Mindfulness Meditation Online Course – Top 6 Affordable Picks Reviewed

Plain old meditation Vs mindfulness meditation

There are a plethora of mindfulness courses online and mindful meditation courses, but how do you go about choosing an online mindfulness course?

That’s where I come in.

I want to start out here by giving you a little information because I think it will influence how you go about making your choice on a Mindfulness Meditation Online Course.

At the very least I hope it will expand your view.

It’s always interesting to me when I do my research and see what terms people are googling or searching for.

Interestingly, there seems to be a large volume of people asking about mindfulness whether it be what it is, how to do it or wanting information about a mindfulness meditation online course.

The reason I find this interesting or the term mindfulness meditation interesting is because meditation is basically meditation and the practice of meditation is mindful by nature.

Let me explain a little further.  Though the focus of the meditation may change e.g. it might be a body scan, movement or a simple breathing meditation, basically whatever meditation you do, it is mindful or rather we employ mindfulness whilst doing it.

Put simply, mindfulness is about having a non-judgemental awareness of thoughts, feelings and sensations in the body i.e. being present and watching without identification.

And, we can practice mindfulness or be mindful when we are doing our everyday tasks i.e. whilst not specifically meditating.

If you want to learn more about mindfulness read my article What is mindfulness practice? The path to happiness!

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Meditation is Mindful by Nature

So, somewhere along the way, the word mindfulness or the practise of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation has caught on, it’s become popular, preferable and acceptable.

Perhaps mindfulness meditation sounds a little less scary or is more palatable to a western audience than meditation which previously (and to a degree still is) was considered alternative and some weird thing that easterners or hippies did.

Or, maybe the term mindfulness helps people to understand or provides comfort and reassurance where the term meditation does not.

It also sounds task orientated and so we can say “I can do that”.  This is contrary to what most people say when they hear ‘let’s meditate”.  The response is often “I can’t do that”.

So now, with this new acceptance, advertisers or service/product providers are using the term mindfulness meditation to really promote or market what is really just meditation.

I think this has then had the effect on the mainstream public thinking that mindfulness meditation is different in some way to plain old meditation.  It’s not!

With that, I just want to reiterate that when we meditate, we are always mindful regardless of the type or focus of the meditation we are practising.

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Ok, so meditation is always mindful, what’s your point?

My point is that you may limit your choices of meditation courses or resources by purely seeking out those that claim to be mindfulness meditation.

I’m not saying these are necessarily bad or misleading either, they may be very good or even excellent.

All I’m saying is, don’t limit yourself to seeking purely those products that are labelled as mindfulness meditation when you are searching because whatever you choose, mindfulness will be built in.

So, try to keep an open mind.

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Mindfulness Meditation Online Course – Top 6 Affordable Picks

With all of that, I’ve listed some online meditation courses that I think are quite varied and so you are sure to find something to suit.

Remember, that mindfulness will be a part of any meditation course because meditation by its very nature is mindful.

In no particular order:

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1. Living from a Place of Surrender – Michael Singer 8 Week Course

Price: Today $297.00 ($5.30 a day)

Instalment plan available.

Format:  8 transformational video learning sessions (intensive teachings over 8 weeks); private online journal and questions for reflection; 3 special bonus offerings including an additional 10 pra

ctical audio sessions in applying insights.

Guarantee: 100% money back guarantee for 1 year

Teacher:  Michael A. Singer (New York Times #1 Best Seller)

You will learn that trying to achieve happiness by “getting what you want” is actually limiting your happiness and that you end up struggling with life instead of experiencing it.  The idea espoused is that the most effective personal growth technique is to use life to remove your inner blockages, not compensate for them.

Expected benefits from living from a place of surrender:

• Freedom from struggle
• Clarity and Calm
• Spontaneous Joy
• Harmony in Relationships
• Energetic Renewal
• Creative Inspiration

My Thoughts:

The Living from a Place of Surrender course is endorsed by the likes of Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Deepak Chopra.

The course has been developed and is delivered by a reputable and credible teacher, Michael A Singer.  The endorsements of other leading teachers whether in similar or different fields supports this statement.

