In this first class, we’ll cover what Mindfulness Meditation is and why this 2,500-year-old practice is more than just a current trend. You’ll learn a bit about how the brain works and why hospitals, schools, universities, prisons, churches, mental health professionals and even entire cities encourage people to practice mindfulness.

Because mindfulnes meditation is a deeply personal practice, you’ll learn the basics and how to adapt it best for yourself.

Learn how to use the universal Five Hindrances to help identify why you may be getting caught in a hamster wheel of stress, anxiety or depression. Clearly seeing what is happening is the beginning of freedom.

Mindfulness of feelings helps you become aware of what is actually happening in your body when life stresses occur. This awareness allows a critical pause, moving you from reaction to response. This simple yet significant shift will help provide wisdom in your work and personal relationships.

You have to navigate an increasingly complex world and your clever brain does an incredible job of helping—except when it doesn’t. Mindfulness of thought helps you to become more aware of what’s happening in your thought-life, giving you more power to pick and choose what is actually helpful. You can reduce the power of thoughts that trap and sabotage your ability to live a peaceful, joy-filled life.

R.A.I.N. (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) is a compassionate mindfulness approach when we’re stuck in difficult thoughts or emotional reactivity. This technique gives you a clear, systematic way to cut through confusion and stress since you can use R.A.I.N. in almost any place or situation.

We’ll end our course with a teaching on Loving-kindness Meditation—a great way to cultivate your capacity for kindness and compassion.