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Mondays 8:15-9:15 at the Quinta Pool from April 15 to June 24
Being a human is not easy! We all experience being separated from people, things, places that we love. Our bodies get sick, injured, and older. What might happen if we turn gently toward the physical and emotional growing pains of life?
Let's practice increasing our capacity to open toward challenging experiences and emotions in a supportive group environment.
We will start with a guided meditation that explores mindful presence and cultivates the “sublime attitudes” of the Buddhist brahmavihārā: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Next, we will discuss what we notice when we turn toward our pain with love. Everything in your heart is welcome.
We will practice our meditation outside by the Quinta pool, inviting the sounds and sensations of nature and the aliveness of the campus. Come dressed to sit (or stand or lie down—your choice!) in the weather. You are welcome to bring mats, cushions, or blankets.
Come and greet your life and your heart just as you are. Suitable for all experience levels—everyone is invited!
I am currently in a year-long Intro to Buddhist Chaplaincy training through the Sati Center (California, USA), and am humbled to serve our community by offering this space for all. As a psychology master’s student in the Mindfulness-Based Approaches program at Bangor University (Wales, UK), I have learned to teach mindfulness, specifically the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, to support wellness and wholeness. My personal, professional, and academic focus is on trauma sensitivity and nervous system regulation, which means that my goal in holding the group is to create a shared sense of safety where each participant feels in control of the depth and intensity of practice.
You can contact me on WhatsApp at +16035311695 or read about my work here.
Join Kalyana for guided mindfulness meditation every Sunday as we focus on cultivating joy, loving-kindness, and other wholesome attitudes. Please have your video on for the entire session, if possible. Join our email list for login information. All are welcome!
Dates TBA
Join Kalyana in an online 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. Classes will take place in-person in Portugal.
MBSR is the most studied evidence-based mindfulness program in the world. MBSR is taught by specially trained teachers to maximize benefits such as improving wellbeing, increasing resilience, reducing stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, managing chronic pain, and more.
"Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an effective, scientifically researched method for reducing physical and psychological suffering while building resilience, balance, and peace of mind."
-Mindfulness Center at Brown University
Physiological benefits can include:
Psychological benefits can include:
MBSR consists of an orientation, 8 weekly 2-2.5 hour classes and one all-day class. Instruction includes meditation, mindful stretching, and interactive group exercises.
“MBSR has made me feel calmer on a day-to-day basis, more aware of getting caught up in thoughts and bringing my mind back to my anchor. I use what I have learned in my everyday life and work! Kalyana is an amazing teacher. She is passionate, gentle, and inspiring”
-Kara
"Kalyana’s positive, supportive manner always made our practices a pleasant experience."
-Ingrid
“What a joy to have been able to participate in the 8-week MBSR workshop offered by Kalyana. It was a new experience for me having never taken an in-depth meditation workshop before. This [online] format worked well as participants Zoomed in from different states in the USA and also from overseas! Kalyana made us all feel welcomed and important and offered one-on-one support if any issues came up needing to be taken care of individually.
What I especially loved during class were the poems and writings Kalyana wrote and shared out loud each week. Also loved the video recordings of yoga postures for our active meditations. The quiet, still meditations were surprisingly when the more profound deep transitions unfolded in me and these were more challenging because of that. This program can be emotionally transformative. With Kalyana’s guidance, I felt in control.
This program is definitely one where you get out of it what you put into it. And because the guided mediations are recorded in a saved online space, I know I can tap into it in the future as I’m ready for more. It is a commitment but well worth it. When the eight weeks were over I felt sad it was ending. All of the participants had bonded and had become a community of sorts.
The program helped me get through the pandemic winter of 2022. I am a better person and feel I can face situations with more clarity and less anxiety.
I would definitely recommend this MSBR workshop. It demystifies meditation and can help in creating a daily practice."
-JAH
Mindfulness is an inherent capacity we all have for being fully present in our lives. We can train ourselves to increase this capacity by practicing meditation and increasing awareness in everyday life. These are skills that can be cultivated by learning from instructors who are trained in research-backed techniques. For information about our training, click here.
Mindfulness practice can be thought of as having two primary dimensions: formal and informal.
Formal practices include the body scan, sitting practice, and mindful stretching (yoga). To sample some of these practices, click here.
Informal mindfulness practices involve bringing mindful awareness to all of our experiences, no matter what they are, throughout our daily lives. If this sounds like a tall order, the good news is that it can be learned like any other skill.
Donations are warmly appreciated.
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