“Dealing with Anxiety and Stress Through Mindfulness” Workshop Series:

Report on Pilot Group: October 17 – December 12, 2013

While there was a small number of participants in this 8-session weekly workshop series, the pre- and post-intervention evaluations indicated strong outcomes.


Mindfulness-Awareness Workshop Series
with Andrew Safer


Wednesday nights, 7:00-9:30: January 29th to March 19th

Mindfulness practice brings us back to the here and now and helps us to not get caught up in the storylines in our head about the past and future. This 8-session weekly workshop series is facilitated by a mindfulness instructor and practitioner with 40+ years’ experience in mindfulness-awareness meditation.

Topics include:
· Introduction to Mindfulness
· Being Present
· Making Friends with Yourself
· Relating with Negativity
· Opening to the World
· Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Location: Family Life Bureau–west end of Basilica complex; from parking lot, go to “Main Entrance”
Register:
Online: http://rcsj.org/content/line-registration-form
Phone: 579-0168 x 242
E-mail: flb@nf.aibn.com


Mindfulness Display at Stella’s Circle Health Fair

This year, for the first time, Mindfulness was represented at the annual Stella’s Circle Health Fair. Andrew Safer set up a display at the Gower Street United Church, along with a number of community groups including Stella’s Circle, Consumer Health Awareness Network NL, Canadian Mental Health Association NL, The Pottle Centre, Daffodil Place, Planned Parenthood NL, and Alcoholics Anonymous. Paul March, Eastern Health, spoke with people about the health benefits of Mindfulness.

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Paul March, Eastern Health, and Andrew Safer

 

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Jenna Ford, who created the Stella’s Circle Body Image display. Her message resonates strongly with the message on the Mindfulness display about synchronizing body and mind. Society’s over-emphasis on body image–how we look–misses the key point: it’s about what’s inside.

 


Mindfulness at School Initiative at Gonzaga High School

The United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador is supporting the Mindfulness at School initiative at Gonzaga High School. This innovative program will introduce two groups of students to mindfulness—“the capacity to be alert and open to life experience as it occurs in a non-reactive, resilient, and compassionate way” (Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child). Beginning in February 2014, Grades 10 through 12 students in both a Healthy Living class and an after-school program will learn to develop a range of mindfulness skills. This includes bringing their attention to the present, relating to thoughts non-judgmentally, and using mindfulness tools to deal with stress and difficult emotions. Andrew Safer, a mindfulness instructor, program developer and workshop facilitator, is currently developing the program which will be delivered early next year.

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Left to right: Inspector Jason Sheppard, Chair, Community Investment Committee, United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador; Tracy Gardiner, Guidance Counsellor, Gonzaga High School; Andrew Safer, Mindfulness Instructor; Jim Fallon, Regional Vice President, Bank of Montreal (NL) Photo: Courtesy of United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador

There is an article about the Mindfulness at School program in the November/December issue of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association (NLTA) Bulletin (see page 5):

 


Engineering Students Receive Mindfulness Training

The second-year Engineering students at Memorial University attended workshops on Mindfulness and Noticing, Listening and Inquiring presented by Andrew Safer on November 18th and 19th. Dr. Janna Rosales, visiting Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, introduced the topic by highlighting the importance of Attention in the Engineering profession.

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Dr. Janna Rosales and Andrew Safer


 

11th Mindfulness-Awareness Workshop Series Completed

The eleventh Mindfulness-Awareness workshop series at the Family Life Bureau met for its eighth and last session on November 13th. And what a great group it was! (absent from photo: Andrew Dixon, who was taking the picture)

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Mindful listening exercise: Foreground: Deborah Jackman and Keith Pike


 

Rap Songs & Photos: Making Friends with Yourself Seminar with Carolyn Rose Gimian

We were delighted to once again welcome Carolyn Rose Gimian from Halifax who presented a weekend seminar on Making Friends with Yourself: The Power of Mindfulness, which is also the title of the book she is currently compiling and editing by Chogyam Trungpa, due to be released in 2014. Carolyn’s deep understanding of these teachings, based on practice and study over the past 40 years, is a gift, as is her ability to communicate what “making friends with yourself” is all about–with both gentleness and fearlessness.

