Accredited & Highly Evaluated Course for Practicing & Facilitating Mindfulness
TWO DAY FACE TO FACE TRAINING IN CHRISTCHURCH
GET THE SKILLS & CONFIDENCE TO FACILITATE MINDFULNESS
Using Proven & Successful Methods
In these 2 days we will unpack mindfulness practice and facilitation.
Activities and strategies will be taught to relieve stress & anxiety and to have better attention & focus as well as key points to give you the skills and confidence to guide mindfulness sessions for groups or one to one.
Mindfulness Teacher Training Certificate based on the latest research and techniques on teaching mindfulness
MBSR Based Interactive Course Covering Polyvagal Theory, Activities & Practices – Get Accreditation & The Confidence To Teach – Help Others To Find Purpose, Calm & Joy
COURSE DURATION: 2 DAYS
ACCREDITED: Yes
CERTIFICATE: Yes
WHEN: TBA.
WHERE: Online Zoom Training
Register and find more dates here
DESCRIPTION: There is a growing demand in all sectors of life for Mindfulness training and trained mindfulness facilitators.
In this 2 day accredited 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.
A Safe Place To Go Deeper
Teaching mindfulness is about guiding people to their own mindfulness practice. It’s about co-creating an environment where mindfulness can ‘happen’.In this ‘safe space’ everyone has the ability to come into a deeper contact with who they really are by continually being offered the possibility of surrendering to the present moment, exactly as it is, without an agenda or expected outcome.
During the two days we will be looking carefully at the basic neuroscience; how purposefully connecting with the body’s self-calming para-sympathetic nervous system leads to- lower stress and anxiety, increased attention and mental clarity, improved social and emotional intelligence and a host of other life-enhancing benefits.
In this course you will learn, as the teacher/guide, how to use language, your voice, authority and authenticity to create an environment, where a deep trust between participants naturally arises and a sense of freedom and safety also.
To guide mindfulness is like nothing else, it is not teaching in a traditional sense, it is not therapy. It is more like ‘decluttering’ the over-filled, busy mind.
By establishing your own Mindfulness practice and the fundamental understanding of how mindfulness works from a more scientific point of view, you will build the foundation needed to effectively guide others on to their own mindfulness journey.
The Natural State Of Being Human
In our fast paced and increasingly distracted and fragmented world we now have to ‘teach’ mindfulness to re-empower people with their own natural ability to restore the fragmented mind to a state of wholeness and presence.Mindfulness is not new, it is thousands of years old and has been practiced in many eastern cultures as a way of maintaining mental balance against the inevitable distortions the mind generates. Mindfulness has made it to the west for a number of reasons; technology has developed and allowed researchers to study and understand the function of the brain more fully so that we now have an enormous amount of evidence-based research confirming the benefits of regular practice.
The increasing demands of living places enormous stress on all people, children, teenagers and adults, the purposeful, daily cultivation of minimising stress, self-regulation, connection to self, others and the world around us has been proven to assist mental, emotional and physical balance.
This course gives you the background, science, practices and techniques to teach/guide others and to establish a regular practice yourself.
Understanding how the brain works goes a long way to empowering people to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness ‘teaches’ us how thoughts and feelings affect our state of being and how we are able to train ourselves, intentionally, to observe the activity of the mind without becoming entrapped and start believing every thought the mind produces or be swept away by every emotion felt.
Mindfulness trains us to recognise we have a choice of where to put our attention and to recognise when we are becoming trapped in unhelpful thinking.
The course is based on the successful programme Mindful NZ Schools has been running the past five years as well as latest research and techniques on teaching mindfulness designed by the original MBSR members
who trained with Jon Kabat-Zinn.
This is an interactive course covering theory, activities and practices. You will have opportunity to deepen your own Mindfulness practice and be empowered by the discovery that you can self-manage your thoughts and emotions. Participants also get the chance to guide classes for first-hand experience.
IN SHORT-What will you learn?
This training will give you a resource to improve everyone’s, including students and children’s ability to deal with stress and anxiety as well as improve attention and focus and cultivate kindness and empathy. Activities and practices will be taught to help engage students in the mindfulness process and assist in internalising the mindfulness process.Why should we teach Mindfulness to students and children?
Studies have shown that emotional regulation, social behaviour and academic achievement have noticeably improved for those who have received Mindfulness instructions.
Benefits such as:
- Decreased stress and anxiety
- Better sleep
- Better self-management
- Less reactivity
- Improved mental resilience
- Increased self-awareness
- Better memory
- Increased attention and focus
- Better conflict resolution skills
are common and expectable result from regular Mindfulness practice.
It doesn’t matter if you never meditated or done one Mindfulness exercise in your life, this course is for anyone who are moved to establish their own Mindfulness practice and get the tools and resources to help others to improve focus, mental resilience and impulse control.

