Mindfulness & Compassion Training Programmes

We offer a range of courses designed to support wellbeing, resilience, and compassionate living. Whether you are new to mindfulness or seeking to deepen your practice, our programmes provide a safe, supportive environment for personal growth.

Introduction to Mindfulness

4–week course | Suitable for beginners

A concise, practical introduction for anyone curious about mindfulness, feeling stressed or anxious, or seeking greater calm and connection.

Core practices:

  • Sitting and lying meditation
  • Guided visualisation
  • Gentle mindful movement
  • Walking meditation

You will learn to:

  • Calm the body and mind
  • Recognise how thoughts and personal stories fuel stress and anxiety
  • Relate to these patterns with greater perspective and kindness

Benefits:

  • Improved emotional balance and resilience
  • Reduced stress and anxiety
  • Stronger connection with others
  • A foundation for self–kindness and compassion

Includes online guided practices and course handouts.

Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC)

8–week programme | Developed by the Mindfulness Association

Based on the work of Rob Nairn, this structured course blends theory, science, and experiential learning to explore mindfulness and compassion in depth. Suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Format: 2–hour weekly sessions with home practice encouraged.

Content:

  • Breath awareness and sensory exploration
  • Changing your relationship with thoughts
  • Gentle mindful movement
  • Compassion and self–compassion practices

Benefits:

  • Greater emotional regulation and wellbeing
  • Reduction of physical symptoms of stress
  • Improved sleep and self–awareness
  • Strengthened capacity for kindness and compassion

Includes a course manual and online resources. Completion is required for entry into mindfulness teacher training.

Cultivating Compassion, Mindful Self-Compassion and Compassionate Mind Training

A range of 6–12 week programmes | In-person or online

Delivered from the heart and drawing on the research  of Kristin Neff, Chris Germer, Paul Gilbert, and others these courses develop the capacity to meet yourself and others with understanding and warmth.

You will learn to:

  • Respond to self–criticism with kindness
  • Work effectively with difficult emotions
  • Motivate yourself with encouragement rather than criticism
  • Transform relationships through compassionate awareness
  • Integrate self–compassion into everyday life

Developing compassion for oneself and others is often considered the most transformative stage of contemplative practice, fostering deep and lasting change.

Healing Relaxation (Tara Rokpa Therapy)

4–6 week introduction or ongoing group sessions | In-person or online

Created by Dr. Akong Rinpoche, founder of Samye Ling Monastery, this programme offers gentle Tibetan–inspired practices for mental and emotional healing.

Practices include:

  • Breath awareness and guided visualisation
  • Gentle movement and self–massage
  • Deep body awareness and relaxation

Accessible to all, these sessions nurture inner calm, balance, and a sense of community.

Weekly Drop–In Practice Sessions

Open sessions to encourage the development of practice within a community of practitioners. This traditional format is highly recommended for both sustaining personal motivation and deepening mindfulness skills.

Taming the Tiger

1 week programme | In-person

The Taming the Tiger programme was designed by Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche, founder of the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in the Borders of Scotland. The practices are described as meditations, therapeutic exercises and also aids to relaxation. They were developed also for use in a non Buddhist context.

These are simple and yet, profound practices. Although the book was designed for self help and self study / practice, over the years it has proven far more beneficial and effective to initially work with a group. I am very happy to bring the opportunity to facilitate this programme to the local community here.

These practices can help:

  • Manage and reduce stress
  • Improve physical and mental health
  • Enhance creativity
  • Help you to cope with daily life and manage change in your life
  • Bring about greater stability and resilience
  • Help you to relax more and more deeply
  • Help and support you in healing body and mind
  • Introduce you to meditation for mental and spiritual benefit
  • …. plus many others some as yet unknown

Some theory content will include:

  • teachings on impermanence and coping with change and stress
  • our actions and reactions and how we contribute to our own suffering
  • seeing ourselves more clearly
  • the self
  • developing compassion and kindness for ourselves and others
  • Many other aspects relevant to life and living

Taming the Tiger is a programme which runs over approximately one year  This isn’t fixed as it often depends on the group itself and the progress through the practices and text. It does require that commitment although we do understand that life presents unavoidable situations which would cause problems for attending all the sessions and it is ok for us to work with that. We also record some parts of the sessions and share those with the group so if sessions are missed it’s possible to catch up (sharing is with the group’s permission – any confidential discussion aspects are not included).

