Our free 8 Week Intro to Mindfulness Course starting February 16th is here to help you connect with yourself and build Mindfulness practice into your routine.
Designed for young adults ~18-35.

Register for free here. Course starts February 16th.

Our next course starts February 16th, 2023. Register here, and keep reading for all the details.

The Intro to Mindfulness Course is here to help you connect with yourself and build Mindfulness practice into your regular rhythms. With mindfulness practice we can access more clarity and self-compassion, and respond in ways that support our personal goals and values. 

Our free online 8-week course is created for young adults who are looking for inner balance while riding the waves of life. This course includes weekly classes with practical instruction in the community, and resource packages for those who would like to dive deeper on their own time.

Building on the strengths of our shared experiences as a group, we learn that practicing together is easier than alone. It helps to have the encouragement of others to reaffirm our commitment to practice.

This foundational course is suitable for any level of mindfulness experience and is excellent for anyone, even longer-term practitioners, who wants to kick-start a daily practice. 

We begin February 16th.

Live or Replay?


This course is hosted on Zoom.


Replays will be sent to all registrants.


Attending live (when you can) is always best for Q+A and being in the energy of a practice group. But as long as you're committed to participating live or catching up on the replay, we're confident you'll get a lot from this course 


Sign Up - it's free!

Thursday, February 16th @ 7:00 - 8:30pm
every Thursday for 8 Weeks.

About Yana and the Mindfulness Course:

Yana stands for Young Adult Nature Awareness, and was created as a program for anyone transitioning into or navigating adulthood.

Our world can be unbalanced, chaotic, unstable, and at times deeply overwhelming to be with. And the internal 'map' we've been using to navigate obstacles may be one that is riddled with self-judgment- shame, criticism, perfectionism, and fear. Our outward behaviours and inner self talk might not reflect the way we actually aspire to live. Our intention is to provide a 'vehicle' through mindfulness and compassion skills, to travel new pathways and support you in realizing and manifesting your potential as you move into adulthood.

Join Us for 8 Weeks Online If You:

  • Want to build or strengthen a mindfulness meditation practice
  • Need support in keeping a more consistent and regular sitting practice
  • Appreciate the inspiration and encouragement from a like-minded community of people
  • Interested in new perspectives that inspire your growth
  • Recognize the benefits of ongoing mindfulness and compassion training


    Join us on an 8-week journey to know ourselves better, build your mindfulness practice muscle, and maybe be a little easier on yourself. The one thing we hope you leave the course with is more confidence and way to practice mindfulness in your life.

    Mindfulness is     well-known for its ability to help become focused and grounded in the present moment. With the mind and body more at ease, we are able to see our thoughts and feeling more clarity and less reaction. With practice we can learn to be less identified with thoughts that lead to distress, and with training, we can reframe or even release them. This process is self-compassion in action, where we learn to connect with more kindness towards our difficult feelings, rather than to avoid, deny, numb, or escape them.


The Mindfulness Course is facilitated by Rev. Andrew Blake, RP and Meditation Teacher, and Maxine Iharosy, Embodiment Coach and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in Training.

The Yana Intro to Mindfulness Course is made possible because of the generous contribution from the Lang Family Foundation. Thank you. The Lang Family Foundation supports Yana initiatives out of an interest to support mental and emotional health tools for young adults.

Meditation practice at the Yana 2022 August Retreat.

Need a little more of an introduction to us?

Check out our YouTube meditations with (Rev) Andrew Blake, one of our faculty members and co-founder of Sarana Institute. The ones listed below were specifically designed with young adults in mind.

FAQ

What is Yana?

Yana is Sarana Institute's young adult-focused program serving those aged 18-35. For us, it stands for 'Young Adult Nature Awareness', and yāna is also a Buddhist term meaning 'vehicle'. Our intention is to provide a “vehicle” through the skills of mindfulness, compassion and nature connection, to ride through life with inner and outer awareness.

The Yana program offers online mindfulness and compassion courses, workshops, day-long land based retreats, resources, and our annual August Yana Retreat.

When is the course?

The course begins Thursday, February 16th and runs until April 6th.(8 weeks). We go from 7:00 - 8:30 pm EST. Replays will be provided to registrants!

Why is this course free?

Yana 8-Week Online Courses are free because of the generous support of The Lang Family Foundation. We also encourage and invite you to donate to the Sarana Institute’s Yana fund to help us build this program and support the community as we grow.

How should I prepare?

All you need is a device to join us with, internet access, and Zoom - we'll send you the details by email leading up to the course date. Give yourself 5 - 10 minutes to 'arrive' and settle into the class before we begin at 7.

Who is Sarana Institute?

Yana events are hosted by Sarana Institute- a mindfulness-based registered Canadian charity focusing on offering mindfulness training that awakens compassion in caring for ourselves, others and the earth. We have 2 specialized areas of focus: Yana (serving our young adult population), and M+C for Health Care and Caregivers. We also host retreats, workshops, and practice groups for the general public, both online and at Sarana Springs, a 171-acre nature refuge 2.5 North of Toronto.

Who's Teaching the Course?

Your teachers are Andrew Blake and Maxine Iharosy.

Andrew is one of Sarana Institute's Co-founders, and our lead teacher. His guidance has a foundation in his work as a Psychotherapist, Buddhist Chaplain and experienced Mindfulness Practitioner and Educator. Along with lots of lived experience, Andrew brings down-to-earth relatability to complex concepts like the neuroscience of compassion.

Maxine is our Yana Director at Sarana Institute and a Yana faculty member. She draws on her background of Somatic Experiencing, Yoga and Nature Education in guiding others into a more compassionate and fulfilling relationship with their bodies, minds, and the world around.