Mindfulness training spoken in English

First of all: A mindfulness training is NOT just a meditation class or a course about relaxation techniques. It goes way deeper than that! As it also helps you to look closer at yout behavioral patterns, your way of thinking or how you deal with unpleasant or pleasant emotions. 

In case you e.g. suffer from stress symptoms, rumination, overthinking, sleeping problems, anxiety or severe forms of depression then mindfulness could be an interesting training for you.
But also if you are simply looking for extra tools for generating more rest and balance in your hectic life.

Twice a year we offer an English spoken Mindfulness course in the city center of Haarlem.

What is Mindfulness (MBSR)?

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a specific skills training which is scientifically proven to be effective and efficient for stress and pain relief. It is based on the original concept of MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, which he launched at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979.
Since that time, thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general and MBSR in particular, inspiring countless programs to adapt the MBSR model for schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans centers, and beyond.

How does Mindfulness work?

During the course we are training your brain and your awareness on your physical, mental, emotional state and how you react on various triggers.

By creating a higher awareness you will become able to identify pieces of your unconscious mind and have a clearer idea on what's going on. With the help of mindfulness tools and meditations you also develop the ability uncovering your behavioral patterns, such as individual triggers, fears, needs, expectations. These insights help identifying and interrupting stress cycles before they get out of control.

In a nutshell: a faster and higher awareness on your physical, emotional, mental state and needs allows you better managing your boundaries and self-care moment, as well as dealing with stress.

"Higher quality of life"

Besides that you will learn to pay more attention on present moments (instead of being with your mind in the past or future such as ToDo lists). This allows you fully experiencing e.g. play moments with your kids, or listen to singing birds outside etc.  Those mindful perceived moments are in general experienced as long lasting improvement of life quality.

Results of the 8-week training cycle

With this training you can create a higher degree of awareness and increase self-confidence. You also learn to de-stress, releasing more energy and zest for life.

Some of the benefits include:

• Better coping with stress
• More focused, higher concentration
• Better dealing with tension, restlessness and rumination.
• Improve complex problem-solving and decision-making
• Enhanced leadership
• Better mood regulation
• Enhancement of immune system / overall healthier due to stress management
• Higher consciousness in daily life
• Better life-balance and generally more happiness

Why does it takes 8 weeks training to get there?

With any training you need to build up new skills. At the beginning we start with getting familiar with the available tools within your own brain-body-system and start training them.

As soon you have reached a specific level we move on and tackle more challenging topics. At the end we focus on the implementation and how to maintain those new skills for the future.

How much time do I need to invest?

Besides the 8 lessons, you generally need to invest 30-45 minutes training on a daily basis. The trainers will also provide you with small homework exercises to gather more insights on your own way of thinking, attitude and how you deal/react in stressful situations in a certain way (patterns).

How does the group training work?

We work in small groups with a maximum of 8 participants.

From our experience this guarantees high quality for every participant as well as the necessary customized approach within a group.

The weekly sessions are 2 till 2,5 hours long. During his time we work with various meditation techniques, group exchanges as well as theoretical background and studies.

The most effective part within this format is the aspect of “learning from each other”. You will be surprised how much we struggle with similar issues, although we all have a completely different history and background.

Why do I have to meditate?

We use various meditation techniques to train your brain and your awareness in a specific way. Generally the techniques are experienced as an extremely high concentration training at first. Relaxation at the beginning is actually more of a side-effect.

The longer you train the more you will be able to maintain the benefits and most participants experience more and more relaxation in the long term, even during short exercises or meditation sessions.

Don’t worry we have many practical exercises you can use during your daily tasks and also at your work - even during the busiest times of your day.

Who can join Mindfulness?

The answer is simple: everyone! And especially people who want to live their lives more conscious. Mindfulness provides a "new way" of looking at yourself and externally. It actually enriches your world and the things you see. At the same time you become less judgemental and less hard on yourself.
However if you just stopped working due to a burnout we'll recommend to wait a little bit with too intensive exercises for your brain. 

Reimbursement by health insurances or your employer

Check with your health insurance and/or your employer for reimbursement. Many organisations are willing to sponsor the costs for this course via personal development budget.

The trainer of this English spoken course is a certified trainer, member of the VMBN, category 1.

This is the highest certification and several health insurances partially or fully cover the training fee, depending on your supplemental contract agreements.

On this Dutch website Zorgwijzer.nl you can find an overview which health insurances cover costs.