Mindfulness Teacher Training London

The certified Mindfulness Now Teacher Training course is approved by the British Psychological Society and will equip you to integrate mindfulness with therapy, counselling, coaching, yoga, complementary health and many other modes of individual and group support.

With this qualification you can work with adults and children in any setting, with many of our past students coming from private practice, health and social care, education, corporates and creative arts.

Around 20% of our London participants are training in mindfulness as a career change.

COURSE FEATURES:

  • Immersive, in-person, 5-day vocational training course in North London
  • Blended learning weekend option also now available (3 days online, 2 days in person)
  • Led by highly experienced and supportive tutors
  • No entry requirements
  • Excellent value at £900, compared to an average of £2,500 with other providers
  • Payment plan options available
  • Price inclusive of all training, materials, assessment and certification
  • Qualify and get paid to start teaching within 2 to 3 months
  • Excellent reviews from past students
  • Best post-qualification support compared to other providers
  • Ongoing programme of continuing professional development
  • Join the UK’s largest mindfulness teachers register
  • Free access to the Breathing Space journal, issued 3 times a year
British Psychological Society Approved

The Mindfulness Now Teacher Training Course is approved by the British Psychological Society, promoting excellence in psychology.

Next Course Starts In

  • 00Days

Jul 2024

5 Consecutive Days in London

Mon 8th to Fri 12th July 2024

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Jul 2024

Price: £900

Format: 5 consecutive days, in person

Venue: Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, Highgate, London

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Nov 2024

5 Consecutive Days in London

Mon 4th to Fri 8th November 2024

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Nov 2024

Price: £900

Format: 5 consecutive days, in person

Venue: Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, Highgate, London

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Mar 2025

5 Days Over 3 Weekends

Sat 15th, Sun 16th & Sat 22nd (Online)

Sat 29th & Sun 30th (London)

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Mar 2025

Price: £900

Format: Held over 3 weekends - 3 Days Online, 2 Days in Person

Venue for In person: Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, Highgate, London

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Research shows that mindfulness meditation offers powerful health and wellbeing benefits. Qualified teachers are in high demand, teaching 1-to-1, group classes and courses, leading retreats and within organisational settings.

Mindful Me - Wellbeing at Work

The Mindfulness Now certified teacher training course is approved by The British Psychological Society and includes specialist tuition in mindfulness approaches, integrating key elements of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Both are evidence based and the latter is recommended by NICE, the National Instituted for Health and Care Excellence.

Mindfulness Teacher Training London – The Mindfulness Now Course is  available in London! Courses are led by Tony O’Shea-Poon, an experienced therapist, mindfulness teacher and coach. Tony is the lead trainer for London and is part of the official UK College of Mindfulness Meditation training team offering the Mindfulness Now Teacher Training Course – see more information about Tony below under Course Teachers.

If the courses listed are full and you would like to join our waiting list so you are the first to know when new dates are advertised, please contact us.

More About The Course

The Mindfulness Now Programme
The Mindfulness Now programme was developed by the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation and the Programme is delivered nationally by a small team of experienced, professional mindfulness teacher trainers.

The Mindfulness Now programme offers an integrated approach to mindfulness teacher teaching and aims to equip teachers to work with individuals and groups with many requirements including physical and emotional pain, stress and anxiety, as well as building emotional resilience.

After completion of the course, successful graduates are awarded the Mindfulness Now Certificate and offered the opportunity to join the national network of Mindfulness Now licensed and certified teachers.

The Mindfulness Now teacher training programme is contained in an intensive 5-day course which is experiential in nature.

Although distance courses in mindfulness exist we believe that for a vocational qualification it is vital that teachers learn through a ‘hands on’ practical approach with plenty of discussion and the learning dynamic which can only come out of working in a mutually supportive group.
Course Structure
The programme is designed to guide students, over 5 consecutive days, through a combination of practical ‘hands on’ learning along with the teaching of underpinning theoretical knowledge.

Students receive a comprehensive training manual, provided electronically, to enable them to tailor teaching to specific needs. Additional handouts are provided as needed. Similarly, PowerPoint slides used within some parts of the training are also supplied to students for them to use or modify for use, where appropriate in their future teaching.

There is plenty of time built in to ask questions, to get to know other participants and to learn at a pace that is focused yet unhurried.
Training Syllabus
Teacher training includes the unique Mindfulness Now programme which offers an integrated approach to using mindfulness techniques to help clients deal with: pain, rheumatic conditions, stress, anxiety and serious physical and emotional trauma, as well as building emotional resilience. Meditation sessions are conducted daily as part of the teacher training and all participants engage in some facilitated teaching practice.

