For over ten years, Breathworks courses have offered thousands of people living with chronic pain, stress and illness the potential to improve and transform their quality of life. Participants receive a toolkit of knowledge based on research-tested mindfulness methods and the founder's long-term experience of chronic pain.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness or mindful awareness is a state of present moment attention where we can clearly perceive thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and events at the moment they occur without reacting in an automatic or habitual way. We can then make choices on how we respond to to experience and have a rich and fulfilling life, even in difficult circumstances.

The Breathworks approach is based on learning to accept our experience and not react to it. By accepting the conditions we find ourselves in, we begin to respond creatively. To do this, we need to learn how to be mindful and aware of our reactions and responses.

"Whether you suffer with chronic pain or illness, treat those who suffer, or care for a loved one who does, the Breathworks methods could radically change your life for the better"
Professor Lance McCracken, King's College London and INPUT Pain Management Centre

Breathworks programmes

Breathworks programmes have their origins in the personal experience of Vidyamala Burch, who has used mindfulness to manage severe chronic spinal pain for twenty-five years. They are founded on practice-based research combined with key elements of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Breathworks offers teacher training in mindfulness based approaches to pain, stress and illness. This training provides instruction in teaching others as well as developing mindfulness as a personal practice. The full Breathworks training leads to qualification as a Breathworks trainer to deliver specially designed Breathworks courses such as Living Well with Pain and Illness and Mindfulness for Stress.