With COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to learn how to calm the mind, be present with what is, and develop a sense of compassion and connection. Learning to practice mindfulness can do just that.
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practice on a daily basis.
Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.
Join Jack & Trudy, two pioneers in the field, for an introduction to the essentials of mindfulness. This 4-week online meditation class is appropriate for people new to meditation, as well as experienced meditators who want to refresh the fundamentals of their practice.
Through clear and insightful instruction and dialogue, you’ll cultivate the ability to:
- Feel more connected in your body
- Be present with emotion – both high & low
- Work with anxious, stressful or persistent thoughts
- Be friendly towards yourself
- Stay open and steady in the face of intense experiences
- Implement a sustained daily practice that works with your life
This class is especially helpful for people who have had difficulty meditating or feel they aren’t ‘doing it right’. We’ll keep it real – offering simple, practical guidance for meditation, as well as tools to implement in daily life. We might even have some fun.
Jack Kornfield, Ph.D., is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practices to the West. He holds a PhD in clinical psychology and is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society and of Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. He has written more than a dozen books including The Wise Heart; A Path With Heart; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; and more.
Trudy Goodman Kornfield, Ph.D., is Founding Teacher of InsightLA. She also teaches residential retreats at centers around the world including Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Society, and Big Bear Retreat Center. Trudy has trained in two fields: meditation and psychotherapy. She had the privilege of studying developmental psychology with Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Carol Gilligan. The fourth teacher ever of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Trudy taught with its creator, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in the early days of the MBSR clinic at University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
