The January/February course is already more than halfway through. But it is possible to sign up for the next group, which will take place in April - May. Registration form. Mindfulness. 8-week course. I am offering an 8-week course during which you can learn the basics of mindfulness practice and integrate them into your life. Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening right now — here and now, without judging what is happening. This skill is natural, it is inherent in every person, but it is usually undeveloped. There are several reasons for this. One of them is that people simply do not know about the benefits of mindfulness. Mindfulness practice can be considered a form of meditation that is gaining ever greater popularity in modern times. Although it is based on Buddhist meditation traditions more than 2,500 years old, by its nature it is a non-religious, non-sectarian, rationally grounded mind training that can be useful for a representative of any faith, an atheist, or a spiritual practice adherent. Practicing mindfulness shows noticeable results in a short time in physical health, the psychological domain, as well as in work, relationships, and life. This has been confirmed in many studies (see below). Thanks to these benefits — but not only to them — various mindfulness programs are increasingly being introduced in companies (at both employee and management levels), in the healthcare system (for both staff and patients), in schools (for both teachers/lecturers and students/pupils), in the military, as well as in many individual freely accessible programs and offerings — similar to this one. For several years now, various mindfulness programs have also been available in Latvia. It is essential to understand that mindfulness is a skill, an ability, not theoretical knowledge that can be read in a book or heard in a lecture. To experience these or other benefits of mindfulness practice in your life, mindfulness must be practiced regularly — just like any other skill or ability.

Course Instructor

Ansis Jurgis Stabingis Psychotherapist with 15 years of work experience. Lecturer at Riga Stradins University and Sigmund Freud University (Vienna). Over the past year, I have taught mindfulness courses both in open seminars and for companies and organizations such as Statoil, Tele2, Children’s Clinical University Hospital, Judicial Training Centre, State Revenue Service, and others.

Course Schedule

The course is planned as eight consecutive sessions of two hours each, once a week. Please see the content of the sessions below. Participants will be assigned practical homework (because we are learning a skill, not accumulating knowledge). Sessions take place at the Mindfulness and Peace Practice, Riga, A. Briana iela 14. The number of places is limited.

Session Times and Dates

Day group — Tuesdays from 12:00 to 14:00. Morning group — Wednesdays from 08:00 to 10:00. Evening group — Thursdays from 18:30 to 20:30. Session	Day group	Morning group	Evening group
Days	Tuesdays	Wednesdays	Thursdays
Times	12:00-14:00	08:00-10:00	18:30-20:30
1. introduction	Jan 6	Jan 7	Jan 8
2. attitude	Jan 13	Jan 14	Jan 15
3. willpower	Jan 20	Jan 21	Jan 22
4. stress	Jan 27	Jan 28	Jan 29
5. negative emotions	Feb 3	Feb 4	Feb 5
6. happiness	Feb 10	Feb 11	Feb 12
7. mental hygiene	Feb 17	Feb 18	Feb 19
8. conclusion	Feb 24	Feb 25	Feb 26

Course Payment

Payment by the end of the year — December 31: 200 EUR
Payment by January 6: 225 EUR
Payment in two installments: initially 150 EUR and by January 20 an additional 100 EUR
Payment after January 6: 250 EUR
10% discount for the second participant when coming as a couple.

Registration Procedure

Fill out the participant questionnaire
After participant registration, a form with a few additional questions will be sent
Upon receiving the invoice, pay it
Come to the sessions and learn new, interesting skills :)

Course Content

1. Mindfulness Basics, Introduction to the Course

How does our consciousness, attention, and thinking actually work? To what extent can we influence it? Are we the masters of our own mind, or does it rule over us? In the first session, I will explain the basic techniques and teach the initial exercises. The “6R” technique.

2. Attitude

Experience is not what has happened to us, but how we relate to what has happened to us. Or — as psychotherapist Viktor Frankl wrote — our attitude toward the situation we are in is the last freedom that no one can take away from us. How do we use this freedom? Are we aware of it and do we use it? In the session, I will talk about the psychological mechanisms that underlie attitudes. We will discuss how we form attitudes and how they can be changed — and how that changes our lives.

3. Willpower and Self-Discipline

There are two structures in our brain that give different answers to the question “what do I want.” This is just one of the reasons why we have to choose, but these different desires create a situation in which we need to use willpower. A lecture on how to train and develop your willpower, both by giving up unwanted things and by introducing desired ones.

4. Stress

Stress has become the main characteristic of our era. Everything creates stress — money, work, relationships, children — life itself. Of course, each of us tries to cope with stress one way or another, but it is possible to do more. Not just “cope,” but reduce it, even in situations where we cannot influence external circumstances.

5. Negative and Destructive Emotions

Anger and hatred. Fear. Despair. Feelings of abandonment. Loneliness. Depression. Low self-esteem. Self-deprecation. Suffering. We have probably all encountered these or similar emotions at some stage of our lives. How can we overcome them? How can we cope with life’s difficulties, with negative and destructive emotions? What methods does mindfulness offer? And what do scientific studies say about all of this?

6. Happiness as a Skill

Is happiness a gift of fate? Can we only be happy when we get lucky? Or — I could be happy if only… Perhaps happiness is the result of long and hard work? And if so — is happiness accessible to everyone? Really everyone? Modern neuroscience research increasingly confirms that happiness can be learned — because it is a skill, an ability. It is based on both the structural features of the brain and on what and how we think — about happiness, about ourselves, about the situation. Thinking can be changed. It is a skill. A learnable skill.

7. Mental Hygiene

Each of us knows that hygiene must be observed to stay healthy — we need to take care of our body, wash, brush our teeth. Watch what we eat. Move. Cleanse. But what about the mind? Hygiene must be observed there as well. Mental hygiene. If we observe it (many do so naturally), then we will live long and happily.

8. Mindfulness in Daily Life. Course Conclusion.

How to introduce and reinforce in daily life what has been learned in this course. Other mindfulness practice exercises. Answers to questions that have not yet been answered.

Results of Mindfulness Practice

Research — which in the West began in 1967 and the number of which now reaches several thousands — shows that even a few weeks of regular mindfulness practice produces noticeable improvements in the most diverse areas of life.

Physical Health

Improved immune system functioning. Shorter and less frequent illnesses. Better ability to cope with pain, including chronic pain. Normalization of heart function and blood pressure. Improved sleep and digestion. Reduced excess weight.

Psychological Domain

Increased resilience to stress and ability to cope with it. Improved decision-making abilities. More energy. Better ability to focus. Improved memory and creativity. Reduced anxiety and depression. Inner peace and composure.

At Work

Increased work productivity. Reduced absenteeism. Better ability to cope with stress and overload. Improved management skills. Better relationships with colleagues. Increased job satisfaction, reduced desire to change jobs. Better time management skills. Reduced procrastination.

In Relationships

Less irritability. Greater patience and acceptance of other people. Better understanding of other people’s emotional states. Improved listening skills.

Some Links to Research Summaries

Mindfulness Research Guide. The latest, December 2014 edition: (pdf)
Summary of effectiveness studies
University of California (UCLA) mindfulness research summaries
Mindfulnet.org research summary, including mindfulness research for specific disease groups

May this time be joyful and bright!