AN INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION – SYDNEY COURSES

Over time and with regular practice, many people find that mindfulness helps to reduce stress, anxiety and self-judgement. Mindfulness can also help improve sleep and increase self-acceptance.

$125 for a full 4 week introduction to mindfulness course in Sydney. Includes 4 classes with an experienced mindfulness trainer, mindfulness app, downloadable guided mindfulness meditations and a 45-page guidebook.

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Mindfulness is a practical and simple practice of being present, relaxation and self-awareness.

Over time and with regular practice, many people find that mindfulness can assist them to experience less stress, anxiety and worry as well as greater happiness more self-acceptance.  You still experience difficult thoughts and feelings, but you have a greater capacity to be with them, rather than be trapped by them.

The Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation course is designed for absolute beginners  It is designed for you to experience the benefits of mindfulness for yourself

“Thank goodness I came across Mindfulness Works. I have learnt so much in a year and have the happiest, authentic and content that I have ever been. By learning acceptance without judgement as been an eye opener for me. I’m continuing my journey of self compassion and feel excited and hopeful for my future. But am grateful of the now and who I am today…” – Rebecca Young

Many people who practice mindfulness regularly, over time find that they:

• Experience less stress, anxiety and worry

• Improve sleeping patterns

• Feel more self-acceptance and self-love

• Reduce reactivity and increase emotional intelligence

• Experience more joy

EXPERIENCE GREATER JOY AND FREEDOM

Modern life IS challenging. There are work, financial. family, relationship pressures.  Mindfulness gives you ways to navigate these challenges and pressures in skillful ways. Many people who practice mindfulness find they have a greater capacity to feel joy and are not so totally ‘caught up’ in the stresses of modern life. They feel more mental freedom.

IMPROVE SLEEP AND REDUCE STRESS & ANXIETY

Regular mindfulness meditation over time, activates the ‘para-sympathetic’ nervous system. This means your body starts to relax. Many people find that after meditating that their sleep improves.  Many people find that over time stress and anxiety can reduce with mindfulness practice. This does require regular, consistent practice over a period of 8 weeks or more.

REDUCE THAT “NOT GOOD ENOUGH” FEELING

Many of us have a small voice in our head telling us we are not quite ‘good enough’ as we are. This voice or ‘inner critic’ makes us feel we are ‘wrong’ no matter what we do.  It says we “should” have a different body type, be kinder, be smarter or similar themes. The Introduction to Mindfulness course provides skillful ways to quieten the  ‘inner-critic’ so it appears less regularly and when it does, it is not so painful.

ALL SYDNEY COURSE LOCATIONS | ALL COURSES ARE $125

• Self-paced mindfulness course included in the app.  Continue to learn mindfulness, in your own time and anywhere as many times as you like and receive recommendations for guided mindfulness meditations (included) based on your mood.
• Track your heart rate using your device camera over time so you can see the impact of your mindfulness practice

“Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex…This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety. …The researchers found that the meditators showed a pronounced shift in activity to the left frontal lobe. In other words, they were calmer and happier than before.” – Psychology Today

• Easy to follow instructions on mindfulness as well as simple, daily mindfulness practices.

• An opportunity to experience the benefits of mindfulness for yourself – in a very real way.

• A safe, confidential environment suitable for absolute beginners and like minded individuals wanting to investigate mindfulness, meditation and ways of supporting their own well-being.

• Time out for you and your own well-being and a place where you will not be judged and a way to foster non-judgement and acceptance in yourself.

• All the tools and support you need to continue practicing mindfulness after the course finished including your own guidebook, mindfulness meditation audios and notification of more advanced courses and retreats (should you wish)

• A no risk money back guarantee. If you attend all course sessions and feel you have not received benefit, you are entitled to a full refund.

“Since doing this course, I have been sleeping much better, I feel much more in control of my emotions, I have enjoyed ‘noticing’ my own state, but also it has transferred to everything around. This means I am re-enjoying many things that I had been taking for granted.” — Sandy Good

Course Contents

This particular course emphasises your own natural wisdom, your own innate OKness, right here and now. The instructions and guidance will be explicitly inviting you to embrace your whole human experience as it happens, moment by moment with a radical acceptance.

Mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.” – Jon Kabat Zinn (Professor of Medicine Emeritus Stress Reduction Clinic and the Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine).

