10 week introductory course in Chorley, Stockport and the Wirral

Practical Philosophy
and Meditation

Courses in practical wisdom for everyday living.

Small Groups, Practical Exercises, Mantra-based Meditation,

Retreats, Volunteering Opportunities, Guided Practice

A Sat Nav for Life

Next introductory courses in Chorley, Stockport and the Wirral start in January

Limited spaces

Most of the time in life we can't change our circumstances - the people, the situations, the events - but if we change our perspective then new possibilities start to appear.

It's not what we are looking at, but where we're looking from
that determines what we see.

Different perspective, different world.

Practical Philosophy and Meditation helps us to experience a wider perspective.

The course is practical rather than academic and draws on sources of wisdom from East and West, past and present.

Local Courses

Local face-to-face evening courses available in Chorley, Wirral & Stockport.

Peace of Mind

Following all Health & Safety guidelines for your complete peace of mind.

Practical Wisdom

Courses in practical wisdom for everyday living. Meet with like-minded individuals.

Offer only £50

Introductory offer – 10 week course only £50 (Normally £65). Limited spaces. 

Explore Life To The Full…

The Chorley, Wirral and Stockport courses offer a practical means to discover fully who we are, understand how to relate to the world we live in and see what gets in the way of being happy, peaceful and free.

Students are invited to see life as a place to test the words of the wise through practical and mindful exercises including the traditional system of mantra-based meditation.

10 weekly sessions

The ten weekly sessions explore central human questions through discussion, practical observation, conversation and reflection in good company.

The Journey

Themes included in the course: (click each title below for more details)
The Wisdom Within

These opening sessions consider how philosophy can help us enjoy richer, less stressful lives.

What is practical philosophy?

‘What would a wise person do here?’

Philosophy means the love of wisdom. Our course is intended to show how philosophy can help us enjoy richer, less stressful and more useful lives. This opening two sessions consider these aims, and introduces simple exercises in mindfulness and the application of wisdom you can practise in daily life.

You can download or listen to the Awareness Exercise, introduced in week one here. To download, right-click, choose ‘Save link as…’ and save the MP3 wherever you want.

You can also download a PDF of the Awareness Exercise

Know thyself

Who or what am I?

What is my potential?

Who am I, really? My body? My emotions? My strongly held beliefs? My soul? Possibly all of these? Possibly none?

Such questions have preoccupied philosophers down the ages. We look at practical ways to explore who we really are and how to tap our true potential.

Being awake

What is our state of awareness?

Why does it fluctuate during the day?

Often the most notable quality of wise people is their alertness to the subtleties of a situation. They are awake, perceptive and curious.

We look at deeper levels of awareness, and consider how we may become more awake to ourselves, our surroundings, and the events we meet.

The present moment

Living in the now, mindfulness. What is the potential of the present moment? We review our own experience of attention through a model featuring attention centred, captured, open and scattered, and how these each relate to the past, present and future. We examine the extraordinary brightness and freedom naturally available in the present moment. A straightforward practice is introduced.

Living justly

Plato’s views on justice. What does it mean to live justly? According to Plato, justice and injustice do not start ‘out there’. They begin within us. For justice to prevail, Plato suggests that we must learn to avoid being ‘tyrannised’ by our passions and fears to the extent they overrule our reason. We discuss the practicality of Plato’s ideas on justice in our daily lives.

The Threefold Energy

The Vedic model of three fundamental energies. Sometimes we seem not to have enough energy, or the wrong kind. A wise person can act consistently despite these varying conditions. We consider how to recognise differing energies, how to gain and conserve them and how to use them wisely.

The light of reason

What is reason? How can it enrich our lives? We look at guidelines for Socratic dialogue and how to use them. Developing reason in decision-making and action are also discussed, with practical applications. Obstacles to reason are considered. Everyone has the faculty of reason and we can all use it and develop it.

The power of beauty

What is beauty? Is there such a thing as absolute beauty? Beauty has the capacity to open the heart and bring delight. In this session we discuss our direct experience of beauty in its different form: of the sensory world, of thought, of feelings, of the inner nature, and of conduct. We consider Plato’s idea of there being ultimately one beauty – beauty absolute – ‘not knowing birth or death, growth or decay’.

Unity in diversity

Looking for the common thread in life. What is the effect of finding unity? When we look around, we see enormous diversity in nature. The wise person looks for the unifying factor: that which allows all this apparent diversity to be seen as part of a single whole. Seen in this way, life then has the best chance of being led freshly and openly.

The desire for truth

What is truth? How does the desire for truth show itself? Practical philosophy is about discovering the truth of things – not theoretically, but in our own experience. In this final session we look back and ask ourselves how our search for truth has fared as the term has progressed. We discuss what has been discovered and how, in our own way, we may continue to develop it in our daily lives.

How it works

A tutor proposes philosophical ideas, and hosts a discussion based on what arises in the group. Being practical rather than academic, the emphasis is on personal knowledge and experience. Students are encouraged neither to accept nor reject the ideas put forward, but to test them in practice for themselves, in the light of their own direct experience.

Next Introductory Course

Choice of locations, dates and times in Chorley, Stockport and Wirral

Next introductory courses start in January 2024.
Click your preferred location below for more details or to enrol.

Belmont House, Belmont Street, Heaton Norris, Stockport SK4 1TG

Brinscall Hall, Dick Lane, Brinscall, Chorley PR6 8QL

Quaker Meeting House, North Drive, Heswall CH60 0BD

Frequently asked questions

The course is practical in the sense that it takes philosophical ideas and shows how they can be of direct use in our everyday lives. The intention is to stimulate enquiry and through this expand the way we look at the world and ourselves.

Click on the Enrol button to take you through to the Eventbrite booking page for your chosen venue, day and time.

Yes, we have local venues in Chorley, Stockport & The Wirral where you can attend the course face-to-face. We also have other venues in other parts of the UK.

No, all you need is an open and enquiring mind. The course is intended for everyone, regardless of education, occupation, race, political or religious belief.

Face-to-face meetings will be held safely following all Health & Safety guidelines for your complete peace of mind.

Yes, we also offer the course as an online course via Zoom. You can find out more about the online version of the course at: https://courses.schoolofphilosophy.org

What some of our students say...

“Absolutely loving the course!!"

“Absolutely loving the course!! …Really changing how I think about things and life in general.”

“I am benefiting greatly ..."

“I am benefiting greatly from the content and the practical nature of it. Thank you, it is enriching my life.”

“I feel more relaxed...”

“The daily awareness exercises … have changed my thinking and I feel more relaxed about situations in the media and other aspects of my daily life.”

" has helped me..."

"The knowledge and experience that I have gained from the philosophy classes has helped me to discover more about myself and better prepare for dealing with life's daily surprises."