Andrew Safer Introducing Carolyn Rose Gimian

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

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Questions for Carolyn

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These rap songs were composed by a group of six participants during the seminar on Making Friends with Yourself, and performed at the end of the weekend. (This is an edited version.)

Gentleness and Meditation
About our “personal things” and “negative thoughts”,
Be gentle with them.
Work on it piece by piece
Gentleness, kiss it goodbye. Just touch and go.

A flower has sun and rain.
Act of meditation is like water and sun
It will “gentle” you.
“I have one flower that’s doing really well”
Talk ‘bout gentleness; it’s liking yourself.

Can’t believe could have these thoughts—it’s a real 180.
Making friends with myself doesn’t mean everything’s OK
Things could turn on a dime
But over time
There’s a wearing away, an accommodating
Less judging, resentment and dragging myself down.

Just sit with it, let it be,
Softening towards it.
Meditation hones in on thoughts but doesn’t change a person
Cultivates gentleness over time.
Have patience.

Making Friends
Not forgiving but understanding; accepting what it is.
Touch and Go. Touch and Go.
Do not become obsessed with it; just let it go.
Finding out who we are and what we are about
Through kindness, just embrace yourself as a friend.

Thought I was a perfect person (parents told me I had to be)
When realized I’m not, felt hatred towards myself.
Now learning to be kinder to myself; being OK with who I am.
Sit across from yourself and close one eye at first
Then close the other one if you have to.
I’d love to be as nice to myself as I am to my cat.

GENTLENESS IS A SOFTNESS TO YOURSELF
CAN’T TAKE A PILL CALLED ACCEPTANCE OF MYSELF
SO JUST BE LIKE A BABE WITH INNOCENCE OF SELF
START OVER AGAIN AND GROW
BACK UP TO THE STARTING POINT IF YOU HAVE TO
JUST BE YOU AND NOBODY ELSE.


Mindfulness in Recovery Report

The Mindfulness in Recovery program took place in May/June 2013.This Report includes:
– Introduction
– Mindfulness in Recovery Program
– Evaluation Results
– References
– Evaluation Instrument

Click here to read the report.


What is Mindfulness-Awareness?

Click this link to learn about Mindfulness-Awareness


Mindfulness Training Conducted for Key Assets’ Child and Youth Care Workers and Staff

On September 12th, Andrew conducted a half-day Mindfulness training for Key Assets’ child and youth care workers and staff.

Photo: Courtesy of Heather Modlin

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Dealing with Anxiety and Stress through Mindfulness

Dealing with Anxiety and Stress through Mindfulness Workshop Series at Helping Matters–starts October 17th.

Click Link for details: Dealing with Anxiety


Monday Night Meditation

We’ve been gathering every Monday night for meditation (sitting / walking / sitting) at the Family Life Bureau since the spring of 2011, and now we finally have a picture to show for it!

group med


Mindfulness for People in Recovery 8-Week Program starts Oct 10

mindfulrecovFollowing the success of the Mindfulness in Recovery group in May/June, a second group will meet weekly on Thursday mornings at the Family Life Bureau, beginning October 10th (Please note: This workshop series has been moved ahead one week from the original schedule). The majority of participants in the first group are continuing to practice mindfulness-awareness meditation and the mindfulness-in-everyday-life practices that were introduced, as they are finding them beneficial for the recovery process.



Making Friends with Yourself: Fall Seminar with Carolyn Rose Gimian – October 25-27 

gimian-friends-loMindfulness-awareness meditation teacher, Carolyn Rose Gimian of Halifax, will lead us in an exploration of how this meditation practice helps us to work with the ups and downs of our minds, and, in the process, helps us to make friends with ourselves.

 


Fall Mindfulness-Awareness Workshop Series

The next Mindfulness-Awareness Workshop Series will begin on Wednesday night, September 25th and will continue for eight Wednesday nights, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm, until November 13th. We meet in the Conference Room on the second floor of the Family Life Bureau (west end of Basilica complex: “Main Entrance”). Topics include: (1) Introduction to Mindfulness, (2) Being Present, (3) Making Friends with Yourself, (4) Relating to Negativity, (5) Opening to the World, and (6) Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

Cost: $80. Readings ($15) are optional. To register, call Sister Loretta Walsh: 579-0168 or e-mail: flb@nf.aibn.com


Mindfulness Workshop Presented to Fourth-Year Engineering Students at Memorial University

Between June 24th and June 28th, Andrew presented a one-hour workshop on “Mindfulness and Noticing, Listening, and Inquiring” to four groups of fourth-year Engineering students at Memorial University: Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering and Process Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer and Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. To introduce the subject, Dr. Janna Rosales, visiting Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, presented on distraction and multitasking in the digital age, and their affect on attention.

