Mindfulness is a practice aimed at enhancing one’s ability to face daily stress and life’s difficulties experientially through meditation. We offer a variety of 8-week courses (MBSR, MBCT, MBCL, breathworks and MB-EAT etc) designed to be accessible to those without any meditation experience, and easy to incorporate into everyday life. We also operate standalone webinars and meditation gatherings (Mindfulness Study Groups) for continued practice.
We have created an environment where one can learn in a way that suits their lifestyle.
Courses Open for Enrollment
8 Week courses
MBSR
In 1979, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Today, it is widely utilized in medical institutions, welfare facilities, educational institutions, and in business management around the world.
MBSR is an intensive mindfulness training course spanning eight weeks. Originally developed for those dealing with pain and stress, the program’s aim was to learn how to live more fully by understanding how to cope with difficult-to-eliminate pain and stress. Today, it has found broad application beyond just the medical field.
Many people who participate in this course aim to improve their relationship with their own lives.
Sunday morning course starting on 10th March 2024
MBCT
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a program developed for the prevention of recurrent depression. It was developed by notable researchers in the field of psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy, such as Dr. Zindel Segal, Dr. John Teasdale, and Dr. Mark Williams. MBCT combines Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Currently, we also offer an evolved program from MBCT, called MBCT-L (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Life), which is designed to reach more people. This program is used not only for learning how to deal with pain and difficulties but also for fostering connections to befriending and positivity, enhancing well-being, and preventing depression.
MBCL
Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a course designed to cultivate compassion towards oneself and others. It was developed by Dr. Erik van den Brink, a psychiatrist, and Frits Koster, a MBSR instructor who has worked as a mental health nurse and is also a Vipassana meditation leader. MBCL was developed incorporating their experiences in medical fields, as well as the achievements of Dr. Paul Gilbert, Dr. Christopher Germer, Dr. Kristin Neff, and Dr. Tara Brach. This course is available to those who have completed basic mindfulness skills, such as MBSR, MBCT, and breathworks 8-week program graduates.
Compassion enhances our sensitivity to our own and others’ pain and suffering, fostering a desire to heal. It also cultivates a will to understand our own potential in difficult situations.
Everyone possesses the power of compassion. However, for various reasons, in many cases, that power remains untapped. Compassion can be nurtured and deepened through training and continuous practice, and that’s exactly what MBCL aims for.
breathworks
Mindfulness-Based Pain Management (MBPM), also known as BW-P (Breathworks for Pain), is a program developed in the lineage of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). It was created by Vidyamala Burch, who used mindfulness in dealing with pain resulting from the aftermath of a traffic accident. In the United Kingdom, there are instances where specialized staff who instruct this program are employed in medical institutions.
Pain consists of primary suffering, which is a direct experience, and secondary suffering, which is induced by thoughts associated with the primary suffering. In this program, these two types of suffering are experientially distinguished, and participants learn how to deal with primary suffering themselves.
The program primarily consists of meditation and exercises to let go of habits. It is designed to provide experiential learning through dedicated meditation time and accumulation of small realizations in daily life.
Additionally, a derivative course, BW-S (Breathworks for Stress), is also offered.
Webinar／Study Group／Teacher Training
As the International Mindfulness Center JAPAN, we have had various teachers provide mindfulness through webinars, MBSR classes, and teacher training sessions. Below, with gratitude, we present the names of the teachers who have appeared in our webinars.
Webinar
- Amir Imani (17th May 2020)
- Andrea Grabovac (2nd July 2020)
- Rene Slikker (1st August 2020)
- Fairouz Vergnes, Tison Francois (4th September 2020)
- Frits Koster (23rd October 2020)
- Zindel Segal (21st February 2021)
- Liz Lord (1st April 2021)
- Trish Bartley (1st April 2021)
- Vidyamala Burch (26th August 2021)
- David Treleaven (28th October & 5th December 2021)
- Fabrizio Didonna (3rd March 2022)
- David Treleaven (3rd April & 23rd October 2022)
- Martine Batchelor (21st April & 26th May 2022)
- Masahiro Fujino (30th Jun 2022)
- Willem Kuyken (18th August 2022)
- Eric B. Loucks (10th November 2022)
- Alison Evans (3rd February & 6th April 2023)
- Masahiro Fujino (15th June 2023)
- Zindel Segal (3rd August 2023)
Study Group / MBSR＆MBCT Teacher Training
- Amir H Imani
- Bernd Langohr
- Cathy Ziengs
- Erik van den Brink
- Frits Koster
- Ingrid van den Hout
- Jean-Daniel Rüedi
- Kiyoko Inoue
- Linda Lehrhaupt
- Nils Altner
- Pamela Duckerin
- Rene Ryorin Slikker
- Riët Aarsse
- Ted Meissner
- Wolfgang Schröder
Trauma-Senstive Mindfulness
The practices of mindfulness, yoga, and meditation bestow numerous benefits upon us. In a society filled with stress, mindfulness, yoga, and meditation are particularly needed and are beginning to spread across various fields such as healthcare, welfare, education, business, and communities.
At the same time, mindfulness is incredibly powerful and must be communicated with careful consideration for safety, especially for those sensitive to trauma. In line with global trends, it has become essential for anyone involved in guiding meditation to learn about trauma sensitivity.
With the hope that everyone involved in teaching mindfulness, yoga, and meditation learns to guide with trauma sensitivity, we established Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness JAPAN as a place for learning about Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness. In collaboration with Dr. David Treleaven, we are building a community in Japan and provide a place for learning.
We aim for mindfulness to reach more people as something safe and reassuring, both for those who teach and those who practice.