The course approach is valid and hits on crucial points for consciousness and transforming one’s life e.g. having an awareness of one’s emotions and thoughts, surrender, being in flow, freedom from pushing to achieve, and in going beyond the overactive mind (that creates suffering and struggle) to access the real you where liberation and sustainable contentment lies.

This is a popular course and quality at only $5.30 per day.

I like the idea of not trying to compensate or I like to say ‘fix’ your inner blockages.  The approach of this course comes from a place of ease (flow) which I’m all about.  Getting in touch with the ‘real you’ is where it is at.

To register now click here

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2. The Power of Awareness – An Online Mindfulness Training to Transform your Life with Awareness, Compassion & Well-Being

• Price:  $297.00 (reduced from $397) – only $6.00 per day
• Instalment plan:  Yes, 3 monthly payments of $107
• Duration:  7 weeks commencing February 18, 2020
• Guarantee:  100% money back guarantee for 1 year
• Format: Lifetime access to all video trainings, guided meditations, workbooks and bonus concepts,      practices and instructions.
• Teachers: Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach

As the name implies, the course is essentially around mindfulness and how mindfulness can transform your life whether that be your relationships, home life, work or any other area that you find challenging.

Program Inclusions – What you’ll get!

1. Video Trainings – 26 Videos with 10 Hours of Teachings
2. Guided Meditation Practice
3. Guided Meditations
4. Optional Practices
5. Community Mentoring Sessions facilitated by experienced mentors.
6. Personal Journaling Exercises
7. Reflections Course Workbook
8. Certificate of Completion

Bonuses:  Meditations for Emotional Healing and Guided Meditations for Self-Healing

To learn more click here.

My Thoughts: 

The promotion for this course at the moment is $100.00 off.  That equates to only about $6.00 per day to participate.  That’s a bargain!

I reviewed this course a couple of months ago, so you might like to read this before you buy: The Power of Awareness: Online Course Review

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3. Body and Mind are One:  An Online Training Course in Mindfulness

Price:                     $147.00 ($18 per week or around $2.50 per day)

Duration:             8 weeks of in-depth instruction

Format:                Self-guided and self-paced

Guarantee:         100% money back guarantee for 1 year

Teacher:               Zen Master and meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh

When your body and mind work together as one, you are fully and naturally present in the moment.

This is the essence of mindfulness practice. Body and Mind Are One: An Online Training in Mindfulness brings you an eight-week course with the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, who has practiced, shared, and lived this profound wisdom for over seven decades.

Course inclusions:

Instruction and exercises for using your breath mindfully to cease internal conflict, release tension and anxiety, and become aware of the conditions for happiness and freedom that are always readily available.

Originally recorded during a six-day retreat in the beautiful Rocky Mountain village of Estes Park, Body and Mind Are One gives you the opportunity to study with Thich Nhat Hanh along with a community of monastics and lay practitioners. Body and Mind Are One is at once a living transmission of insight and a practical teaching series.

To learn more click here.

From time to time the course is sold out.  But, you can join a waitlist.  In the meantime, a great alternative is Body and Mind are One: A Training in Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (available via CD or Audio Download and on sale now).

My Thoughts:

Again, good value for money.  This may be a little like being on retreat.  I recently wrote about Best Ways to Meditate at Home – Top Retreat Tips so this might be a good accompaniment if you are interested.

Obviously, this approach takes a more explicitly Buddhist approach.  Don’t let this turn you off as most meditations have developed out of Buddhism.  If you are interested in learning about the fundamental Buddhist principles for a joyful life then this could be the one for you.

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4. Discovering the Relaxed Mind: An Immersion in a Seven-Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice

Price:                     $129.00 (down from $199)

Format:                Self-guided and self-paced

Guarantee:         30-day satisfaction guarantee

Teacher:               Tibetan Buddhist master Dza Kilung Rinpoche

Dza Kilung Rinpoche identified that Westerners face a unique set of obstacles when walking the path of meditation. Our fast-paced, high-pressured lifestyle carries over into the way we approach meditation practice, and we often have difficulty achieving genuine relaxation of body and mind—the very foundation for being able to deepen spiritually.