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM THIS COURSE?
REGISTER HERE
“This Course Exceeded My Expectations”.Angela B, psychologist, Auckland
“The 8 week course has allowed me to re connect with the person I used to be and ignite my passion to forge forward, to help others find their passion, peace, connection and love within themselves. So they too, can help others to find their way in life. Thank you for this experience and training”
Sia, Sydney, AUS
“I’ve really loved this course – both the online component and the two day course, I’m so grateful I’ve learnt these empowering new tools. THANK YOU :-)”
Natalie E. Auckland, NZ
“This has been a wonderful course and I look forward to sharing what I have learned with others!”
Nancy C.. Auckland, NZ
START PRACTISING MINDFULNESS TODAY!
GET THE FREE EBOOK

ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THIS COURSE
“Thank you, this wonderful experience, which is now forever a regular practice in my life”.Suan H.
“I just wanted to take the time to express how much I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 day course…I have attended other mindfulness training but really feel your offering is unparalleled.”.Sara A.REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE
Tools & Resources
Over these 2 days we will cover so much ground and learn so many things that it would be almost impossible to remember it all afterwards but the best thing is that you don’t need to. You will get printed and digital documentation on all aspects of what we learnt in the course.
WHAT YOU GET
2 DAYS MINDFULNESS FACILITATION TRAINING
A two day immersion into Mindfulness, including morning tea, guided by a an experienced mindfulness trainer and educator in a safe, relaxed environment with like-minded people.
We will learn practices to relax the body, eliminate stress, calm the mind and experience the mindful state.
We start out by cover the background, basic neuroscience, physiology of breathing and how mindfulness works from a more scientific point of view.
Over these two days You will be empowered by the discovery that you can self-manage your thoughts and emotions and deepen the contact with your natural intelligence and intuition. There will also be opportunities to guide sessions for first-hand experience for those who want.

You will learn practices to eliminate stress and experience the mindful state.

A Mindfulness Facilitator Manual on how to use language, your own authenticity and natural authority, to create a space where Mindfulness can ‘happen’.
A MINDFULNESS FACILITATOR’S PACK

