8 week Mindfulness training + Introduction to buddhism
See; The Calendar
There is a lot of stress in Western society.
Having an overactive mind and too many thoughts is sometimes difficult. Stillness and relaxation is pleasant. During this training the proper attention and concentration is trained to arrive in the moment and to start living from the here and now. These effects are achieved through Hatha yoga, Chi Kong, breathing and meditation techniques: body scan, sitting meditation, mountain and lake meditation and other Buddhist methods.
You will learn to be fully present in the moment at three levels: physically, emotionally and mentally. Greater clarity and connection with your internal and external experiences, arise in the moment. Learn to feel, think and then act in that manner of order and become aware of your automatic thought and behavior patterns. Because of the insights during these lessons you will be able to shape better your life and will expand your awareness.
Themes: stress reduction, concentration, being in the moment, acceptation, letting go of disturbed emotions, non doing instead of doing, recognising your automatic thinking and acting pattern.
The mindfulness training has helped participants in: stress reduction, concentrating better, fatigue, overcoming addictions, dealing with pain, insomnia and heavy disturbing emotions such as anger and anxiety. Research into meditation has shown that the activity of the brains change by meditation, the amount of cortisol will drop and the melatonin level increases. Through it all, you will relax and sleep better. From a relaxed attitude it is easier to break habits than from stressful situations. You normally shoot back into old habbits when under stress.
The Mindfulness workbook is composed on the model of the 8-week MBSR (mindfulness stress reduction bases) by Jon Kabat Zinn. The audio files are narrated by Hans Kloosterman in Dutch and English.
Methods: Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Chi Kong, concentration meditation on breathing, meditation on an object outside yourself and meditation placed on an object in the mind (guided meditation)
BEGINNERS OR ADVANCED?
Who completed the Mindfulness course 1.0 for starters, will be able to recognize your automatic thinking and behavior patterns, RECOGNISE and ACCEPT them. Then you are half way.
TRANSFORMING and reducing negative thinking and behavior patterns, and increasing positive thinking and behavioral patterns that's the focus during the 8 week Mindfulness 2.0 course for advanced students.
The 8 week Mindfulness Training sessions (basic and advanced) will be held in small groups of minimum 8 and maximum 12 participants. The starting periods of the training are in February, April or September. See the calendar below for the upcoming dates.
Why participate?
Experience more calmth and peace
Cooping better with stress
Enhancing your concentration
Enhancing your energy level
Less worrying and over thinking
Burn-out prevention
Sleeping better
You will learn to meditate on your own and gain techniques to take on an objective stance regarding thoughts, feelings, and physical experiences in order to gain insight in the cause and effect of your own behaviour and that of others. By practicing and developing and learning new techniques you will grow and will be able to coop better with difficult situations, problems, challenges from a relaxed position. You enlarge your awareness and through that your experience of time and happiness.
Material.
Meditation cushion, blankets and mats are present.
The group
Minimum of 8 participants, maximum number is 12.
Intake per participant
After signing up you will receive an intake form. Please fill this in and return it a couple of days before the training. This intake form consists of questions about learning goals, health, experience, etc. By using that info the training can be custom made to your needs. On request a telephone or personal interview can take place.
Silence & concentration
During the training you will speak to a minimum level until you are explicitly asked by the trainer. This is in order to create an environment in which the participant can concentrate on his or her personal experience. This approach is part of the training. (Mindfulness of ‘thoughts’, the intention of the questions mindfulness of 'speach'. ) Every participant can ask for a 15 minute one-on-one during the training in which questions can be asked.
Training & practice outside the training session
During the 8 weeks it is expected that you meditate every day and have the necessary means to do that such as a meditation cushion or bench for support. The largest part what will be learned takes place outside the sessions! It is recommenced to log your mental development by making a short note of your experience after every meditation. Each week there will be supporting excersizes. You will be busy with excersizes around 30 to 60 minutes each day.
Clothes during meditating
You are recommended to wear comfortable clothes that are not tight around the legs and bottom. Furthermore it is wise to wear enough clothes in layers. Some people get cold during meditation.
The training is developed in the English and Dutch language.
Experiences from Participants
I have taken 8 week mindfulness course under the guidance of Hans. The course was very well defined and Hans has made it really interesting and fun to do. Together with learning about mindful meditation some time was also spent on learning the basics of yoga which really helped me to keep on continuing with yoga. Though all the participants except me in the course were Dutch speakers but Hans made it really easy by communicating and cooperating both in English and Dutch. This alone explains enough that how much patience and understanding he has while dealing with his students. Hans has vast knowledge about human mind and body and it all comes down to so called body engineering. Having a healthy mind and body is our birth right and it is essential to learn about it in today's robotic life to make living more smooth and peaceful. What I liked about him is that he doesn’t only act as a teacher but instead he feels you, he tries to understand you, your problems and then adjust himself as per in terms of training and guiding. Tea, fruits and snacks were well taken care of during the course. I came to Hans (found via google search) when I was going through a very turbulent period and it all worked out very well after successfully completing the 8 week course. I have learnt a lot about body and mind which further results in calming down of the turbulence. Other thing which I really finds interesting about Hans is that he has actually spent few years of his life living as a Monk in countries like India, Tibet, Nepal. No doubt that it has made him an excellent and wonderful teacher. I admire his patience, way of communicating and transferring the knowledge. In case you are going through some hard times and looking for a mindfulness meditation guru, I definitely recommends you to visit Hans once.
- Jatinder
Calendar
When does this Basic MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) Mindfulness Training start ?