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Event
Mindfulness Meditation Course
This class begins on Monday, October 15, 2012 and runs for 6-weeks through November 19.
Mindfulness is a quality of attention that can be learned, cultivated through practice, and applied in any moment of daily life. It is a wonderful remedy for stress of living, and conducive to well-being and positive mental states, such as peace, presence, appreciation, and kindness to self and others. Recent scientific research studies point to a myriad of mental and physical health benefits, and show that desirable structural changes in the brain can occur only after a couple of months of meditation practice. Research studies have investigated effects of mindfulness meditation on immune function, improving attention (esp. in ADHD), pain management, dealing with anxiety and stress, depression, eating disorders, sleep problems, relationship issues, tinnitus, among others.
In this course, you will learn how to cultivate mindfulness both through formal practice (e.g., sitting meditation) as well as "informal" daily practices (e.g., mindfulness of eating, listening and talking). Many topics will be covered, such as: mindfulness of breathing, body, emotions, and thoughts; relational mindfulness; working with physical pain; working with difficult emotions; sitting, walking, and movement meditation; recent scientific research; etc.
The size of the class is limited to 25 people to maintain an intimate setting and time for personal feedback, interaction, and discussion. The structure will be a mix of lectures, guided meditations, experiential exercises, and group discussion and feedback. We will be sitting on chairs, so bringing cushions is not necessary.
The class is taught from a secular/universal perspective and is appropriate for people of any age or background. The material is suitable for both people without any meditation background (who wish to start learning the basics) as well as those who have practiced previously and wish to revitalize and deepen their practice with the support of a teacher and community.
About the Instructor:
Nikki Mirghafori, Ph.D., is a computer scientist, academic, technology advisor, and a certified mindfulness facilitator. She was introduced to yoga and contemplative practices in the early 1980's and to meditation in 1991. She has been a dedicated practitioner of mindfulness meditation since 2003 and has studied with renowned Western and Asian Buddhist masters, including periods of multi-month silent retreats. She has trained at the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA to teach mindfulness in a secular context, and is currently part of the compassion cultivation teacher training at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford. Nikki takes great joy in sharing her knowledge and experience of meditation and contemplative practices with others.
Please visit our website for more information: www.jcceastbay.org.
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LocationJCC East Bay, Berkeley Branch (View)
1414 Walnut Street
Berkeley, CA 94709
United States
Categories
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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