The delivery of the course is flexible, responding to the needs and interests of participants, and includes the following:
  • Client/learner assessment protocols
  • Cautions, safeguards and contra-indications
  • Session recording and evaluation
  • History of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation
  • How to conduct mindfulness meditation sessions – seated, lying and movement based
  • Attitudinal Basis (7 +2 Attitudes – Kabat-Zinn)
  • 3 stage breathing space (hourglass)
  • Mindfulness of the body, in stillness and in movement
  • Mindfulness of sounds, thoughts and feelings
  • Mindfulness in wellbeing
  • Mindfulness teaching techniques and methodologies
  • Therapeutic interventions with mindfulness
  • Developing the teacher’s own mindfulness practice
  • Conducting individual/group sessions
  • The Mindfulness Now 8 week programme
  • Stress Reduction – the MBSR approaches
  • Cognitive behavioural approaches – using MBCT
  • Integration of mindfulness with other therapeutic modalities
  • Corporate applications of mindfulness
  • Working with children
Assessment & Qualification

Mindfulness Now participants are assessed using the following methods:

  1. Observation of teaching practice on the course
  2. Completion of a short question paper after the course
  3. Completion of a case study after the course

The question paper and case study must be completed and submitted within 6 months of completing the course.

At the start of the course, you will received the detailed list of criteria that you will be assessed under and you will received feedback on your assessed work.

Please note that the inclusive training fees cover assessment and certification.

Mindfulness Now is not a business franchise and there is nothing to purchase beyond the course fees. Following successful assessment, you are granted an annual license, renewable on the basis of evidence of continuing professional development.
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Post-Qualification Support

As a graduate of the Mindfulness Now teacher training programme, we are committed to continuing to support you in your professional development and your practice as a mindfulness teacher.


We do this by working collaboratively with the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation in order to provide you with:

  • A programme of continuing professional development opportunities
  • Individual and group supervision to support you in your practice
  • A listing in the Mindfulness Teachers Register
  • ‘Breathing Space’, the learning and development journal for mindfulness teachers and therapists
  • Opportunity to attend drop-ins hosted by Mindfulness Now teacher trainers at any of our locations
  • Membership of the Mindfulness Now Facebook group
  • Email and telephone support
Mindfulness Teachers Register
The Mindfulness Teachers Register was launched by the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation in 2019 and has quickly become the largest professional register of mindfulness teachers in the UK. By being listed on the Register, your opportunities for obtaining work are much increased.

The Register is free to join and is made up of a community of certified teachers of mindfulness. It is open to all teachers of mindfulness who have a recognised, externally verified training and qualification in mindfulness teaching.

All members of the register agree to the following conditions:
  • To follow a strict code of ethical practice
  • To be supervised and undertake continuing professional development (CPD)
  • To maintain adequate professional insurance
  • To not bring the register into disrepute
Venue, Course Dates & Fees

Mindfulness Teacher Training courses take place either online or at the Terapia Centre in the beautiful grounds of The Bothy, Stephens House & Gardens, Finchley, North London or at the stunning Jacksons Lane Theatre and Arts Centre in Highgate, North London. The London venues are within a short walk from underground tube stations. There is reasonably priced accommodation and plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. Further details will be sent following your booking.

Future courses are listed on this page. If the courses are full or you are unable to make particular dates, please contact us to join a waiting list and you will be the first to know when new dates are released.

The course fee is inclusive of the provision of training, electronic materials, refreshments, assessment, certification, listing on the Register upon satisfactory completion of assessment, the ‘Breathing Space’ journal and information about CPD and supervision opportunities.

If the course you are interested in is more than 2 months away, we can reserve your place with 50% payment. The second payment is then due 4 weeks before the course start. If this is of interest to you, you can purchase using this option for the relevant course.

Course Teachers

The course is led by Tony O’Shea-Poon. Tony is a therapist, coach, peace activist and mindfulness teacher. He has been practicing meditation for more than 25 years.

He qualified as a mindfulness teacher with the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation and is trained to deliver Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy courses. He is part of the official UK College of Mindfulness Meditation training team offering the Mindfulness Now course, approved by the British Psychological Society.

Tony is also a workplace coach and clinical hypnotherapist, supporting individuals with a wide range of conditions and disorders using a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches. He is a practitioner of mindfulness in the Plum Village style, a tradition taught by Buddhist Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh.

