Teaching Mindfulness-Based Groups: The Inside Out Group Model

Teaching Mindfulness-Based Groups calls for mindfulness teachers to move from a focus on the individual participant’s wellbeing to a wider perspective of individual and collective benefit, by harnessing the power and dynamics of the mindfulness-based group for the benefit of all.Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) were designed to be taught in groups, and almost all participants learn about mindfulness this way. Yet there has been little research into the impact of the group on the overall learning experience and how this can enhance the outcomes for each participant, their community and the wider context. Based on the ‘Inside Out Group’ (IOG) model developed by the authors, Teaching Mindfulness-Based Groups offers a clear way for teachers to understand the complexities of group processes in MBPs based on four key capacities: 1. Inside out embodying (non-judgemental present moment awareness); 2. Reading the group (understanding the theory of group development); 3. Holding the group (cultivating an environment to facilitate learning); and 4. Befriending the group (engaging the heart in mindfulness teaching). Read more