Pictured in the photo is a small group of the 49 Mechanical Engineering students who attended the workshop.

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14th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Breast Cancer Retreat

DSCN5851_01_jpgAndrew presented a plenary workshop on The Path of Mindfulness: Making Friends with Yourself at the 14th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Breast Cancer Retreat in Corner Brook in May.

 

 

 

DSCN5861jpgPaula Tessier, Community Relations Officer and whirlwind organizer behind the scenes, and Andrew at the retreat.

 

 

 


  Mindfulness as it relates to Addictions Workshop

Andrew presented a half-day workshop at the Addictions Treatment Services Association conference at the Bella Vista in St. John’s in April.

(Photo courtesy of Bernie Ottenheimer)

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 Tenth Mindfulness Workshop Series Completed

The first Mindfulness Workshop Series was offered at the Family Life Bureau in September 2010, and the tenth one drew to a close on May 29th.
(Photo courtesy of Susan Hyde)

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 Anxiety and the Practice of Mindfulness Meditation Seminar

All 60 seats at the Pastoral Centre, Basilica were taken on Friday night, May 24th for Ken Friedman’s first talk of the Anxiety and the Practice of Mindfulness Meditation seminar.
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Here is Andrew introducing Ken:

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This photo was taken at the end of the seminar on Sunday.

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Mindfulness-Based Program for People in Recovery Starts May 23

MindfulnessInRecoveryMINDFULNESS IN RECOVERY
with
Andrew Safer, Mindfulness Instructor
Michele Pike, Addictions Counsellor, Eastern Health

Mindfulness is:
The present-moment non-judgmental awareness of whatever arises—thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions.

Location: The Conference Room, Pastoral Centre – West End of Basilica

Cost $150 / Sliding scale is available.

To register, contact:
Andrew Safer: asafer@nf.sympatico.ca or call 722-2716
Michele Pike: Michele.pike@easternhealth.ca or call 752-4329

Click here for details

Registration Deadline: May 16, 2013


ken friedman AnxietyShould anxiety be regarded as an obstacle to our meditation
practice, or as an opportunity to open further on the spiritual path?

In this weekend program, Ken Friedman will talk about how mindfulness practice
deals with the various levels of anxiety that we encounter in our lives—from our
“ordinary” everyday feelings of nervousness up to severe panic attacks—as well as
the heightened forms of neurosis and even terror that one might experience on the
spiritual journey.

In 1981, the renowned meditation master, Chogyam Trungpa, appointed Ken to
work with students in their community who were experiencing extreme states of
mind. Ken will talk about the instructions that he received from Chogyam Trungpa
on how to deal with those challenging situations, as well as what he learned from
the experience.

Ken will also provide instruction about how to deal with the anxiety involved in
facing into death, both in terms of our own fear of physical death and our loved
ones’ fear during their dying process, as well as the unexpected shocks and upheavals
that we experience in our lives.

Click here for details


Monday Night Meditation

It’s been almost two years since we started meeting for group meditation practice every Monday night–except for major holidays–at the Family Life Bureau.

A heartfelt Thank You to Sister Loretta Walsh, Director of the Family Life Bureau, for allowing us to use the wonderful space in the Group Room / Conference Room.

In 2012, a total of 78 people came to Monday night meditation: 55 women and 23 men. Attendance ranged from 3 to 24 people per session.

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Arrival: 6:45 pm for 7:00 pm start
Meditation practice: Sitting / walking / sitting
Discussion: Between 8:00 and 8:30
Book discussion group: On the alternating Monday night (April 8th, April 22nd, etc.) between 8:00 and 9:00 we discuss a chapter from Taking the Leap by Pema Chodron.
(If you don’t have the book, you can order it at Chapters. It takes 6-10 business days to arrive.)

Anyone who is coming for the first time is asked to e-mail asafer@nf.sympatico.ca to arrange to meet at 6:30 for meditation instruction.


