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Learner Reviews & Feedback for De-Mystifying Mindfulness by Universiteit Leiden

4.8
stars
1,548 ratings

About the Course

Interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation has grown exponentially in recent years. Rather than being seen as mystical practices from ancient Buddhism or esoteric philosophy, they are increasingly seen as technologies rooted in evidence from psychology and neuroscience. Mindfulness has become the basis for numerous therapeutic interventions, both as a treatment in healthcare and as a means of enhancing well-being and happiness. For millions around the world, mindfulness has become a life-style choice, enhancing and enriching everyday experience. Mindfulness is big business. But, what actually is mindfulness? Is it really good for you? Can anyone learn it? How can you recognize charlatans? Would you want to live in a mindful society, and would it smell like sandalwood? What does it feel like to be mindful? Are you mindful already, and how would you know? Evolving from the popular Honours Academy course at Leiden University, this innovative course combines conventional scholarly inquiry from multiple disciplines (ranging from psychology, through philosophy, to politics) with experiential learning (including specially designed ‘meditation labs,’ in which you’ll get chance to practice and analyze mindfulness on yourself). In the end, the course aims to provide a responsible, comprehensive, and inclusive education about (and in) mindfulness as a contemporary phenomenon. During the production of this course, we have been supported by Willem Kuyken, Director of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre, and Stephen Batchelor, co-founder of Bodhi College. And we gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by Mark Williams, co-developer of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Rebecca Crane, Director of the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at the University of Bangor. We have recently added expert advice from Dawn Scott (Spirit Rock & Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies), Sydney Spears (University of Kansa), Elisabeth Stanley (Georgetown University), Susan Woods (Centre for Mindfulness Studies), Patricia Rockman (University of Toronto) and Jeff Corntassel (University of Victoria). "A deep and profound dive into the ethical, social, psychological, and philosophical implications of modern-day mindfulness practice. The course is not for the faint of heart, perhaps, but it is also full of practical, guided exercises for the uninitiated! Thank you for redefining my relationship to Mindfulness in a completely new and thought-provoking way" 28 april 2021 "The course enabled me to explore the mindfulness construct at its deeper lever from philosophical, psychological and political lenses. The mindfulness labs were very useful in practicing the skills of being mindful." 23 nov 2018 "i took this course after a period of time when I was trying to practice mindfulness and meditation, but with doubtful success. The course answered many questions to me, and I needed that to keep me motivated. It really helped me understand the origins and, more importantly, benefits of mindfulness practice and made me persist in my attempts. I'm really glad I took the course, I find it interesting, well taught and very useful for all those seeking deeper explanation in why trying mindfulness." 9 Oct 2018 "I have taken other courses in other online platforms. However, this has been one of the best courses I have found online." 3 Oct 2018 "I really like the invitation to us, the learners, to rethink our preconceptions and beliefs, and then make our own judgement about mindfulness. The overall tone was very friendly and open, resources very useful." 12 Dec 2017...

Top reviews

SM

Jul 20, 2020

A course that will open your mind and heart. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt so much about Mindfulness and how I want to incorporate it into my daily life, relationships and personality. Thank you!

DM

May 6, 2022

Very detailed and comprehensive history and background of mindfulness. The different schools of thought and the approach to these different ways of providing midnfulness.

Thanks for the teachings!

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51 - 75 of 592 Reviews for De-Mystifying Mindfulness

By Eleonora m

Dec 5, 2016

I thoroughly enjoyed this course as it provided me with directions on how to practice mindfulness; the guided meditations are so valuable. I am grateful to Chris (the teacher) for his understanding, compassion and empathy. I did struggle to juggle videos, assignments, practice, my full time job, kid, dog, various accidents but I was encouraged by the understanding and support of the teacher. I have tried many times to finish a courser but always failed, this is the first time i have managed completion and I am so grateful for what the course has given to me: real support, understanding,

By Jeff R

Jan 12, 2021

Thank you for the opportunity to deepen my knowledge and understanding of mindfulness and meditation. I have done courses on this topic before, but this was an excellent opportunity to look at it in different contexts and to become aware of many considerations and implications that mindfulness has or may have in society and the world. I loved the mindfulness practices and online discussions too. I will continue using its materials as I continue studying meditation towards "accreditation" to teach in non-clinical settings. Your course has given me a lot of food for thought.

