Inquiry Skills

Meditative Awareness in Dialogue

Data: 18 – 20  October 2024
Teachers: Ingrid van den Hout & Johan Tinge
Location: near Bordeaux, France
Language: English, with French translation

Inquiry, or mindful dialogue is in a certain way very simple. Still, it might happen that we get nervous or feel blocked during the mindful dialogue. Inquiry is mainly about listening with and open heart and mind, listening and speaking in such a way that our participants feel invited to listen deeply to themselves. As mindfulness teachers, we find our foundation in the practice of meditation. Inquiry is actually a form of meditation in action, in which we shine a bit more light on the human experiences of our participants.

It is important with inquiry not to be too concerned about asking the right questions. The practice is to let what a participant says resonate within yourself from interest, not-knowing and wonder. From this way of being in contact, the questions can and will come in a natural way.

This is a practical workshop in which there is plenty of opportunity to practice inquiry in different settings. During the workshop we will practice with inquiry as a teacher, but also experience and learn about it as a participant. This gives us the opportunity to examine from both perspectives what happens when the experiential space in the dialogue opens or closes. These perspectives and the feedback about the dialogues will help you develop further in the inquiry process.

We work alternately in the whole group and in small groups so that everyone can practice and learn frequently with inquiry.

MBSR supervision for experienced trainers

Sooner or later, every trainer discovers that training classes are a mirror for personal themes. You may feel hesitation to ask for supervision about this. Yet it is precisely when we ask for supervision at such a moment that understanding and healing can arise. In supervision, we look at the themes you meet in teaching from a place of safety, lightness, self-compassion and an attitude of non-judgment.
I would be happy to support you in this.

Even after the teacher training, supervision might be helpful to continue  developing as a teacher and to learn and keep an eye on your blind spots. Supervision supports you to continue to reflect on your teachings and on yourself as an MBSR teacher.

Supervision will focus on:

1. practical matters that you will encounter in working with the group and the program you teach, such as the curriculum, guiding the exercises, inquiry, acquisition/marketing.
2. Your personal process, for example during interaction with the participants. Your personal style as a trainer.
3. Embodiment of MBSR and mindfulness and how to stay in touch with yourself and the group as a trainer.

You can sign up for supervision by sending an email to info@johantinge.nl

Supervision can be done alone or in a group, and can be live but will be mostly online.

About Johan

I am one of the pioneers of mindfulness (MBSR) in the Netherlands and have been involved in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction since 1996. Since 1981 I have been practicing vipassana meditation (insight meditation) and was a member of a collective of retreat facilitators in vipassana meditation, www.vipassana.nu

After my studies in andragogy, registration as a health psychologist and a course in Gestalt therapy, I started to develop myself in the MBSR as a trainer, educator and supervisor from 1996 onwards. From the moment I came into contact with the work of the founder of MBSR, Jon Kabat-Zinn, pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

I knew immediately that this was what I had been looking for for years. I quickly saw that MBSR training really has something to offer for people with various health problems, it can provide relief from complaints, self-compassion and more quality of life. And participants learn in 8-week MBSR classes that they can do much more for themselves than they thought was possible.

In 2005 I founded the Institute for Mindfulness (IvM) in the Netherlands, an institute that offers a teacher training program to train MBSR/MBCT trainers. I am also co-founder of the professional Dutch MBSR association VMBN. After 15 years of leading the Institute for Mindfulness, I handed the institute over to Maryvonne Verkerke in September 2020.

Since 2002 I have been teaching MBSR internationally as a teacher trainer and supervisor and have been associated with MBSR teacher training programs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Norway, among others.

I also do MBSR supervision and meditation supervision.