Understanding the basic concepts of mindfulness will aid anyone who is wanting to improve their own mental health, or follow a career path that involves working closely with others who may be susceptible to mental health conditions. If you’re looking to progress your mindfulness skills further, then we have spent the time researching the best mindfulness classes that are available online. We have included both free and paid courses, that are suitable for all levels, to ensure that you can find a course best suited to you!
But first, let’s answer a very important question – what is mindfulness? And why is it important for those working with others to have an understanding of mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are, engrossed in what we are doing and to not be overly reactive to what is going on around us. There are many different techniques that can be used to cultivate mindfulness. For example, some people can feel ‘mindful’ and at peace when seated, whereas others need to be moving. Some people practice mindfulness by itself, whereas others merge mindfulness mediation with other activities.
Whatever way mindfulness is practiced, it has many benefits. It can help reduce stress, enhance performance, gain self insight and awareness and it increase our attention to our own well-being and the well-being of others.
If you are someone who thinks that knowing how to use and apply mindfulness will help you in your career, then you can learn mindfulness through online learning. You can use these skills to help care for others, or to enhance your own well-being, and therefore progress more in your career. Suitable for all levels, I have spent the time researching the best online mindfulness tutorials out there. So, if you’re looking to progress your mental health knowledge and skills, there will be an online course out there for you!
1. Mindfulness Practitioner Diploma (Level I, II, III & Master) (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 60h 18m
- Cost: $89.99
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: 84,762
- Course rating: 4.6/5 (out of 11,782 ratings)
In this bestselling Udemy course, you will learn the characteristics of mindfulness. This includes learning about how it works and how best to practice it.
Through a huge 60 hours of content, you will learn everything you need to know to kickstart a career using mindfulness, or to help yourself. You will firstly dive into the benefits of mindfulness, including how to grow resilience and improve focus. After, you will take a look at how to connect with people in an authentic way so that you can share your best self with others. You will also take a look at how applying mindfulness can improve mental health and general wellness, and how it can be applied to have a constructive outlook on life.
Once completed, you will know how to develop a whole, fully-present and influential personal presence… and you’ll be able to help others to do the same!
2. De-Mystifying Mindfulness (Coursera)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 44h
- Cost: Enroll for Free
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: 200,463
- Course rating: 4.8/5 (out of 1,438 ratings)
This course offers you one thing: to ability to understand mindfulness in a simple way. Once completed, the knowledge from the course should help you to practice mindfulness and mediation on an incredibly deep level.
Evolving from the popular Honours Academy course at Leiden University, this innovative course combines conventional scholarly inquiry with experiential learning. Unlike some other courses, you will take a detailed look at the psychology and philosophy of mindfulness so that you can understand the depth and complexity of finding a mindful state. You will then take a deeper look at the politics of mindfulness, as well as how it relates to trauma, social justice, nature and land. To finish, you will then take a look at mindfulness in the future and how it will shape us.
3. Mindfulness Life Coach Certification Practitioner Accredited (Udemy)
- Level: Intermediate
- Completion time: 3h 57m
- Cost: $79.99
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: 4,381
- Course rating: 4.7/5 (out of 1,075 ratings)
As the highest rated mindfulness course on Udemy, this course is not one to be missed. Essentially, you will learn how to use mindfulness as a professional tool so that you can develop your coaching expertise and business practice. You will cover the basics on mindfulness, how to use it for self discovery and then you will take a look at the 12 day mindfulness challenge, which will really enable you to connect with yourself.
The course teaches you how to cultivate a deeper connection with yourself, and with others, so that you can become the best life coach possible. As an added bonus, you also get free customizable coaching handouts for use in your practice and you will become eligible to apply for a complimentary Accredited CSA Mindfulness Life Coach Certification!
4. Jon Kabat-Zinn Teaches Mindfulness and Meditation (Masterclass)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 6h 30m
- Cost: $14 a month
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
Mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn will teach you how to incorporate meditation into your everyday life to improve your health and happiness. Jon has spent more than 40 years studying, teaching and advocating the benefits of mindfulness and, as a result, is the best possible person to teach you how to cultivate a mindfulness practice!
Through 20 lessons, Jon will give you a thorough guide to mindfulness and meditation. You will learn the correct posture for meditation, how to use mindfulness to handle stress, the science behind mindfulness, how to reclaim your wholeness, how to maintain mindfulness practice and much more!
5. Practical Mindfulness – Mindfulness and mindful meditation (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 3h 12m
- Cost: $59.99
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: 5,653
- Course rating: 4.6/5 (out of 1,523 ratings)
Designed to help you learn how to practice mindful meditation, you should be able to use this course to improve your health and wellbeing. You will be able to work towards reducing the effects of stress from your life, experiencing freedom from emotional turmoil, anxiety and depression, and learning how to incorporate informal mindfulness throughout the day to make it part of your daily routine.
