“Mindfulness for Life.”

‘Mindfulness for Life’ or also known as ‘Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L)’ Programme is an evidence-based framework which offers a pathway to address stress, depression, trauma, sleeping disorders and other mental health conditions.

Mindfulness for Life (or MBCT-L) is a programme designed to cultivate mindful awareness of our body, emotions and mind so that we can live our lives with a greater sense of wellbeing, kindness and resilience. This evidence-based programme, developed in the light of research at Oxford University and other leading research centres has two main intentions; to offer skills to meet life’s challenges and difficulties, both internal and external; as well as skills to develop more awareness and appreciation of the pleasant moments in life that we can often overlook. In other words, to respond more skilfully to all of life’s inevitable ups and downs.

Week 1: Waking up from Autopilot (1.5 hours)
Week 2: Another way of being: keeping the body in mind (1.5 hours)
Week 3: Gathering the Scattered Mind (1.5 hours)
Week 4: Recognising reactivity (1.5 hours)
Week 5: Allowing and letting be (1.5 hours)
Week 6: Responding skilfully (1.5 hours)
Week 7: How can I best take care of myself? (1.5 hours)
Week 8: MBCT-L Retreat: Deepening the practice (4.5 hours)

Mindfulness for Life (MBCT-L) Programme will be supported by a detailed digital course-booklet, and open to all ages above 18.

The MBCT-L 8-week Public Programme total fee is Rs 30,000. The fee breakdown is Rs 3500 per session for sessions 1-7, and Rs 5500 for the final retreat session, which includes a Sri Lankan lunch, tea/coffee and snacks. The total course fee of Rs 30,000 needs to be paid in advance or in 2 monthly instalments. For more information, and to reserve a place please get in touch via WhatsApp +94 (0) 740547381.

Please note: The next (free) introductory public information session will be held on Saturday, 29th March (from 10.00 am – 12.00 noon) at CALM Home. Attendance at the (free) introductory session is mandatory before starting the MBCT-L 8-Week Public Programme. The upcoming MBCT-L Public Programme will run over 8 consecutive Saturdays, from 26th April – 14th June 2025. Sessions 1 to 7 will run from 10.00 am – 11.30 am (1.5 hours), and the final 8th session on Saturday, 14th June will run as a retreat format from 10.00 am – 2.30 pm (4.5 hours). This retreat is an opportunity to deepen practice and an invaluable learning experience to explore ways of integrating the practice into our daily life. On completion (must attend at least 7 in-person sessions), you will receive a MBCT-L Programme attendance certificate issued by CALM. Following the Mindfulness for Life (MBCT-L) 8-Week Public Programme, follow-up consultations are available on request.

All participants who complete the ‘Mindfulness for Life’ 8-Week Programme requirements will receive a digital attendance certificate issued by CALM.

Places are limited to a maximum of 25 participants per workshop. Please click on the ‘Enrol’ button at the top of this page to reserve your place at the ‘Mindfulness for Life’ 8-Week Programme. Attending this course will qualify you to apply for the next ‘Mindfulness for Earth (M4E) Teacher Training Programme 2025/2026 (for more information, please visit the ‘Teacher Training’ page within this website).

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (or MBCT-L) public programmes are led by the International Mindfulness Trainer and Consultant Dr. Kumanga Andrahennadi.

Dr. Kumanga Andrahennadi is the Founder/Director of CALM: Centre for the Advanced Learning of Mindfulness. Kumanga is a Mindfulness Trainer, Researcher, Educator and a Consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in delivering mindfulness-based programmes in the East and West. Originally from Sri Lanka, at the age of 20, Kumanga discovered her passion for meditation and completed her Ph.D. at the University of Dundee, Scotland, where she developed a novel mindfulness-based programme entitled ‘Mindfulness for Earth’.

Dr. Andrahennadi specialises in delivering: the ‘Mindfulness for Earth (M4E)’ Program, ‘Mindfulness for Life (MBCT-L)’ Program, and ‘Mindfulness for Trauma Management and Conflict Resolution (MTMCR)’ Program and Retreats. Dr. Andrahennadi has successfully delivered these programs for the public, private and government sectors including to the Education Sector (universities and schools), Police Organizations, the Mental Health Sector and non-government organizations in the U.K., U.S.A., Europe, Middle East and internationally. She is an international mindfulness trainer certified under the prestigious Oxford Mindfulness Foundation (OMF), a partner of the University of Oxford, U.K. Dr. Andrahennadi is currently co-leading the Mindfulness, Spirituality and Planetary Health (MS&PH) Initiative headed by the Office of Global Affairs at University of Connecticut (UConn), U.S.A. The MS&PH Initiative is run in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Faith for Earth and CALM.

This in-depth (2.5-month) program will build on the mindfulness-based practices/methods of the MTMCR with a special focus on the combined methodology of trauma management and conflict resolution aimed at developing wellbeing and productivity at the workplace. This course will offer insights on the use of eco-contemplative and nature-based practices towards stress/trauma-informed mindfulness, and the use of methods of compassionate listening and Bohmian dialogue towards mindful conflict resolution. Through an examination of mindfulness-based methods as a preventative strategy for mental health, participants will learn how to cultivate innate mind qualities and emotional intelligence, mindful communication skills and re-establish the wellbeing-productivity connection. This professional skill development course will provide an opportunity to experience the Mindfulness for Earth (M4E) practices/methods (developed by Dr. Andrahennadi through her Ph.D. at University of Dundee, U.K.), and learn how to implement mindfulness and compassion-based practices/methods within the leadership, team-building and communication training. Furthermore, the participants will explore what it means to become Mindful Wellbeing Champions in support of building a caring community. This program will include an online retreat. Upon successful completion of the course, the participants will receive a MTMCR Program attendance certificate issued by CALM.

1. Week 1 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Introduction to the Program, Program Leader, Participants & Q&A
2. Week 2 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Introduction to Foundations of Mindfulness
3. Week 3 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Introduction to Stress, Depression & Trauma-Informed Mindfulness
4. Week 4 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Mindfulness for Earth (M4E) Methods (Part 1): Eco-Contemplation
5. Week 5 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Mindfulness for Earth (M4E) Methods (Part 2): Cultivating Innate Mind Qualities &
Emotional Intelligence
6. Week 6 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Mindfulness for Earth (M4E) Methods (Part 3): Compassionate Listening &
Bohmian Dialogue for Mindful Conflict Resolution
7. Week 7 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Mindfulness and Compassion-Based Practices/Methods for Leadership, Team-Building
& Communication Training
8. Week 8 (4 hours – online retreat via Zoom): Mindfulness for Earth Retreat & Compassionate Listening Circle
9. Week 9 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Re-Establishing the Wellbeing-Productivity Connection
10. Week 10 (2 hours – online via Zoom): Mindful Wellbeing Champions at Home/Workplace