Learn to sit in awareness of the present moment.
We all have heard of the endless benefits of meditation, but we also have experienced how overwhelming it can be to sit, close the eyes, and “try to meditate”. Do you recognize yourself in this?It certainly takes time, patience and consistency to establish a meditation practice, but a bit of guidance will simplify this process a lot, making more clear what it is that you’re trying to do and learning techniques which you can use in your daily life.
In these 4 weekly sessions we will go through the principles and the benefits of mindfulness meditation, a bit of Buddhist context to understand better how this practice works, and a lot of practice with group sharing and discussions.
We will build progressively from shorter to longer meditation time, learn how to sit in a suitable posture, and try a variety of meditation techniques so that eventually you’ll be able to find what works best for you at this point in life.
Each evening of the course will include 2 guided meditation sessions, which will be recorded and sent to you via email, so that you can repeat the practices throughout the week. If you want to make the most out of this course, consider planning to sit every day even if just for 10 minutes. Repetition is what makes the practice of meditation work and very soon you will find yourself at ease with it.
In this 4 weeks course you will learn:
- what is mindfulness meditation
- what are the benefits of meditation
- sitting poses for meditation
- how to be in the present moment
- how to use the breath to anchor into the present moment
- how to cultivate body awareness
- how to be bring mindfulness to feelings and emotions
- how to calm the monkey mind
- how to work with obstacles in meditation
- loving kindness practice
- which meditation techniques work best for you
Practices are drawn from a variety of tradition, blended through the direct experience of Claudia, combining her background of yoga, pranayama, buddhism and mindfulness MBSR.
This course is for you if you are curious about mindfulness meditation, if you find it difficult to sit and meditate, if you have just started or want to start your meditation journey. You will be guided through the necessary steps to build a successful practice and how to relate to difficulties as they arise.
You will be asked to:
- sit on the floor (mats and cushions provided)
- share and engage in group discussions about your experience in meditation
- practice at home in between the weekly sessions
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Dates | Tuesdays 8, 15, 22, 29 April 2025
Time | 18.30 – 19.30
Location | Yoga Circle Amsterdam, shala 2
Price | €70 / 60 for Yoga Circle Members (please email [email protected] to request members code before registering)
Max 12 students
The course is open to all
No previous experience with either yoga or meditation is required.
ABOUT THE TEACHER
CLAUDIA PRADELLA
Claudia teaches yoga as a moving meditation, an uninterrupted flow of movement, breath and concentration. She brings all of her own yoga and healing experiences to her teaching, encouraging each student to become more self-aware and to explore the different aspects of yoga.
She has been practicing yoga and meditation since 1999. The encounter with Ashtanga Yoga in her early yoga journey has kindled a life long commitment to practice and to explore the manyfold benefits of this practice. She’s also extensively studied pranayama, yin yoga, mindfulness and breathwork, and has a deep passion for yoga philosophy, the Buddha-Dharma and self-inquiry. Her first deep dive into Meditation was in 2000, entering a 10-days Vipassana retreat in a thai forest monastery on new year’s eve. Since then she has explored many meditation techniques and traditions, including MBSR, and has cultivated her formal sitting practice day after day after day, enjoying the good days as well as the bad ones.
