Dates : A winter course in 2013, dates to be confirmed
Venue : Kagyu Samye Dzong, Cape Town
6 Morgenrood Rd.
Kenilworth, 7780
www.kagyu.org.za
Bookings :dharma@discoverymail.co.za
Dates : A winter course in 2013, dates to be confirmed
Venue : Kagyu Samye Dzong, Cape Town
6 Morgenrood Rd.
Kenilworth, 7780
www.kagyu.org.za
Bookings :dharma@discoverymail.co.za
Observatory’s Jenny Canau is balm for the soul. She teaches mindfulness and is currently a director of Mindfulness Africa, an initiative that runs mindfulness training across the country. By Joy Watson.
When in the presence of Jenny Canau one is immediately aware how ‘cluttered’ our minds become and how far we sometimes stray from being fully present in any given moment. She has a soothing, radiant presence and is beautiful, both physically and in spirit.
Jenny is one of a few people who can carry off bold geometric designs, floral-wear and all things alternative. Yet her best feature is her sense of being passionate about being alive. When in her company it is very difficult not to be enthused by her energy and zest for life. She has an infectious, roaring laugh and brings her special, magical sense of being into every space she enters, with many hugs and kisses to go around.
Jenny’s journey with mindfulness started in 1997. “I started practising mindfulness meditation with Rob Nairn who initiated the Mindfulness Association in both Scotland and South Africa and it has since become a way of life.”
Jenny believes this is where mindfulness becomes very useful. It teaches that life is bittersweet and nothing is permanent. There will always be different moments, comprising both joy and pain and we need to learn how to be present in these moments.
It teaches us to allow whatever difficulty is present and to become stable with it. “Eventually we begin to realise that whatever difficulty it is that we are facing, no matter how excruciating the pain, it will arise, show itself and eventually dissipate.”
Jenny tries to incorporate mindfulness into her daily routine at around midday when her toddler takes his nap. “I then get to practise being mindful for about an hour. This is my process for opening my heart to what is going on in my mind. It helps me take care of myself in a deeper and more meaningful way. It also means that I take heartfelt responsibility for my thoughts, emotions and behaviour.”
Training in mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular as many people struggle to find meaning and ways of being in an increasingly difficult world. Jenny is a lawyer by profession. She has recently been approached to start a mindfulness course for lawyers as part of a new initiative by the Centre for Integrative Law, testimony to how mindfulness can enhance any profession and every aspect of our lives.
Ultimately, being mindful is about being awake and alive within your skin. So if you have been suffering from moments where your mind has been “full”, where you feel the fatigue associated with the stresses of juggling far too many thoughts that threaten to implode, it’s time that you consider training in mindfulness! It could well change your life.
Jenny can be contacted on 084-627-4847 or visit www.mindfulnessafrica.org.za
Penny for your thoughts
What are you most passionate about? Benefitting the lives of others. What gives you joy? Connecting to others.What most disturbs you? Being alienated from others.
What can you not do without? Bright clothes. How do you to unwind? Bathing in hot water. What is your favourite food? Anything with lots of chilli! What is your favourite book? Siddharta by Hermann Hesse.
http://capetown.getitonline.co.za/component/content/article/48-people/720-living-in-the-moment
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