Living Mindfully - Online 6 week course

Schedule

Every Tuesday 7 - 9 PM UK Time
27 Oct
3, 10, 17 & 24 Nov
1 Dec

About this event

In this 6-week course we explore together how to bring the Five Mindfulness Trainings (5MTs) more fully into our lives, using them as practical guidance and spiritual friends on our intended path of living mindfully.

There will be one weekly 2-hour session over the course of 6 weeks.

This is the third course in the series, following on from The Art of Zen and Looking Deeply.

We offer a concentrated examination of the 5MTs in a supportive group atmosphere of people practising together. Each week is an opportunity to explore one MT and see what challenges it presents. What parts are difficult/easy to follow now? They are an ethical way of checking in to how closely we are following what we value in life, our intentions, and making conscious decisions instead of acting habitually, without awareness.

You may enjoy this short video the short video below from Sister True Dedication explaining the importance of the 5MTs within the Plum Village tradition. Note however - the trainings are not only for young people!

What to expect

In each session we will:

• meditate together
• reflect on one training in each session, through the Course Leaders’ sharing and a relevant video
• personal reflection time and dharma sharing with the same group throughout the course.
• follow specific home practice related to each training.

You will be provided with a handout summarising each session and recordings of the guided meditations used on this course.

We recommend the book The Mindfulness Survival Kit as a companion to the course.

For those who wish to receive the transmission of the 5MTs, ceremonies for this are held from time to time at some of our retreats. Please see the retreats page on our website for the latest information as to at which retreats this might be possible.

Please note, the course and taking the trainings are separate items and not conditional. You are not necessarily expected to receive the 5MTs after the course, nor do you have to have done the course in order to receive them. This is an optional extra.

Themes for the Sessions

1. An Introduction to Living Mindfully
2. Reverence for Life
3. True Happiness
4. True Love
5. Deep Listening and Loving Speech
6. Nourishment and Healing

Pricing

We offer a range of pricing options from £30 - £200 with the intention that the course is available to all. We ask that you pay whatever you can afford, to enable these courses to continue.

Plum Village UK is a not for profit charity based in the UK, affiliated to Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village monastery in France, and dedicated to sharing the practice of mindfulness and ethical living in the Plum Village Zen tradition.

For more courses like this please visit our website: plumvillage.uk/learn-mindfulness

We recommend that everyone signing up for this course becomes a member of the Community of Interbeing - please see our website at Join Us

Course Leaders

Lauri Bower

Lauri lives in Yorkshire and practises with the York Sangha.

She was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in Plum Village in 2014 and received the Lamp Transmission as a Dharma Teacher in 2026. Her True name is True Mountain of Non-Fear.

Lauri has been meditating for nearly 40 years and met Plum Village teachings in 2006. Her PhD research (2008-12) on Thich Nhat Hanh, Mindfulness and Engaged Buddhism led to teaching MBSR courses, and from 2016 The Art of Zen Course for Plum Village UK. She has co-created two further courses (Looking Deeply and Living Mindfully) for a pathway into establishing and deepening a personal and Sangha-based practice.

She has a creative practice, finding the combination of mindfulness and creativity fit together extremely well. She offers Mindful Writing Workshops and Retreats and the new Playing with Mindfulness and Creativity Course.

Lauri has offered the The Art of Zen course over 40 times, and still finds much to gain from exploring these simple yet deep teachings.

Mindfulness is an integral part of her life and she finds the practice helps generate peacefulness, calm and clarity.

Clare Belbin-Carlile

Clare lives in North Yorkshire and practises with the Kirkbymoorside and York Sanghas.

Clare was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2021 and received the True name True Spring Waterfall.

Clare first encountered Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings through attending Plum Village mindfulness retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh from 1998. This encounter was life changing, she became increasingly committed to her daily practice with the support of Sangha and it is now a central part of her life.

Clare’s mindfulness practice continues to be deeply rooted in her daily practice of drawing and painting in Helmsley Walled Garden. Clare’s practice transforms and enlivens everything she does. Her daily painting practice involves cherishing and falling in love with her subject matter, nature.

Through the wealth of experience brought by parenthood, periods of great change and upheaval in her life, the journey of caring for and the subsequent death of her beloved parents and husband, Clare has practised looking for the wonderful, ‘flecks of gold’ in her life (“this moment is full of wonders”). She realised that in trying to block suffering she would also be starved of her joy.

Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Read our full Course FAQ guide here

What is your cancellation policy?

If you cancel your booking at least 14 days before the start of the course we will refund your course fee. After this time, no refunds will be possible.

What if I miss a class?
It is ideal if you can make all the classes as this way you will gain a sound foundation in mindfulness practice. If you have to miss a class and know ahead of time, do let your course leader know.

What further information will I receive?
You will receive Joining Information in a confirmation email once you have purchased your ticket. This will confirm the information on the class timings, and how to access the online course. You will receive a further email directly from the Course Facilitator in the week before the course starts.

Can I join from a different timezone?
This is a UK-based event, but you are free to join from anywhere. If you are joining us from outside the UK, you may wish to use a timezone converter such as worldtimebuddy.

The Community of Interbeing UK
Charity Number 1096680
Plum Village UK

PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT

Please read the terms and conditions carefully. It is important that you understand and agree to these fully.