Intro to Playful Mindfulness

Playful Mindfulness–paying attention to the present moment with an engaged sense of curiosity and kindness–transforms anxiety, breathlessness, and isolation into confidence, calm, and connection. We learn to meet the challenge of stressful times with a spirit of discovery, delight, and contentment.    

In just six weeks, you’ll learn how to:   

• change how you relate to “failure” so you rebound quickly and enthusiastically
• train your mind’s focus with patient, kind, and firm repetition
• develop an attitude of kindness and curiosity toward every experience
• turn off autopilot and turn on a fuller range of experience and expression
• unhitch from self-sabotaging stories so your mind stays nimble in the present moment
• choose from a range of nuanced responses rather than relying on hair-trigger reactions

Playful Mindfulness 2: The Joy of Expanding Awareness 

In Playful Mindfulness 1, you learned to play attention with traditional, evidence-based mindfulness exercises and with games and activities drawn from the world of improvisational theatre. Previous students got so much from the experience–and had so much fun–that they asked for more. 

Responding to that request, this course extends and deepens mindfulness practice into arenas of greater complexity and challenge. 

In these 6 weeks, you’ll learn:

• how the “meta” process of witnessing thoughts and feelings can tame dragons that otherwise spin you into overwhelm and anxiety
• the freedom and creativity in skillfully sharing control with others–and with life!
• the game-changing and life-changing “universal solvent” of connected presence
• powerful techniques for exploring difficult emotions with calm and self-compassion
• the power of positivity and looking for the good 

   

  The Right to Speak: Finding and Freeing Your Natural Voice

  If you master the tools to bring forward your innate presence, you’ll be able to speak your truth and connect powerfully, at will, in any setting. From conversation to keynote, your words will land with power and you’ll generate the income and impact you desire and deserve. 

  In this course, you’ll discover: 

  • A powerful mindset that transforms fear of failure into resilient confidence
  • The life-changing secret that supports Oscar winners, Olympic champions, and global business leaders when they need to speak or perform under pressure 
  • One surefire technique to tame your racing mind so you stay focused and confident when words matter most
  • How to avoid the 5 most common mistakes that could turn your listeners against you 
  • A simple but profound 7-Step Method to find, release, and strengthen your natural voice
  • The 3 Universal Keys that unlock hidden doors of opportunity throughout your life 

  Note well: this work opens a sense of possibility and freedom very quickly—and continues to deliver insights and growth over the long haul.  

   

  Mindful Communication: The Power of Relational Practice

  Relationships—of all kinds—can generate our greatest joys and, paradoxically, stimulate our greatest suffering. For both those reasons, they make a particularly rich ground for true development. 

  Drawing on the Insight Dialogue work of Gregory Kramer, we’ll explore six inter-related and mutually supportive themes: Pause, Relax, Open, Trust, Listen Deeply, and Speak the Truth. In particular, students will learn to:

  • Release old habits of speech and listening.
  • Embrace the power of silence
  • Notice arenas of vulnerability and confidence
  • Find words that carry meaning more precisely
  • Improve communication and understanding
  • Turn the stress of relating into an avenue for personal growth

Improv Come to Life: The joy of everyday spontaneity

The world keeps throwing more and more challenges our way. Climate change, COVID, political unrest, and the treat of violence on a macro level. Money, relationships, work, and health on a micro level. We long for connection, but there’s stress and uncertainty wherever we turn.

The skills and techniques of improvisational theatre help us meet each of these concerns–and all of life’s moments–with greater freedom, ease, and confidence. We contribute more joyfully and respond more artfully. We get more resilient and more creative. Life gets better.

In these 6 weeks, you’ll learn:

• how simple play reawakens natural abilities to connect with others
• revitalized access to your own spontaneity and creativity
• techniques for sharing “yes, and” control with others–and with life itself!
• simple stagecraft awareness to give you greater non-verbal presence and power
• the first elements of building powerful stories

All our courses integrate traditional mindfulness instruction with the vitality and insight of improvisational theatre. 

Formal and informal practices strengthen the awareness “muscle” and bring that awareness to daily life: when we’re eating, driving, dating, arguing, working—or improvising.

Shared inquiry uses small and large group discussions to draw experienced-based wisdom from each participant in service to the group.

Playful exercises give us the chance to experience firsthand the skills we’re exploring—and to laugh while doing it.

To support your learning, the online version of the courses includes:

• six (or seven) classes conducted through Zoom software (works best if participants have a quiet, concentrated space)
• daily home practice to support your learning

In person, these courses usually require an investment between $397 and $697.
The current price for the online training is $347 for the Intro course and $397 for most other courses. 
(This is the real price most folks pay – not a made-up marketing number.) 

Because I want to make sure that everyone who’s ready to commit to Playful Mindfulness can get in on the life-changing fun and insight, I’m offering payment plans and income- and resource-based scholarships.

PAYMENT PLAN

If you can cover the cost but need to space the expense out, you can make three payments.
The first is due upon registration, the second after week three, and the third before the sixth and final week.

SCHOLARSHIP

If you feel motivated to take the course but cannot afford the full amount at this time, you can apply for scholarship help. 

Please use the application linked below to send in an application where you let us know what tuition will work for you and why.

Splitting your investment into three payments is also possible. 

INCLUSIVITY  

All committed and kind learners are most welcome in the Playful Mindfulness course.

We especially welcome those from all historically disadvantaged populations – People of Color (POC), LGBTQIA, first- or second-generation immigrants, and more. Again, we want everyone to have access to the Playful Mindfulness way of being in the world.

To apply for a Payment Plan or Scholarship, please complete the following steps.  

1. Learn more about the course you’re interested in to make sure it’s a good match for you. You can use the appropriate button toward the top of this page to take you to more course info.
2. Complete the Payment Plan or Scholarship Application using the form linked below. 
3. If applying for a payment plan, send in your first payment.  (Instructions for payment will come once you have completed the application.)

All scholarship applicants who complete the form in full will be offered aid. 

You can find the Payment Plan and Scholarship Application by clicking the button below or by clicking HERE.  

If you have further questions about payment plans or scholarship help, please contact Ted DesMaisons directly via the contact information at the bottom of this page.