On January 18, 2017 Imagine Mindfulness held its first Live Online MBSR class. We weren’t sure there would be a second class. The Zoom Video Communications platform was new to all of us and we dealt with technical challenges and two instructors that hadn’t met in person for over a year and only had a couple of hours to prepare. This is what we learned.
While we started our first class thinking it might only last 10 minutes, we soon realized that we possibly struck gold! We asked our students to be partners in our endeavor and used the feedback from our surveys to design the most optimal experience. We learned that small breakout session are most popular, that our online silent day-long retreats are a (somewhat unexpected) success, and that being able to follow the classes from the comfort of your own house is indeed a huge positive. We learned that we groove on having the insights of younger people in our class, although we also love the age, culture, and gender diversity of our classes. We realized that a lot of the magic of these classes is the human connection, the sharing of experiences, and the active listening. We were pleasantly surprised and ultimately thrilled that this kind of connection can be made and felt online. Together we’ve created a supportive community. This is our Collective past.
Looking at all the possibilities our future holds is equally exciting! We plan to continue to provide two MBSR opportunities each season- one in the Northern European time zone and one for the American continent. We cherish our alumni and see many of them during our bi-monthly ‘Week Nine’ sessions. Imagine Mindfulness is especially interested in helping young(er) people build their MBSR practice; a lot of stressful wear and tear can be avoided if this program is taken in your twenties and thirties. Expanding worldwide, we are designing MBSR follow-up courses as well as more targeted workshops that deal with food and love - all to be rolled out in 2019.
Finally, we land in the present…after all that’s where we are! Our 2018 programs begin on 4/11/18 and 9/26/18. Imagine Mindfulness is currently establishing relationships with organizations and companies to provide the benefits of MBSR in the workplace.
We learn from the past without replaying it. We plan for the future without rehearsing it ahead of its time. We live in the present, feeling every moment of it. All are welcome - please join our community!
