An 8-week intensive program based on MBSR geared specifically for the nonprofit workplace
The Mindful Nonprofit Institute is based on the well established and researched 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) originally created by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979. The Institute brings together staff members from several organizations working in similar sectors. Through guided instruction and group discussion, participants will develop mindfulness skills that can be applied directly to current challenges and opportunities they face in their nonprofit workplace and elsewhere in their lives. Sharing this learning experience with the staff of other like-minded organizations, participants will strengthen relationships with each other and develop the capacity to see common challenges and opportunities.
Some of the themes and outcomes of the Institute include the following:
Developing the capacity to notice when the mind is distracted and how that affects our connection to people and our work.
Developing resilience and a willingness to turn towards difficult or unpleasant work that must get done, instead of a more typical approach, procrastination.
Increasing levels of well-being and life/work balance.
Increasing the ability to sustain focus and attention in what is often a distracting world overloaded with information.
Developing the capacity to look at situations with a fresh perspective, and in so doing, discovering creative and innovative ways of solving problems.
Developing awareness of how being on automatic pilot can interfere with our responsibilities and happiness; learning how emotional reactivity can interfere with our productivity and creativity.
Who Should Attend:
You might consider participating in this program if:
You would like to improve your ability to sustain focus and attention.
You often feel stuck or are having difficulty figuring out how to get things done.
You would like to improve your overall sense of well-being.
You are regularly encountering stressful situations that are interfering with your well-being or your ability to get things done.
You are aware that your emotional reactivity is interfering in your communication with others.
Please note: Class size is limited to 16 participants with participation from up to five participating organizations. To support the fullest experience for each participant we aim to avoid supervisory relationships amongst participants but these can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Each participating organization will establish its own guidelines with respect to how or whether staff can participate in The Mindful Nonprofit Institute. If your organization is participating in an upcoming program, please talk with your organization's contact regarding this opportunity.
If you are interested in having your organization participate in a future program and would like to learn more, please contact us.