I was recently asked why, if the courses we teach are secular and science-based, I regularly share links to Buddhist-based teachings? So here's a bit more about me and the why...
My background is in molecular biology. I trained to teach Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy because of the rigorous science supporting it, and because joining an 8-week MBCT course had a huge impact on me personally. I am open-minded but am not religious. I have always been very curious about humans (including me) and how we work. I love people and want to understand us better. Which brings me to the roots of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy. MBCT represents the meeting of modern psychology – CBT-based approaches – and ancient wisdom, particularly Buddhist psychology. 2600 years ago, the man who became known as the Buddha was an early human psychologist. By looking inwardly and at the world around him, he developed his view of what it is to be human, and how we can live as well as possible. The world we live in has changed a lot since then, but we humans and our brains have not… which is why early buddhist thought and modern science dovetail so beautifully and meet in mindfulness-based approaches. They’re about the same thing, what it is to be human. It’s tricky being human – we have incredibly complex brains that can make living, particularly in the modern world, challenging for us. Practising mindfulness regularly helps us work with our incredible minds more skilfully, and to reunite mind and body. This is what I am passionate about exploring (come and join one of our courses to find out more!) We received incredible teaching from CBT practitioners, psychologists, Buddhist teachers and yoga therapists during our training at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. As part of this training, I also had my first experience of a silent retreat at Gaia House in Devon. Attending Buddhist-led retreats continues to be a highlight of my year for my own personal practice, which in turn supports me when I teach. Becoming more familiar with Buddhist psychology brings depth and integrity to mindfulness teaching – it offers a perhaps novel but enduring perspective on ‘being human’, backed up by modern science. I love this stuff, and I love always learning.
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AuthorI'm Claire - and I (re)learn something every day from practising and teaching mindfulness... Archives
March 2022
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