Mindfulness and Addictions Workshop at ATSA Conference April 12th

atsa

ATSA Conference Release

 


Next Mindfulness Workshop Series Begins April 10th

The next 7-session weekly Mindfulness Workshop Series at the Family Life Bureau will begin Wednesday, April 10th and continue every Wednesday night from 7:00 to 9:30 pm (except May 15th) until May 29th. Topics include:

  • Introduction to Mindfulness
  • Being Present
  • Making Friends with Yourself
  • Relating to Negativity
  • Opening to the World
  • Mindfulness in Everyday Life

To register, go to: http://rcsj.org/content/line-registration-form or call Sister Loretta Walsh at 579-0168, or e-mail: flb@nf.aibn.com.


Mindfulness Workshop for Mental Health Consumers Presented at CHANNAL

Mindfulness and Mental Health


Mindfulness Workshop Series closing session at the Family Life Bureau, January – March

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Ego and the Spiritual Path Workshop Held at Family Life Bureau

Ego_Workshop

January 25th and 26th, Andrew Safer presented talks on spiritual materialism (the use of the spiritual path to enhance and strengthen ego / self), the development of ego / self, and what all of this has to do with daily life and how mindfulness meditation practice works with ego / self.


First Mindfulness Training for Clinicians Held at Aspens & Oaks

On January 19th, Andrew Safer presented a one-day training on Mindfulness to 14 psychologists, social workers, and counsellors at Aspens & Oaks (23 Cashin Avenue, St. John’s) which included:
– Overview of Mindfulness,
– Meditation instruction,
– Being present,
– Self-compassion,
– Dealing with difficulties,
– Mindfulness elements in the work of
– Alan Marlatt (addictions)
– Marsha Linehan (borderlline personality disorder), and
– Mark Williams; John Teasdale; Zindel Segal; and Jon Kabat-Zinn (depression)
– Assisting others.

Ego [self] and The Spiritual Path with Andrew Safer

Being wrapped up in ourselves – whether it’s our problems,  grand schemes, difficulties and concerns, or triumphs – causes grief for both ourselves and others. 

In this workshop we will look behind the curtain of our self-involvement. We will explore how ego (self) fuels mental fixation, erroneous beliefs, and spiritual materialism (strengthening ego (self) through the spiritual path). Buddhist, Christian, Shambhala, and Sufi perspectives will be referenced.

There will be talks (supported by visuals) on Friday night, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon; mindfulness meditation instruction and practice;  discussion and small-group exploration of key issues.

WHEN: Friday, January 25th, 7- 9 pm and Saturday, January 26th, 9 am – Noon; 2 – 5 pm

WHERE: The Pastoral Centre, The Basilica (Conference Room) West end of Basilica complex – “Main Entrance”

COST: Friday night: $10; Full program: $50 (cash or cheque)

REGISTER AT: register@mindfulnessawareness.ca

Registration deadline: January 21 (Discounts are available. Space is limited.)

Andrew Safer has been a practitioner of mindfulness meditation for over 40 years and a meditation instructor for 19 years. He has been presenting a 6-session weekly workshop series on Mindfulness at the Family Life Bureau since the fall of 2010, gives mindfulness instruction and consultations at Aspens & Oaks, and presents workshops and trainings on Mindfulness for various organizations in the community.


Last Practice Session for 2012

Our last Monday night practice session for 2012 is Monday, December 17th in
the Group Room (second floor) at the Family Life Bureau / Basilica. The next two
Monday nights are Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve so we won’t be meeting
then. We will resume on Monday, January 7th.

Please arrive 6:45 or so for a 7:00 start, for sitting / walking / sitting practice and
then discussion until 8:30. (On book discussion group nights, beginning January
14th, until 9:00)

[If you’re facing the Basilica from Military Rd., come to the west (left) side. From
the parking lot there, come to the “Main Entrance”. There will be someone there
to let you in.]


Next Mindfulness Workshop Series

The next Mindfulness workshop series (7 weekly sessions) at the Family Life
Bureau will begin on either January 23rd or 30th (TBD)—on Wednesday evenings
from 7:00 to 9:30. Stay tuned for the start date in early January. To reserve a
spot, e-mail your name and phone number to: flb@nf.aibn.com or call 579-0168 x242.


