Awake in the World
Relaxed Body, Clear Mind, Open Heart
6 Week Course in Mindfulness Meditation

with Cynthia Bates

Wednesdays 7 – 8 pm PST

April 7 – May 12

Whether you are new to meditation, want a refresher or want the support of a community, this course will give you practical guidance that will help you to learn to reduce stress and increase well-being in your body, mind and spirit.

• Be more present and aware in both your work and home lives
• Reduce reactivity in stressful situations
• Enhance attention and connection in interpersonal communication
• Offer kindness and compassion to yourself and others in times of challenge
• Find more happiness in everyday life

Course Description

Mindfulness is the innate human ability to be fully present and aware. It originated as a core practice of Buddhism but has been adapted in recent years as a secular antidote to the stresses of modern life. Developing present-moment awareness allows us to respond vs. react to life with skill and resiliency.

This course will use a combination of yoga, body awareness, and meditation to develop a mindfulness practice which will enable you to be authentically awake in the world.

Week 1: Mindfulness of Body, Prone Posture of Relaxation

Week 2: Mindfulness of Body, Seated Posture of Attention

Week 3: Mindfulness of Body, Awareness in Motion

Week 4: Mindfulness of Mind, Awareness of Thoughts & Emotions

Week 5: Mindfulness of Mind, Meditation with Object

Week 6: Mindfulness of Mind, Meditation without Object

Throughout the course we will also touch on practices of loving kindness and compassion which help us to develop non-judgement, kindness and gentleness for ourselves and others.

Why Mindfulness?

In the past decade, clinical research has shown that a daily mindfulness practice can effectively reduce stress, depression, anxiety, burnout and body pain. In the workplace, a practice of mindfulness can improve relationships and job satisfaction.

The mind training of mindfulness has also been shown to actually remodel the physical structure of your brain.

TUITION

About the Instructor:

Cynthia Bates is a seasoned yoga and meditation teacher who has committed her life to uncovering the dharma or truth, knowing full well that truth is a moving target. For Cynthia, the root of spiritual practice lies in penetrating the veils of unknowing and becoming more and more comfortable with that state. The unknowing, intuitive or mystical state in which one experience the inter-connectivity and interdependence of life itself, is at the core of all spiritual practices. From that state, everything becomes workable and every experience becomes another opportunity to hone the wheel of dharma.

Cynthia is known for her infectious laugh, intuition, and dark humor.She began her yoga practice in the Mysore tradition and spent 18 years studying in the Iyengar lineage which included several trips to India to study directly with the Iyengar family. The bulk of her training as a yoga teacher comes from eight years of mentoring with Manouso Manos. She is also a dedicated student of Vajrayana Buddhism studying with Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Choknyi Nyima Rinpoche. In 2019 Cynthia move to Big Island of Hawaii where she has found a nourishing home. She continues to dedicate her life to spiritual practice with the understanding that there is no real separation between spiritual practice and life.