Full Spectrum Awareness
3-month online Meditation Program with Toyah & Gerjet
Applications close February 2nd
Meditate? I’d rather just sit around and do nothing…
Let's be honest – life can be pretty tough sometimes. Learning to navigate ourselves through our vast inner emotional landscape doesn't have to be.
If you’ve made it this far down the page, we probably don’t need to bother explaining to you that meditation has proven to be one of the most effective tools out there for living a better life. Unfortunately, it is a really fucking hard habit to stick to.
We believe all it takes to build an effective meditation practice is experienced teachers, a simple yet well-structured program, a group of like-minded peers, and enough mental flexibility to give a shit, but not too many.
👩💻 Join from anywhere, anytime
Bi-weekly group sessions on Zoom. Recordings and additional content are provided via an online learning platform.
🗓 Made for busy schedules
The program is designed to integrate perfectly into your busy schedule. Only two monthly after-work calls, the rest is self-paced and self-organized.
👫 Learn with real humans
Learn from and connect to a cohort of like-minded peers with the shared goal of making their meditation practice a foundation of their personal well-being.
What to expect
📅 Participation in 3-month Meditation Program with 6x bi-weekly online Meditation Group Sessions and 1x Onboarding Session from February to April 2024
🖥️ Access to an online learning platform with recordings of all Group Sessions and additional content (Professional Package)
🧘♀️ State-of-the-art meditation approach developed by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Center
🧠 Science-based, personalized guidance and 1:1 support from Toyah & Gerjet to successfully build and grow your meditation practice at home
🤝 Peer group support to stay motivated and accountable on days when you’d normally say “fuck this” and quit
📊 Scientific progress tracking of mindfulness (MAAS), mental well-being (WEMWBS), and stress levels (PSS)
💬 Group Chat for mindful bitching, aware whining, and Q&A
🎓 Certificate of Completion (Professional Package)
The program aims to offer a far deeper approach to mindfulness than you’ll find in the apps out there — one that fundamentally transforms how you see yourself, and the world around you. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned meditator, the benefits are for everyone.
Gerjet will introduce a new approach to meditation – developed by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center – guiding you step by step through the different levels of awareness practices into the hidden depths of meditation. Throughout the sessions will explore the full spectrum of awareness practices, which include four areas: focused awareness, investigative awareness, choiceless awareness, and natural awareness. Toyah will explore with you how to meet your complex emotional world and changing mental states with mindful loving awareness, courage and humor to find spacious, clear and healthy responses to life, rather than be caught in habitual reactions and struggle.
The program will provide you with the guidance, tools, and dad jokes necessary to make building your personal meditation practice feel intuitive and fun. Your peer group will serve as your dedicated support system. Come as you are. Leave as you are. Maybe just a little more present.
„It only takes a reminder to breathe, a moment to be still, and just like that, something in me settles, softens, makes space for imperfection. The harsh voice of judgment drops to a whisper and I remember again that life isn’t a relay race; that we will all cross the finish line; that waking up to life is what we were born for.“
– Danna Faulds
Application closes February 2nd
Meet the team
Toyah Sitz
Toyah is a systemic psychotherapist (i.T.), body therapist, sex therapist and breathwork therapist by training and by belief. She intuitively senses what’s bothering you – before you know something is bothering you at all – and gently nudges you to take a look. In her work, Toyah unites different approaches to healing, while exploring the duality of taking her work serious without taking herself too serious.
Sitting still never really was Toyah’s strong suit, therefor meditation always felt like a pain in the ass. Quite literally. After forcing her way through Vipassana, her mind was full of chanting monks, with no mindfulness to be found though. Setting out on a journey to conquer the art of meditation, she tried and failed at a million approaches, until she found the teacher that changed the meditation game for her. Thus understanding that meditation is not so much about force but rather about finding a practice that works for you.
Still exploring the world of mind- and heartfulness, Toyah dances through the chaos, discovering that the journey is just as entertaining as the destination. Who knew achieving Zen could be such a hilarious adventure?
Gerjet Efken
Gerjet works with entrepreneurs on their well-being and performance, is a certified yoga, meditation and mindfulness teacher, a breathwork therapist and a holistic bodywork therapist (i.T.) who had tried and failed to develop a meditation practice that works for him a hundred times until he was asked to record over 1000 meditations as the co-host for the Spotify Original Podcast "Wake Up/Wind Down”.
One million downloads and a few breakdowns later he’s barely missing a day on the cushion and tries hard not to advise everyone around him to do the same.
Gerjet loves science-based spirituality and is probably the first human being to break his nose falling off a meditation cushion doing breathwork. Don’t ask. 😤
Package prices
Professional*
Normal: 299€
Early Bird: 249€ (until 21.01.)