The programme is fully funded by Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund (Scottish Govt) as we are a charity (SCO57166). Donations are welcome but not obligatory. The text we read (Taming the Tiger : Akong Rinpoche) supports all of the practices. You can buy this fairly reasonably as a used book or new.  You will need this for the programme.

If access  to the programme location is an issue please contact us as we can support you in resolving this

First date: 13th September, Abbot’s House 11 Maygate, Dunfermline KY12 7NE 10.00am-4.00pm

(The following dates will be arranged with the group.  The location is likely to change to Falkland Estate thereafter but this is not fully decided as yet.)

Retreats

We offer short, themed practice retreats ranging from 1 day to 5 nights (residential). Each retreat is designed to encourage participants to develop and deepen their practice.
Some funded places are available; other places operate on a donation basis.

  • Additional Opportunities
  • One-to-One Mentoring Sessions — Personalised guidance tailored to individual needs (non-therapeutic).
  • Deepening Practice — Bespoke or short (4–6 week) courses focusing on specific aspects of mindfulness or compassion.
  • Practice Days — Regular sessions to reconnect with practice and community.
  • Mindfulness Supervision — Professional reflective space for mindfulness teachers and trainers to support ethical and skilful teaching.

Events, Workshops & Retreats

Our in-person programmes are currently based in Fife and Perth and Kinross.
Find out more about what’s on…

Your Mindfulness Practitioners for Rural Communities in Scotland

Cat McCaw
Cat McCawTeacher of Mindfulness and Compassion-based Approaches
Cat McCaw began teaching in and around Perthshire in 2013, drawing on her background as a mental health nurse and many years of dedicated personal practice. She has extensive experience supporting individuals and groups through mindfulness, compassion-based training, and healing relaxation.

Cat offers courses and group sessions in local communities including Perth, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy and Blairgowrie, as well as one-to-one sessions to help people bring mindful awareness and compassion into everyday life and moments of difficulty. She also provides mentoring and supervision for other mindfulness teachers.

Cat has completed mindfulness and compassion training through , Aberdeen University, The Mindfulness Association, The Centre for Mindful Self-Compassion and a PGDip in Compassion Focused Therapy from The Compassionate Mind Foundation.

Over the years, she has partnered with organisations such as the Wellbeing Support Team, The University of the Highlands and Islands , Perth and Kinross Council, the Care and Wellbeing Collective, and, with The Mindful Partnership, Tayside Council on Alcohol.

At the heart of her work is meeting people where they are, recognising that any moment can be a meaningful starting point. Through her own journey, she’s discovered that real change doesn’t mean becoming someone different — it means learning to relate to ourselves and our experiences with greater kindness and understanding.

Christine Dewar
Christine DewarCounsellor, Psychotherapist, Mindfulness Teacher & Supervisor
Christine Dewar is a highly experienced counsellor and psychotherapist with over 40 years of work in therapeutic, educational, and contemplative settings. She holds multiple academic and professional qualifications from the Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, including:

• BD Hons in Counselling and Pastoral Care
• PGDE in Education
• Postgraduate Diploma in Mindfulness Studies & Compassion
• SIHR Certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy & NLP
• Msc Studies in Mindfulness & Compassion (Dip)
• Mindfulness Teacher Training (MA)
• Supervision in both Counselling and Mindfulness

Her integrative therapeutic approach combines person-centred, psychodynamic, and contemplative methods with somatic, trauma-informed, and subtle energy healing practices. Christine has worked extensively with both adults and young people and has provided voluntary support through NHS chaplaincy services.

As a trainer and supervisor, she delivers CPD, retreats, and workshops in Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Buddhist psychology, and emotional wellbeing. She is a Mindfulness Teacher & Supervisor (Mindfulness Association )and lead trainer/ consultant of The Mindful Partnership (SCO51766), a charity offering wellbeing programmes across Scotland.

Christine’s work is deeply rooted in contemplative practice, influenced by her early training with Akong Tulku Rinpoche and the Tara Rokpa process. Her lifelong inquiry into suffering, healing, and human transformation shapes her personal and professional path.

“What matters most is the heart from which action arises. Even in the darkest moments, healing and transformation remain possible. My work is grounded in this commitment—to accompany others in discovering their own capacity for wholeness and compassion.”