By Monika N

Aug 27, 2017

THis course was really interesting and well structured and gave a good overview about mindfulness, its background, the way it is taught and its connection to different parts of our life. I especially liked the interview sessions with Stephen Batchelor and the introduction into mindfulness meditation. MAybe the lecture presentation could have been a little more lively with interview sessions in between or perhaps pictures or charts. It was sometimes hard to follow the long sentences which sounded like they were written in a book, A little less perfect would have been nice.

By Monika C

Jun 8, 2023

This a wonderful

course to learn mindfulness

from the experts. It will help you create your own practice as it gives you so many options on how to be more mindful

and how to practice it in your life. The course is carefully

developed keeping all kinds of learners in mind. There are a lot of insightful

videos, interviews, and podcasts . All of those help you to understand

diffferent point of views . This course should be included in school as well as college curriculums. I'm truly grateful

to the entire team of this course for sharing their knowledge

with us.

By Savieng S

Dec 22, 2020

If you have note taking this course, I recommend it to you. I am glad I took this course. It covered a lot of great information. Well, written and thoughts, Thorough information on tradition and non tradition mindfulness practices. Great knowledge on mindfulness industry-commercial. Excellent inform on psychological and philosophical framework of mindfulness. There are many more to list. Why don't you take it yourself. You will get to meet new friends, learning some new ideas and sharing yours. You will be so glad after you had done it.

By Nicole K

Jul 22, 2020

I think this course is one of the best ones I have ever taken on course (i have been taking courses over the past two years). The lectures are clearly defined, the goals and objectives stated openly as well and the practices are made concise and accessible. Chris is a charismatic teacher and summarises difficult concept easily and understandable. I recommend this course to anyone who is interested in Mindfulness, to those who already know some basic from an experiential knowledge perspective, but especially to all the sceptics. Give it a shot!

By Salamullah

Jul 27, 2020

This course is a life-changer. Systematically designed and professionally crafted to suite learners from a diversified cultural, ethnic, geographical and academic backgrounds. Its highly effective and practical. I loved the Practical Meditation Lab sessions a lot as it was a value added segment to this amazing MOOC. I appreciate and congratulate the instructor and his entire team for designing such a useful course. I highly recommend this MOOC to everyone who wants to change and don't want to regret about any of his actions done in life.

By Maria J G G

Jun 29, 2020

This has been a wonderful course, I learned a lot but unlike other acquired learning it has greatly enriched my personal and professional life, the interaction between colleagues seems to me a nice way to connect and train empathy, it makes it more human and in a certain way more real despite the fact that it is a virtual course. I have recommended this course to my colleagues for being so sensitive and fuel to science at the same time. thank you very much for this course that more than learning lines represented a pleasant experience

By Niranjan V

Mar 4, 2018

A great introduction to mindfulness practises. I like how the course covers various aspects of mindfulness, why people are drawn to it, different traditions and commercialization of it. The creators have done a good job at making this course as interactive as possible by use of various discussion prompts and peer graded assignments. I had to do my own reasearch at various times to fill in on various aspects in the evaluation. This is a good starter course for various mindfulness techniques, their efficacy and their relevance.

By Justin L

Jan 4, 2018

Was a great course that gives a good overview of academic (philosophical, historical) aspects to mindfulness, as well as really good practical audio that we can use to practice mindfulness ourselves. I found the teaching style compassionate and gentle, and has left me feeling that the modern "construct" mindfulness movement has our best interests at heart. I do recommend this course for anyone wanting a multi-dimensional understanding, both academic and hands-on, of what mindfulness is and what it can be used for.

By Claire k

Apr 3, 2022

I absolutley loved this course from start to finish. I have learned so much about myself and what Mindfulness has to offer. So many different avenues explored in this course, definitley gave me food for thought. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of Mindfulness, looking to explore new ways to enhance there life and being provided with expert advice from professionals all over the world. Thank you to everyone involved for making this course possible.

By Emiliya K

Aug 17, 2017

Amazing course! Incredibly useful knowledge for anyone, who is interested in spirituality, mindfulness and related topics. The theoretical part is very interesting and gives a lot of food for thought, while the experiential learning in the other modules gives a wide perspective on meditation pracitces. Preapred with much consideration and hosted splendidly by Chris-Goto Jones this course is a true revelation for anyone willing to take it with an open mind and invest time and effort in it!

By Hal H

Jan 9, 2017

I enjoy the considerate, compassionate, and overall intellectual approach this course takes the student on, and appreciate the overall structure of this course. The instructor of this course is intriguing and immensely well spoken; I feel like I'm enhancing my understanding on vocabulary as well a this topic with each lecture. I look forward to completing this course and using my new found knowledge moving forward in life. Thankful there are facilitators/professors like this man!

