A 4-WEEK IN-PERSON & ONLINE COURSE
Introduction to Mindfulness
SLOW DOWN TO DISCOVER A NEW WAY OF BEING
“A white cloud passes by and hides the mouth of the cave causing so many birds to lose their way home.”
— PRAJNAPARAMITA
“TRANSCENDENTAL KNOWLEDGE” SUTRA
01.
why
mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a way of being, an ability to meet the present moment in its fulness without judgement.
At its deepest level mindfulness has the power to change your relationship with the world and even the way you perceive yourself.
Cultivating this life-changing shift in perspective may take some time, but there are well researched benefits that are accessible almost immediately to anyone beginning to practice:
→ improved ability to concentrate and direct attention
→ enhanced emotional regulation and resilience
→ ability to inhabit the present moment and observe oneself objectively
→ improved relationships and greater ability to express one’s self
→ significant reduction in anxiety and stress
→ overall improved sense of well-being.
02.
how is mindfulness
practiced?
Unfortunately mindfulness doesn’t come to us naturally, and so it requires specialized mental training that over time physiologically rewires how our brains perceive and respond to the world around us.
Meditation is an umbrella term for a variety of different mental training techniques, not all of which have mindfulness as their goal.
Mindfulness meditation techniques aim to deconstruct engrained habits of the mind until all conceptual processing falls away, unveiling a state of pure awareness, from which you are free to respond to your life’s challenges in ways that are both creative and in alignment with your internal reality.
That’s in theory. In practice these techniques are hard to grasp systematically on your own.
03.
does this sound
familiar?
It’s late evening, and you’re home from work feeling scattered and tense. You sit down and follow the instructions on your meditation app, hoping to relax.
The minute you close your eyes, thoughts start racing through your mind, all of your body parts demand to be scratched at once, and a growing sense of anxiety and unease make stillness and concentration impossible. Defeated, you reach for a TV remote and turn on Netflix.
Or perhaps you attended a meditation retreat, and at some point in your life experienced the power of a deeper practice, but weren’t able to maintain it once you returned home.
Now every time you attempt to meditate, you’re frustrated by how difficult it has become to be still for even a short while. There’s just no time to practice, you tell yourself, as you notice a bunch of unanswered work emails in your inbox.
If you hear one more time how meditation will change your life, you’ll scream.
04.
begin again
You’re not necessarily doing it wrong, nor do you have to renounce your earthly possessions and retreat into a monastery to make sense of mindfulness. But you may need a guide.
These practices can be both demanding and confusing, and I probably wouldn’t have stuck with them myself if not for the guides I had on my path.
Mindfulness is much more than a tool for stress reduction, but you can’t reach the deeper layers of the practice without establishing a sound foundation. And from my own experience this path is best walked in good company.
This is an invitation to join me and begin again.
Introduction to Mindfulness
A 4-WEEK IN-PERSON & ONLINE COURSE FOR ANYONE IN PURSUIT OF WELL-BEING
The best time to begin meditating was years ago, the second best time is now.
Come learn these ancient spiritual practices translated into every day language and backed by evidence-based science in a small group of fellow travelers.
It will change your life.
what to expect
WELCOME PACK
Once enrolled, you’ll receive an email with some inspiration for the road ahead and a list of practical tips for our gatherings.
You’ll also receive an invitation to fill out a questionnaire about your mindfulness journey, current mental and physical health and your reasons for being here. This will help me to get to know you better and make sure I’m guiding you safely.
IN PERSON PRACTICE
We’ll hold a 2-hour weekly group gathering where you will get to experience and understand what mindfulness is through a sequence of guided practices and moderated group discussions.
We’ll stay close to your direct experience in the present moment and create a safe space for you to notice and find words for the feelings, sensations and thoughts that arise.
INSPIRATION
Each group gathering will be followed by a short essay expanding on the themes we touched on with optional reading, journalling prompts and guidance for the home practices for the week ahead.
Life has a tendency to get in the way, and my intention here is to give you a little touchstone to carry on and re-connect with your practice when we are apart as a group.
AT HOME PRACTICE
You’ll learn meditation techniques in our gatherings, but true change requires sincere and regular practice. Aim for at least 20 to 40 minutes a day to explore mindfulness at your own pace.
And don’t worry, there’s no expectation for you to sit in a lotus pose for that long daily. We’ll experiment with a range of mindfulness practices to make it accessible and fun.
notes from friends
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![Cloudy sky with numerous fluffy white clouds]()
"For me, letting go is no longer a passive act. To be still and to do nothing, especially in critical moments, is in itself a radical form of self-love and freedom".
SHIVANI PANDYA
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![Sky filled with fluffy white clouds.]()
"Meditation allowed me to re-discover my mind and body as if it was a new country, a foreign place. I can travel there and wander and rest".
YIQING “YUKI” CHEN
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![Cloudy sky with numerous white, fluffy clouds.]()
"My mindfulness journey has given birth to a space between me and what comes before me, allowing me to choose to hold it with tenderness and generosity".
EUNHYE SOH
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![Sky filled with fluffy white clouds.]()
"I'm noticing a greater capacity to stay present with the uncertainty, to be curious and to not rush toward the answer or try to resolve what feels uncomfortable".
COLLEEN RALPH
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![Sky filled with fluffy white clouds.]()
"This practice is a gentle reminder of our shared roots and the invisible threads that connect us. I'm grateful we’re here, learning together, each finding our own way to dance with the unknown".
ETIENNE FARA
what we’ll cover
TECHNIQUES
We’ll learn a variety of formal and informal meditation practices, each fostering a core skill mindfulness requires — attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation and compassion to self and others.
