Welcome to Mindfulness in New Zealand
There is a great need for mindfulness trainers who can guide adults, teens and children towards experiencing Mindfulness and to establish the practices themselves to experience the many on-going benefits; decreased anxiety and stress, increased mental clarity, better self-regulation, better sleep quality to name a few..
We offer:
Introduction to Mindfulness courses across New Zealand:
• Two day Mindfulness Training courses for teachers, counsellors, social workers, parents and anyone who wants to learn how to establish an ongoing Mindfulness practice for themselves, their organisation, clients, students and children etc.
• Mindfulness classes in schools
• Mindfulness training for School Staff
Upcoming Courses
2 DAY MINDFULNESS TEACHER TRAINING
This two-day certificate course gives you the background, science, practices and techniques to teach/guide others and establish a regular practice yourself.
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STAFF TRAINING
Introducing Mindfulness across the school for all staff. Teachers will be shown the breathing, listening, body scanning techniques and learn simple ways to demonstrate Mindfulness to students.
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8 WEEK SELF-PACED MINDFULNESS ONLINE COURSE
Each week we look closely at emotions, thinking, impulse control, inter-connectivity as well as doing regular Mindfulness practices; breathing, listening, body scanning and other activities.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn. (Founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)
By training ourselves to notice our thoughts and feelings through awareness on physical sensations, we come to realise that we have the ability to shift our attention away from negative thinking and behaviour patterns. When done repeatedly, we increase resilience to the minds efforts to focus on anxious thoughts patterns for example.
“Just watch this moment, without trying to change it at all. What is happening? What do you see? What do you hear?”Jon Kabat-Zinn
How does it work?
Mindfulness increases our ability to notice what is happening in you and around you in the present moment. Mindfulness is a skill and requires practice. Just as athletes train on a daily basis to maintain fitness and stamina. Mindfulness,requiring regular daily practice to experience the many well documented benefits especially of de-stressing, relaxing the body and most importantly improving life quality with raised awareness and appreciation of life itself.
Through guided, easy-to-do practices you are training the mind to be more present in the moment resulting in a fresh alertness and aliveness previously covered over with anxious thinking and over-thinking and being caught up in feelings and emotions.
Who is it for?
Everyone!
- Who wants to improve the quality of life and relationships
- Thinks anxiously as a regular behavior.
- Stressed people
- People who engage in constant negative self-talk
- People who can’t sleep because of incessant inner chatter
- People who operate on ‘auto-pilot’ and are always ‘on’..
Why Mindfulness?
Evidence based results from around the world continue to show that the regular practise of Mindfulness has ongoing benefits for physical and mental health. Research over the past few decades has found that Mindfulness training helps to;
Relieve Anxiety
& Stress
In our fast paced lives, where we rush from one demand to another, there is very little time or space to stop and pause. Mindfulness offer the tools needed to connect with our inner intelligence, where we can access natural calmness beneath the busy minds.
Let go of Anger
& Frustration
Coming in contact with your direct experience in the mindful state allows us to become familiar with the patterns that direct our lives; our thoughts, emotions and reactions.
Overcome Worrying
& Negative Thinking
Pain is an inevitable part of being human but suffering is optional. In mindfulness we learn how to manage our thoughts and emotions instead of letting emotions and thoughts manage us.
Stop Inner Chatter
Aimless thinking and inner chatter is draining our energy and clouding over the present moment. One of the most common benefits from regular mindfulness training is greater mental clarity and a new sense of inner peace.
Have Better Sleep
To be able stop incessant thinking and worrying is one of the great benefits of Mindfulness and it makes it easier to to go to sleep and have unbroken sleep throughout the night.
Stop Living in the Past
Mindfulness practices increasingly bring you more into the present with the growing awareness that going over the past keeps you stuck in the past.
About the Trainer
Rita Riccola
“Rita is a fabulous facilitator – she made us feel extremely comfortable, was open minded and encouraged us all to share from our diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. I came away with many very practical, easy to use exercises that I have since been using with with my classes of various ages. Thank you Rita for gifting me such a wonderful and enjoyable afternoon of learning”.
-Louise Dore, Auckland
Rita Riccola
Rita Riccola Has been a Vipassana and yoga practitioner for 25 years after discovering there was a way to ‘tame my mind’.
“I have attended many silent retreats over the years. I always believed that life is the teacher and was sceptical of dogmatic, religious practices so for me Mindfulness was perfect. From 2000-2002 I went to a number Barry Long’s seminars (Aust.) on a Course in Being (Barry Long was a teacher of Eckhart Tolle).
