Mindfulness for Life (for students)

We are pleased to offer students of Masaryk University the possibility of joining the University programme called “Mindfulness for Life” during which you can experientially learn approaches and techniques to enhance your well-being. Having been developed at the University of Oxford, we are committed to delivering this programme in accordance with the world-leading standards of the University of Oxford.

Simply put, mindfulness is ‘present moment awareness’; this awareness develops through learning to pay purposeful attention, in the present moment, with curiosity and kindness. The aim of a Mindfulness course is to encourage a gradual awakening from living on ‘automatic pilot’ into a more sustained, embodied awareness, and a compassionate acceptance of present-moment experience. Mindfulness therefore is known to be effective in reducing stress and promoting wellbeing and effective performance in daily life.

In this programme, you will learn to cultivate mindfulness through mental training called mindfulness meditation. Some of these practices are as short as 3 minutes, while others may take up to 40 minutes. At a more cognitive level, mindfulness will encourage you to break some of the unconscious habits of thinking and behaviour that stop you living your life to the fullest. Moreover, many judgmental and self-critical thoughts arise out of habitual ways of thinking and acting. You will learn to recognise these thinking patterns and explore ways of stepping away from them.

The programme is taught in english, in-person at the University campus (if epidemiological situation won't permit in-person class, it will be taught on-line) and is offered for free.

Who is the programme for?

The program is primarily aimed for students of Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, but if there is enough space left, other students from Masaryk University are welcome too. It is offered for those with a strong dedication to follow the whole 8-week curriculum and with a willingness to invest necessary time and effort for it to be effective and valuable.

Please be aware that this programme is intended for the general population. It is not a treatment for any specific physical or psychological condition, and are not suitable for people who are currently experiencing severe problems in these areas. Please read this document before you apply. If you are struggling with any of the issues described, require support, or need to speak to someone urgently, please contact our Crisis Center Ambulance  +420 532 232 078 or Helpline (anonymous telephone help) +420 547 212 333 or come in person at Faculty Hospital Brno, Psychiatric Clinic, Campus Bohunice, pavilion G, floor 4, (Crisis Center).

Dates and times of our courses 

All courses (the exact time of each see bellow) consists of 8 weekly, 2-hour long sessions; one half-day session held in silence; and daily home exercises. In order to fully benefit from the course, it is important that you commit to attending every session. It is also particularly important that you are able to engage with the home practice, which means being able to set aside up to 50 minutes a day, 6 days a week, for the duration of the course. 

Note: This semester, both courses will be done on-line. Please ensure space(room) that will be quiet and free of disturbunces and in which you can speak.

Who will teach me?

Ing. Alena Lašková, MSc, MSt (Oxon) was trained in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) at the University of Oxford and Exeter respectively. She holds a Masters degree in MBCT awarded with Distinction from the University of Oxford, where she begins her DPhil in Psychiatry in 2023. She currently teaches at Masaryk University and assists as a Trainee Trainer in the Masters programme at the University of Oxford. Her passion is teaching and learning from her medical students and she has a deep interest in Buddhist psychology.

Registration

Register at the following link: https://forms.gle/BZ1NmJSW9nhrvp7b6