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Rikke Braren Lauritzen

Rikke Braren Lauritzen is a Master of Arts, existential psychotherapist and family therapist, certified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Interpersonal Mindfulness Program (IMP) teacher and mindfulness supervisor with her own private practice - and is a devoted Dharma student. She is the founder of a new Danish Mindful School program and is teaching both adults, adolescents, families, teachers and professionals in secular mindfulness. Other LEVEKUNST articles by the same author. Rikke's website.

BRINGING MINDFULNESS BACK TO ITS BUDDHIST ROOTS

During five weeks in Nepal, mindfulness teacher Rikke Braren Lauritzen tested the waters at a traditional nunnery and discovered that it is possible to fuse a spiritual path which draws on both the old wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings and the modern scientific-based interventions used in the Mindful School program, to support the new generation of young monastics living in the 21st Century.

WHAT I LEARN FROM LIVING WITH THE NUNS

Life as a nun is for some looked upon as a very bad destiny, as the poor soul must be just miserable living under such humble conditions, not having her own property, a partner, a close family, let alone a career and status! From the normal worldly outside perspective it is not at all attractive nor interesting. But they could not be more wrong.

AWARENESS IN THE CLASSROOM

Practicing mindful breathing, sitting, walking and communicating, students can discover that there are so many things in their daily lives to notice, to enjoy, to explore. In fact everything inside and outside, everything in their life experience and everything in their surroundings are changing and impermanent.

WALKING MEDITATION

Walking on the soil of Mother Earth is a way for me to feel a deep connection to myself. Taking this precious moment to really connect to the earth step by step, moment by moment, breath by breath immediately transforms my inner and outer landscape.