I have been trying to find a way to pass on all I have learned about the mind and emotions and finally Mindfulness has reached the mainstream and has allowed that to happen.In 2012 I set up Mindful NZ Schools in an effort to bring Mindfulness practices and the proven benefits to all schoolchildren in New Zealand.
I have completed courses with Mindful Schools USA in preparation to offer schools in New Zealand Mindfulness classes (Mindful NZ Schools) which I have been doing since 2012: More recently I have been training teachers at Diocesan and Dilworth Junior College in Mindfulness in an effort take the practices to their students. I have been running an after-school programme for children and parents for the past 2 years at Grey Lynn Community Center. I get regular requests to run public Mindfulness classes which I am now offering”.
“Rita is a fabulous facilitator – she made us feel extremely comfortable, was open minded
and encouraged us all to share from our diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. I came
away with many very practical, easy to use exercises that I have since been using with with my
classes of various ages.
Thank you Rita for gifting me such a wonderful and enjoyable afternoon of learning”.
-Louise Dore
“When I am trying to get to sleep I use the body scan. It really works!”
Student, James Cook High,
‘The body scan felt relaxing and calm which took all the anger away”.
Year 5 student, Dilworth Junior
“Practicing Mindfulness has been shown to alter the structure and function of the brain, which is what allows us to learn, acquire new abilities, and improve memory.” DR. ROMIE MUSHTAQ
Mindfulness trains the mind to be observant and responsive to the many challenges we face every day.
Harvard, Oxford and Stanford Universities offer Mindfulness courses. Mindfulness is not just a trend but a proven method for success.
2 Day Mindfulness Facilitation Courses
Find Dates & Locations
In this 2 day certificate course you will not only be introduced to and learn the the powerful Mindfulness techniques that are helping individuals from all walks of life to have more balance and focus in their lives. You will also receive the tools and training to teach these techniques to anyone around you, including students and children.
Choose a Location
(CLICK TO EXPAND)
COURSES IN 2019
Course in Auckland September 5-6 2019
TIME & PLACE
Venue: St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland
Thursday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Friday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Cost: $495
Including: Morning tea, Mindfulness Teaching Manual, A Lesson Plan, an 8 week Mindfulness Workbook, online course and ongoing support.
MAKE A BOOKINGLimited to 12 people
8 seats left
Course in Auckland Nov 30 – Dec 1 2019
TIME & PLACE
Venue: St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland
Saturday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Sunday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Cost: $495
Including: Morning tea, Mindfulness Teaching Manual, A Lesson Plan, an 8 week Mindfulness Workbook, online course and ongoing support.
MAKE A BOOKINGLimited to 12 people
10 seats left
COURSES 2019
Course in Wellington 31 August – 1 September 2019
Saturday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Sunday: 9.30am-3.30pm
TIME & PLACE
Venue: Hotel Mercure Wellington Abel Tasman Hotel, 169 Willis St, Te Aro, Wellington CBD
Cost: $495
Including: Morning tea, Mindfulness Teaching Manual, A Lesson Plan, an 8 week Mindfulness Workbook, 8 week online course and ongoing support.
Limited to 12 people
7 seats left
COURSES 2019
Course in Christchurch 19-20 September 2019
Thursday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Friday: 9.30am-3.30pm
TIME & PLACE
Venue: Will be advised
Cost: $550
Including: Morning tea, Mindfulness Teaching Manual, A Lesson Plan, an 8 week Mindfulness Workbook, 8 week online course and ongoing support.
Limited to 12 people
8 seats left
Online Courses
Start practising mindfulness
Self-Paced Online Course
Learn the effective mindfulness techniques that are helping individuals from all walks of life to have more balance and focus in their lives.
Bring Mindfulness to the Classroom
ONLINE TRAINING
For teachers and consultants who want to introduce mindfulness to their students, children or staff.
Non Religous
There is no religion, dogma or beliefs attached to mindfulness. Mindfulness has it’s roots in many contemplative practices but doesn’t require or impose on anyones belief systems. It’s a mental activity that has proven to be of great benefit for maintaining physical, mental and emotional balance.
Evidence Based
The many benefits of mindfulness have been well documented especially in the past 30 years since Jon Kabat-Zinn established the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programme that has led to the wide-spread, evidence based research and the acceptance of these non-religious, practical exercises anyone can do.
Mindfulness for everyone
Mindfulness practice doesn’t require any preparation or beforehand knowledge about meditation. Anyone can experience the effect from these simple exercises.