Baking is the focus of a new one-day course designed to help people learn about mindfulness in the wake of the pandemic.

The five-hour programme, created by The Mindful Baker company, allows guests to learn meditation techniques and strategies for coping with anxiety and stress while learning how to bake artisanal sourdough bread and pizza.

Company founder and lawyer-turned-life-coach, Tim Leach, says: “Baking is a methodical, calming process and helps people slow down.

“Bread-making is not something you can rush, which is why this activity dovetails so well with mindfulness – as it’s all about taking the time to appreciate the moment.

He was inspired to launch the course after the international community expressed concerns over the pandemic’s effects on mental health.

“Obviously, the pandemic caused untold damage, but there are some positives to be taken from it. Life in lockdown took on a slower pace and we became grateful for simple things like going for a walk or a conversation with a friend. Mindfulness is all about taking the time to appreciate the moment.”

Leach explained that his mindfulness and life coaching qualifications inform him how to guide the conversation, listen to and coach attendees to progress through areas in their lives where they feel stuck.

The new Mindful Baker course costs £69 per attendee (US$90, €83) and is run from Leach’s newly refurbished baking studio in the heart of the UK’s picturesque coastal county of Suffolk.

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