Ego (Self) and the Spiritual Path–Seminar

Andrew Safer will be presenting a seminar on Ego (Self) and the Spiritual
Path
on Friday night, January 25th and all day Saturday, January 26th in the
Conference Room at the Pastoral Centre (Basilica). For more information, stay
tuned.


Taking the Leap Discussion Group

The next book we will be reading and discussing is Taking the Leap: Freeing
Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron. For those who
pre-ordered, I will bring copies to our January 7th meditation session. Our first discussion will be at 8:00 pm on Monday, January 14th (after practice), and will continue every other Monday night.


Workshop Series Completed at the Parish of the Good Shepherd

On November 18th, we completed a three-workshop series on Mindfulness at the Parish of the Good Shepherd in Mount Pearl. Conducting the walking meditation in the Church was a new experience! Many thanks to Reverend Geoff Peddle for extending the invitation.


Eighth Mindfulness Workshop Series Completed at the Family Life Bureau – November 8th, 2012


Practical Compassion and Mindfulness Seminar with Alan Sloan — a Highlight of 2012

Alan Sloan, leadership coach, educator and consultant based in Halifax, (http://alansloanconsulting.ca/) presented a weekend workshop on Practical Compassion and Mindfulness at the Pastoral Centre, The Basilica in mid- October. His DVD, Mindfulness and Authenticity, sold like hotcakes. We look forward to seeing Alan again!


1-Day Meditation Retreat in the City

WHEN: Sunday, September 30th
WHERE: Conference Room, Pastoral Centre (the space we normally use) — west end of Basilica, “Main Entrance”
SCHEDULE: Meditation practice (alternating sitting and walking) 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Lunch: 12:00 – 1:30 (off-site)
Meditation practice: 1:30 – 2:20
Talk on meditation (DVD): 2:20 – 3:00
Tea: 3:00 – 3:20
Meditation practice: 3:20 – 4:30
COST: Donations gratefully accepted
PARKING: Park in the Rooms lot across Bonaventure Ave.
RSVP: asafer@nf.sympatico.ca


A Seminar on Practical Compassion and Mindfulness with Alan Sloan

Date: Friday, Oct 19th – Sunday, Oct 21st

Friday 7-9 pm; Saturday 9-5 (lunch 12-1:30); Sunday 9-12

How can we maintain fulfilling, caring relationships while everything and everyone are constantly changing?

In this seminar, we will explore the practice of mindfulness as a way to tune in to ourselves and others, to relate directly to what is happening in each moment, and not get caught in habitual ways of thinking, judging and reacting. Through developing awareness, we can discover our natural, human capacity for compassion, bravery, and insight.

ALAN SLOAN is a leadership coach, educator and consultant in Halifax. He provides guidance and support to individuals, organizations and businesses committed to improving the lives of others. For 35 years, he has taught mindfulness practice to audiences in North America, Europe and New Zealand. Mr. Sloan is the author of two DVD presentations: Gentle Heart – Fearless Mind and Mindfulness and Authenticity: Foundations for Leadership. www.alansloanconsulting.ca

Cost: $10 Fri. night talk; $70 full workshop; Discounts available; Space is limited

To register and purchase tickets:

Contact Andrew Safer at asafer@nf.sympatico.ca or pick up tickets at the Archdiocese/Pastoral Centre front desk (west end of Basilica, “Main Entrance”)


Fall Mindfulness Workshop Series

Andrew’s Fall Mindfulness workshop series (6 sessions) at the Family Life Bureau will begin on Wednesday, September 26th (7:00 to 9:30 pm) and continue every Wednesday night until November 7th (Hallowe’en excepted). This series has been running three times a year since 2010.

Mindfulness practice brings us back to the here and now and helps us to not get caught up in the storylines in our head about the past and future. Presented by Andrew Safer, a practitioner with 40 years’ experience in mindfulness meditation, this workshop series is for beginners and people who would like to develop a regular mindfulness practice. Session Themes: Introduction to Mindfulness, Being Present, Making Friends with Yourself, Relating to Negativity, Opening to the World, and Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

Sessions include presentation, meditation instruction, mindfulness exercises, pair & share, group discussion, and sitting meditation practice.

The cost is $60. To reserve a spot, please call 579-0168 x 242.

We meet in the Conference Room on the second floor. Come to the west side of the Basilica complex (left side if you’re facing the Basilica from Military Road). From the “Main Entrance” sign, come to the metal-framed glass door just behind it.


