Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)

An 8 week online course in how to bring greater peace and satisfaction into your own life and the lives of others through the power of compassion and loving-kindness

Next Course Dates: Thursdays at 7-9 p.m., 6 February – 3 April 2025

Instructor: David Midgley

Scientific research shows that compassion – having an active concern for the suffering of oneself and others – helps to reduce stress, increase life satisfaction and happiness, and improve personal relationships.

This eight week course teaches simple but effective meditations to develop greater compassion for oneself and others.  It is based on a combination of proven meditation techniques from the Buddhist tradition with the latest scientific research.  The course is non-religious and suitable for those of any faith or none.

The programme has been developed by Dr. Thubten Jinpa, English translator for the Dalai Lama  and author of the acclaimed book ‘ Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate can Transform our Lives’, together with a team of psychology researchers and meditation instructors at Stanford University.

David Midgley has taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds for 25 years, and is accredited by Compassion Institute as a CCT instructor.

The cost is £300 for the eight sessions; a discount of  50% is offered for those on a low income.  For those unable to afford this lower cost, some supported places may be available.  If you would like to support someone on a low income to be able to do the course, you can choose Supporter Ticket when you register to pay the higher fee of £450, which will allow us to offer one supported place.

To register for the course, please click here

For further information, or to discuss a supported place, please contact David Midgley at davidm@dharmacoach.co.uk.

Retreat: Unconditional Compassion

Compassion

Date: 24th – 25 May 2025
Retreat leader: David Midgley

The supremely important role of compassion in healing the deep problems of human life is now increasingly widely recognised not only within the Buddhist community but in the wider world, including in the fields of mental health, social policy, and even in business leadership and politics.

Using this combined traditional + contemporary approach, this retreat will introduce a range of guided practices designed to enable us to bring greater compassion to all aspects of our personal and work life. There will also be interactive sessions where, through sharing our experiences and insights, we can support each other to grow into Compassion Warriors!

While as Buddhists we may sincerely wish to extend compassion to all beings, it can be difficult to really put this into practice amid the challenges of work and family life, relationships and all the stresses of modern life. The emergence of secular programmes such as Thupten Jinpa’s Compassion Cultivation Training, combining the core practices of traditional Buddhism with contemporary scientific psychology, has brought new insights and useful techniques that can greatly help with integrating compassion into our life away from the meditation cushion.

To register for the retreat, please click here