What is generally meant by mindfulness, as taugt in the West?

Mindfulness is often seen (only) as becoming more aware of yourself and reducing stress. This has a lot to do with the successful Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. When people talk about mindfulness, they usually refer to the MBSR program and philosophy. In MBSR, mindfulness is explained as follows: "Mindfulness simply means: being fully aware of the present experience.

This is not what I mean by mindfulness. 

Which form of mindfulness do we practice here?

The way of practicing we follow here is that of the Mind Retreat Program (MRP). The three-part MRP 1 to 3 series is part of this. The mind retreat program was developed by Master Thanadith, a Thai monk. This program was not directly transferable to Western students because they think differently, but also live in a very different way than Eastern people. Master Thanadith passed his program on to Master Niels, to establish it in the West. The program consists of a series of retreats of 7 days, and monasticism for 108 days. The techniques and theory are rooted in Theravada Buddhism. The teachings of Theravada strongly focus on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. These teachings are also reflected in the MRP.

MRP was developed by Master Niels to enable the transition to the MRP. The MRP program consists of the three seven-week courses and can be found under the courses.

What is the Inner Mind Institute?

The Inner Mind Institute (IMI) was established by Master Niels. The goal of IMI is to help spread mindfulness as taught by the Buddha in the West. IMI is an institute that focuses on training mindfulness teachers so that this form of mindfulness practice can spread as quickly as possible. See more at www.innermindinstitute.org.

What is right mindfulness?

Through correct mindfulness practice, a person builds up mindfulness energy. The presence of mindfulness energy enables our mind to detach from problem points and increasingly become the observer. As a result, the true nature of our mind (consciousness) can be revealed, and eventually, the mind can return to its true nature, enlightenment. What is very important is that it involves the process, the process of detachment. This is the same for everyone. You don't need anything to start, and it can quickly make a tangible difference.

... How can mindfulness help me? How can I have fewer thoughts and less stress? How can I better deal with problems?

Once you start with correct mindfulness practice, you start building mindfulness energy. You do this through meditation. The crucial step is to establish a connection between your mind and your body, with concentration. You do this by focusing your attention on the breath inside your nose.

Students often quickly notice that small things begin to change in their daily lives; they can often "stay with it better" or are "more aware of their actions." Through meditation, you generally become calmer right away simply because you concentrate on your body. But letting go of problems takes time. It is important that you know the right techniques and that you practice regularly. This way, you can ...

What is generally meant by mindfulness?

Mindfulness is often seen as becoming more aware of yourself and reducing stress. This has a lot to do with the successful Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. When people talk about mindfulness, they usually refer to the MBSR program and philosophy. In MBSR, mindfulness is explained as follows: "Mindfulness simply means: being fully aware of the present experience. You can translate the word 'mindfulness' as 'attention' or 'awareness'."

What kind of practice does the MRP program teach?

What do other trainings do then, like the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?

In essence, they do the same thing, but with a different purpose. The goal of MBSR is to follow your breath and become more aware of your body, your feelings, and your actions. This does not require mindfulness energy, and detachment from problem points will not simply occur. Nor is it talked about. However, it can lead to reduced stress, which is already very pleasant.

You may soon hit a ceiling with these techniques, as they are much vaguer. There is a chance that you will experience more stress and panic in your body than the MBSR techniques can help you with. With the techniques taught by the Inner Mind Institute, you can handle any problem point in your life if you commit yourself to it. The complexity of the techniques is not the issue; they are very simple techniques. It's more about the goal and the direction, but also the bigger picture behind it.

What can mindfulness mean for me?

Almost everyone who starts with mindfulness is looking for more peace, calming their thoughts, reducing stress, or seeking extra tools to deal with a specific problem in their life. This is a strong motivation to start with mindfulness and integrate it into your life.