DISTANCE LEARNING
MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION
8 WEEK COURSE

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Course information and booking arrangements
In response to requests from people who live further away, we have developed a Distance Learning MBSR program that you can undertake from your own home. You are welcome to arrange to do a distance course with one or more friends in your location. This would make the program more engaging and interesting as you could share the process together. Costs can be reduced for groups of three or more.

Distance Learning Course Structure and Home Practice
You will have a weekly meeting on the phone with a mindfulness teacher who will guide you through the learning of the 8-week program. Learning materials including practice CDs and a course book outlining each week’s practice will be posted to you. Home practice forms a large part of the program.

You will need to commit yourself to spending up to an hour each day:
• Listening and practicing, using the tapes/CDs
• Making notes of your experiences
• Undertaking some informal / daily life practices. These can be done as part of your routine and ordinary activities.

We would also encourage you to arrange times each week during the course when you can do some reading and engage in some personal reflection.

The learning within mindfulness comes through our own experiences within the practices, and through the way we integrate this way of being into our daily life. The weekly personal connection with a mindfulness teacher is an opportunity to reflect on and draw out the learning from your experiences, as the weeks unfold. The home practice is therefore an integral and important part of the course. Within a group based mindfulness class there is a pooling of learning experience, which cannot be a part of this individualized process – so, the personal home practice experience is central to the process.

To get the most out of the course requires a fair bit of work on your part. Developing a strong commitment to your daily practice is helpful, whatever difficulties and obstacles you may face. Making the time commitment and undertaking the personal exploration can seem stressful at times but it is also likely to prove empowering and pleasurable as well. The best advice that previous participants share in relation to this, is ‘just do it’ – without too much concern about whether results are unfolding or not. Committing to the practice and seeing through what is involved in the eight weeks as best you can is our best advice. You can then assess the outcomes at the end.

Whilst taking part in the course, it is important to remember that this experience may be stressful at times. Finding the time to practice involves a shift in routine. Things may seem as though they are more intense and challenging. The program encourages us to bring a high degree of attention to everything, even the unpleasant or difficult things we are experiencing in our lives. This forms an important part of the learning, to stay and be with problems and difficulties, rather than turn away from them and avoid them. There is little opportunity or time during the course to discuss any current or past personal problems not related to the practices. If necessary, these should be pursued through individual work with a counsellor or other appropriate support

If you are able to travel to a centre where we hold the Day of Mindfulness for a day during week 6 of the program, you are invited to take part in a day-long practice session. This would greatly enrich your learning on the course. After completing the course, you can come to any of these day-long practice sessions that you are able to attend.

Background reading
Suggested readings will be included each week – although these are very much up to you to pursue. The reading is not as important as doing the practices – so if you are short of time one week – prioritize your practice rather than your reading. The recommended reading is specific and is contained in ‘Full Catastrophe Living’ by Jon Kabat-Zinn. However all the rest is purely for your interest only and you are obviously welcome to read as much or as little as you choose. Saki Santorelli’s book ‘Heal Thyself’ is organised in weekly sections so it is helpful, if you want, to read his book in parallel as you go through the course. In some weeks we will suggest specific sections, in other weeks we will leave it up to you.

What is important is to realise that this course is about your own experience and your awareness of your experience, and it will not be possible for you to learn to be more mindful and aware by reading books!

Recommended reading
We ask that you obtain a copy of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book ‘Full Catastrophe Living’ – 1990 Delta Books, USA or Piatkus, UK.

We also recommend getting the following books as useful but OPTIONAL additions:
‘Heal Thyself’ - Saki Santorelli – 1999 Bell Tower, USA
‘Wherever You Go, There You Are’ - Jon Kabat-Zinn –1995 Hyperion

Course preparation
A teacher will be allocated to you once we have received your booking form. S/he will make contact with you and arrange a time to talk about the course. This will enable you to hear more about the course, the teacher to hear about what has brought you to the course and together to decide whether the course will be suitable for you at this time. We do not charge for this contact and it is ok if you decide following this, that the course is not right for you at this stage.

Support
Your teacher is available via email during the week, for you to contact should you encounter any difficulties in your practice that will not wait for your regular phone contact. It is important to use this resource rather than get stuck with any difficulty that may arise. It may also be possible to phone your teacher (in addition to the weekly contact) if the need arises. This can be discussed between you as you set up your arrangement.

We strongly encourage all distance learners to contact a friend, supervisor or therapist for personal support during the course. The course teacher is available for support in mindfulness practice but is unable to offer other therapeutic support should it be needed.

The phone calls
The cost of making the phone call is not included in the fee – we ask that you call the teacher. You will make the arrangements for the timings of the phone calls with your teacher. It is important that you keep to the times agreed. It is unlikely that your teacher will be able to make changes to the arrangements at short notice.

Confidentiality
Discussions in the sessions will normally be held in complete confidence. The exceptions to this are as follows:

All our teachers receive regular supervision of their work and therefore the teacher may take any appropriate matter arising from the course to his/her own supervision process. All reasonable care will be taken to ensure anonymity.

If the teacher is sufficiently concerned about a matter with serious criminal, ethical or personal implications told to him/her by a distance learner, s/he reserves the right to breach confidentiality by discussing this with another responsible person. Every effort would be made to discuss this with the distance learner in the first instance.

Registration and Cost

If you are not sure about registering and want to find out more about the program... - Ring Astrid - the course Registrar - 0401 904 995 Astrid is knowledgeable about the course and is able to respond to any of your questions and concerns. She is happy to ring you back within 24 hours of you texting or leaving a message.  You can also email an inquiry to:info@openground.com.au - Talk to your teacher If you want to, you can also arrange a phone interview with your distance education teacher. Speak with Astrid about this and she will arrange this for you. - If you are interested in joining the program: Secure your place by following the process for registration below: COST & PAYMENT   The total cost of this program is $685 This includes: Initial phone session with your teacher to orientate you to the course. 8 x 30 min weekly phone calls Teacher support between sessions Course book and 4 CDs All-day intensive during the course or as ongoing follow-up afterwards (free of charge) Fees are due prior to the commencement of the course. You will be sent an invoice once you have registered - which can be paid by cheque or internet banking. Our goal is to make the course accessible to those who could benefit and payment and/or concessions plans will be considered on the basis of need. Please ring Astrid - the course registrar - on 0401 904 995 if you wish to discuss a discount or payment plan. Check with your accountant for tax deductibility. Reimbursement from your insurer may be possible if you are in rehabilitation or receiving workers compensation. You will need a referral from your doctor to the MBSR program. REGISTRATION   Click on the Register button to complete the on-line Registration form REFUND POLICY   We are confident you will find our classes enjoyable and beneficial. However, we do understand there are times when you may need to drop a course. Our refund policy is to provide a full refund, less a materials/registration fee of $100, for requests made prior to the second class in a course series. Course fees will not be refunded after the second class begins, however, you may have a pro rata credit to take the class at a future time that works for your schedule. Please request the credit at the time you request to be dropped from a class. To request a refund, please send an email to info@openground.com.au indicating your name, the name of the class, reason for the refund, and a phone number where you can be reached in case of questions.