Mindfulness and meditation are both gaining in popularity as more and more people discover how this simple skill can have a profoundly positive impact on your life. Organisations such as Google, Apple, Nike and Yahoo! now run mindfulness programmes and sessions for staff during work hours. Modern research about mindfulness and meditation shows measurable and significant benefits to people including less stress, less anxiety, greater focus, calm and happiness.

Week 1: What is Mindfulness?

• What mindfulness is
• The benefits of mindfulness and meditation
• How to get the most from the course
• Guided body scan mindfulness meditation
• Questions and answers / discussion.

Week 2: Working with the Mind

• Why thinking can be problematical
• Practical ways to work with difficult thoughts
• Self-judgement and how to intervene
• Guided mindfulness meditation – counting the breath
• Questions and answers / discussion.

Week 3: Working with Emotions

• What are emotions?
• Learning to feel emotions
• The RAIN method
• Non-judgement and acceptance
• Guided mindfulness meditation on feelings
• Questions and answers / discussion.

Week 4: Radical Acceptance

• What it means to be present
• How wanting causes stress
• Developing wisdom and insight
• Authentic self-compassion
• Open awareness guided mindfulness meditation
• Questions and answers / discussion
• Next steps.

“I am more open to life and what is going on around me. I feel more comfortable in myself… “

“I gained tools to help myself become aware of my feelings and how to deal with them…”

“I am learning how to step outside myself and re-assess before I react…”

“It’s ok to be you – with all the human failings and flaws…”

“I have a sense of emerging calm and strength…”

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Refund and Transfer Policy

• Full refunds are available up to one week before a course starts.
• Free transfers to other courses are available up to one week before a course starts.
• Once a course has started, full refunds are only available if you attend every class of the course and feel you have not got value. In this case you are entitled to and will be given a full refund.
• Refunds are not given if you do not attend every class of the course and if you simply ‘do not like’ the course or decide it ‘is not for you’.
• For more details about our refund and transfer policy, please read our FAQ.

How long is each weekly class and what happens?

Each class is one hour long. There will be a guided meditation for a period. This will include meditation instruction. After the meditation and instruction, there will be a talk or discussion. This includes a question and answer time.

Who is it suitable for?

This course is suitable for any of the following:

• 18-year-olds and over
• Beginners
• People who have never meditated or practised mindfulness before
• People who have just started meditating or practising mindfulness.

About The Trainers

The approach of all Mindfulness Works teachers is straightforward, practical and heartfelt and directed towards you discovering your own innate wisdom and authentic experience.

Alison Hutchens – Sydney

Alison’s career of 25+ years was initially in the corporate arena. She has lived and worked across Australia, Asia and in Europe in various Business Consulting roles.

Alison is a fully certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and has been teaching meditation classes for more than 10 years. She is an accredited member of the Meditation Association of Australia (ATMA) and a member of the International Meditation Teachers Association (ITMA). She is also an Energetic Medicine Practitioner (AcuEnergetics), NLP Practitioner and Professional Coach (London Coaching Academy).

Alison has a passionate interest in and understanding of wellness, preventative treatments and alternative therapies. She currently teaches Mindfulness and Stress Management techniques to corporates and at various sectors of the community including schools. She offers “Zen Warrior” Mindfulness Meditation classes for young children and teens. Alison loves to inspire and empower all her clients to become aware of their unlimited potential for living a wonderful life full of vitality and happiness. One of her primary roles is to educate her clients on how the mind, body and energy are all interrelated.

For more information go to her company: www.mindbodyenergy.com.au

Christine Davie – Sydney

Christine has been a long-time mediation practitioner and was first introduced via yoga 40 years ago. Over the years she has explored mindfulness with teachers from many different traditions and believes completely in meditation as a means to support a natural state of awareness and presence. Her experience has taught her that like any other practice, mindfulness requires participation, exploration, enquiry and regular practise.

Her teaching style is a unique blend of skills and experience from her training as an Alexander Technique teacher, Scaravelli-inspired teacher, Satyananda teacher and trauma-sensitive yoga teacher. She teaches yoga in the community for mental heath, trauma, disability and seniors, always offering a safe and supportive environment to encouraging curiosity and discovery, listening and trusting in our own body wisdom.

An avid bird lover, Christine shares her home with a cheeky cockatiel called Charlie who is never far from her side and has a way of meditating at the same time remaining completely still and present.

