MINDFULNESS COURSE

Welcome to our 8-week journey!

Come back to this page to find all meditations that we will practice throughout the course

In-person 8-week course in Ghent

  • 8 weekly classes: on Wednesday evenings, from 19.00 to 21:30. Dates: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, June 7, 14, 21
  • Day of Mindfulness: full-day retreat on Sunday from 10.00 to 16.30, on June 18
  • Location: Free Flow yogaloft, Hogekouterstraat 60, 9030 Mariakerke

The course is taught by Lyuba Byessonova. If you need to reach out to me in between sessions, please contact me either by e-mail or by WhatsApp (for last-minute questions)

Over the next eight weeks, we will learn many ways to become more aware of the present moment. We will do this by following the curriculum of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

During this course, you will use a printed handbook and this webpage as your course material. In the handbook, you will find a brief summary for every session, some extra reference materials and home practice for each week.  On this webpage, you will find meditation recordings.

Each week has a specific focus. The first three weeks establish the foundations of mindfulness practice. In weeks four and five, we look at the physiology of stress in more detail before focusing on how we can learn to respond to stressful situations. Week six includes exercises on difficult communications, while week seven focuses on how we can take care of ourselves. The final week concludes what we have learned and explores ways to continue practising after completing the course.

The importance of practising

We will work together to become more aware of our habits and to explore new ways of being with our experience. This is something that takes practice.

This means that you need to be prepared to practice between the sessions. We recommend practising for 30-45 minutes per day.

Sometimes it will be challenging to make time in your busy life. But personal practice is an essential part of the programme. Only if you practice can you learn to play an instrument. The same applies to training your mind.

Session 1 – Introduction to mindfulness

Feel free to download the recording or access it online.

  • Body scan – 36 min

  • Body scan – 17 min

Session 2 – Perception and creative responding

Feel free to download the recording or access it online.

  • Body scan – 36 min

  • Body scan – 17 min

  • Awareness of breathing – 10 min

Session 3 – Mindfulness of The Breath & The Body in Movement

Feel free to download the recording or access it online.

  • Lying down yoga (mindful movement) – 32 min. For a shorter version: you can do the first 15 min 30 seconds or start as of then.

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Body scan – 36 min (same as in week 1)

  • Body scan – 17 min

  • Awareness of breathing – 10 min

Session 4 – Learning about our patterns of reactivity to stress

Feel free to download the recording or access it online.

  • Sitting meditation – 18 min

  • Lying down yoga (mindful movement) – 32 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Body scan – 36 min

  • Body scan – 17 min

Session 5 – Coping with Stress: Using Mindfulness to Respond Instead of React

Main practices of the week

  • Full sitting meditation (breath, body, sounds, thoughts & open awareness) – 32 min

  • Standing yoga (mindful movement) – 34 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Lying down yoga (mindful movement) – 32 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Body scan – 36 min

Additional shorter practices:

  • Body scan  – 17 min

Session 6 – Stressful communication and interpersonal mindfulness

Main practices of the week

  • Full sitting meditation (breath, body, sounds, thoughts & open awareness) – 32 min

  • Standing yoga (mindful movement) – 34 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Lying down yoga (mindful movement) – 32 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Body scan – 36 min

Additional shorter practices:

  • Body scan  – 17 min

Session 7 – What do I take in? Taking care of ourselves

Main practices of the week

  • Full sitting meditation (breath, body, sounds, thoughts & open awareness) – 32 min

  • Standing yoga (mindful movement) – 34 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Lying down yoga (mindful movement) – 32 min

Audio recording

Video recording

  • Body scan – 36 min

Additional shorter practices:

  • Body scan  – 17 min

Session 8 – Keeping your mindfulness alive: the rest of your life…