Tuesday evenings, 7-8:15pm, from September 13 to November 8th (9 weeks inclusive)

Series Description

By engaging in this structured approach with a group that has a common intention, participants will experience some of the benefits of mindfulness practice such as:

• increased neural integration
• enhanced body awareness
• greater peace of mind and mental clarity
• emotional stabilization
• better resilience to life's challenges

Along with these common outcomes of group and personal mindfulness practice, the class will provide knowledge of the mental and emotional processes that inhibit or promote personal growth. Class curriculum will also cover important findings from Attachment research that will enliven relationships. The overall outcomes of the class will be a strong foundation for personal mindfulness practice that is effective for each person, compatible with daily living in Seattle, and clarity around new ways to enhance personal experience of happiness, success, and fulfillment.

Facilitator

Justus D'Addario MA, LMHC is a psychotherapist in private practice on Capitol Hill. He began study and practice of Yang Short Form Tai Chi and Mindfulness at the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 1999. He has studied and practiced with many teachers from Tibetan, Yogic, Daoist, and Sufi traditions over the past 12 years. Justus is certified as an Energy Worker through The Raphaelite Work and the Sufi Healing Order. With the intention to bring this essential wisdom and effective practice to a wider audience, he studied Applied Behavioral Science with an emphasis on Systems Counseling at the Leadership Institute of Seattle at Bastyr University. Justus brings his experience as a practitioner, passion for mindfulness and attachment based approaches to therapy, and down to Earth style into each class. 

Individual sessions

Week 1 (Sep 13): Mindfulness and Attachment
Tonglen Healing Meditation as a tool for practice
Flipping Your Lid: How attachment research informs mindfulness practice
Initial Survey

Week 2 (Sep 20): The Basics
Body Scan
Mindfulness of the Breath
How posture, gaze, environment, and intention set the stage

Week 3 (Sep 27): Moving Mindfully
Walking Practice
Tai Chi basic practice

Week 4 (Oct 4): Hosting the Senses
Allowing taste, hearing, touch, sight, and smell to inform our presence

Week 5 (Oct 11): Integrating History into the Present
What messages arise during your practice?
How can you respond to your history with mindfulness?
Mid point survey

Week 6 (Oct 18): Attachment, Relationships, and Mindfulness
Being present with each other
Interpersonal Gap

Week 7 (Oct 25): Healthy Boundaries
How can we live openly without being take advantage of?

Week 8 (Nov 1): Developing a Practice that Works for You
What practices do you resonate with?
What seems right for where you are in your life right now?
How can you keep coming back to the practice without it feeling like a chore?

Week 9 (Nov 8): Process and Integrating
What have your discovered? Where are you headed?
 

Venue

What to bring

Please dress comfortably and bring paper and something to write with.

Who should attend

This workshop will be useful for anybody interesting in exploring what happiness sciences means to them, discussing these ideas with a friendly group, and willing to try regular minduflness practice.  No specific prior experience or knowledge is necessary, and everyone will have some prior experience to contribute to the group.  We do ask that attendees commit to attending all 9 sessions and doing the regular practice between sessions; doing this will very much increase the usefulness of them for you.

Registration

Gross National Happiness domains

This workshop addresses aspects of the above domains from the Gross National Happiness framework.  Overall, our training program aims to educate people about all 9 domains.