Emma Corbett – Sydney and Gold Coast

Emma began attending yoga classes with her father at age 12. However she always left before Savasana because she ‘didn’t have time’. Growing increasingly stressed managing multiple businesses as well as her circus performing career, Emma became drawn to Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness as an antidote to her endless ‘busy-ness’.

Now dedicated to ‘Being More’ and ‘Doing Less’, she has completed her Purna, Rocket and Yin Yoga teacher trainings, has presented at the Evolve Yoga Festival in Byron Bay and the Goddess Festival in Rajasthan, India. She is a regular guest instructor at Bali Silent Retreat in Indonesia and Head Teacher at the Flores Joyful Retreat.

She currently travels and teaches, leading her own yoga retreats entitled, The Heart of Yoga: www.yoga-retreat.se.

Helene Orr – Sydney

Helene has had a lifelong interest in yoga and meditation. She has had a regular practice of meditation, in a variety of traditions, since 2000 and experienced its benefits in the management of stress and pain.

With a strong interest in mind body science and wellbeing, she is currently completing her Masters in Health and Social Wellbeing. She completed mindfulness teacher training with the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australasia in 2015 and Yoga Teacher Training with Samadhi Yoga in 2006.

Helene currently teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in the community and in corporate settings and provides one-to-one coaching in health and wellbeing strategies, including meditation and mindfulness, through her company Insight Governance. Refer to www.insightgovernance.com.au for more information. She is keen to explore and assist people with using their inner resources to achieve balance and perspective in their health, wellbeing and everyday lives.

Helene is also a non-executive board member in the NFP and public sectors and a consultant in governance, risk management, organisational leadership and development in the human services sector.

She is a lover of nature, music, travel, learning and cats, especially Mischa and Olley, and enjoys weekend cooking for her family.

Janette Dines – Sydney and Northern Beaches, and Canberra

Janette is a highly experienced lawyer and former senior Commonwealth Government public

servant. She was the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse from November 2012 until July 2014. Prior to that, Janette was the Director-General of Emergency Management Australia, responsible for coordinating Australia’s response to natural disasters and national security incidents.

Janette began meditating in 2006 after experiencing panic attacks due to a high level of work stress and anxiety. At first, meditating seemed like just another thing on the ‘to do’ list, but Janette quickly started to enjoy her practice and see real benefits. She felt more able to slow down and enjoy time with her husband and dogs. Time didn’t seem to pass in such a blur, she learnt to stop multi-tasking and focus on one thing at a time. She also felt less impatient and critical of the people around her. At work, Janette gained a greater level of focus and clarity and an ability to connect more fully with her staff. She believes that meditation made her a more compassionate leader and mentor and enabled her to not just withstand pressure, but thrive in very demanding jobs.

After losing two close friends suddenly to cancer, Janette decided to retire in February 2015 to dedicate herself full-time to the study and teaching of health and well-being. A long-time student of pilates, Janette trained to be an instructor. She also completed studies with the New York-based Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Janette trained as a meditation teacher with the Gawler Foundation and continues to expand her skills at the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australasia.

Janette’s action plan for health is Eat. Move. Meditate. As well as teaching meditation and Mindful Eating with Mindfulness Works, Janette teaches Mat and Reformer Pilates and Barre Attack. She is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach with a particular interest in anti-cancer nutrition and gut health.

Lisa Lythall – Sydney

Lisa is  a Somatic Psychotherapist / Counsellor with over 20 years clinical experience and is currently practising in Caringbah, Sydney.

Lisa integrates a range of mindfulness-based, body-oriented Psychotherapeutic skills to support her clients through psychological, emotional, behavioural and relationship issues and towards greater self-awareness and an embodied clarity which impacts every aspect of their lives.

Lydia Vorona – Sydney

Lydia is an experienced educator, qualified mindfulness facilitator and an iRest Yoga Nidra Instructor specialising in trauma and PTSD.

With a Bachelor of Music, Diploma in Education and accreditation from the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australasia, she brings an educator’s passion to her work as a facilitator.

Lydia also has extensive corporate experience. Her adventurous career has taken her from tour guiding in Europe to corporate management roles in Australia, across a range of industries.

Lydia teaches mindfulness to all sectors of the community, in corporate settings, healthcare and in schools. She offers a range of workshops and courses including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and specialised programs to  teachers and students of all ages with her company The Still Mind. Please refer to www.thestillmind.com.au for more information.

