Accredited & Highly Evaluated Course for Practicing & Facilitating Mindfulness
TWO DAY FACE TO FACE TRAINING IN AUCKLAND
GET THE SKILLS & CONFIDENCE TO FACILITATE MINDFULNESS
Using Successful Methods
MBSR Based Mindfulness Course
Mindfulness Teacher Training Certificate based on the latest research and techniques on teaching mindfulness
• Deepen the contact with your natural intelligence & intuition.
• Learn How To Self-Manage Unhelpful Thoughts & Emotions
• Help Others To Find Peace of Mind & Focus
COURSE DURATION: 2 DAYS
ACCREDITED: Yes
CERTIFICATE: Yes
WHEN: 24-25 October 2024 etc.
WHERE: Auckland, in Epsom
Register and find more dates here
In this 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 adults, teenagers and children.
It doesn’t matter if you never have 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.
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.
How can Mindfulness Help?
In our fast paced world, where the increasing demands of living, places enormous stress on all of us, children, teenagers and adults, the purposeful, daily cultivation of connection to self, others and the world around us has been proven to assist mental, emotional and physical balance.
Mindfulness is not just some trend, but a proven method to help increase focus and awareness, make it possible to self-regulate and shift attention when caught up in negative thinking and worrying. Mindfulness exercises are designed to train our awareness and the ability to stay calm under stress and turbulence as well as having better sleep and increasing resilience.
Evidence–based research confirms that regular practice of these simple, self-managing techniques lead to;
- 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
“This course has taught me so much about Mindfulness and the positive benefits that I have experienced from practicing mindfulness daily has forever changed my life.” Sarah P.
“This Course Exceeded My Expectations”.Angela B Psychologist, Auckland
Mindfulness is a way of living life more Consciously
In our 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 a proven method to help increase focus and awareness, make it possible to self-regulate and shift attention when caught up in negative thinking and worrying. Mindfulness exercises are designed to train our awareness and the ability to stay calm under stress and turbulence as well as having better sleep and increasing resilience.
“I would like to express my thankfulness to you again.
This course helped me a lot and I hope to use this knowledge and experiences to help others”Hanjing L.
STOP NEGATIVE SELF-TALK
It’s taken a long time to become the person you are with all the usual flaws and conditioned behaviours and reactions, but, please be easy with yourself.
Negative thoughts are toxic. What worse is is that those, especially, self-critical thoughts of not being good enough, not measuring up etc. mostly goes on ‘under the radar’ where we don’t recognise them. They are like an invisible automatic response in the brain that get triggered in different situations. When this negative self-talk goes on undetected it can bring about low self-esteem, feelings of ‘being a failure’. Over time, those habitual negative thoughts can lead to emotional distress, anxiety and depression.
Opposite to everything the world tries to tell us, we don’t need to add anything to ourselves. We are whole and complete as we are. For too long, we have been conditioned to believe we are less than whole and need to add something to be better.
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.
Through these easy-to-do practises you will train the mind to be more present in the moment. resulting in it to be less anxious, more alert and alive.
When you have had enough unhappiness and begin to recognise it’s our thoughts and often an inability to accept life, as it is, that causes so much unnecessary suffering, our thoughts, especially the negative ones, are the root cause of suffering.
When we put the spotlight of awareness on thoughts and patterns of reactivity and recognise that we have a choice of where we put our attention as well as knowing we can shift attention, especially when trapped in negative self-talk, this becomes the doorway to inner freedom.
The ability to control attention is one of the key markers of a successful life
What’s possible with regular mindfulness practice is living a life of purpose and meaning as well as experiencing a more vibrant connection to life itself. With this accredited training you are able to share what you’ve learnt with others as well. Help others to find peace of mind, focus and purpose.
Learn Mindfulness in a Beautiful Setting
The Mercy Spiritual Centre is a unique calm and inviting space located in Epsom.
“This course was fantastic!”Sam K, Australia
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
During the two days we will be looking at the polyvagal theory and 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 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.
“My perspective of life has expanded through this practice as I discover more about myself through awareness, non judgement and compassion not only for others but for myself. Thank you Rita”.Melissa M.
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.