Tony is supported on this course by Rachel Ashcroft.

Rachel is a Mindfulness Practitioner, Coach, Teacher and Trainer. She is a qualified mindfulness teacher, licenced to deliver the national Mindfulness Now Programme, approved by the British Psychological Society.

Rachel is also an accredited NLP coach and supports clients within the workplace though Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Rachel travels up and down the country delivering mindfulness training to school teachers and runs workshops for children and teenagers to support them on their wellbeing journey.

Prerequisites & How to Apply
There are no prerequisites for this course – only a strong interest in meditation and mindfulness practice. You do not have to be a Buddhist or hold any other belief for that matter. The structure of the course is such that you will be able to communicate and start to teach mindfulness by the end of the week. Like learning any new skill, you will become more proficient the more that you practice it and you will be required to demonstrate evidence of CPD as part of the ongoing license agreement.

When you register, we will send you a short form to complete to tell us about your experience of mindfulness to date. This is not a test. It allows us to ensure we provide training that is responsive to your needs and current level of understanding.

To register, simply choose the course dates you are interested in and complete the online booking process.

Download our process flow chart on Your Journey to Becoming a Professional Qualified Mindfulness Now Teacher

Course Testimonials

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and benefitted greatly from it both in terms of my own personal practice and also for my goal of becoming a mindfulness teacher. I felt the structure, materials and opportunities for teaching mindfulness within the course were excellent. I would like to pass on my thanks to both Tony and Rachel for their enthusiasm, inspiration and wealth of knowledge and experience of teaching mindfulness that they shared with us during the five days. They created a learning environment that one felt confident and happy to share ideas and offer comment and feedback. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wanted to deepen their mindfulness practice or teach mindfulness, as well as those who wanted to experience mindfulness for the first time. Thanks again, a great 5 days of mindfulness."
Ellen
"Thank you for such a wonderful, well structured and organised course. Considering we did the course online, I feel like I have gained transferable skills which I can use elsewhere whilst developing my own practice. Tony and Rachel were so approachable, kind, and covered all aspects clearly. I have enjoyed meeting new people on this course where we have been able to share useful resources to support one another. Thank you so much for a fabulous week!"
Alima
"Thanks so much for the course, I really loved it. It's quite a strange feeling to have been on such an immersive course and now it's over! As you say, just the beginning, but at the same time sad to have finished! I need to do a bit of non-attachment practice for that, I think! But such great tools and really appreciate your kindness and the way the course was led, it was all very supportive and uplifting and a really nice group."
Helen
"A great course! I have practiced mindfulness for a number of years, but this course gave me the confidence and tools needed to share this practice with other people. There was a good mixture of context, meditation, and teaching practice, and the course was expertly led by Tony and Rachel. The transition to online delivery was seamless and worked very well."
Allan
"Thank you so much for such a wonderful week. I feel my brain is swimming with so much information and ideas but matched with such excitement and passion to now proceed and complete my studying. What a team you have been. Thank you so much."
Anna

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions that apply to all courses

You sign up by purchasing a course product on our website. Add the course to your basket and provide your details at checkout. You will have an option to pay by direct bank transfer or through Stripe (for debit or credit cards) or through PayPal. Alternatively, you can email us, providing your full address and mobile number and we will invoice you for payment. (See our FAQ about paying in instalments)

In order to provide open access to our training we make no assumption of any prior learning. We simply ask that students already practice mindfulness meditation personally and are committed to ongoing practice. This inevitably means that some students on our teacher training will have more experience than others. They may, for example, have already attended an eight-week mindfulness programme but this is not necessary since we cover this in the course.

Yes, you can attend regardless of your country of residence. We have had students attend from all over the world. If you are attending in person, then you need to travel to the UK to attend. If you are attending online, you can join in your home country.

The course fee is shown for each of the courses listed.

The fee includes 5 days intensive training, training manual, handouts, assessment, eligibility to join the Mindfulness Teachers Register on completion of assessment, the Breathing Space journal, eligibility to join the Mindfulness Now Facebook page and ongoing support, including access to supervision and CPD opportunities. A comprehensive training manual is included as well as PowerPoint slides for mindfulness teaching, working with children and for corporate presentations. All resources are supplied electronically so that they can be adapted for your use later.

Yes, you can. There are up to 3 options available, depending on how close the start date is to when you book the course.

Option 1 – pay the course in full at time of booking.

Option 2 – pay 50% at time of booking and we will invoice you for the balance 1 month before the course starts (this option is available 1 month or more before the course start date).