By Romulo V

May 11, 2020

This is the most comprehensive, scholar, complete, and sensitive treatment of the topic of mindfulness you will be able to find in one single place online. Dr. Jones is an scholar and a practitioner who embodies his passion for the topic while remaining curious enough to excite us about the possibilities of the journey into becoming more mindful. Whether you are a practicing meditator or someone who is simply curious about the topic, there is something for you in this course!

By Anna K

Oct 1, 2020

You take as much out of this course as much as you put in. It has helped me tremendously with my current struggles in life, improve my concentration and ability to pay attention to the work I do and the world around me. I like that the course is based on science and addresses misconceptions people may have about mindfulness and what it is and what it is not. Highly recommend this course to anyone who is in search of self-help or just curious about the self and self-growth.

By Gill B

Nov 3, 2020

I highly valued this course, for the overview and information about the history of mindfulness, how it evolved and differentiated through different cultures, up to and including psychology uses. I especially appreciated the meditation labs and the different mindfulness exercises, prompting me to engage in and continue a meditation practice. As a result, I am a bit more mindful in my daily life, and am better able to fall asleep at night, with less mind chatter going on.

By Olga F

May 31, 2019

The most interesting course I have ever taken. It's combing philosophical, scientific and theoretical knowledge. It makes you think critically and to create your own opinion about what is mindfulness for you. We explored the background and roots of mindfulness with modern knowledge and scientific studies that can be applied in modern life. I would say that the last 6 weeks I spent with great pleasure and I'm sure I'll continue to practice mindfulness in my life.

By Melissa B

May 25, 2017

Professor Goto-Jones is an excellent teacher. I have a more in-depth understanding of what Mindfulness is and this course definitely covered all sides of the subject. I appreciate the professor's sense of compassion through his lecture videos and his calming attitude in giving me options on how to be kinder and gentler with myself. I really loved this class. I would like to see similar classes taught by Dr. Goto-Jones. Thank you for this opportunity to learn.

By Anuranjan S

Jun 8, 2020

An amazing course. I learned a lot and much beyond what I expected I would. I am so glad that I decided to enroll in this course. In a way, Sad as it may sound, stay at home due to COVID-19 allowed extra free time and this course helped me put to best use those extra hours for weeks. Whatever happens, happens for the best and nothing better than that can happen. Wishing everyone safety, peace, and ease of being. Thank you for an awesome course Chris.

By Adalis F P

Aug 15, 2018

One of my best cours ever, because I'm just starting to know and practice Mndfulness, it has been a gift to find this course, I recomended stronlly to anyone to star and practice Mindfulness.

Thanks so much to https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en Universiteit Leiden , Congratulations to our Prof.Chris Goto-Jones , It was a real pleasure to follow your course and all the aknoledge I have about Mindfulness thanks to you and your team.

By Georgianna A

May 17, 2020

amazing course. those 5 weeks are really transformative. I liked the combination of theory and practice and learned a LOT. Make sure you don't push this course somewhere between your daily routine, as the more time you give to it, the more knowledge and wisdom it will give you in return. a comment about the time duration spent for each task: i found that they included much more time than noted, especially for a non-english speaker.

By Nancy L

Jul 8, 2017

This was an excellent overview course , with superlative guest speakers addressing specific questions. The practice exercises (Meditation Labs) were very, very helpful. I would recommend this course to anyone who is curious about mindfulness meditation, and anyone who had a practice in the past, which may have lapsed for any reason. This course will be an excellent way to be supported in reestablishing your practice.

By Meng Z

Dec 19, 2021

I would like to thank the team who created this course and made it available for everyone to participate without costs. Special thanks to Prof. Goto-Jones who has been very gentle and caring when delivering the lectures. It was an intense experience which I didn't expect, but the outcome is good. This is better than a lifestyle course and inspires critical thinking on current social-political phenomena in the western world.

By Eszter H

Feb 19, 2021

Big and enriching adventure in my life, which will stay with me as a form of daily mindfulness practises. It was a real flow in my mind because English is not my mother tongue and the language of the course was academical and beautiful. The content was up to date, at a high level and diversified. Chris Goto-Jones represents the topic of Mindfulness with every fiber of his being. Thank you very much for this course.

By Priti S

Dec 14, 2020

I cam to this when it was offered for the first time but owing to various reasons couldn't complete it. as I advance in years there is a feeling of not being at ease in mind and the need to be grounded. The need is to have a place where one can be true to oneself and a sanctuary where we can come back.

This course set me on that path where I focus on breath and send kind thoughts to myself.