Mindfulness

Mindfulness can, in some ways, be quite intellectually simple.  It can also be rather challenging to do.

Here is one definition of mindfulness: Be here now, and notice what is here.  By noticing what is here, you yourself are here.

Simple, right?  But where is here?  Well, it could be in your body, your mind, your emotions, or your spirit.  Or your true self.  It could be absorbed by your senses, or in a piece of art.  It could be deeply taking in your food or your beverages, or the presence of another being.  Here is not somewhere else.

And when is now?  Well, it isn’t then, that’s for sure.  It also isn’t in the past or the future.  By noticing what is here, you can develop an ability to consciously choose what to do with and in the present moment. 

Our brains are wonderful facets of Creation, organs that may have more connections between cells than there are stars in the galaxy.  These brains, inhabited by our minds, can think of the most distant planets, or remote history, or the most impossibly unlikely disasters of tomorrow.  But minds that jump around willy-nilly, down endless tracks that other people created in them, are untrained.  Buddhist meditation instructors teach that there is nothing more damaging than an untrained mind.

Luckily, there is training for not only our minds, but also our hearts, our bodies, and our true selves.  When you train your mind to be present, you can cultivate a powerful presence in which many interesting and valuable doors can begin to open for you.  The presence can be an unbelievably valuable companion throughout all of the days of your life. 

In-Person Training

Sweet Medicine offers this training.  Dr. Conrad Sichler teaches mindfulness in ways that also pay attention to heart-fulness, body-fulness, and spirit-fulness.  The program is based on John Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), but also adds techniques such as qi gong, guided visualization, and meditations based on compassion and the discovery of identity.  The program is continually in evolution, and grows and changes over time.

Sweet Medicine offers typically offers three blocks of six weeks of mindfulness training per year, one each in the spring, winter, and fall.  These consist of three one-hour sessions per evening. The first hour is more of an introduction to the topic of the evening, but all evenings have a theme and are integrated around things such as awareness of body, of mind, of emotions, and so on.

Our next mindfulness session will begin on Sunday, September 22nd, 2024 from 5 to 8 pm and continue for six weeks, skipping both Thanksgiving weekend and the one prior to that when I am unavailable. Therefore, the dates will be September 22nd and 29th, October 20th and 27th, and November 3rd and 10th. The theme of the program is Trauma and Mindfulness.

In general, Fall sessions begin in September or early October'; Winter sessions in mid- to late-January, and Spring sessions in April or early May.

Sessions are currently held in a hybrid format with both online and in-person options (mostly) on Sunday evenings, and are covered by OHIP.

To sign up, simply send an e-mail using the section below this one. Curious to learn more and check out some amazing free resources available on our site? Click here. 

Learn More about Sweet Medicine Mindfulness Training

E-mail us at sweetmedicinembsr@gmail.com or simply fill out the form below to sign up, to learn more, or for any questions about our Mindfulness Training.  And please be patient with our response time.  We do our best to let our lives run our e-mail usage, not the other way around.

We look forward to connecting with you!