Mentoring

Personal Practice Mentoring

I offer personal practice mentoring through the Mindfulness Network.

The aim of personal practice mentoring is to support ongoing personal mindfulness practice within a secular framework and context, through one-to-one sessions, with an experienced mindfulness-based teacher/supervisor.

What is personal practice mentoring?

Practice mentoring provides an optional and enhanced focus on personal practice for all who wish to deepen their exploration of mindfulness practice in everyday life and work. It supports the process of reflection through a deepening inquiry into one’s ongoing formal and informal practice.  It encourages exploration and discovery, and provides support and guidance where needed. It helps to keep practice engaged and alive, and supports skilful engagement with obstacles that may arise.  The mentoring sessions provide a specific focus on inquiring into personal mindfulness practice within a secular context.

Phone or electronic platform-based sessions are arranged on a contracted basis with flexible intervals between the sessions (e.g. monthly, to allow time for practice and reflection).  The content and framework for the sessions, including frequency of contact, and other practicalities (e.g. how often/ long/when) are arranged during an initial contracting session. It is fine to link with a mentor now and again or on a more regular basis.

Who is personal practice mentoring for?

  • anyone who has completed a group-based, eight-week course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
  • anyone who has completed an eight-week MBSR distance learning course.
  • trainee mindfulness-based teachers who are currently on or waiting to join a mindfulness-based teacher training programme.
  • We suggest that mentoring follows an interval of 6 months following an 8 week course to support the development of independent practice. However, if it is beneficial to begin sooner, we are willing to discuss what works best according to individual needs and requirements.
  • Practice mentoring is separate to supervision. It is ideal for mindfulness-based teachers as a way to rekindle inquiry and inspiration within personal practice as this will naturally inform the teaching process.

“As a mentor, I greatly value the richly creative space that mentoring offers for sharing the unique journey of practice with others, and enquiring into something that is so fundamental to our human growth, development and evolving potential. However long you have been practising and   you feel your practice is going, practice mentoring can encourage you in your endeavours, and offers valuable space for enquiry and reflection, fresh inspiration, and renewed purpose, clarity and focus.”

For further information and an application form, please go to

www.mindfulness-supervision.org.uk

Mindfulness and compassion develop at the same pace. The more mindful you become, the easier you’ll find it to be compassionate. And the more you open your heart to others, the more mindful you become in all your activities.

~Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Practice mentoring continues to be a place whereby I can explore what arises for me in my informal and formal practices. Gwennie is an excellent guide and mentor, always helping to create the space necessary for me to navigate the complexities and possibilities of living mindfully in daily life. I would highly recommend both Gwennie and practice mentoring as a way to support and nourish mindfulness practice.