. Yet it is only in the present moment that we can actually do the real process of living! Only in the present moment can we actually live!

The Chinese character for mindfulness contains the idea for both ‘now” or the ‘present’ and ‘heart/mind’, pointing us in a radical and important direction. Mindfulness encourages us, even in the midst of difficulty, to live not just from our mind, but from  our open and connected hearts. To become more fully present in our own life and the lives of those we touch.

Whether you are new to meditation or want to refresh your practice and spend a day in practice, the day will also provide some of the unique insights of Conscious Embodiment.

PRACTICING HOW WE WANT TO BE IN THE WORLD!

Unlike some forms of meditation the emphasis on Clearcircle courses is not turning inward and removing ourselves from the world, but exploring how we might come with greater presence, compassion and awareness into the world. Meditation in this sense is a chance to practice ‘how we want to be in the world’.

The day will focus on the important and foundational aspects of meditation, including the posture in meditation, the ways in which we can anchor the mind, and develop the qualities within ourselves to create dignity and compassion. It will tackle how to deal with a mind that will not stop, and skillfully work with an excess of negative thoughts. The day will give you a foundation for further personal practice and profoundly enhance any other Clearcircle courses you care to take.

Whether you are a leader who wants to be more present and aware in your leadership, a martial artist wanting to deepen your connection to your self and take your art to the next level, or you simply want to connect more deeply to you self and others mindfulness is a vital practice.

Mindfulness meditation is a simple yet powerful way of returning to ourselves and discovering the inner resources that await us. It allows us to connect more deeply with ourselves, the world we live in, and a larger sense of possibility.

You will…

♦Explore your own pattern of response to stress and increased demands, and explore mindful ways to respond more skillfully.

♦Learn simple, powerful ways to feel grounded, centred and connected even in the midst of stressful and demanding circumstances.

♦Explore the art of powerful, non-aggressive mindful advocacy.

♦Access strengths you already possess but rarely utilize.

♦Explore the art of mindfully listening and including others.

♦Explore through mindfulness practices the relationship between your cognitive, emotional and intuitive self.

♦Explore the way you organise your self in relationship to others as a leader and as a follower.

It will be divided between instruction and graduated personal practice. It is a great, supportive way to enter into a profoundly powerful way of integrating your mind, heart, body and spirit.

COSTS:-

£180 ORGANISATIONS per person.

£250 for 2-3

£70 INDIVIDUALS

For bursary please contact Clearcircle via website email.

Bring another person along and get a concessionary rate!

READ THE BLOG ARTICLE “THE NOVICE, THE HEADMONK & THE FALLING LEAVES:- MINDFULNESS & LEADERSHIP HERE

MINDFULNESS WISDOM FROM OTHERS.

“...we must realise that the ability to perceive, connect with, and assist someone else is directly related to the depth of connection we have with ourself.”  

Richard Strozzi Heckler in ‘The Anatomy of Change’.

 

“In all activities of life the secret of efficiency lies in an ability to combine two seemingly incompatible states: a state of maximum activity and a state of maximum relaxation.” 

Aldous Huxley.

“In undertaking a spiritual life, what matters is simple: We must make certain that our path is connected to our heart.” 

Jack Kornfield, “A Path With Heart.

“Life is denied by lack of attention whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece.”  

Nadia Boulanger.

“There is one thing we can do, and the happiest people are those who can do it to the limit of their ability. We can be completely present. We can be all here. We can…give all our attention to the opportunity before us.” 

Mark Van Doren.

“I have only three enemies. My favourite enemy, the one most easily influenced for the better, is the British Empire. My second enemy, the Indian people, is far more difficult. But my most formidable opponent is a man named Mohandas K. Gandhi. With him I seem to have very little influence.” Mohandas K. Gandhi.

READ ARTICLE ON MINDFULNESS & LEADERSHIP:-

THE NOVICE, THE HEAD MONK AND THE FALLING LEAVES.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT CLEARCIRCLE COURSES.

“I've gained so much professionally & personally from Being In Leadership. I've learned how to remain calm in stressful situations, to prioritise & to learn to lead from a real place, rather than manage through paper shuffling! I've laughed, cried, sweated & become centred in equal measure at varying points throughout the course & was genuinely sad when it came to an end. I'm looking forward to more courses of this ilk as I continue my journey through leadership, of myself, my personal life, my classroom and my department. Thanks so much!”

Curriculum Leader, Lammas School.

'BEING IN LEADERSHIP' was probably the most useful and applicable personal development course I have taken in 16 years of teaching. Not only have I developed the confidence to have difficult discussions, make difficult decisions and address difficult situations in the day-to-day management of my team, but I also feel that I have grown as a person. I have recommended Clearcircle to many of my colleagues who have also benefitted from the experience of 'BEING IN LEADERSHIP’"

STUDENT PROGRESS LEADER AT LAMMAS SCHOOL.

“BEING IN LEADERSHIP has been an enlightening and rewarding experience for both those people involved as well as the school in general. As the commitment to the course required time at the weekend to be given up, initially the course was viewed with some reticence by the participants. However the payback has been immense. Amongst an ever-increasing workload time for reflection is at a premium, the greatest achievement of this course has been to develop mechanisms which will develop and deepen this reflection. Furthermore, Leadership relies on the vision to see the bigger picture when pressure and stress are dictating otherwise, through the embodiment of physical processes and more focused thinking BEING IN LEADERSHIP has equipped its trainees with both the inclination and the skills to be able to initiate this. The course can indeed provoke a fear of the unknown and undoubtedly is a step out of the comfort zone, but it certainly empowers the leader with time and space to make a more thoughtful decision. I would recommend it as an integral part of any schools CPD programme and I certainly look forward to experiencing the second phase as part of our provision next year.”

ASSISTANT HEAD AND CPD CO-ORDINATOR.

“Very enjoyable & beneficial. Good starting point for my personal journey.”

 “Excellent.  Really like John’s way of teaching. Very knowledgeable and yet simple and mindful and loving.”

 “I really enjoyed myself and feel like I have learnt a lot today. I feel calm and more centered than in the morning. I enjoyed meditating with a group- it was much needed motivation! Cheers!”  

“Interesting & inspiring. A fantastic, very empowering experience.” 

“Helpful, something I needed greatly.”  

“The talks put a lot of things into perspective.” 

“The course was well balanced for beginners, I felt” 

“I found it all great.” 

“All interesting & useful.” 

“The day evaporates!!”

 “I can’t think of any improvements.”

 “It was a lovely group to share the moment with. Thank you.”

  “The course was great! It helped me experience being centred after a long time. I hope to do some Wu Chi next time."

 “Thought all of it was useful, but the session on joining our commitments to our real lives and actions was extremely thought provoking.”

 “Very enjoyable & useful. “

INTRODUCTORY ONE HOUR WORKSHOP NOW AVAILABLE.

SUITABLE FOR ALL SIZE GROUPS.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

PREVIOUS COURSES RUN BY CLEARCIRCLE HERE.