From MIND FULL to MINDFUL?

– mindfulness 8-week (MBSR*) program for trans, inter and/or queer BIPOC

In today’s world of ever evolving technology and digital progress, consumed by endless distractions we lead

busy lifestyles, juggling between our work, family and social commitments.
It’s like you’ve got a lot of different thoughts happening all at the same time (science claims 6000 on average* per person a day!) making it hard for your brain to pay attention to just one thing-  the thing you’re supposed to be doing right now. An overloaded mind can cause you to feel helpless and powerless.

When the mind is full, your mental capabilities are weakened, you can’t fit another thought into a head, or concentrate-  causing lots of tension and stress which impacts your mental health in countless ways. The brain is busy solving problems that haven’t yet occurred – in the future (thus leading to anxiety or panic) and analysing events in a past (leading to depression). Often it does both all the time…Being mindful means noticing and focusing on what is happening right now, both inside and around you..

The question is how you do this?

Most of us spend each day having silent conversations with ourselves.
Mindfulness is thus a kind of listening. It is somewhat a mental exercise for the mind much like physical training for the body.
The part of your brain that is responsible for attention is located right behind your forehead and you can make this stronger by practicing mindfulness activities like paying close attention not only to something that
you can see or hear or feel or how you breath! It gives you efficient  self-aware toolkit to search inside yourself and navigate through life  challenges more skilfully.
Therefore let me invite you to join this 8-week mindfulness (MBSR**)  course dedicated to a group setting.
>> It is the invitation for you to make a conscious decision to get inwards and realise the autopilot we operate on (programmed throughout our life), and see there is a way to stop it.

>> It is your moment to step back and take a look at how you see yourself, shift the self-perception and hopefully start to unlearn the recognised mental patterns, and maybe challenging anything you think you knew about yourself…

WHAT IS MBSR

**Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR )  8-week  program was developed by  Jon Kabat-Zinn Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and has been widely researched for over 40 years.
As a holistic approach, it brings together meditative practices with current scientific understandings and can be practiced regardless of religious or ideological attitude.
It offers secular  intensive mindfulness training to assist people not only with stress, anxiety, depression and pain, but truthfully contributes to expand the awareness, building resilience and self-empowerment.

It is experiential and designed for complete beginners, but those with previous meditation experience will benefit too. You will be supported in developing your own practice through weekly homework – provided with handouts and audios to guide you in your process.

The MBSR course involves:

– initial 30-minute one-to-one pre -chat before the course starts
– eight weekly 2.5- hour group sessions
– group limited to max 10 students
(exclusively open for those identifying as trans* inter* or/and queer BIPoC only! )
– silent half-day retreat to deepen your experience
– training material (mp3 files with instructions for the basic exercises of mindfulness training: body scan, mindful movement exercises, various meditation)  to follow at home several times a week

– student’s handout (printed or pdf)
– follow-up chat  after 3 months

FEE:
An average MBSR course for the individual participant in Germany/Berlin costs in total € 350.
However, being part of the TQBIPoC community and experiencing the systemic exclusion frequently in my life I wish to make this training more accessible regardless their current situation.
You can commit to certain amount (by donation) or if its not feasible – offer the energy exchange/services/goods based on your resources.
There is also GoFundMe project currently running to fund the scholarship for those who cannot afford it: https://gofund.me/991f8d46

COURSE DATES: 1^st Nov 2021 – 20 Dec 2021
LOCATION:                               Casa Kua, Naunynstrasse 72, in Kreuzberg 10997, Berlin.

SESSIONS:                                Mondays 01.11., 08.11., 15.11., 22.11., 29.11., 06.12., 12.12., 20.11.
TIME:                                          18:30 – 21:00
MINDFULNESS DAY: Sunday 11.12. from 10.00 to 16.00

Questions and pre-REGISTRATION: 
holy_shift@yahoo.com

MBSR Facilitator: Umtata (he/this)

Roma-born, human rights activist and performer living in Berlin, started t/his activism in one of the biggest LGBT organisation in Poland – Campaign Against Homophobia. To have more holistic approach he became anti-discrimination trainer specialised in gender and queer studies (The European Institute for Gender Equality). Studied psychotherapy in Process Orientated Psychology Institute, supporting individuals as a life coach or conducting HR projects.
Member of the Diversity Academy at the MIND Foundation which advocates psychedelic research and therapy. Recently, joined the Awareness ‘TS Raver’ team to propagate the harm reduction amongst Berlin club scene and leads other online mindfulness classes.  The upcoming MBSR course is the accomplishment of two-year certification study in international Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches (IMA) in Germany.

LEARN MORE >> > >>>> > > >

^^^ WHO CAN BENEFIT?

MBSR can make your life easier, if you

• suffer from insomnia, exhaustion or depressive moods, fears and nervousness
• are acutely, chronically or psychosomatically ill
• look for a supplement to medical or psychotherapeutic treatment
• are highly sensitive (HSP)
• want to live consciously, and be more present

^^^ What can be the gain of an MBSR training?
– declutter the chatter in your mind
– develop self-awareness skills and the ability to manage your mindsets and emotions
– discover you have a choice from moment to moment how to react vs respond
– clearer sense where your ‘edges’ are
– better understanding of body signals
– improved attention skills and learning abilities

– develop your own practical self-care ‘toolkit’ that is there for you whenever you need it

– above all become empowered to confidently use mindfulness in your day to day life during and after the course
– shift the perception of thoughts, ruminations and fears

– dealing with feelings, especially difficult ones

– recognize and modify self-harming behavior
– transform your relationship with yourself, your problems, and life in general

– expand the awareness, being more transparent and authentic self

…and ultimately welcome with openness the new dimensions of you!

*https://bit.ly/3kguSMZ

STUDIES
Effects on brain activity and brain structure in eight regions including emotion regulation and self-regulation have also been proven.Presently, all statutory health insurances in Germany have started to subsidise MBSR courses for certifed MBSR teachers . MBSR has been scientifically researched for years and is widely recognised by both medical professionals and psychotherapists.

Numerous scientific studies have impressively confirmed the effectiveness of MBSR training. For more information, see studies on the effects of MBSR see:
https://goamra.org/
www.mbsr-verband.org