Throughout my experiences with other mindfulness courses I felt pressure to practice in a certain way. I found that this led to feelings of inadequacy about not doing mindfulness properly. With the MBSR course through Mindfulness Aotearoa, I never once felt judged. I felt as though my mana was constantly upheld, and that I could implement mindfulness into my life in an easy and sustainable way. I really enjoyed Jan’s kind and relatable teaching style. She explained everything so clearly, and I felt well-supported during the course. I felt comfortable asking questions about my mindfulness practice, and appreciated phone calls and emails with Jan outside of the face-to-face sessions. Even after the course ended, I still received email updates to help support my mindfulness practice moving forward. I received an awesome coursebook which helped guide me through each week of the programme. I have enjoyed going back and reading the information, and looking at resources that Mindfulness Aotearoa has recommended. I thoroughly enjoyed the mindfulness recordings we had access to throughout the course, and I appreciate that we can continue to use the recordings even after the course has ended. I went on to do a silent retreat after the MBSR course finished, and found that the course was fantastic preparation. I had others on the retreat comment on how mindfully I was walking and eating.
I found that the MBSR course helped me to appreciate the smaller moments in everyday life and to be more compassionate towards myself. The course helped me to look forward to using both formal and informal mindfulness practices in daily life. I loved how the course not only impacted my life, but those around me. I had family, friends and colleagues comment on how mindful I was and how this inspired them to slow down, focus on their breath and stay in the present moment. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to reconnect with their love of life. The MBSR course with Mindfulness Aotearoa has improved my awareness and compassion, and has helped me to calmly respond to challenges.”