Become a Facilitator
This training will give you a resource to improve everyone’s ability to deal with stress and anxiety as well as improve attention and focus and cultivate kindness and empathy. After the training you receive a facilitation pack with manuals, ready to use lesson plans, white papers, posters, articles and tools to use when you run your own mindfulness sessions.
Is this course for me?
As the benefits from Mindfulness practices are becoming more widely recognised and known, there is now a real opportunity for everyone, including teachers, counsellors, health workers etc., who see the value of attention training and mindfulness exercises, to start help others improve focus, mental resilience and relieve stress and anxiety.
This training will give you a resource to improve everyone’s, including adults, students and children’s ability to deal with stress and anxiety as well as developing the ability to shift attention when thoughts and feelings are becoming unhelpful.
Mindfulness can’t be learnt by just talking or reading about it. Mindfulness is experiential. To be able to teach mindfulness you need to understand how it works from the inside out. Teaching mindfulness is about guiding people to their own mindfulness practice. It’s about co-creating an environment where mindfulness can ‘happen’.
The course is based on the successful program Mindfulness in New Zealand have been running the past seven years as well as latest research and techniques on teaching mindfulness designed by the original MBSR member who trained with Jon Kabat-Zinn, (the father of western mindfulness).
What will you learn?
Whether you just want to be more present in your own daily life or you want to add mindfulness facilitation to your ‘skillset’ or use it in your profession, this course gives you the foundation for all those purposes and will provide you with tools and resources to help you on the way to establish yourself as a facilitator.
Proven & Successful Methods
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 mind.Evidence based results from around the world continue to show that the regular practise of Mindfulness has ongoing benefits for physical and mental health.
This course gives you the background, science, techniques and confidence to guide others and to establish a regular practice yourself.
WHAT DO YOU GET?
THIS COURSE GIVES YOU:
An immersion into mindfulness guided by a an experienced mindfulness trainer and educator in a safe and relaxed space 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.
In these 2 days we will cover a lot of ground and learn so many things that it would be impossible to remember it all. But the thing is that you don’t need to. You will get documentation on all aspects of what we learnt in the course.
After the training you are provided with:
A Mindfulness facilitator’s pack
including:
8 Week Online Course
When you register you also get access to a self-paced online course to establish your own mindfulness practice.
Including:
“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 K. Sydney
“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
“I am extremely grateful for your teachings…you are truly inspirational”.Wendy R.See More Testimonials
ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THIS COURSE
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 and the author of the book “The Practice of Mindfulness and Balance”.
She is a former teacher and a trained mindfulness teacher who has completed courses with Mindful Schools USA.
Rita has been a Vipassana and yoga practitioner for 30 years. In 2000-2002 she attended a number of Barry Long’s ‘Course in Being’ seminars, (Barry Long was one of Eckhart Tolle’s teachers).
Her 2 day Mindfulness Facilitation Course has been taken by more than thousand individuals, including school teachers, life coaches, psychologists and counsellors in both New Zealand and Australia.
She have provided staff training for numerous schools across New Zealand to help integrate mindfulness practice to the curriculum. These courses are designed to meet the growing need in all sectors to offer Mindfulness training.
“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
Course in Auckland
COURSES IN 2024
2 day Mindfulness Facilitation Training In Auckland 24-25 October 2024
Thursday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Friday: 9.30am-3.30pm
(There will be breaks for morning tea and lunch).
Venue: The Mercy Spirituality Centre in Epsom, Auckland
Cost: $550
Including: Morning Tea, Teaching Manual, Eight Week Lesson Plans, 8 week online course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
Limited to 12 people
8 seats left
THE VENUE
The Mercy Spiritual Centre is located in Epsom, Auckland Here is what people say about it:
“Best kept secret in Auckland! Fabulous amenities, beautiful staff, warm in Winter, cool always.”(Kim Frances)
“A peaceful place with beautiful grounds. A wairua feel to it.💖” (Emma Kate Cherrington)
“Wonderful welcoming place tucked away in Epsom” (Tamara Benett)
All Photos: Bridget Ky
MORE COURSE DATES
Choose a Date for a Zoom or Face-to-face training
COURSES IN 2024
SEPTEMBER
2 day Mindfulness Facilitation Training In Auckland 26-27 September 2024
THIS TRAINING IS FILLED UP
OCTOBER
2 day Mindfulness Facilitation Training In Auckland 24-25 October 2024
Thursday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Friday: 9.30am-3.30pm
(There will be breaks for morning tea and lunch).