*Includes a Certificate of Completion, Recordings of all Meditations and lots of gratitude from Toyah and Gerjet.
Standard
Normal: 199€
Early Bird: 149€ (until 21.01.)
Low-Income**
Normal: 149€
Early Bird: 99€ (until 21.01.)
**Limited availability. Please specify your reasoning in the signup form. If this price is not accessible for you, please reach out to us. We’ll try to find a solution for everyone.
Application closes February 2nd
Why meditation
To be able to see the world with fresh eyes we sometimes gotta close them for a little while. Decades of neuroscience studies show the power of mindfulness to relieve stress, awaken our positive capacities, and bring balance to our lives. Mindfulness gives us the power to meet any situation wisely, to be fully present, and to operate with compassion.
We all know how busy and divisive modern times can be, and how easily they can fuel stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is both healing and liberating. Learning to meet our complex world and our own changing mental states with mindful loving awareness, courage and humor allows us to find spacious, clear and healthy responses to life, rather than be caught in habitual reactions and struggle.
Mindfulness quiets the mind and heals the heart. Systematically practicing mindfulness, we can recognize and foster positive states of mind like kindness, generosity, steadiness, and love — discovering how they are natural to us; and learn to nurture and strengthen them into a new, more gracious life of well-being.
FAQ
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Kick-off: Tuesday 06.02. 18:30-20:30h
Session 1: Tuesday 13.02. 18:30-20:30h
Session 2: Tuesday 27.02. 18:30-20:30h
Session 3: Tuesday 12.03. 18:30-20:30h
Session 4: Tuesday 26.03. 18:30-20:30h
Session 5: Tuesday 09.04. 18:30-20:30h
Session 6: Tuesday 23.04. 18:30-20:30h
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An example session could look like this:
20 min Welcome, Check-in, Nervous System Regulation
30 min Meditation Practice
45 min Deep Dive & Group Discussion
15 min Q&A, Check-out
10 min Closing Meditation
(+ 15 min extra “Office Hour”)
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Gerjet will introduce a new model for exploring different forms of object-based and object-less awareness developed by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. In the program, we will explore the full spectrum of awareness practices, which include four areas: focused awareness, investigative awareness, choiceless awareness, and natural awareness. You will step by step enter the hidden depths of meditation and understand how each one of them can be useful in everyday life.
Focused Awareness:
In this practice, we direct our attention to a specific object, honing our focus over time. It's a bit like a mental gym session, helping us build concentration and gather our scattered thoughts. Choose an anchor, perhaps the rhythm of your breath, and gently guide your mind back to it whenever distractions arise. This classic mindfulness technique is a valuable tool for achieving clarity amid life's distractions.
Investigative Awareness:
Here, we broaden our attention beyond a single object, delving into various experiences to learn more about ourselves. When something captures our focus, be it a sensation, thought, emotion, or sound, we pay attention and explore it. Once that experience fades, we return to our original anchor. This dynamic practice unveils insights as the predominant experience shifts over time.
Choiceless Awareness:
Embrace a broad focus without tying yourself to a specific anchor. Let your attention wander to whatever arises in your awareness, without actively choosing or returning to an anchor. Experience each moment as it unfolds, allowing objects to choose you. This flexible practice lets you notice and attend to experiences with variable effort.
Natural Awareness:
Step into a luminous, spacious state of awareness, transcending the need for a specific object. Shift your focus to the awareness itself, exploring it in various ways—what contains everything, what knows, and what is. This state of awareness is intricately connected to your fundamental well-being, requiring minimal effort and offering a profound exploration of your own awareness.
Innovative in its approach, this comprehensive mindfulness journey not only guides you through traditional practices but also encourages a dynamic exploration of awareness, making it a transformative experience tailored to the complexities of modern life.
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No experience is needed. This program is perfect for beginners and advanced practitioners looking to deepen their practice.
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We have 3 different package options:
Professional Package: 349€ (299€ Early Bird)
Standard Ticket: 249€ (199€ Early Bird)
Low-income ticket: 149€ (99€ Early Bird)*
*Limited availability. If this price is still too high, please reach out so we can find a solution together.
Early Bird ends January 21st 23:59h CET
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We have space for up to 30 people.
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If you have any acute psychiatric conditions, please get in touch with us to discuss whether you can participate safely. Besides that, this meditation program is safe for anyone.
Community voices
“Toyah and Gerjet create a space of lighthearted openness, a portal to the unknown without losing the fun of exploring.”
– Juliane, Philosopher
“Every session is different. Sometimes very sensational in the body, sometimes more in the mind.”
– Jakub, Entrepreneur
“Breathwork is such a beautiful tool that helps me get out of my head and dive into my deep subconscious.”
– Johanna, Psychologist