This past year has presented us with more than the usual number of reasons to be anxious, stressed, sad, or depressed. That’s why now more than ever we need to remember our common humanity, and seek out opportunities to come together for support and to find peace. There has never been a better time to practice mindfulness. Remember, mindfulness and meditation practices have been helping people cope with chaos and uncertainty for thousands of years! (Note: I wrote these words last year, and they seem even more true today, so I didn’t change them. What follows is new, though!)
I am excited to announce that I will resume teaching in-person classes in 2023, at Las Positas College in Livermore. I’m offering a 3-hr Introduction to Mindfulness workshop on Saturday, January 28, for anyone who is new to mindfulness or meditation, followed by a Mindfulness for Beginners class that will meet 4 Wednesday evenings, from February 8 through March 1. Keep reading for course descriptions and how to register.
Introduction to Mindfulness: In this 3-hr workshop, I explain what mindfulness is, what it is not, and provide an opportunity to sample a variety of simple mindfulness practices. Participants will learn how mindfulness meditation practices have been used to help improve focus and concentration, relieve anxiety and chronic pain, treat stress and stress-related illness, and prevent relapses in addiction and depression. If you’re curious about how mindfulness meditation could help you, this is a great place to start! Meets 1/28/23 from 9 am to 12 pm, at LPCC.
Mindfulness for Beginners: Ready to learn a simple yet powerful approach to dealing with stressful situations, negative thoughts, and difficult emotions? Then let’s dive in to mindfulness meditation! Participants in this four week class will learn breathing techniques, exercises designed to transform habitual ways of thinking about and reacting to stress, and a variety of simple and brief meditative practices that can be readily incorporated into daily life. Daily practice at home is encouraged, for while mindfulness is not difficult to learn, like everything else in life it requires regular practice for mastery. Meets Wednesdays 2/8 – 3/1/23 from 7 to 9 pm, at LPCC.
My online class offerings will also begin with an Introduction to Mindfulness workshop, on Saturday, January 14, followed by a 4-week class, Mindfulness for Well-being, that will meet Thursday evenings starting January 26.
Mindfulness for Well-being: This 4-week class is intended for adults who have already taken a mindfulness class and are familiar with the basics of practice. I’m thinking of this class as “Applied Mindfulness,” as it will incorporate key elements from my other mindfulness-based classes, like acceptance, present-moment awareness, and self-compassion, while creating a space for each participant to focus on specific applications for their needs, whether they be related to anxiety, depression, stress, substance abuse, or living with chronic illness, pain, or worry. Meets Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, 1/26 – 2/16/23.
And a Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy course: This is an 8-week course, limited to 8 adults who will meet online on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, 3/2 through 4/20/23. MBCT teaches people how to prevent mild states of depression and anxiety from spiraling out of control. It has been proven to be as effective as medication (without the side effects) in preventing relapses of depression, and in relieving the severity of symptoms in anxiety disorders or bipolar disorder. After just 8 weeks of MBCT, participants’ brain function and mood regulation improve in ways which allow them to respond more effectively to distressing situations, emotions and thoughts. We follow a set curriculum, which is scientifically validated and evidence-based, and taught in a secular way, yet grounded in ancient Buddhist philosophy. This is my 12th year teaching this course, and I wish everyone would take it, the benefits are so great. (CE credit also available.)
For more information or to register for these online offerings, please visit the Mindfulness East Bay Events Calendar.