Venue: The Mercy Spirituality Centre in Epsom, Auckland
Cost: $550
Including: Morning Tea, Teaching Manual, Eight Week Lesson Plans, 8 week online course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
COURSES IN 2025
MAY
2 day Mindfulness Facilitation Training In Auckland 21-22 May
Wednesday: 9.30am-3.30pm
Thursday: 9.30am-3.30pm
(There will be breaks for morning tea and lunch).
Venue: The Mercy Spirituality Centre in Epsom, Auckland
Cost: $495
Including: Morning Tea, Teaching Manual, Eight Week Lesson Plans, 8 week online course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
COURSES IN 2024
October
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 9-10 October 2024
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
November
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 21-22 November 2024
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 27-28 November 2024
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
December
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 11-12 December 2024
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
COURSES IN 2025
January
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 11-12 January 2025
Saturday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Sunday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 22-23 January 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
February
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 12-13 February 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 26-27 February 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
March
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 26-27 March 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
April
2 Day Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 16-17 April 2025
Wednesday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Thursday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
May
Weekend Virtual Interactive Zoom Training 3-4 May 2025
Saturday: 11.30am-4.30pm
Sunday: 11.30am-4.30pm
(There will be breaks for lunch and afternoon tea).
Cost: $445
Including: Teaching Manual, Lesson Plans, 8 Week Online Course, Tools & Resources and ongoing support.
Payment plans available.
Who is the course for?
Why Choose This Course?
Internationally Recognised Accreditation
Our courses are accredited with IMMA (International Mindfulness & Meditation Alliance). After completion you will be eligible to apply for IMMA membership.
These courses are designed to meet the growing need in all sectors (education, medicine, psychology, social work, physiotherapy, business etc) for evidence-based strategies that lead to self-regulation, emotional awareness and lowered stress and anxiety.
Leading Trainer
Learn Mindfulness from a professional educator with more than 30 years experience of mindfulness and meditation.
Highly evaluated courses
Hundreds of professionals and individuals have taken the 2 day Mindfulness Facilitation Course. The trainings receive consistently high evaluation and reviews.
See testimonials here
All Age Groups
The program is designed and has been successfully implemented for all age groups from 4 year old pre-schoolers to 80 year old seniors.
Life-Time Access
When you register for an online course or a face-to-face training you receive lifelong access to the course material and all the resources provided. Ongoing support is available.
Be part of a Community
Connect with like-minded people that support each other.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY
“I just wanted to take the time to express how much I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 day course…I have conducted other mindfulness training but really feel your offering is unparalleled”.Sarah A.
“Thank you, this wonderful experience, which is now forever a regular practice in my life”.Susan 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.”.Sarah A.
What do you get from this Course?
WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS TRAINING?
Whether you just want to be more present in your own daily life and maybe share these techniques with the people closest to you, which is wonderful, or you are looking at starting a new career, both these options are possible with this training. There are innumerable applications of the material and knowledge you receive from this course, you will be able to create your own program to run, for example:
» One-to-one sessions to reduce stress and anxiety for your existing or new clients
» A wellness strategy in the workplace for both staff and management
» Daily short sessions to improve attention and focus in the classroom for students of all ages
» Group sessions to help improve wellbeing in nursing homes or mental health facilities
» Teenage groups for better self awareness and emotional regulation
» Public mindfulness classes for general relaxation and wellbeing
» Emotional intelligence programs for children at home or in preschool and much more.
What’s possible with regular mindfulness practice is living a life of purpose as well as experiencing life more vibrantly. With this training you are able to share this with others as well.
“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
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?
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 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 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.
Register for this course
and start the 8 week online component today!
The course cover both the practices and theory of mindfulness including basic neuroscience and polyvagal theory. We do formal and informal practices and look at lost connections and why the need for mindfulness and inner mental regulation has become topical in recent years. On day 2 you also get in-depth guidance on how to create a program for your specific audience and much more.
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’..
“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
“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
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)
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.
For Anyone
Mindfulness practice doesn’t require any preparation or beforehand knowledge about meditation. Anyone can experience the effect from these simple exercises.
“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