Techne

Wellbeing Sessions and Training

Wellbeing Sessions

The Mindful Researcher Course:

All Techne students are invited to sign up for 'The Mindful Researcher Course', led by Dr Allan Johnson. Further information about the programme is available below, and the link to sign onto the course will be shared via email. 

The Mindful Researcher Course is an 8-week course to support postgraduate researchers with tools and strategies to enhance their wellbeing  A regular meditation practice decreases undesirable states such as anxiety, distress, and anger (Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007; Greeson & Brantley, 2008; Grossman et al., 2004) and increases positive states such as joyfulness, inspiration, and contentment (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Cardaciotto et al., 2008; Davidson et al., 2003; Feldman et al., 2007; Walach et al., 2006). Key cognitive functions including attention, awareness, and the ability to make connections have repeatedly been shown to be enhanced through mindfulness meditation practice (Cahn & Policy, 2006; Hölzel et al., 2007; Jha, Krompinger, & Baime, 2007; Lutz et al., 2008; Tang et al., 2007). 

The 8-week Mindful Researcher course is based on the gold standard 'Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction' course and adapted to the specific needs of postgraduate researchers.  It covers topics including resilience, being present with strong emotions, the inner critic, compassionate communication, creativity, and value-led project management and career planning. Participants will receive a PDF guidebook to support their practice, and slides and further recorded meditations for home practice will be made available through a virtual learning environment. 

The course takes place virtually via Teams from 16.00-17.00 once a week for eight consecutive weeks.  It is led by Dr Allan Johnson (Associate Dean Doctoral College, University of Surrey), who is an accredited mindfulness teacher registered on the UK Mindfulness Teachers Register and a Yoga Alliance registered yoga instructor (RYT-200) with over 15 years of experience in traditional and contemporary meditation practices. 

Please note that participants are expected to attend for all eight weeks (excepting unavoidable absences) because the course builds sequentially upwards and techniques from the early weeks will be needed for work in later weeks. 

If you have any questions, please contact Allan Johnson (a.kilner-johnson@surrey.ac.uk) or the Techne Team (Techne@rhul.ac.uk) directly. 

Course Overview:

Week One: Attention and Connection for Researchers

  • Why mindfulness?
  • Mindfulness for postgraduate researchers
  • Introduction to the mindfulness attitudes
  • Formal and non-formal mindfulness
  • Mindfulness of breath

Week Two: Automatic Pilot in Academia

  • Understanding thoughts and feelings
  • Introduction to neurophysiology for mindfulness practice
  • Body scan meditation
  • Connecting to experiences

Week Three: Judgment and the Inner Critic

  • The negativity and confirmation biases
  • Subpersonalities and the voice of critique
  • Observing thoughts and feelings
  • Being present with negative experiences (e.g. disappointment and rejection)

Week Four: Accepting the Now

  • Sitting meditation
  • Recognising challenging thoughts
  • Expressing and accepting gratitude
  • Mindful walking

Week Five: Mindful Goals and the Value-Led Life

  • Values and beliefs exercise
  • Building resilience and unwanted thoughts
  • Sitting meditation (breath, body, thoughts, and feelings)
  • Reflecting on past and future

Week Six: Compassionate Awareness in Research, Teaching, and Living

  • Self-compassion and self-care
  • Visualisation of self and others
  • Mindfulness-based compassion
  • Full sitting sequence

Week Seven: The I and the It

  • Loving-kindness meditation
  • Inviting silence

Week Eight: Integration and Application

  • Revisiting body scan
  • Staying mindful in challenges
  • Integrating formal and informal mindfulness into daily life