About Simply Mindful

Thousands of people take part in our programs every year.

Our foundational course is the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which we have been teaching continuously for 20 years.

Simply Mindful is the only group in Canberra to teach the complete and authentic MBSR program as developed by the founder of the program, Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, and as taught at the Center for Mindfulness (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts. We maintain close links with the CFM, the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australasia (MTIA), Openground and other quality MBSR programs in Australia.

Our beginnings were in 2004 when Sue Hays taught her first course here in Canberra.  In 2009 we came together to form the Canberra Mindfulness Centre and in 2012 we adopted the name Simply Mindful. In 2016 Sue retired, and Megan Layton who had been teaching alongside her since 2009, was invited to take over the reins. Together with a small group of passionate and experienced teachers she continues to offer life-changing science backed in-depth programs for people from all walks of life.

As well as our regular programs, we offer a range of tailored programs for workplaces and organisations both in person and online and tailored individual programs.  We love creating programs to meet your needs.

We endeavour to bring quality, depth of experience, rigour and authenticity to our programs. Each of the teachers at Simply Mindful is following the Centre for Mindfulness (CFM) USA  or Mindfulness Training Institute of Australasia (MTIA) recommended  sequence for MBSR teacher training,  involving foundational training, initial teaching, advanced training and certification.  The MTIA has now taken over the role previously played by the CFM for teacher training in our region. You can view the MTIA training pathway for MBSR here.

We participate in professional supervision with colleagues here in Canberra, around Australia and the world and regularly attend extended silent retreats in order to deepen our own meditation practice.

We are committed to providing access to our programs for as many people as possible. For nearly a decade we have kept the cost of the MBSR program to less than $27 per hour. Such low-cost, expert, evidence based care is unique in healthcare, personal development and leadership programs.

Still, not everyone can afford the cost of the program. In these instances we offer a range of possible assistance on a person-by-person, needs basis. We are proud of the fact that we have never denied access to anyone for any of our programs simply because they could not afford to pay the full fee. We also donate free or low cost programs every year.

We endeavour to embody the values and qualities of mindfulness. These include a respect for all life, treating all with understanding, compassion and kindness, listening deeply, speaking from a place of thoughtfulness and honesty and, as best we can, insuring our actions do not cause harm. We value diversity, authenticity and accessibility. 

We nurture and encourage the growth of our mindfulness community by providing opportunities for meeting, discussion and practice throughout the year.

Meet the Simply Mindful team

We are a small team of teachers and support staff working closely together to provide you with skilful and respectful support and encouragement on your mindfulness journey. We come from diverse backgrounds and have other jobs and additional interests, but we all have one thing in common: our commitment to mindful living.

All of us at Simply Mindful are committed to a regular mindfulness practice in our lives. As well, we attend regular extended silent retreats in order to deepen our meditation practice.

We all live, work, study and play in the Canberra community and have deep connections to this place, its people and the wonderful environment in which we live. (If you’d like to know more about any of our team members, click on their photo to go to their full profile page.)

About our programs

Not sure which program to start with?

We recommend that most people start with our foundational program, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), as it provides you with a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of mindfulness meditation. If you need a shorter time commitment, you may prefer Self-compassion. And if you aren't ready to commit to a home practice or are looking specifically for body-awareness, Mindful Yoga might be perfect for you.

mindfulness in the workplace

We provide high quality tailored mindfulness programs for organisations and workplaces.

We are proud to have worked with a wide range of workplaces and organisations in the ACT and region for well over a decade with compelling results.

Mindfulness, skilfully applied, can help you to develop high performing, healthy and happy organisations. Help your team develop resilience and  ability to be responsive to change and challenges.