Group Meditation Practice

Group meditation practice (alternating sitting and walking meditation, followed by discussion) is open to the public at the Family Life Bureau, 200 Military Road, on Monday evenings. Arrive at 6:45 for a 7:00 start. Sitting, walking, and sitting meditation until 8:00.

On alternating Monday nights (April 2nd, April 16th, etc.), from 8:00 to 9:00, we discuss a chapter from Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa.

On alternating Monday nights, after group meditation practice, there’s a discussion about practice until 8:30.

In consideration of the use of the space, a goodwill offering is requested.


Workshops

Mindfulness Workshop Series at the Family Life Bureau

Mindfulness practice brings us back to the here and now and helps us to not get caught up in the storylines in our head about the past and future. Presented by Andrew Safer, a practitioner with 40 years’ experience in mindfulness meditation, this workshop series is for beginners and people who would like to develop a regular mindfulness practice. Session Themes: Introduction to Mindfulness, Being Present, Making Friends with Yourself, Relating to Negativity, Opening to the World, and Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

Sessions include presentation, meditation instruction, mindfulness exercises, pair & share, group discussion, and sitting meditation practice.

The next workshop series will start on Wednesday, March 28th, 7:00 to 9:30 pm and continue on Wednesday evenings until May 2nd.

LocationFamily Life Bureau, Archdiocese of St. John’s, 200 Military Road

To register, call Sr. Loretta Walsh, Director. Space is limited.


Smile at Fear seminar with Carolyn Gimian: April 27-29 (See News page)

Mindfulness Workshop Series at CHANNAL

Mindfulness practice brings us back to the here and now and helps us to not get caught up in the storylines in our head about the past and future. This workshop series is for beginners and people who would like to develop a regular mindfulness practice. Presented by Andrew Safer, Mindfulness Instructor.

A compilation of readings from the following sources is available, reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications on a one-time, non-exclusive, classroom-use only basis: The Sanity We Are Born With, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, Smile at Fear, The Path Is the Goal, and Ocean of Dharma by Chogyam Trungpa

Information Session: Thursday, September 8th, 7:00 pm
Workshop Dates: Thursdays 7:00 to 9:30 pm from September 15th to October 20th
Location: Consumers Health Awareness Network of Newfoundland and Labrador (CHANNAL), 284 LeMarchant Road

For more information or to register for the information session please contact James at 709-753-7710.


Speaking Engagements

Andrew is available to give presentations on Mindfulness and Awareness practice.
For more information, please fill out the contact form here.


Next Mindfulness Workshop Series

The next Mindfulness workshop series (7 weekly sessions) at the Family Life
Bureau will begin on Wednesday, January 23rd and continue on successive Wednesday evenings
from 7:00 to 9:30. To reserve a spot, e-mail your name and phone number to: flb@nf.aibn.com or call 579-0168 x242.


Ego (Self) and the Spiritual Path–Seminar

Andrew Safer will be presenting a seminar on Ego (Self) and the Spiritual
Path
on Friday night, January 25th and all day Saturday, January 26th in the
Conference Room at the Pastoral Centre (Basilica). For more information, stay
tuned.


Taking the Leap Discussion Group

The next book we will be reading and discussing is Taking the Leap: Freeing
Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron. For those who
pre-ordered, I will bring copies to our January 7th meditation session. Our first discussion will be at 8:00 pm on Monday, January 14th (after practice), and will continue every other Monday night.


Workshop Series Completed at the Parish of the Good Shepherd

On November 18th, we completed a three-workshop series on Mindfulness at the Parish of the Good Shepherd in Mount Pearl. Conducting the walking meditation in the Church was a new experience! Many thanks to Reverend Geoff Peddle for extending the invitation.


Eighth Mindfulness Workshop Series Completed at the Family Life Bureau – November 8th, 2012

Practical Compassion and Mindfulness Seminar with Alan Sloan — a Highlight of 2012

Alan Sloan, leadership coach, educator and consultant based in Halifax, (http://alansloanconsulting.ca/) presented a weekend workshop on Practical Compassion and Mindfulness at the Pastoral Centre, The Basilica in mid- October. His DVD, Mindfulness and Authenticity, sold like hotcakes. We look forward to seeing Alan again!