“I have a personal commitment to practise mindfulness and to embody the benefits, helping individuals and organisations reach their full potential. I understand the pressures of the modern workplace and the importance of managing that stress. As a musician I have a particular interest in how mindfulness meditation fosters creativity and innovation. My studies include body-based techniques, iRest Yoga Nidra, Qi Gong and Iyengar yoga. I look forward to sharing the wisdom and the joy of the practices with you.”

Mary Jamieson – Sydney

Mary is a coach, trainer and facilitator with a strong commitment to making a real difference to the people she works with. She enjoys assisting individuals, teams and organisations to be more purposeful, authentic, collaborative and satisfied in how they work and relate.

Mary has been practising meditation for over twenty years and is deeply grateful for the difference it has made in her life and the freedom it has brought her over time. She has become less convinced of her own stories and experiences her internal world with greater curiosity, compassion and welcoming acceptance.

She is also one of the leaders of Authentic Sydney a group that seeks to cultivate greater transparency and intimacy in our communication with the important people in our lives; one conversation at a time. Passionate about learning, Mary is also mad keen on improvised dance and learning about fermenting food.

Natalie Hull – Sydney

Natalie has been at the forefront of social change for over 20 years working in community and education inspiring sustainable change in individuals, families, communities and organisations. She is a passionate trainer and facilitator who has worked with people of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and abilities.

Natalie has spent most of her life exploring the human condition and how we can create change with knowledge and education. She has formal qualifications in Adult Education, Community Welfare, Meditation Facilitation and Visual Arts and is an accredited NLP practitioner and coach.

She believes that we can affect great change through the development of greater self-awareness, leading to greater social consciousness, being mindful of our actions and interactions with each other. Through this approach, we become the true leaders of our lives, families and communities. When we transform ourselves, we motivate change, impacting those around us, bringing greater wellbeing, connection and peace to our relationships, our families, our communities.

Natalie is a self-confessed over-worker and achiever who discovered the benefits of mindfulness in overcoming her attachment to the constant lure of ‘busyness and overworking’, a pattern that affected her health manifesting in chronic back pain. Mindfulness has enabled her to be more present with each moment as it arises, accepting the pain and the joy of life without wanting to fix or improve it. Mindfulness has allowed her to heal her pain and return to her life’s work of supporting others to manage pain and life’s challenges and to experience greater peace, wellbeing and joy.

Natalie is a creative soul, a lover of music, travel, art and spending time with her loving husband and three adult children. When she isn’t teaching mindfulness or coaching, she is delivering transformational programs and retreats in beautiful natural environments, empowering women to create positive life changes aligned with their unique strengths, passions and purpose.

Natalie’s website is at https://www.inspirewomenswellbeing.com

Rita Young – Sydney

Rita is a Somatic Psychotherapist with 20 years clinical experience. She uses her knowledge of the body and psychotherapy to ground the skills of mindfulness into daily life.

Rita has completed all levels of training outlined by the Centre for Mindfulness (MASS) for the facilitation of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and has been facilitating these courses for over 10 years.

Her extensive experience includes teaching MBSR in the fields of health care, corporations and education, most notably to medical students at the University of Notre Dame. Corporate clients have included the Reserve Bank of Australia, Bupa, Schneider Electrics, Taylors Wine and War Memorial Hospital. She has also facilitated workshops at Google and facilitated the first Google Detachment day; a full day mindfulness retreat for Google staff.

Rita believes people are most receptive to learn when they are taught in a relaxed, engaged and lighthearted way. This is how she teaches and it seems to work based on the feedback and referrals she gets.

She says:
“Teaching mindfulness is a continual and gentle re-examination and reflection of my own motivations for teaching which constantly change and mature – a living teaching – a lifetime engagement.
It is not so much a method or technique but rather a way of tapping into all aspects of what it is to be human: the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful.
My intention is to come back to awareness over and over, and to be able to live my life consciously from moment to moment, and support others who choose to live the same way.”

Testimonials for the Introductory Course:

“The course was very relaxed and friendly, and full of useful practical advice that recognised the limits to time that everyone faces. Also I liked the mix of people attending, with a range of different reasons for being there.” — Rosie Cree

“Since doing this course, I have been sleeping much better, I feel much more in control of my emotions, I have enjoyed ‘noticing’ my own state, but also it has transferred to everything around. This means I am re-enjoying many things that I had been taking for granted.” — Sandy Good

“The course guidebook was a useful guide and very informative. I also enjoyed the formal practice and the way different strategies were explained.” — Linda Daniell