When you register you also get access to a complete self-paced online course to establish your own mindfulness practice.
8 Week Online Course
which is a great preparation for the 2 day training.INCLUDING:
- A 60 page Mindfulness Training Manual covering eight week lessons in downloadable PDF format
- Guided Mindfulness audios for each weeks exercises that you can listen to on any device.
- Videos Recommended videos and talks to watch as a complement to the course
“Many thanks for your wonderful online course, which was very thought provoking”Patricia C., Ireland
Who is the course for?
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
The Trainer
Rita Riccola is one of New Zealand’s leading mindfulness trainers. Her 2 day Mindfulness Facilitation training has been attended by hundreds of individuals from a wide variety of professions in both New Zealand and Australia. She have provided staff training for numerous schools across New Zealand in order to help them integrating mindfulness practice to the curriculum.
She is a former teacher and a trained mindfulness teacher with 28 yrs experience who has completed courses with Mindful Schools USA and attended many Mindfulness retreats. These courses are designed to meet the growing need for educators and human resource workers to offer Mindfulness training to all.
What Participants Say
“What I liked best about the 2 day training was the relaxed, knowledgeable approach to Mindfulness”.
-Laura, Melbourne
“I liked the pace, experiential learning and the facilitators sharing her experience”
Alison, Sydney
“I’ve learnt valuable human, approachable ways to bring Mindfulness to my school and my own life”
Peter, Sydney
“ I’ve learnt that you can choose to change. The interaction between participants was especially valuable”
– Jen, Sydney
“Thank you Rita for providing such a thorough course in Mindfulness. This has come at exactly the right time for me as I look towards a less cluttered lifestyle, on the physical plane as well as the emotional and spiritual. My Tai Chi has become more focused and precise, as has everything I do now, with being fully present with an open heart.
Thank you once again,
Warm blessings”
Anne C., Auckland
“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
“I found Rita’s expert and gentle facilitating a wonderful way to explore mindfulness personally, whilst also guiding me to share mindfulness with others”.
-Suzanne Henwood, Auckland
“The Mindfulness Teacher Training 2 day workshop delivered some excellent material and provided participants with some definitive tools to enable them to develop their own teaching programs around. Rita’s knowledge and inclusive manner of facilitating made for an enjoyable experience”.
-Errol Alison, Wellington
MAKE A BOOKING
Become a Certified Mindfulness Coach
Book now and receive the online component that you can do in your own time, today!
After the 2 day training you will receive more than 30 resources to expand on all aspects of Mindfulness; manuals, articles, white papers, videos and posters to assist you in your efforts to guide mindfulness effectively. A certificate will also be issued after completion.
Pay securely via credit card or invoice. Payment plans are available.
(CLICK TO EXPAND)
COURSES IN 2024
No Courses at the moment – contact us to get notified when a course is available in Christchurch
Alternatively See Virtual Trainings above
COURSES IN 2025
February
3 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 25-27 February 2025
Tuesday: 11.00am-2.00pm
Wednesday: 11.00am-2.00pm
Thursday: 11.00am-2.00pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
March
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 18-20 March 2025
Tuesday: 11.00am-2.00pm
Wednesday: 11.00am-2.00pm
Thursday: 11.00am-2.00pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
April
3 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 15-17 April 2025
Tuesday: 11.00am-2.00pm
Wednesday: 11.00am-2.00pm
Thursday: 11.00am-2.00pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
May
Weekend Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 10-11 May 2025
Saturday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Sunday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
June
2-day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 18-19 June 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
July
2-day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 2-3 July 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
August
Weekend Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 23-24 August 2025
Saturday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Sunday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
September
2-day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 24-25 September 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $495
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
“With Mindfulness training you are not adding to your knowledge in the
traditional sense – you are in fact removing some of the mental clutter
that is holding you back from being naturally mindful and in a state of
equilibrium”.Rita Riccola
Be Open, Curious and Kind to Yourself
Mindfulness isn’t about not thinking, it’s about observing our thoughts and feelings and over time, becoming more aware of underlying patterns that are often fixed and robotic.
Polyvagal Theory
In this course you will learn, as the teacher/guide, how to use language, your voice, authority and authenticity to create an environment, where a deep trust between participants naturally arises as well as a sense of freedom and safety.
To guide mindfulness is like nothing else, it is not teaching in a traditional sense, it is not therapy. It is more like ‘decluttering’ the over-filled, busy mind.
By establishing your own Mindfulness practice and the fundamental understanding of how mindfulness works from a more scientific point of view, you will build the foundation needed to effectively guide others on to their own mindfulness journey.
A Path to Healing
However you can’t just ‘add water’ and suddenly you are mindful. Recognising that the only way we get skilled at anything is to do it again and again – That is why this course comes with an 8 week online component where you slowly, day by day, establish a personal mindfulness practice. You learn all the classic formal practices within a context where they make sense and you get to incorporate mindfulness to your daily life at your own pace using guided audios. This self-paced online component goes even beyond the formal and introduces a path to forgiveness and acceptance that can heal frayed relationships and come to terms with ‘unfortunate’ life events.
Make a Booking & Receive The Online Component Today!
Course Content – Day 1 & 2
- What is Mindfulness?
- How does it work?
Evidence-based research results
and the neuroscience. - Why Teach Mindfulness to Students and Children.
- Breathing Exercise 1 and 2
- Guided Body Scan
- The STOP Method
- How to build a Mindfulness Lesson
- Tools & Resources
- How to identifying patterns of thinking and reacting that keep us trapped.
- Practical ways to work with Difficult Thoughts and Emotions.
- Turning boredom and restlessness into curiosity
- Mindful Listening-expanded awareness.
- The ‘Mountain meditation’
- Training Session – Teaching Mindfulness
- Questions and Answers, feedback/personal Enquiry into your own experience
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 sleep in 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.
Register for this course Today and get immediate access to the 8 week online component to start practicing today using easy-to follow guided meditations.
WHAT DO YOU GET FROM THIS COURSE?
Make a Booking & Receive The Online Component Today!
Pay securely via credit card or invoice. Payment plans are available.

After the 2 day training you will receive more than 30 resources to expand on all aspects of Mindfulness; manuals, articles, white papers, videos and posters to assist you in your efforts to guide mindfulness effectively. A certificate will also be issued after completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mindfulness is a way of noticing where your attention is in the present moment without judging it good or bad. It’s about not wandering off into an imagined future or going over the past but fully engaging right here right now.
Through guided, simple easy-to-do practisies you are training the mind to be more present in the moment. resulting in it to be less anxious, more alert and alive.
- Who over-thinks
- 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’..
Related Courses
10% OFF LIMITED TIME OFFER
Take the guesswork out of starting practicing mindfulness
1 DAY MINDFULNESS TRAINING
for mental balance & self-regulation
How to deal with stress & Anxiety
Formal & Informal Practices
Learn in a Supportive space using proven techniques
Cultivate Kindness & Empathy
How to Deal With Difficult emotions
Deepen The Connection with your natural intelligence
Unlearn Limiting Beliefs
Designed by Leading Teacher
For Beginners & More Advanced
INCLUDES 8 WEEK ONLINE COMPONENT
“Just watch this moment, without trying to change it at all. What is happening? What do you see? What do you hear?”Jon Kabat-Zin