You should consider taking this course if you’re struggling with stress, anxiety and depression. Or, you should take this course if you want to become a better and more insightful person and begin a journey on a spiritual path.
6. The M Word by Emily Fletcher (Mindvalley)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 33 days
- Cost: $549
- Certification: N/A
- Number of people who have completed the course: Over 280,592
- Course rating: N/A
The M Word program gives you the tools to learn and master modern meditation for mindfulness. For 33 days you will enjoy Emily’s easy, proven and effective approach to meditation. You will be taken through a step-by-step guide on each day to learn tools and techniques that will help you sleep better, have more energy and greater productivity.
Although this course takes a reasonable amount of commitment, it is worth it for anyone wanting to reach a level of inner-peace. Through the commitment required, you will learn to come to your senses, celebrate your success, heal your pain and so much more. This course really is a must-have for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in meditation and mindfulness.
7. I Am In Control: CBT, Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity (Skillshare)
- Level: All levels
- Completion time: 3h 7m
- Cost: 14 day free trial
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: 2,156
- Course rating: N/A
Experience your higher self through mindfulness and learn how to step beyond patterns of the ego! In this Skillshare online course, you will learn how to create a space that will help you to gain clarity and insight. Once you’ve done this, you will have achieved freedom and will be able to rewire your brain with neuroplasticity.
This course will teach you how to rise above any of the ego’s limiting defense mechanisms, how to use CBT and mindfulness to alleviate symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety, how to heal your core beliefs and take control by learning the language of the subconscious mind. So, if you feel out of control, then what are you waiting for?
8. Mindfulness Made Easy! | A Practical Guide to Mindfulness Meditation (Skillshare)
- Level: All levels
- Completion time: 3h
- Cost: 14 day free trial
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: 483
- Course rating: N/A
Designed to make learning about mindfulness easy, this course provides an in-depth introduction to the foundations of mindfulness and meditation. Suitable for absolutely anyone, whether they’re a beginner or they are just starting out, this course is for those who are interested in building a strong foundation of how to practice mindful meditation, using an approach that is based on science and reason.
The lectures on this course are clear, concise and easy to understand so that you can get to grips with the basics of meditation, without having to learn any spiritual jargon. Essentially, with the power of mindfulness meditation, you will learn how to manage your stress and anxiety and cultivate more joy, happiness and gratitude!
9. Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work (edX)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: Approx. 8h
- Cost: Free (with option to upgrade)
- Certification: Yes (if pay to upgrade)
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
Designed specifically to help you gather resilience in the workplace, this course is aimed to help you reduce any workplace burnout, stress and anxiety. This course offers research-based strategies for building resilience to stress and fortifying our well-being in the face of challenges.
You will learn about the biological and psychological impact of stress, which helps you to understand the importance of practicing mindfulness everyday. The course instructors are expert faculty from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Centre and they will use their expert knowledge to offer their scientific insights to the needs of modern workplaces and how everyone can foster mindfulness and resilience at work. Aimed specifically at managers and employers, this course will offer you research-based strategies for cultivating mindfulness within the organization.
10. Free Online Mindfulness Sessions (Oxford Mindfulness Sessions)
- Level: All levels
- Completion time: Various
- Cost: Free
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
Through the Oxford Mindfulness website, you can get free mindfulness sessions at 7pm every weekday and everyone is welcome to join, regardless of their experience. Most courses last 8 or 12 weeks and are carefully designed to help both beginners, and those with more experience, to learn and develop their understanding of mindfulness and to incorporate it into their daily lives.
Examples of topics covered include mindful movement, stretching and breathing, body scanning, how to play with attention and so much more. Everything is completely free, but it is a charity so if you ever wanted to donate then it wouldn’t go amiss!
Conclusion
All of the 10 courses listed above are suited to anyone who is wanting to develop an understanding of mindfulness so that they can improve their mental health, and the mental health of others around them
Specific careers where having a good understanding of mindfulness will be incredibly helpful include:
To gather these mindfulness skills, there are lots of online courses available for you. There are free courses that take less than an hour to complete. There are also more expensive courses that take much longer to complete! Some courses are suitable for those with no prior mindfulness or mental health experience. Whereas other courses are better suited for those with lots of experience working with those with mental health conditions, but are specifically looking to increase their skillset further.
The online classes in this list are the best of the best. Each is taught by an experienced and dedicated teacher that has lots of satisfied and happy customers.
So, which course you decide take depends on your experience, funds and spare time. Do you have a huge amount of money to spend on your skill development? Do you have a lot of spare time, or are you just looking for a quick, but effective, skill top up?
