Training Mindfulness for the World
Feeling good and doing good in times of ecological crisis
The ecological crisis: finding your own path
How can we deal with the news about our planet – temperatures are rising, species are dying out, and – if we continue like this – soon there will be more plastic in the sea than fish?
How can we go from feeling powerless to realistic hope and concrete ideas for a contribution that fits you and is also effective? How to find clarity and peace in the midst of the ecological crisis? How can we still enjoy what life has to offer? The training Mindfulness for the world will help you to find answers to these questions.
Mindfulness: striking a balance between self-care and the action the world needs
Are you concerned about the future of our planet and the natural world? Do you want to do something but don’t know how? You are not the only one. The ecological issues seem overwhelming. Many people feel powerless and sit still, but hiding from the dark clouds doesn’t feel good either.
Mindfulness helps. With the support of anchoring, self-care and compassion practices that are all part of mindfulness, we can face reality while staying grounded, and then move in a direction that is good for ourselves and for the world.
We will bring compassion to a world under stress. There will be room for joy, wonder and personal growth. Supported by the program you will generate ideas and energy to answer the ecological crisis, in your unique way.
Method
Our work for the world starts with the relationship with ourselves. We will continue to cultivate the three mindfulness qualities: calm, wisdom and compassion. From this contemplative context, we look at our world under stress. At the same time, we cherish what makes life so beautiful: joy, gratitude and wonder, to name a few. We cherish our relationship with nature. From that perspective, we investigate your desires and potential to make our own contribution.
The training is enriched by inspiring examples and there is lots of room for sharing, which helps us to realize again and again that we are not alone in our care for the world.
Program
The program consists of six weekly evening sessions online plus three days (beginning, middle, end) on location.
Session themes include: ‘Realistic hope’, ‘Enjoying nature’, ‘Relaxing with uncertainty’, ‘Wise action’, ‘The richness of life’, ‘A golden future’.
The training offers:
- Realistic hope as opposed to the feeling of powerless or meaningless.
- Insight and wisdom to be able to look through a difficult situation and see opportunities, knowing that the future is not yet written.
- Inspiration and energy to contribute to the world in a way that is entirely yours.
- In-depth guided meditations, inviting the cultivation of qualities for life such as joy, calmness, compassion, equanimity, creativity and gratitude.
- Community to move together, with compassion, through the pain and sorrow for what is going to be lost.
- Intensifying our sense of connection with the natural world, that amazing ecosystem that sustains and protects us.
- Cultivating joy and light-heartedness through marveling at the beauty that is all around us.
- Transformation and personal growth which already starts at the opening of ourselves to existential challenges.
This training does not provide:
- Opportunities to make the difficult condition of the earth go away by meditation.
- Quick fixes for our ecological crises.
- A platform for political or philosophical debate: we stay close to what we can do ourselves, in our own sphere of influence.
Is this for me?
This training is for you if you:
- are concerned about the ecological balance in the world, with its themes of climate change, pollution and degrading biodiversity;
- want to learn how to use mindfulness-based practices to keep a cool head but a warm heart on these topics;
- want to explore how you can contribute in a way that fits you and is also effective;
- have a solid practice of mindfulness meditation;
- are willing to make the commitment to attend the sessions and invest in the suggestions for home practice.
Teacher
When I (Rob Brandsma) moved to the countryside, my neighbor told me that lapwings and godwits were still roaming around in the meadow behind our house just twenty years ago. Now it’s quiet. This was a little shock, and many of these little shocks bring the ecological crisis closer to my world. I wondered: what was I supposed to do with this – being a psychotherapist and a mindfulness teacher?
If mindfulness really holds to its promis, I thought, it should not only be valuable for our inner worlds, but also for the outer world.That is where my adventure started that lead to this new training.
Cooperation
We are pleased to collaborate on this project with the Faculty of Health Psychology at the University of Groningen, which will investigate the effectiveness of the training.
Dates
Start: January 30th, 2025 – Online
Dates: Thursdays: 30 Jan, 6, 13, 20, 27 Feb, 6, 13, 20, 27 March, 10, 17, 24 April.
Time: 7:00 – 9:30 PM CET (Central European Time) (GMT: 6:00 – 8:30 PM, EST: 1:00 – 3:30 PM)
Location: Online.
Fee: 295 Euros (Including VAT)
Please sign up by filling out our registration form (click the button below). The teacher will send you a confirmation of your application.
June 1-7, 2025 (intensive) – Schwarzwald (Germany)
Dates: Sunday 1 June through Saturday 7 June.
Location: Feldberg-Falkau/Schwarzwald, Germany.
Early Bird Fee: 790 Euros (Including lodging)
Information and applications: Arbor Seminare
Note: comfortable with Dutch? There may be more options available. Please press the Dutch language button (top right).
It always seems impossible, until it’s done.
Nelson Mandela