Cultivating Calm: An Introduction To Mindfulness Practice
With Tara BassWeek 1 introduces the concept of mindfulness, offering definitions and exploring how and why one might choose to cultivate it. The session highlights the benefits of mindfulness not only for personal well-being but also for our relationships and the broader world around us. Week 2 focuses on mindfulness of breath and body. It covers the sense of self or ego, introduces practices for being present with the breath and body, and explores how mindfulness can help in addressing physical pain. Week 3 delves into mindfulness of thoughts and emotions. This week dispels the myth that mindfulness means eliminating thoughts, and instead examines the relationship between thoughts and emotions. Participants learn to observe their thoughts and work with emotions skillfully, with suggested practices to try on their own. Week 4 explores mindfulness of the heart through the lens of lovingkindness. It provides an overview of the Four Immeasurables or Perfect Virtues: lovingkindness (metta), compassion, sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity. The week dives deeper into what metta truly is and how to begin cultivating it. Week 5 brings the practice into everyday life. This final session reviews informal mindfulness practices, offers guidance on mindful speech, and provides practical tips for establishing and sustaining a formal meditation practice.
A 5-week intro to mindfulness, giving you the tools to build a confident and independent personal practice.
About this course
Week 1 introduces the concept of mindfulness, offering definitions and exploring how and why one might choose to cultivate it. The session highlights the benefits of mindfulness not only for personal well-being but also for our relationships and the broader world around us. Week 2 focuses on mindfulness of breath and body. It covers the sense of self or ego, introduces practices for being present with the breath and body, and explores how mindfulness can help in addressing physical pain. Week 3 delves into mindfulness of thoughts and emotions. This week dispels the myth that mindfulness means eliminating thoughts, and instead examines the relationship between thoughts and emotions. Participants learn to observe their thoughts and work with emotions skillfully, with suggested practices to try on their own. Week 4 explores mindfulness of the heart through the lens of lovingkindness. It provides an overview of the Four Immeasurables or Perfect Virtues: lovingkindness (metta), compassion, sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity. The week dives deeper into what metta truly is and how to begin cultivating it. Week 5 brings the practice into everyday life. This final session reviews informal mindfulness practices, offers guidance on mindful speech, and provides practical tips for establishing and sustaining a formal meditation practice.
Meet your Teacher
Tara has been practicing mindfulness meditation for 16+ years. She has completed a 2-year Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in the Insight Meditation tradition and is a meditation instructor through the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. She has been an administrator and lived at a meditation retreat center, and has completed multiple week and month-long meditation retreats. Tara is also a mental health professional and former educator. She has real-life experience and knowledge to guide you through mindfulness meditation practices and teachings with care and compassion.