FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can employee engagement for mindfulness programs be encouraged?

Mindfulness is a relatively new practice for our country. Experience has shown that a skillfully prepared awareness and communication campaign regarding the definition, applications and benefits of this practice - which can be designed with our support - is very helpful. Another important element of success for corporate mindfulness programs is support by senior management, something that delivers a strong message to all levels of the organization. Finally, our corporate mindfulness programs are scientifically backed and internationally acclaimed, taught by certified instructors at the Center for Mindfulness of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which is the most rigorous and internationally acclaimed professional mindfulness training worldwide, lending authority to everything we do.

Which teams should be included in mindfulness training programs?

Our programs are designed for leaders, managers and teams for all levels of an organization. We firmly believe that mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and resilience are relevant for all employees within an organization.

Where do mindfulness programs take place?

Workshops can be conducted within company premises or off-site (for example in conference spaces or other meeting venues), according to each organization’s needs. We have extensive experience delivering our programs in more anorthodox spaces as well, even in nature for off-site wellbeing events.

What kind of equipment is needed?

Classes are usually conducted in a quiet room with chairs, a projector and writing board. For programs longer than 2 hours, yoga mats and meditation cushions may also be used.

Is mindfulness a religious practice?

Mindfulness is a scientifically proven mind-training secular technique, whose benefits have been proven by more than 4.500 published studies. It was developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, aiming to be of service to patients, to people, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Classes are devoid

Classes are taught without the use of any religious terminology, using simple seated postures, hands resting on the knees or thighs. We practice by focusing on the breath, sensations in the body and other times by focusing on thoughts or emotions as the object of our attention, noticing them as events as they unfold moment by moment, without judgement. It is a practice that cultivates attention skills and emotional resilience as well as helping to reduce stress, so by any means does it constitute a religious practice nor does it interfere with other such practices.

Mindfulness interventions have been recognized by multiple national health care systems across the world as well as private insurance companies. Mindfulness programs are also taught in multiple University (Oxford, Harvard, Lancaster, San Diego, NYU Stern.) and hundreds of educational organizations worldwide.

Is participation to mindfulness programs voluntary?

The success of any mindfulness intervention relies to a great extent on each participant’s intention to become familiar with the approach and practice on a regular basis. Therefore, we recommend that participation be voluntary, especially for multi-week immersion programs. Shorter workshops and programs, as well as awareness-building and informational sessions can be deployed top-down across teams with great results, either as part of existing workplace wellbeing or organizational health programs or as part of business related educational trainings.

How can a mindfulness program be evaluated?

First of all, it is important that organizations have a clear view about their targets regarding implementation of mindfulness interventions, keeping in mind that this practice is not a cure-all. In this way, mindfulness programs can be evaluated through targeted questionnaires, widely accepted psychological/psychometric tools and cognitive function evaluation tools. However, the positive effects of this practice are often better evaluated through qualitative means, largely due to the internal changes occurring in how participants meet challenges in both life and work as a result of the practice.

What are the most important factors in choosing a mindfulness program & instructor?

A theoretical proficiency on the mechanics of mindfulness is not enough. On the contrary, the greatest value of a mindfulness program lies in its instructor, and their ability to inspire as well as transmit the essence of the learnings in a simple, meaningful and impactful way. The competency of a mindfulness instructor lies in their deep personal knowledge and the embodied application of the mindfulness principles in their own personal life, which is a direct result of many years of personal formal mindfulness practice. Therefore, one of the most important decision factors for selecting a mindfulness program is extensive personal practice, continuous professional supervision by a reputable accreditation organization and official certification in teaching mindfulness.

The most widely acknowledged and respected professional training and accreditation organization is the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where mindfulness and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program were first created in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn (where our center is accredited from).

We are a multi-lingual organization. Can classes be held in English;

Our instructors have extensive work experience in English speaking countries and professional training from the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness, therefore all our programs can be delivered in English.