Program Fee: FREE* because of the generosity of a community donor.
* We encourage anyone that is able to consider making a donation to Sarana Institute to encourage our work and bring even more programs to our community. You can make a donation by visiting our website here.
This Mindfulness and Compassion (M+C) Practice Group is offered to support those working in health, long-term, and palliative care, as well as anyone in the Sarana Community wishing to deepen and strengthen their mindfulness practice. These free, online classes are offered as 8-week series and can be participated in live or watched as recordings to support your individual practice. Each series will include instructions and guidance around meditation skills, group sharing and discussion, as well as a theme. Past themes have included foundations of mindfulness practice, self-compassion, and the Five Invitations based on Frank Ostaseski’s book.
This next series will invite participants to explore the “how” of mindfulness. How does mindfulness work? How do I practice it? How does mindfulness support me in building healthier strategies and in relinquishing the unhealthy ones. Led by (Rev.) Andrew Blake and assisted by trainees, this program is made possible through the generosity of palliative care physician, Janice Legere, who is a graduate of our professional Mindfulness + Compassion Certificate Program and who understands the benefits of practice in meeting the complex challenges of working in healthcare.
As these classes are offered without a fee, we invite everyone to donate to Sarana Institute to support our work and our staff. We depend entirely on either donations or fees from our programs. Thank you for your support.
We look forward to practicing with you,
8-Week Mindfulness Practice Group
Monday Evenings from September 25th to December 11th*, 2023
- *Please note there is a break between this two-part series from October 24th and November 20th
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Series I is on September 25th, October 2nd, 16th, 23rd, and
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Series II will be on November 20th, 27th, December 4th, and 11th.
- 8 weekly 75-minute online (Zoom) sessions with (Rev) Andrew Blake
- Mondays from 7:00 – 8:15 pm ET
8-Week Program Dates
This program runs from 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm ET for 8 weeks on the following dates:
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Series I is on September 25th, October 2nd, 16th, 23rd
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What to Expect
- 8 weekly 75-minute online Zoom-based sessions with (Rev) Andrew Blake.
- Each 75-minute session will generally consist of:
- Introduction and short presentation on a particular theme
- Guided meditation practice and Reflection
- Sharing circle discussion
- Closing reflection/practice
- Recordings of the practices will be made available to registrants for download after the session
Further Info
(Rev.) Andrew Blake, RP
Andrew is Co-Founder of Sarana Institute, Buddhist Chaplain, Registered Psychotherapist, Director of the Mindfulness and Compassion Training Program, and ongoing faculty member for the Mindfulness in Nature Retreat, read more
Our Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this program free?
This program has been made available for free because of the support of a generous community donor.
Who is this program for?
This practice group is offered to support anyone hoping to begin, maintain, or deepen a practice of mindfulness. We are especially aware of the needs of healthcare professionals, volunteers, and caregivers to connect with others in a caring and compassionate community.
Do I need any meditation experience?
This program is suitable for any level of practice experience, and we welcome beginners! Please let us know if you are new to mindfulness practice when you register, and we will be happy to recommend additional supportive resources.
What if I miss a live session?
Although we would love to see you at every meeting (and it helps to create and sustain the experience of mindful community) we understand that schedules and circumstances are challenging right now. We will be making audio recordings of the introductory comments and the guided meditations available for download so that you can listen (and re-listen!) to the material as needed.
What is Sarana Institute?
Sarana Institute is a Registered Canadian Charity. Our mission is to provide Mindfulness + Compassion Training to sustain our caring for self, other and the earth. We are passionate to serve our health care community, to help you sustain your caregiving in increasingly complex systems.
This introductory course is low cost thanks to the contribution of a generous community donor. We are so thankful we can continue to share this work with you.