01
CHALLENGES
From falling asleep, physical discomfort or being lost in thought to getting overwhelmed emotionally, we’ll learn how to meet the common challenges that can arise in practice, and do so safely.
02
INTENTIONS
Discipline and will power can wax and wane under life’s pressures. We will explore your true intention for being here and learn to lean into its power, so showing up for practice doesn’t feel like battling the final boss.
03
GOALS
The goal of mindfulness in not to become an accomplished meditator, it’s to meet life in all of its beauty and heartbreak with patience, tenderness and grace. We’ll spend most of our time together learning the ways to bridge the gap between formal practices and your every day life.
04
05.
about me
Hi, my name is Yulia, and I’m a mindfulness guide, writer, and an analytical psychologist in training.
Born and raised in Russia, I’ve spent almost half of my life around Asia – first in Vietnam, then Japan and the last 7 years – in Hong Kong.
I believe that:
→ although it’s largely not my fault that the world is broken, it’s my responsibility to contribute to its healing
→ all healing is, first and foremost, self-healing
→ mindfulness, self-knowledge and art are the keys to personal, collective and even political transformation
So if you also have been grieving the world that is seemingly falling apart, know that you’re neither alone, nor powerless. This is an invitation to approach the work of healing our larger collective by first learning how to meet yourself in the fullness of the present moment. This is the ground from which all change, personal and political, grows slowly in tender spirals.
WHERE I’VE BEEN
my background
-
I was introduced to mindfulness and meditation in my late teens, and have been practicing for almost two decades now — first learning from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s framework, then the Insight Meditation tradition.
Having initially learnt mindfulness in a group, I have spent most of the following years practicing in private, thinking that isolation is necessary to maintain some imaginary purity or rigour, yet it’s only after I opened myself up to the idea of practicing in a community again, that a string of new deeper insights emerged from all of the conversations that followed.
It’s this communal aspect of the practice that I’m here to cultivate by creating a safe space, providing guidance and inviting dialogue that offers clarity.
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→ Master’s of Philosophy and Political Science / Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia, 2009
→ Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat (10 days) / Dharma Center, Indonesia, 2015
→ Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (8 weeks) / International Institute of Mindfulness, Hong Kong, 2025
→ Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Foundations Teacher Seminar (115 hrs) / Brown University School of Professional Studies, USA, 2025
→ Diploma in Jungian Psychology (50 hours) / C.G. Jung Centre, Ireland, 2025
→ Diploma in Creative Process Therapy (50 hours) / C.G. Jung Centre, Ireland, 2025
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→ “Mindfulness for Grief & Loss” with Tara Brach (50 hours) / National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, USA, 2025
→ Graduate Program in Contemporary Analytical Psychology & Neo-Jungian Studies (1 year) / Pacifica Institute, USA, 2025-2026→ Foundations of Jungian Analysis (2 years) / Moscow Association of Analytical Psychology, Russia, 2025-2027
“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come.”
— JALAL AL-DIN RUMI
Upcoming gatherings
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October-November Online Worldwide
Sundays | on Zoom
Oct 19, 26 & Nov 2, 9
19:00 to 21:00 HKT
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last opportunity to explore mindfulness with me this year
come as you are
HKD 800$
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Monthly Community Practice Hong Kong
October 20 | Monday
19:00 to 21:00
no meditation experience required, just your curiosity
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held at a studio in Central (99 Caine Road)
HKD 150$
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1-day silent meditation retreat Hong Kong
November 16 | Sunday
10:00 to 16:30
Tung Chung, Buddhist Association Camp
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an opportunity to deepen your practice by exploring a variety of guided meditations led by Nadine Anderson & myself
HKD 500$
FAQs
frequently asked questions
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If you’ve never meditated because you are convinced that your mind is too active, this course is for you.
If you’ve tried meditating, but didn’t see much benefits or struggled to turn it into a practice, this course is for you.If you meditate regularly, but are not quite sure about the whole framework of mindfulness and how it fits into your life, this course is for you.
Perhaps I’m biased, but I also believe that if you’re an experienced meditator, this course is also for you, because community practice is vital for deepening our understanding.
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Much of the mindfulness practice has to do with developing an appreciation for our common humanity, and practicing together as a tiny collective works towards that goal. There’s also a certain magic in group work that is impossible to replicate on one’s own.
That said, while sharing is encouraged, you have agency over what, how much and when to share. There’s absolutely no expectation to speak if you’re not comfortable.
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Both Monday and Wednesday groups will meet at 99 Caine Road in Central (corner with Aberdeen Street).
I was looking for an affordable and conveniently located space to host you all, and decided on this “Kids Mini Sports” club. No fancy design, props or crystal bowls here, just an empty space that gently reminds us to stay hopeful and curious, like a child would.
Yoga blankets and meditation cushions will be provided for everyone to comfortably settle into the practice. -
There’s something absolutely beautiful about people coming together to learn, practice and exchange across cultures, continents and time zones. I’ve attended a number of mindfulness groups on Zoom this year and found these experiences to be different, but equally as powerful as the in-person groups.
That’s why I’m comfortable extending this invitation to those of you who are not in Hong Kong or want to attend and practice from the comfort of your own home.
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This is a great question, and the answer is — it depends.
While beneficial for most, mindfulness practices can also exacerbate some mental health conditions.
Please reach out if you’d like me to help you navigate your specific situation. -
While this project is the source of my livelihood, it is important to me that your financial standing is not a barrier to your practice. Please drop me a note, and I will suggest the best way I can accommodate you.
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That’s what I’m trying to figure out myself!
All I know right now is that I have “a quiet, odd and poetic well-being collective” scribbled in my notebook, and you’ll see this project unfold and take shape slowly over the next year.
YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE