Building Inner Strength: 16 Inner Values for Life Workshop

Building Inner Strength: 16 Guidelines for Life is a weekend workshop that teaches practical tools for making everyday life better. By noticing our patterns of thinking, speaking and acting, and understanding how our minds work through mindfulness and self-enquiry, we can find lasting fulfilment. Don’t miss the introductory public talk Universal Human Values from Ancient Tibet on January 31, 19.00-20.30!

Prerequisite

Anyone over 16 years old. Prior experience of personal development, mindfulness, meditation, or emotional intelligence isn’t needed, but those who have are very welcome.

Is this course for me

This is a workshop for anyone who knows their life could be better than it is; and not by getting the newest phone, or a bigger house. If you feel like there is something missing, if you know that there is more to life, and if you want practical tools to discover all of this and more, you need just 16 Guidelines.

16 Guidelines for a Happy Life gives every participant transferrable skills to create a cascade of impact, beyond just self-improvement. It has an extraordinary appeal to a wide range of people, from diverse backgrounds, of different ages, with different beliefs, from different cultures, but who are all fundamentally looking for the same thing – to live a happier and more meaningful life.  

This workshop is suitable for people of all faiths and cultural traditions!

Course description

The workshop has a total of 12 hours of teaching time plus breaks for lunch and tea/coffee.

Builiding Inner Strenth: 16 Inner Values for a Happy Life gives practical tools for making everyday life better. By noticing our patterns of thinking, speaking and acting, and understanding how our minds work through mindfulness and self-enquiry, we can find lasting fulfilment. Equipped with better knowledge of ourselves we can break through our limiting beliefs, transform our relationships, make better decisions, and find peace of mind even on the most difficult of days. 

What will I learn on this course

In a relaxed, enjoyable and supportive environment, participants learn practical daily techniques that will help nurture their positive qualities, transform everyday relationships, and ripple out into the world around them!

16 Guidelines facilitators use interactive and experiential methodologies to guide and engage participants in their own personal explorations, using the 16 Guidelines as a framework to analyse experiences. Images, music, quotes, and videos, are used, including instruction and practice of mindfulness.

What will I take away from this course into my daily life

The applications of 16 Guidelines can be applied to personal relationships, healthcare, prison, hospice and work environments. 

More about this course

The 16 Guidelines which form the basis of the workshop are a contemporary presentation of ancient wisdom. They appear consistently in the philosophical, spiritual and religious traditions of the world, even if they are not always put into practice. Learning to apply them to everyday situations can bring about real and lasting personal transformation and resilience. 

The 16 Guidelines are a practical tool for making life better. They provide a simple, robust framework for reflecting on how we think, speak and act, and for creating causes to experience lasting happiness and meaning.

Discoveries in neuroscience suggest that each of us has the potential to continue developing and transforming our minds, from birth until death. The 16 Guidelines can help us to do this in a way that will benefit both ourselves and others. If you change your mind, you change your life.

The 16 Guidelines were inspired by the 16 Human Dharmas, an ethical code written by King Songsten Gampo in 7th century Tibet to guide his citizens. The code played a crucial part in the transformation of Tibet from a warlike nation into a civilisation renowned for its peace and serenity. So the 16 Guidelines are a contemporary presentation of ancient wisdom. They are deceptively simple words which appear in all of the spiritual, religious and philosophical traditions of the world – even if they aren’t always put into practice. If we learn to apply them to real-life situations, they demonstrate a capacity to transform our relationships, help us to make wise decisions, and bring us peace of mind in difficult of circumstances.

The Guidelines are underpinned by four philosophical themes:

1.                   How we think – the way we use our mind determines the way we live
2.                   How we act – every skilful action makes a better world
3.                   How we relate – to take care of others is to take care of ourselves
4.                   How we find meaning – if everything is changing, anything is possible

The more deeply we explore these themes, the more profound our experience of the Guidelines will become. Many people are finding that they offer the key to developing resilience in the face of the challenges and stress of modern life. 

Workshop schedule

(Saturday & Sunday)

10:00 – 11:30   Session 

11:30 – 11:45   Break

11:45 – 13:15   Session 

13:15 – 14:15   Lunch break

14:15 – 15:45   Session 

15:45 – 16:00   Break

16:00 – 17:30   Session 

Who is teaching the course

Wendy Ridley 

Wendy has 40 years experience working in education – as a teacher, university lecturer, education department advisor and consultant specialising in religious education and philosophical enquiry. This has provided her with skills and passion to develop, deliver and oversee training programmes. Wendy has been involved in the development of Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom as a Board member since 2004 and as a Senior 16 Guidelines Facilitator. She has worked in 5 very different Buddhist centres and was the director of Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds for over 7 years.

Course material

You will be provided with handouts, materials for the workshop. 

Books and cards can be purchased separately. 

When is it

Start and end dates: February 1-2 2020 

Session duration: 10.00-17.30

Day of the week: Saturday-Sunday

Good to know

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the workshop start to register.

We have 20% discount for students, retired, and employed. Use “Reduced course fee” coupon to use this discount. 

Don’t miss the introductory public talk Universal Human Values from Ancient Tibet on January 31, 19.00-20.30! It is included in the price of the weekend workshop.

The level 1 workshop is just the beginning of the journey, there is little benefit if it is seen as the final event. For participants to experience the results they need to integrate what they learned into their daily lives. The most meaningful work begins after the workshop. 

Building on the Basics (BoB) is a 10-week follow-on, which is designed to deepen participants’ understanding and experience of the 16 guidelines. 

• BoB is led by participants of the Level 1 workshop
• Held biweekly for ten weeks 
• Interactive, experiential, and contemplative 

We are starting Building on Basics follow-on course on February 4, 2020. More information about BoB is here.

Course price

Regular price – 900 kr 

Reduced price – 720 kr