Option 3 – pay 25% at the time of booking and we will set up a payment play for you to pay the balance in equal monthly instalments. (this option is available 3 months or more before the course start date and the course must be paid in full before the start date).

Unfortunately, we can only reserve a place for you on receipt of either full payment, a 50% initial payment or a 25% initial payment with an agreed payment plan to pay the balance.

If you are unable to attend a course for any reason or wish to withdraw, we request that you give us as much notice as possible, and at least 1 month, so that we can try to fill your place. At the price point we offer, our courses and CPD days are only viable if we can fill all places. We will offer you a future course date only where you have given us adequate notice and where we can fill your place, which may include offering you an alternative location and/or an alternative delivery format. In exceptional cases, we may allow you to move to a future course date without meeting the previous conditions, if due to exceptional personal circumstances, such as death of a family member, serious personal illness or a catastrophic event. We will only move you to a future course date on one occasion. If we have moved you to a future course date and you are unable to attend that date for any reason, no further offer of a place or refund will be made. We do not normally offer a refund other than in exceptional personal circumstances and only where we are able to fill your place on the course. If you have attended part of a course and/or received any of the course materials, no refund is possible under any circumstances. Where we do agree a refund or part-refund, we will charge you an additional administration fee, currently 10% of the course fee or £25, whichever is greater. Any refund we agree is normally paid within 4 weeks of the start date of the relevant course.

We send you a number of things in advance, including a welcome letter, reading list, local accommodation list and a registration form. We do not normally send the course materials in advance, unless you are attending an online course. Once you have accessed or received the course material you are deemed to have started the course.

The course has been running successfully since 2014 and we have trained students in many locations throughout the UK.

Nick Cooke is the founder of the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation. Nick developed the Mindfulness Now course after his own experience of using mindfulness to help him with his recovery and rehabilitation, including coping with pain following two serious and life-threatening illnesses. As a therapist, he has considerable experience of practising and teaching mindfulness to clients, leading to very positive results in managing stress, anxiety, depression, physical and emotional pain.

It is vital when undertaking training of this nature to ensure that the approval and accreditation meets your needs. Our training has been rigorously assessed by the British Psychological Society (BPS) to ensure that it meets the continuing professional development requirements for psychologists. However, you don’t need to be a psychologist to undertake this training. With the BPS seal of approval many of our former students teach mindfulness within the NHS, mental health services, all levels of the educational system, within the charity sector, complementary therapies, as well as many other environments, including corporate settings.

Mindfulness courses are not regulated in the UK. However, it is our view that the Mindfulness Now course is equivalent to level 3 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework in England and the equivalent in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This is also equivalent to level 4 of the European Qualifications Framework.

You can read some testimonials about the course on our website. You can also watch a short video where some graduates of the course talk about their experience. You can also read testimonials for Tony O’Shea-Poon, who leads the Mindfulness Now course in London.

See the course syllabus on our website for a breakdown of the course content.

The programme is designed to guide students, over 5 consecutive days, through a combination of practical ‘hands on’ learning along with the teaching of underpinning theoretical knowledge. There is plenty of time built in to ask questions, to get to know other participants and to learn at a pace that is focused yet unhurried.

To qualify and obtain the certification as an accredited mindfulness teacher, students are required to attend the 5-day intensive course and complete two assignments – one a case study report and the other a brief written question and answer paper. The case study must also include an audio recording of teaching mindfulness to an individual or a group. These have to be submitted together, within 6 months of attending the training. Further guidance is provided during the training.

Qualified teachers through this programme are offered to opportunity to sign up as licensed and accredited teacher on an annually renewable basis. There is no charge for this.  Licensed and accredited teachers will be able to apply to be members of the Mindfulness Teachers Register. Once again, no charge applies to this. Licensed and accredited teachers are required to observe a code of ethics which includes the necessity for professional insurance, continuing professional development (CPD) and supervision.

The Mindfulness Now accredited teaching qualification can lead to a rewarding career teaching mindfulness, one-to one, or in groups. Mindfulness Now graduates work in many diverse environments including the NHS (including mental health), schools and further/higher education, learning disabilities, hospice movement, charities, as well as in complementary health and in corporate settings. Many mindfulness teachers are self-employed and many incorporate it alongside coaching or other therapeutic work. As part of the training all students receive instruction on practice building and developing corporate work opportunities. Graduates are eligible to obtain professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

Supervision is considered to be helpful and beneficial to all mindfulness teachers and is essential if you wish you maintain your Mindfulness Now license and be included on the Mindfulness Teachers Register. Supervision allows you to bring a wide range of issues and challenges in order for you to obtain information, advice and guidance from your tutor and other students. Individual and Group Supervision are offered and your tutor will provide further information about Supervision during the course and after you qualify.