In this online course, Rinpoche presents the seven-step meditation practice he developed to help his Western students counteract the overwhelming number of distractions of our culture, to develop authentic calm, clarity, and wisdom.

Experienced practitioners, as well as beginning meditators, will benefit from this opportunity to discover what is possible when we release tension on every level—from the physical body, to the heart, to the subtlest energies of the mind.

To learn more click here.

My Thoughts:

I like the fact that Dza Kilung Rinpoche has developed a course specifically for western students.  He’s identified that western students face different obstacles to that of easterners in being able to practice meditation and so has shaped the course accordingly.

His observations come from living in the US, so we can comfortably accept that he has some real understanding of western culture.

Among others, renowned Buddhist Practitioner and one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West, Jack Kornfield has high praise –

“Refreshingly clear and simple instructions of the Tibetan path. From beginning meditations to more advanced stages, The Relaxed Mind offers straightforward and wise guidance that is both nourishing and liberating.”

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5. Insight Meditation: An in-depth course on how to meditate

Price: $137.00

Format:  Audio and video download, written course materials, self-paced

Guarantee: 100% money back guarantee for 1 year

Teachers: Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein

This self-paced course was originally presented in a 12-week, intensive online learning program highlighted by live audio-learning sessions with IMS cofounders Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein.

This self-paced edition brings you these sessions as they happened, with an additional 17 hours of audio instruction and online workbook material with exercises, articles, and private journaling.

My Thoughts: 

I’m impressed by this for only $137.00.  If you consider that if you were to attend a meditation class for say $13-15 per session, then this is value.  There is 17 hours of audio alone not to mention the video downloads and course materials.

Obviously, this is not interactive as it is based on previously held online training.

So, if you want something where they promote an online community and potential for interaction with the teachers or mentors then read on.  If you go forward, remember the 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.  I would think this would be unlikely though given the content they are offering and the materials you get to keep.

To learn more click here.

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6. Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness

Price:                     $99.00

Format:                Self-guided and self-paced

Guarantee:         30-day satisfaction guarantee

Teacher:               Carolyn Rose Gimian based on the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa

The rewards of mindfulness practice are well proven: reduced stress, improved concentration, and an overall sense of well-being.

But those benefits are just the beginning. It can also help us work more effectively with life’s challenges, expanding our appreciation and potential for creative engagement.

In this online course, the practice of meditation will be accompanied by practices for expanding awareness in everyday activities, dissolving the boundary between meditation and everything else we do in our life.

This is a course for new meditators, for those who want to deepen their meditation practice, and for mindfulness trainers and teachers.

To learn more click here.

My Thoughts:

I like the fact that the course emphasises integrating or expanding awareness into everyday activities.  The other courses don’t explicitly state this, though I would assume that there would be an element of this in each course.  Having said that, this is a fundamental focus of this course.

It’s less expensive than the others but you’re getting probably half the content for half the price, so that’s reasonable.

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Time to Choose

At the end of the day, which direction you go in is up to you.  My advice as always is to go with what resonates with you now. 

Most offer a sample too, so just click on the link and listen to the audio or watch the video to see whether it feels right for you.

Overall though, I think they are all good value for money.  There are more expensive meditation courses out there but I’ve gone with those that I feel are reasonable for what you get.

And yes, you could find cheaper options, but I would question the quality and/or actual value for money.

I’ll use the analogy of actually attending a meditation class in the flesh.  You may pay anywhere from $13-15 per 1-hour session and possibly more.

So, if you attended one meditation class per week for 8 weeks you would be looking at $120.00 or so just for that without the added benefit of audio, video and course materials.

You are unlikely to be engaged in discussion or explanations in these situations (which is fine if that is what you want) to increase your knowledge and understanding, apart from being guided through your meditation (and even then, sometimes this can be very light on).

When you start out, I believe as much guidance as possible is helpful to keep you both on track during your meditation and motivated.  You don’t want to feel like you’re bobbing about on the ocean like a boat lost at sea.

I hope you have found this article helpful.

Any feedback, questions or comments are welcome, so please leave them below.

Go forth with ease and just be!

Martine