London Buddhist Centre and Breathing Space Programme

The London Buddhist Centre (LBC) is a registered charity and is one of the largest urban Buddhist Centres in the West.  It is perhaps the most established Centre run by the Triratna Buddhist Community, an international network dedicated to communicating Buddhist values in ways more appropriate to the modern world.  The LBC was opened in Bethnal Green in the East End of London in 1978 in a building that had once been a Victorian fire station.  

Whilst many Buddhists live and work around the LBC, it is also involved in contributing to the wider community through an increasing number of outreach projects and involvement in 'London Citizens', a broad based communities' organisation.  

The LBC is a public centre and is open every weekday.  It aims to give people the chance to benefit from learning meditation and to learn more about the principles and practice of meditation, many of its users come from all over London.  The LBC also owns a retreat centre in Suffolk, available to both newcomers and more experienced practitioners.  

One of the LBC's most important projects is its Breathing Space programme.  The programme, initiated in 2004 by Dr Groves, a NHS consultant psychiatrist specialising in addiction, teaches Mindfulness Based Approaches (MBAs).  MBAs use meditation to help develop mindfulness, the awareness of what is happening in your experience in mind and body.  The development of this mindfulness can help people learn how to break the link between negative thinking and the moods that result from this. All of the teachers are volunteers from the Triratna Buddhist Community and are supervised and trained by Dr Groves.  

Recent medical research has shown that MBAs can have a positive impact on physical and mental health and are particularly useful in preventing relapse into depression and addiction and to help manage stress and anxiety.  The programme has helped over 600 people and has strong links with mental health professionals in East London.