Continuing Professional Development is helpful and beneficial to all mindfulness teachers and Central England College and the UK Centre for Mindfulness Meditation provide an ongoing programme of training events. Relevant CPD may also be undertaken elsewhere providing it is directly relevant to mindfulness. We would normally expect licensees to attend a minimum of 3 days (21 hours) CPD per annum, at least 7 hours of which should be a retreat experience. We will provide further information about CPD requirements and opportunities during your training and after you qualify.

It’s easy. Once you have your certificate, which is proof of your qualification, you visit the Mindfulness Teachers Register online and complete the short application form. Once your entry has been approved, you will be able to edit the entry at any time yourself. You can visit the Mindfulness Teachers Register here.

To receive the regular mindfulness journal, ‘Breathing Space’, we will provide your email address to Central England College, who own the Mindfulness Now brand and are the founders of the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation. This is also how you will be notified of CPD and supervision opportunities in the future. If you do not wish to receive the journal, you can unsubscribe at any time.

The Mindfulness Now training team is a small team of professional mindfulness trainers, who between them have decades of experience in practising and teaching mindfulness and personal experience of its benefits. The London course is led by Tony O’Shea-Poon. Tony is a therapist, clinical hypnotherapist, coach, mindfulness teacher and peace activist. He has been practicing meditation for more than 25 years and is a practitioner of mindfulness in the Plum Village style, a tradition taught by Buddhist Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh. Tony is supported by Rachel Ashcroft. Rachel is a mindfulness teacher, trainer and NLP Coach. She has extensive experience working with children, young people and families.

Additional questions that apply to face-to-face courses only

Our London course is held either at the beautiful Terapia Centre, a therapy and training centre for child and adolescent psychotherapy in Finchley, North London or at the stunning Jacksons Lane Theatre and Arts Centre in Highgate, North London. Both venues are within a short walk of an underground tube station.

The hours are normally 10am to 5pm on the first four days and 10am to 4:30pm on the final day.

The course is not residential but some students, because of the distance they may need to travel, decide to stay locally. (See our FAQ about local accommodation)

Yes we can. We have collected together a list of accommodations and details about how to search for hotels, hostels, B&Bs and other accommodation in the local area. We send you this as soon as we receive payment.

Additional questions that apply to online courses only

Online courses are held using Zoom. We also use a learning management system called Schoology to share resources and to provide additional online learning tools. You will normally receive access to Schoology at least a couple of weeks before the first online tutorial.

For online coures, training days run as follows:

10:00 – 11:30 – session 1

12:00 – 13:15 – session 2

14:30 – 16:00 – session 3

There is an additional hour of self-study material provided for each of the first 4 days, which can be completed in advance or at any time during the day.

  • All your materials, including the manual, will be delivered online
  • There will be some additional online material made available for self-study
  • There will be an online space to share resources and an online discussion forum
  • You will have slightly longer break times to give you rest from your screen
  • Sadly, you’ll have to make your own cup of tea or coffee from home!
  • You will experience 5 consecutive days of training
  • The same tutors will lead your course
  • You will receive all of the same high-quality content you would have got in the face-to-face course, including the 125-page manual and handouts
  • A ‘live’ course, not lots of pre-recorded content
  • The price of the course
  • The British Psychological Society approval of the course and accreditation by the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation
  • The same amount of time to complete the qualification – 6 months from the end of the course to submit your case study and completed question paper
  • A reasonably quiet space where you can work without interruption
  • A laptop/PC/smart phone with good internet connection
  • A built-in or plug-in microphone so we can hear you speak
  • A built-in or plug-in web cam so we can see you

(Most smart phones, tablets and laptops will meet these requirements)

The price of the course is unchanged. We did look at this closely, because we do make some cost savings. Participants also make some savings by not having to travel and, for some, not having to pay for accommodation. On balance, we felt that the value of the qualification is the same and it continues to be competitively priced.

We have decided not to send printed copies of the material. This would be logistically very challenging for us and we also want to take advantage of this opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of printing. Providing you with an electronic copy allows you to adapt material for your own use in the future and to print only what you need to. We will make an exception where you have a particular need that you tell us about.

We hope that the information provided here has helped you in making your decision. If you have any questions or if the listed courses are full and you would like to join our waiting list, please contact us.

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