The Art of Zen
Find out more
Gain a grounding in mindfulness or refresh your practice
Experience how mindfulness can transform your life in one of our group courses based on the well-loved teachings of Thich Nhat Nanh
Online over six weekday evenings
or one in-person weekend.
Supported places available so no one is excluded.
Guided meditations, small group
discussions and practical exercises.
Mindfulness and meditation help us to live fuller and happier lives – focused on the present moment, not absorbed in regrets, plans or worries.
By practising mindfulness we creat stillness, from where we see clearly what brings us happiness and what causes suffering. With awareness, we can make positive choices.
Mindfulness is rooted in Buddhist meditation, with effects verified by neuroscience, and as such is open to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
The Art of Zen is a complete introduction to the practice. Do this first whether you’re a beginner or already have some experience.
The following courses are if you would like to go deeper in future. You can read more about which course is best for you.
To find friends to support you in maintaining positive changes you have made, we can help you locate a practice group (“sangha”) near you after the course if you would like that.
How do I find peace and happiness?
We explore this with a different theme for each of the six sessions.
Who am I, really?
Across the six sessions of the second course, we deepen our appreciation and understanding of just what it means to be alive.
How do I want to live in the world?
In the final course we look at five ethical foundations leading to greater happiness for ourselves and for those around us.
Our Course Leaders are experienced practitioners immersed in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh with a deep aspiration to share these teachings with others.
Together they bring a wide range of experience with backgrounds including teaching, creative arts, health, business and more.
They will support you in finding ways to bring mindfulness more fully into your life, encouraging you to look honestly at how you currently operate and to make adjustments to help you live more authentically.
Plum Village UK is a charity dedicated to sharing the practice of mindfulness and ethical living.
Our pricing range enables us to cover marketing and admin costs and ensure the continuation of the courses into the future.
Starting something new can sometimes feel a little daunting.
Our FAQs are here to help you know what to expect from our courses, answer common questions and give you the information you need to feel confident before you begin.
We want our courses to be as welcoming, accessible and inclusive as possible.
Yes! The link for this will be part of the Welcome Email from the Course Leaders after booking. You can view these in advance, download and keep them. This will also be an invitation to meet one of the Course Leaders in a short zoom pre-course meeting. This gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the course, share any concerns, as well as meet face to face beforehand. If there are adjustments that would support your participation, please contact us before the course and we will do our best to accommodate reasonable requests.
Sessions typically include guided mindfulness practices, teaching, small and large group discussion, and opportunities for reflection. Meditation practices are generally between 10 and 25 minutes and can be adapted to suit individual needs.
During meditation practices you are welcome to keep your eyes open or closed, change position, stand, stretch, move, lie down, use fidget toys, or take a break if needed. Online this can be easily managed with your camera off. In person we ask that you move with mindfulness and as quietly as possible. Each session will also include a short comfort break.
In each session we offer a walking meditation after the guided meditation and in sessions 3 and 4 we introduce Mindful Movements in a video led by Thich Nhat Hanh (online). You are welcome to use these movement times in a way that is most beneficial to you.
Mindfulness practice can sometimes bring awareness to difficult thoughts, emotions, or experiences. We encourage you to engage at a pace that feels appropriate for yourself and to take care of your own wellbeing throughout the course. The Course Leaders will stay online for a short time after each session in case you would like a private conversation. You can also email them during the week with concerns or questions.
Although this hasn’t yet occurred, and we hope never does, we ask for a name and emergency contact number in case you experience any health issues whilst online that require medical assistance.
We understand that at times you may prefer to turn your camera off for reasons including privacy, health and internet issues. If possible, we’d appreciate you turning your camera on when speaking. As this is a group course we hope cameras can be turned on so that we can see each friendly face.
You are welcome to engage through listening, chat function (online), reflection, or discussion. Sharing personal experiences is always optional and you are welcome to pass on any activity or adapt it to suit your needs. One of the main comments from feedback is how much you learn from the other participants. As Course Leaders we know your experience is valuable and worth hearing and so we always invite contributions.
No. We will offer options such as personal reflection time, or joining a breakout room/small group chat and listening without speaking. If you are put in a breakout room by mistake you can always leave and come back to the main room.
In order to benefit fully from the course we recommend around 20 minutes practice for 5 days a week, if not daily. This helps you embed the teachings into your daily routine and to appreciate how mindfulness can support all aspects of your life. We will do our best to support you in creating helpful habits and understanding how mindfulness can be introduced in manageable ways. The 20 minutes can include a variety of practices such as sitting and walking meditations as well as informal mindfulness like eating.
We recognise that attendance can be affected by caring responsibilities, work commitments, health needs, or other circumstances, and the handouts will give you an overview of the session if you have to miss one. The six-week course builds from one session to the next and full attendance is designed to help most learning. The Course Leaders appreciate you letting them know in advance if you are unable to attend, even if it is something unexpected or last minute.
As this is a live, interactive course we don’t have pre-recorded sessions nor do we record sessions during a course. This helps participants feel as relaxed and at ease as possible, and hopefully able to speak freely. The handouts give an overview of what is covered in a session.
You may find it helpful to bring the following with you to class:
Please dress casually and comfortably. You may find it helpful to wear several layers, so that you can remove/add a layer to maintain a comfortable body temperature during the day and particularly while meditating.
You do not need to do anything to prepare for the course. This course is designed to be suitable for beginners and all the information you need will be provided. During the course we will propose some home practices and routine activities to help you integrate mindfulness and meditation into your daily life, including Apps and links to guided meditations online.
If you have any accessibility requirements or questions not covered by these FAQs or need this information in another format, please contact mindfulness-courses@plumvillage.uk
Access and download these to support your learning during each course using a login that your Course Leader will provide.
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