Focus + Calm

4 Week Foundations Course

In this course, you'll be guided through the foundations of mindfulness meditation, learn key tools and techniques, and establish the groundwork to jumpstart your own meditation practice or deepen your current one.

~ Feel calmer and less stressed

~ Hone your focus

~ Develop greater presence

~ Learn tools and strategies to create a sustainable home practice

~ Integrate daily mindful habits

Winter Course

Space is limited so we recommend registering early!

In-Person

Wednesday Evenings from 7-8:30pm PT

Class 1: February 8

Class 2: February 15

Class 3: February 22

Class 4: March 1

Location:

Pause Studio® (downtown PDX, see map)

Sliding Scale Tuition

$175, $275, or $375

We offer a “Pay what you can" model. Please pay more, if you can, to help support those less able to pay.

Instructor:

David Sudar

Read Bio

In-person HEALTH + SAFETY Protocols

Course Format

4 in-person classes (once per week for 90 minutes for 4 weeks)
Custom guided recordings for home practice each week
Home practice manual with course materials
Digital course platform with weekly mindful living exercises
31 days of supported meditation + mindfulness practice
Community interaction, accountability, and support

Scholarships

If you are experiencing financial hardship at this time and need support, we have scholarship opportunities and payment plans available.

apply for a scholarship

Want To Learn More Before You Jump In?

CHAT WITH US

Schedule a free 15-minute phone visit to discuss if this course is right for you

SCHEDULE A VISIT

What People Are Saying About This Course

I always told myself I couldn't meditate. The Focus + Calm course was extremely helpful and now I have daily, fulfilling practice! – Jen F.

This is a phenomenal course for those who are looking to better understand the types of meditation, the purpose of meditation, and the benefits that can be obtained from meditation. It can also help you to be more present (mindful) in your day to day life and enjoy the now. – Brian L.

After only 2 weeks, what I noticed most was increased focus and the ability to focus on my breath as a way to calm nerves in stressful moments. I would highly recommend this class for anyone thinking about meditation, or in the early stages of doing their own practice. – Rebecca S.

I am able to meditate better than when I started and learned many tools to enhance my practice. I'm also able to be more mindful in many different experiences throughout the day. – Shana F.

For me, this course lay the foundation for a more consistent practice. Learning to stop and pause throughout the day and have a mindful moment was really impactful. – Tiffany B.

This course is an excellent introduction for anyone who is curious about meditation and wants to take it a step further. The presentations are enjoyable, well thought out and easy to understand. The setting is beautiful and very calming and the opportunity to connect with others on the same road is invaluable. Highly recommended! – Jim C.

This course brought meditation off of a "pedestal" and into real life. Before, I thought I had to get rid of my thoughts completely, but through this course I was able to humanize the practice and learn not to be so hard on myself. – Amy S.

I felt more accountable being part of the course, so I really "did my homework" and meditated with greater frequency. – Greg S.

I loved the presentations, but also just being able to talk and be with other people who are on the same road. Up until now, it was just me and a lot of books. – Randy C.

Nothing replaces real, live human connection and learning directly from an instructor in real-time. This course was a game-changer for me. – John S.

The course was a really powerful way to introduce myself to key concepts and to start incorporating meditation into my daily life. – Clinton H.

This course is a great introduction to meditation that will provide you with the knowledge, tools, and support you need to begin a successful practice. – Dan L.

This course provided me with easy, practical tips to incorporate meditation into my daily life. I have meditated more than ever before and I practice more self-compassion on days that I don't. – Jennifer L.

I was drawn by your beautiful space, but the coursework kept me coming back! I feel so lucky to have started this practice. – Terri H.

The feedback in class, coupled with the lectures helped make meditation more "real" vs. conceptual. – Tyler F.

Excellent course for someone looking to “get their feet wet” and try out meditation. The Pause team is amazingly warm and supportive - a great resource in these stressful times! – Thomas O.

How This Course Can Change Your Life

Through simple daily practices, you will begin to cultivate the following qualities within yourself:

Focus

Improve your concentration and capacity to live in the moment with what's most important to you

Inner Peace

Begin training your mind to lower stress levels and calm anxious or depressed mind-states

Balance

Learn to slow down, find your center, and respond to the waves of daily life with greater ease

Intention

Learn to disengage autopilot and shape the life you want with purpose and direction

Presence

Tune-in to what is happening in each moment of your life with greater awareness and connection

Who Will Benefit From This Course

People who want to reduce stress and anxious feelings
People who want to increase their ability to focus and be more effective at work and in relationships
Suitable for ages 18 and older
People of all backgrounds (this course is accessible and understandable to everyone and applicable to any belief system)

Excellent Value

4 educational and experiential 90 minute classes

31 days of ongoing, supported meditation + mindfulness practice

Expert meditation instruction from a seasoned professional

Custom guided recordings for weekly home practice

Digital course platform with readings and exercises

Ongoing mindfulness coaching + feedback

Community interaction, accountability, and support

Course Curriculum

The Focus + Calm curriculum is science-based and developed by a mental health professional.

WEEK 1

The Power of Mindfulness

The paradox of happiness
Foundations of meditation
BREATH and CONCENTRATION practice
PAUSE practice

WEEK 2

Coming Home to Presence

Expanding the field of awareness
BODY SCAN practice
Cultivating non-reactivity
Mindful tools for greater presence

WEEK 3

Befriending Difficulty

Practicing with EMOTIONS
Pitfalls of autopilot
Awareness of hidden habits
Skillfully navigating challenges

WEEK 4

Learning to Surf

Practicing with THOUGHTS
Not believing everything you think
Riding the waves of distraction
Self-soothing

"Our networks of attention are our foremost means to shaping our lives; these networks give us extraordinary ways to master ourselves and our environment, offering the key to growth, connection, happiness.”

- Maggie Jackson

Focus + Calm: The Science

Evidence of Attentional Expertise in Long-Term Meditators

When MRI brain scans were taken of long-term meditators, the results showed that their brain regions associated with sustained attention and concentration were more activated than those of novice meditators. Read Full Study

Meditation Can Reduce Anxiety/Stress Reactivity and Promote Calm

One mindfulness study included 93 people with generalized anxiety disorder. This disorder causes exaggerated worry and tension over many different things, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it. At the end of the study, consistent meditation practice was associated with a significantly greater reduction in anxiety. Read Full Study

Mindfulness and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Changes in trait (or baseline) mindfulness are evident in pre- to post intervention studies of mindfulness training suggesting that mindfulness training may be a useful complementary tool for improving ADHD. Read Full Study

Advanced Neuroimaging and Focused-Attention Meditation

Neuroimagery and other technologies have helped scientists understand the cycle of events that unfolds in the brain during the practice of focused-attention meditation and specifically which areas of the brain are activated. View Diagram

Join Focus + Calm Today!