Foundations of Mindfulness - An Eight-Week Course in Cultivating Insight and Embodied Wisdom
Description
An Eight-Week Course on the Buddha’s Teachings of Mindfulness and Insight
This eight-week mindfulness and meditation course offers an opportunity to deepen your understanding of mindfulness as taught by the Buddha. Rooted in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, these teachings present mindfulness as a direct path to insight, realisation, and freedom.
Mindfulness practice is a direct path back home to the truth of who we really are. As we learn to rest more fully in direct experience of what is unfolding in a given moment, clarity and wisdom naturally arise. From this place, there is a growing sense of inner stability, groundedness, and ease, along with a shift from reactivity toward a more responsive and authentic way of being in the world.
This course provides a supportive and consistent container to deepen meditation practice and understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. It is designed for those who wish to practise regularly, to explore mindfulness and insight in an embodied way, and to be supported by the presence of Sangha.
How the Course Is Taught
The course is experiential and practice-based. Teachings are offered within a clear Buddhist framework while remaining responsive to what is alive in the group. Understanding is encouraged to arise through direct experience rather than through concepts alone.
Each session includes:
Short Dharma teachings grounded in the Buddhist tradition
Guided meditation practices
Somatic practices to support nervous system settling and interoceptive awareness
Space for inquiry, reflection, and relational practice
A strong emphasis is placed on embodiment. Mindfulness practice is incomplete without the body, and somatic supports are woven throughout the course to help participants come home to direct experience through the felt sense. These practices support the settling of the nervous system and create the conditions for insight and wisdom to arise more naturally, especially within the pace and complexity of everyday life.
What This Course Supports
Deepening mindfulness and concentration
Developing embodied awareness and interoception
Cultivating insight and wisdom through inquiry
Greater clarity, steadiness, and responsiveness in daily life
Who This Course Is For
This course is for anyone who wishes to deepen their mindfulness and insight practice, whether as a foundation or as a continuation of an existing path. It is suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
The course is held within a supportive Sangha container, offering consistency, accountability, and a shared field of inquiry for those who wish to practise sincerely and integrate the teachings into daily life.
Course Details
When: Wednesday 15th April to Wednesday 3rd June 2026
Times: 7-8:30pm (NSW time) on each Wednesday evening for 8 sessions.
Where: Online
Cost: $30 + dana (donation).
Additional Cost 'Dana' - The course follows the traditional spirit of the Buddha’s teachings — offered on the basis of dāna (generosity). At the end of the program, you will be invited to offer a donation that feels right for you, in alignment with your capacity and appreciation.
About the Teacher
Renata Malinauskas is a dedicated Dharma practitioner of over 15 years, beginning in the Vipassana tradition and later deepening through Vajrayana, Western Insight, and non-dual teachings. With extensive experience in silent retreat practice, she now serves as an insight meditation teacher, leading residential retreats, workshops, and courses in Australia and online.
With a background in somatics and trauma-informed work, her interest lies in exploring the meeting point of psychological transformation and spiritual awakening, and in sharing the Dharma as a living practice of presence, inquiry, and unfolding in everyday life. Renata works as a somatic therapist in private practice in Brunswick Heads, NSW, and online. https://renatamalinauskas.com
FAQs
- Do I need meditation experience to join?
No prior experience is required. This course is suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. If you are new to meditation, the guided practices and somatic support offer a grounded and accessible entry point. If you have an established practice, the course offers tools and inquiry to deepen insight, embodiment, and understanding.
- Will the sessions be recorded?
Guided meditation practices will be recorded and shared with participants. Group discussion and relational inquiry will not be recorded, in order to honour confidentiality and presence within the space. Live attendance is strongly encouraged, as the experiential and relational aspects of the course are an important part of the learning. If you miss a session, you will be able to continue practicing with the recordings.
- How does Dāna work? How much should I give?
Dāna is an opportunity to offer a gift in support of the teachings and the teacher, according to your circumstances and sense of appreciation. There is no fixed amount. If you would like guidance on offering Dāna, you may follow the suggested framework provided by Still Water Insight - stillwaterinsight.org/donate
- What if challenges arise during the course?
It is natural for questions, uncertainty, or challenges to arise in mindfulness practice. The course includes space for inquiry and discussion, allowing participants to explore what emerges with support and care. Somatic resources are woven throughout to support steadiness and ease in the body as practice deepens.
- Is this a therapeutic course?
This course is not offered as therapy. While somatic supports are included to support regulation and embodiment, the primary intention is the cultivation of mindfulness, insight, and wisdom through Buddhist practice.
- Do I need to attend live to benefit from the course?
The live sessions support community, shared inquiry, and real-time guidance, which are central aspects of the course. While recordings of guided practices are available, attending live whenever possible is recommended.
- Is this course religious?
The course is grounded in the Buddha’s teachings, but it does not require belief or religious identification. The emphasis is on practice, direct experience, and the cultivation of wisdom through mindful inquiry.
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