Mindfulness Bio
Sam Foster
Sam has been practicing Yoga and Meditation for over 20 years and came across the path of Ashtanga Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism at the age of 16, which he has been studying ever since. He is fully dedicated to his own spiritual, emotional, mental and physical practices and aims to live his life as a mindful modern being.
Sam is a qualified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher, Level 2 Yoga Teacher, Massage Therapist, Holistic Counsellor, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Martial Artist, Stunt Performer and has studied Buddhist Psychotherapy.
Sam has practiced and is a qualified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stillness Meditation (MBSM) from the Gawler Foundation, under the guidance of Paul Bedson. He has also practiced Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Zen Meditation and is a Vipassana Meditator.
Sam has taught yoga and meditation as part of Yoga Teacher Training Courses for several yoga schools including, Essence of Living, Laura Humphreys Yoga, My Health Yoga, New Farm Power Yoga and Golden Yoga.
Sam has also worked at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, in the beautiful Tallebudgerra Valley, in Queensland, Australia. In his role at Gwinganna, Sam facilitated group meditation, yoga and kung fu workshops with guests as well as performing remedial massage and one-on-one meditation and mindfulness sessions as part of Gwinganna’s Internationally acclaimed spa.
Internationally Sam taught guest workshops for the Odaka Yoga Centre in Rome, Italy and Yoga and Body Awareness to actors and dancers in Bangalore, Chennai and Mysore, India. Sam has lived in Bhutan, where he was a specialty therapist for Amankora (Aman Resorts), teaching yoga to guests and staff as well as performing remedial massage therapy and bodywork.
Sam has also taught yoga and performed massage therapies for many elite athletes and sporting teams. He has been employed as a yoga teacher and massage therapist for professional tennis players (including Bernard Tomic), the Australian Men’s Baseball team, national netball teams, basketball teams, football teams and many other top-level athletes. Having been an elite athlete himself, Sam has a strong passion for helping athletes to optimise their performance by training both their body and mind.
As a professional actor and physical performer, Sam has spent much of his time teaching yoga for theatre and dance companies across Australia and Internationally. His interest in psychology and the human condition, as well as a deep understanding of the human body, has seen Sam use yoga and meditation as a powerful tool for developing mindfulness and body awareness for performers.
Sam’s focus is to help people cultivate “methods for mindful living”. He strives to do this by combining his years of experience in various fields, into easy to understand, accessible and practical teachings. Sam is passionate about sharing his interest and knowledge of mindfulness practices to as many people as possible.
He has developed several workshops and courses, including his “4 Week Mindfulness and Stress Resilience Course”, which he delivers to individuals and organisations around the world. As well as facilitating courses and workshops, Sam has also been a guest speaker for several organisations including; Soul Sessions (Sydney), Mates 4 Mates (Brisbane) and Lion Breweries (Brisbane)
Sam aims to “practice what he preaches” and believes that the integration of full awareness into your daily life is the main objective of modern practices like yoga, meditation and mindfulness and can lead to a happier and healthier life.
“Kill therefore with the sword of wisdom the doubt born of ignorance that lies in the thy heart. Be one in self-harmony and arise, great warrior, arise” – Bhagavad Gita.
Modalities
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a growing area of interest and importance in our modern world, particularly in the West. It has many different definitions as well as many far-reaching benefits. Countless studies have now be conducted all around the world into the positive health effects mindfulness practices can have, particularly in the area for stress reduction or as I prefer, “stress resilience”.
One of the pioneers of mindfulness in the west is Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn and he describes mindfulness as:
The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.
The ability to “BE” our authentic self in any given moment brings power, purpose and richness to our existence. It allows us to see things clearly as they are in this moment, free from comparison of the past and free from projections of the future, centering our attention and focus in the present and allowing us to respond in a mindful way.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient Indian science that explores the connections between the body and mind. The word Yoga means, “to yoke” or “unify”. This refers not only to the union of the body and mind but also to the ultimate union of the individual human spirit to that of the collective or universal spirit.
This union takes place through the disciplined practice of specific breathing techniques, physical postures (asanas), meditation and deep philosophical understanding. Yoga therefore is not merely an exercise regime but a lifestyle choice. It is training for the whole self, not just the body. Asana is only one of the eight "limbs" of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well-being than physical activity. In the West, however, the words asana and yoga are often used interchangeably. What is commonly referred to as "yoga", can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word “asana”.
The practice of Yoga is an exploration of the possibilities and limitations of the body/ mind organism. Through this exploration we gain a deeper insight of our self, of our true nature, of our body and mind, which allows us to free ourselves from the afflictive states of being and experience peace, joy and lasting happiness.
Regular Yoga practice benefits the physical body by increasing strength, balance, body awareness and flexibility. It also improves the circulatory system, immune system, digestive system, nervous system and respiratory system. Yoga is a true holistic and healing practice that will enhance your life!
Here are some other definitions of Yoga;
· ~ Bhagavad Gita – (Ch.2, V.50) “… Be even tempered in both success and failure. This mental evenness is what is meant by Yoga. Indeed, equanimity is Yoga!”
· “Yoga is four-fold awareness: awareness of body, awareness of emotions, awareness of mind and awareness of awareness. One should start with the awareness of just how unaware one is!”
· “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”
· “Yoga is the process of ending the definitions of the field of consciousness” – Patanjali
· “Yoga is considered to be the steady fixing of the senses” – Katha Upanishad
4 Week Mindfulness and Stress Resilience Course
This course is an introduction to the basics of mindfulness and will give you the foundation skills necessary to increase your resilience to stress and improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Mindfulness helps you build your resilience to stressful situations in life by training yourself to “meet stress” in a new light, using simple and effective practices, such as mindfulness meditation. Some of the topics covered in the course include:
· Foundations of Mindfulness
· Cultivating Awareness
· Flight, Fight, Freeze Response
· Various Meditation Techniques
· Interpersonal Mindfulness
· Mindful Listening
· Mindfulness and Self Care
· Meeting Stress
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in Meditation and Mindfulness and how it can be integrated into your life to help develop stress resilience. No prior experience is required, just an open mind and a willingness to learn!
Services
Mindfulness, Meditation & Yoga
One on One
Private sessions are great for people at any level of practice, whether you are just starting out or looking to deepen your practice
Classes
Do you have a group of people looking for a teacher? Or perhaps a centre looking for someone to run a class? Classes can be catered to whatever level you need.
Corporate Groups
Do you have a team that you manage? Mindfulness, meditation and yoga are great ways to support their mental and physical wellbeing. Happy and healthy workers are more productive workers and committing to the wellbeing of your staff improves the culture of your whole organisation.
4 week Mindfulness and Meditation Course
In Person
Courses run at various times throughout the year so keep an eye out on the website for the next upcoming course.
If you have a group, yoga studio or any other organisation and would like Sam to come and facilitate his 4 Week Mindfulness and Meditation Course please get in contact.
Online
Due to COVID-19 restrictions with travel and social distancing, Sam will now be running his 4 week course online, via Zoom.
The course will run one night/ week for four consecutive weeks.
Keep an eye out on the website or get in contact for details about the next upcoming course.
Cultivating methods for mindful living!