Fall Mindfulness Workshop Series

Andrew’s Fall Mindfulness workshop series (6 sessions) at the Family Life Bureau will begin on Wednesday, September 26th (7:00 to 9:30 pm) and continue every Wednesday night until November 7th (Hallowe’en excepted). For more information about the workshop series, see “Workshops” below. The cost is $60. To reserve a spot, please call 579-0168 x 242.

We meet in the Conference Room on the second floor. Come to the west side of the Basilica complex (left side if you’re facing the Basilica from Military Road). From the “Main Entrance” sign, come to the metal-framed glass door just behind it.

A Seminar on Love and Relationships on the Spiritual Path with Ken Friedman

Date: Friday, June 15th – Sunday, June 17th

Friday 7-9 pm; Saturday 9 am – noon, 1:30 – 4; Sunday 9 am – noon

Location: Corpus Christi Parish Centre, 260 Waterford Bridge Road, St. John’s

This seminar will explore teachings from the renowned Buddhist and Shambhala meditation master, Chogyam Trungpa, on relationships and the nature of love. Topics include: meditation and the realization of aloneness; masculine and feminine principles; the meaning of marriage or union on the spiritual path; and a series of practices for relating to others in everyday life. The program will include talks, mindfulness meditation instruction, meditation practice,and group discussions.

A student of Chogyam Trungpa’s since 1974, Mr. Friedman has presented seminars based on the Buddhist and Shambhala teachings in New york City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Halifax, Montreal, Denver, Atlanta, London, Paris, and Amsterdam, and in other cities throughout North America.

Cost: Friday night talk: $10; Full weekend program: $60. Discounts are available.

To register and purchase tickets, contact Andrew Safer:

asafer@nf.sympatico.ca – 722-2716

 

Individual Mindfulness Instruction at Aspens & Oaks

Seminar on “Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery” with Carolyn Rose Gimian, April 27th – 29th.

A Seminar on Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery with Carolyn Rose Gimian

Date: Friday night, April 27th 7-9 pm–public talk
Saturday, April 28th 9 am – 4 pm (lunch break 12-1:30) Sunday, April 29th 9 am – 12 noon.

Location:Family Life Bureau (The Pastoral Centre) west side of Basilica: “Main Entrance”

What does it mean to smile at fear? To begin with, it means to relax with uncertainty, allowing ourselves to be fully with ourselves, as we are. One way to cultivate this is through the practice of meditation.The application of mindfulness allows us to stop the world from spinning, by stopping the spinning of our own minds. When we begin to see the situation as it is, and see our own minds clearly, we’re on the road toward defusing anxiety and panic. From the experiences we have in meditation, we may also begin to see how to relax on the spot in the midst of the most difficult circumstances in our lives. It is possible to be there in a simple and open way.

The weekend will include an introduction to mindfulness meditation, periods of meditation practice, several talks, group discussions, and smaller group activities.

Carolyn Rose Gimian has been a meditation teacher for more than 35 years. A senior student of Chogyam Trungpa, she is the editor of many of his books, including The Collected Works of Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, and Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery. Mrs. Gimian is also the Director Emeritus of the Shambhala Archives and the Director of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project. She lives in Halifax.

Cost: Friday night talk $5; Weekend program $60, includes Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday (cash only, please) Discounts are available. Space is limited. To register, e-mail asafer@nf.sympatico.ca by April 20th.

Tickets available from Andrew Safer & The Pastoral Centre 9:00- 4:30 Mon.-Fri. west side of Basilica, “Main Entrance” (726-3660)

 

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In individual sessions at Aspens & Oaks, Meditation Instructor Andrew Safer provides an overview of mindfulness, gives meditation instruction, offers tips on how to establish a regular meditation practice, introduces mindfulness exercises, and provides guidance on how meditation practice relates to everyday life. Aspens & Oaks: 754-2068 – 23 Cashin Avenue, St. John’s

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Mindfulness Workshop Series with Andrew Safer at the Family Life Bureau: March 28th to May 2nd: 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Mindfulness practice brings us back to the here and now and helps us to not get caught up in the storylines in our head about the past and future. Presented by Andrew Safer, a practitioner with 40 years’ experience in mindfulness meditation, this workshop series is for beginners and people who would like to develop a regular mindfulness practice.

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