JIM STOTZKA | THE STEADY MIND

Open Courses for Individuals

What to expect

Each of the sessions will start with background teaching and context setting. You will learn about why we do the specific meditation practices that are included in this course, the scientific as well as the Zen background, what outcomes to expect from regular practice, and how the skills you develop in the course relate to others in everyday life. In addition to the formal meditation practice, you will also learn some shorter techniques that you can use throughout the day as needed.In the second half of the session, we will meditate together for about 20 - 25 minutes. This session will be fully guided by me.Throughout the time that we have together, there will be ample time to ask questions, and there will also be room to share experiences and ideas that came up between sessions. As not everyone feels comfortable speaking in a public forum, there will be an additional space to talk to me privately, if you need or want to. If you feel you need this additional support, please let me know via email before, or via chart during the session. I will then share a separate Teams link, which will be set up with the waiting room function and open for 15 minutes after we finish the group call. This space will be completely private and confidential.

What to bring

Mostly - an open mind and willingness to learn.As far as possible, please find a space for the sessions where you won’t be disturbed or distracted and where you feel you can speak freely.
Please make sure that you have a working camera and keep this on for the teaching part of the call. You will be very welcome to switch off your camera during the meditation session. I will let you know when the session is ending and it is time to return to the Teams room with cameras and microphones enabled.We will be sitting for the main session. You will be welcome to sit, stand, or lie down for the meditation sessions. Most clothing will be fine, although you may choose to wear something comfortable.Working on Teams: I will send links for each session a few days before we meet. You don't need to have the Teams app (although it can help to download it) and should be able to join the calls from any browser. You can use any laptop, tablet or smart phone to do this. It may help to join from a laptop or tablet, as I will be sharing slides, which can be hard to read on small screens.

Homework

As with any new skill, the more you practice, the better it gets. I will ask you to practice your meditations for about 20-30 minutes every day in between sessions.You will have audio guides you can download to help you with this, or you will be welcome to practice without these. I will also send all of the slides and other materials after each session, if you want to review any of the information.If the group agrees and would like an additional record of the sessions, the teaching and meditation part of the sessions can be recorded and shared as videos. This will also allow anyone who misses a session to catch up. In order for everyone to feel relaxed in speaking up, I will not record the feedback and questions.