Being mindful in a MBSR-context means “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgementally” (J. Kabat-Zinn).
A person is mindful when she knows what she experiences whilst she experiences it. „What do you think or feel right now, when you read these lines“? Maybe you judge what you are reading internally, or maybe you are distracted mentally. When you become aware of what you experience right now, you are already mindful. Our spirit produces comparisons and judgements constantly, gets lost in its own train of thoughts, and is daydreaming: this happens automatically, so to say, without us being conscious of it. These automatisms and the related negative attribution can lead to tension and stress. Mindful practice is about learning to be internally present from moment to moment and to break the circle of impulse and reaction.
Thus, by and by and when practising continuously, we develop greater clarity and cease to just react out of habit. After increasing practice we not only recognize what triggers stress and how we usually react to it, but also we obtain a greater element of freedom to decide how we can act more flexibly and more appropriately to the particular situation. It is not about getting rid of problematic patterns of thinking, but about becoming aware and to gain new options. The exercise of mindfulness enables us to tune from a “mode of doing” to a “mode of being”.
„You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf“
What is mindfulness?
MBSR-Training
„Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don’t struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality“
A MBSR-Training is a proven method to train our awareness and to deal more calmly with the vicissitudes of life. We practise handling our thoughts, feelings and our body perceptions attentively. Thus we can develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and how we deal with the world. This enables us to cope better with our own daily routine and its challenges. When we learn to be totally present and open all our senses for the moment, then our life gains a new intensity. Mindfulness practise shows us new paths away from daily absentmindedness. However, for this we need a training.
Individuals
„In today’s rush, we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of being“
There are two possibilities for individuals to learn mindfulness practise. In the context of a group setting or in an individually designed training:
MBSR in a group setting:
The best introduction would be an 8 week course in a heterogeneous group of 5 to 10 participants. Practising together and sharing experiences has a beneficial effect on practise and motivation.
In this setting you will learn the most important techniques from MBSR and how to integrate awareness into your daily life. Mindfulness training will improve how you deal with stress and stimulate your inner calmness.
The 8-week programme includes:
- A prelimanary talk to clarify your objectives and needs
- Eight weekly meetings in the group (about 2,5 hours per session)
- A mindfulness retreat (6 hours)
- Short presentations, group discussions and exercises related to origins of and dealing with stress, about dealing with difficult feelings and thoughts, about mindful communication, about self-care as well as about the integration of mindfulness into daily life.
- An individual evaluation talk
Course contents:
- Exercises for body perception
- Guided seated- and walking meditations
- Exercises for self-reflection
- Integration of the exercises into daily life
Regularly exercising during the course stimulates the integration of mindfulness into your daily life. You should plan 30/40 minutes of daily practise. You will be supported by a handbook as well as CDs.
Once you’ve participated in an 8 week course, and in case you would wish to deepen your practise, you will have the opportunity to take part in regular meditation practise classes or to visit further theme-specific workshops.
MBSR in an individual setting:
In case you prefer the practise of mindfulness in an individual form to a group setting or you need flexible dates, you can book individual sessions and an individually compiled training programme. The techniques that will be exercised are the same than those in a group context. In an individual setting we can, if you wish, go deeper into your individual stress patterns and resources.
Course contents:
- Non-binding and free briefing to clarify your personal objectives and needs
- Compilation of an individual programme over a time period of 8 to 10 weeks with flexible appointments
- Provision of a course handbook and CDs for exercises at home.
Business
„Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are just that – thoughts“
Mindfulness training is very suitable as an initiative for health management in the workplace. Lived mindfulness according to the MBSR-concept supports people sustainably to find a healthier way of dealing with stress at work.
During the mindfulness training the immediate and direct experience is the main focus: how does work pressure, being rushed, overload, exhaustion feel in the body? Where exactly is it located? How is it expressed? What happens when the breathing gets shallow and thoughts run away? When practising regularly the MBSR exercises the participants get a deeper understanding of their stress patterns and resources, they strengthen their self-perception, and find new ways to better deal with stress and to use the energy economically.
MBSR (Mindfulness based Stress reduction) is one of the best researched training programmes of the last decades. The exercises that are conveyed are proven to be effective and easily integrated into the daily work routine. There are different formats for mindfulness trainings in companies, which can be flexibly adapted. In the framework of health management, stress reduction and better self-care are normally the main focus. Following formats are possible:
- 1 - 3-day introduction courses
- 6 up to 10-week break- or after work courses
- 8-week MBSR-courses
Coaching
„Suffering usually relates to wanting things to be different than they are“
Coaching is an intense solution- and resource-oriented process that supports you in identifying or clarifying your professional and private objectives. I use methods like systemic coaching, NLP and MBSR. The goal is to exploit your creative potential, to identify skills and resources, to strengthen and utilize these and to support you to design upcoming changes or decisions consciously and responsibly.
Focus points of my work
- Personal strenghts- and resources profiles
- Values, needs, mission
- Professional orientation
- Self-perception, self-assessment, self-management
- Stress management and burnout-prophylaxis
- Life-Balance
Goals
- Development of self-trust, self-acceptance and self-confidence
- Active stress management
- Broadening the scope of your decisions and actions
- Clarifying the authenticity of your professional and private journey through life
Progress
- Non-binding and free briefing about clarification of your personal objective
- Compilation of a programme between 3 and 10 coaching sessions (1,5 hours each) over a period of several weeks with flexible appointments
My Profile
„In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived. How well we have loved. How well we have learned to let go.“
Viviane Bisenius: M.A. Since 1990 I have been working in adult learning centres as a trainer, project manager and director of further training centres for vocational reintegration. I have been professionally active in Brussels, Berlin and Utrecht. Since 2006 I live and work in Luxembourg. I am self-employed in Coaching and Training in the field of vocational reorientation, competence assessment and stress management since 2012. I am a certified NLP Master-Practitioner, a systemic coach, a Master-Coach for competence assessment, an MBSR teacher. At the moment I am following a training to become a HP in psychotherapy. For many years I have been working as a volunteer in palliative care.
The foundation of my mindfulness courses is my regular mediation practice that is part of my daily life since 2007 (mindfulness and insight meditation – Vipassana). In order to deepen my practise I visit once a year meditation retreats.
I feel committed to learning as a life-long process. My counselling is based on an approach shaped by respect, acceptance, responsibility, friendliness and tactfulness.
I believe that we are all capable of self-regulation and self-healing, when we decide to do so with every fibre of our being. I regard crises, stumbling blocks and obstacles as an opportunity to deal with oneself and the challenges of life more consciously. They help us to grow, if we rise to the challenge and give up our resistance. The attitude of mindfulness supports this process.
Contact
„When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you“
Feel free to contact me:
Viviane Bisenius
Mindfulness Training & Coaching
121 A, rue de Fischbach
L-7447 Lintgen
+ 352 26 32 18 80
www.mbsr.lu
+352 621 32 98 94
bisenius@mbsr.lu
