Jon and Mila Kabat-Zinn
Dearest Dancers and Friends,
On Tuesday I had the fortune to attend a Mindfulness Congress here in Amsterdam where Jon Kabat-Zinn and his wife Mila were giving a workshop. As some of you may know, Jon is a biomedical scientist who created the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This secular method uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to train people to be more focused on the present moment and develop a non-judgmental awareness on a daily basis. My experience with mindfulness has been amazingly helpful. Through meditation I had became more and more connected to my body sensations and I can now notice in the spot my negative thinking patterns which I have been struggling with for long. I learned that I could actually stop, observe and "choose" what to think or do in awareness. I had started focusing more on what it is positive in my life, learned to deal better with strong emotions, to the point that they have became rare, started cultivating compassion for myself and others, started this cherished dance project and in awe have seen transformed my relationship with my twenty-years-old son into one of bliss .
So that was my opportunity to show my gratitude to this incredible man who has brought meditation technics to the big public putting it in a scientific context. And I did!
He seemed to me a very kind, warm-hearted man, totally devoted to live his talk and to spread these powerful teachings that come from far in time and space. He has been a student of Buddhist teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Zen Master Seung Sahn.
That is the reason I integrate both dance and meditation, almost a redundancy because what can be more meditative than dancing? Anyway I have not got any complains so far so I keep starting our sessions with a short meditation and focusing in the fact that we breath and have a body! Yeah!
I think Jon and Mila would had loved to dance with us but I guess they would be gone next week ;)
As you can imagine tonight there'll be no dance but get ready for next week!
I will be waiting for you with more music to be danced at!
With love,
Patricia
Studio Solebay
Livornostraat 22hs.
Amsterdam West, Bos en Lommer
Seven minutes with the bike from the Westergasfabriek
Every Monday 7.45-9.30 pm.
Contribution: 10 euro and first timers 5 euro.
Strippenkart for 5x :45 euro valid for 2 months.
Low income and students: 8 euro
Low income and students: 8 euro
