Mindfulness is a state of mind that includes the ability to be fully present, aware of whatever is happening, and receptive to any subtle nuances and changes that occur. It is characterized by a sense of wonder and openness to what is. It is free of any agenda or judgment and is not attached to a particular outcome. The practice of mindfulness is to cultivate the capacity to continually notice how we do things, not just what we do. This capacity often allows for the softening of long-held beliefs and conditioning and opens the possibility for greater freedom from unnecessary suffering. Applied mindfulness is embodied and practical, and this training format is an integration of embodied yogic and meditative practices that support healing and transformation in the present moment.

Donna Martin: I have been practising and teaching yoga since 1970. I studied with teachers of various traditions and lineages, including Rama Jyoti, Angela Farmer, others trained by Iyengar and Desikachar, as well as yoga therapy with A.G.Mohan. My approach has also been influenced by Buddhism, Kum Nye, and by teachers of the Feldenkrais Method. I have worked since 1980 as a stress management specialist, addictions counselor, and bodymind therapist. Since 1990 I have worked closely with Ron Kurtz, creator of the Hakomi Method. I have been an international trainer of Hakomi since 1996. Now I am coming back to teaching yoga with a strong Hakomi and Buddhist influence. I call this approach Psoma Yoga.

Flint Sparks: I have been a practicing psychotherapist for over 30 years. Originally trained as a Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in Behavioral Medicine, I worked for many years in cancer care. Sitting with people who were facing death led me to Buddhist studies and practice, and this path ultimately culminated in my ordination as Zen priest. Along the way I studied with Ron Kurtz, creator of the Hakomi Method, and Richard Schwartz, creator of the Internal Family Systems model. These two methods supported and extended the Buddhist training I was receiving from great teachers such as Zenkei Hartman, Joko Beck, Ruben Habito, and Mu Soeng. Together, these remarkable teachers continue to show me a Way to teach the dharma using very contemporary methods. I use the Buddha’s last word, Appamada, to characterize this integrated approach.

Psoma Yoga: Psoma Yoga is founded in the ancient sutras of yoga, and informed by Buddhism, Hakomi, Feldenkrais, and Kum Nye. The quality of attention we bring to this practice actually changes our habits and experiences by changing the brain and the signals it sends to the body. With an experimental approach, we can discover and explore our habitual ways of doing things in order to bring them more fully into consciousness. Consciousness is choice. When we do something different than our habits, we wake up. We begin to find the freedom to respond, rather than react. Yoga asanas become doorways to remembering wholeness and to experiencing a deeper sense of embodied aliveness and peace.

Appamada: Appamada is a Pali word that means mindful, active care. According to the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha, it was a common theme in his teaching and the last word that he used, encouraging his followers to continue to practice with appamada—with care. He often compared appamada to an elephant's footprint, which is so large that it can contain the footprint of all the other animals. In the same way, the Buddha said, mindful, clear care contains the heart of all of his teachings. Appamada draws on the Zen teachings and tradition I was trained in, as well as other Buddhist teachings and contemporary work in psychology, applied mindfulness, and interpersonal neurobiology.

Overview: The intention of yoga and meditation practices is to cultivate a greater capacity for quiet self-reflection, the kind of self-witnessing, self-acceptance, and self-understanding that allow for a more liberating and creative participation in Life. One of the most useful things we can learn from these practices is the capacity to become calm and focused in the face of distress. In the spacious container of gentle acceptance and curious witnessing, each person can develop the potential to respond to life more appropriately. Automatic ways of reacting are seen more clearly in mindful awareness. Eventually, habits fall away and more possibilities become available. Embodied practice—meditation and movement, silence and stillness, assisted self-discovery and shared inquiry – these are at the heart of everything we do, and everything we teach. The inner peace we find in these practices is healing both for ourselves and for others. Together we cultivate this dynamic process of waking up and growing up. This is our offering to a troubled world.

Applied Mindfulness Courses are running in July and November 2010