Transform Course

Total contact in the full course is six (6) months, designed in three phases:

Phase I:    Two (2) days intensive classroom training in Rochester, MN (or eventually also in Cedar Falls, Iowa)
Phase II:   Six (6) months facilitated distance-learning with Dr. Amit Sood, Instructor
Phase III:  One (1) day end-of-course classroom sharing in Rochester, MN (or other site)

Description

Phase I – is a two (2) day workshop wherein 20 to 25 participants learn wisdom collected from neurosciences, philosophy, behavioral economics, psychology, decision-making, spirituality, mindfulness traditions, cosmology, and Medicine.  The focus: to understand the human mind-body connections and how we can live our lives to thrive versus merely to survive.  The Transform course explores resilience from the cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual perspectives to uncover a deeper meaning of one’s life.  Techniques are suggested to optimize use of our brain and mind so they generate fewer distracting and negative thoughts, fulfilling a higher purpose.  Pragmatic daily practices are suggested which lead to more joy, less suffering, better relationships and personal fulfillment.  Participants cultivate a sense of humility, self-compassion, self-acceptance, and self-forgiveness fostering a greater openness to learn and grow, to experience the entire day as ‘flow.’

Phase II – is six (6) months of guided distance-learning wherein the Transform program is unpacked in the context of daily living.  The participants stay together via emails shared by the instructor a few times a week and structured teleconferences every month to reinforce what was learned in the classroom experience, and to process what is happening in daily life in that context.  The emails are written to provoke deeper thinking by using experiences in daily life as metaphors to share timeless principles.  Group sharing tends to be as inspiring as it is educational.  In essence, the group develops deeper gratitude, empathy, and acceptance for one another.

Phase III – is one (1) day classroom end-of-course sharing about what happened during the past six (6) months.  Often participants share from the deepest place, feel validated by what they have learned and incorporated in their daily lives, and feel passionate to take these transformative skills to their personal world.

The program is taught by Dr. Amit Sood, M.D., M.Sc., F.A.C.P., Director of Research at the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, and a Professor of Medicine with Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.  Dr. Sood teaches this program to patients, fellow physicians, other staff members at Mayo Clinic, corporate executives and others.  He has held several national workshops to teach this program and has led multiple research studies involving healthy volunteers and patients at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere incorporating the principles covered in the Transform course.

The Transform course has two options.
Option I:  Two-day workshop (Phase I)
Option II:  Full course that includes the two-day workshop, six-months guided learning, and end-of-course follow up.

The payment schedule depends on which of the two options is chosen.
Option I: $1500 (payable at enrollment)
Option II: $2750 (payable at enrollment)

Participants initially choosing Option I will have the choice to convert to the full course for an additional payment of $1250.

The next Transform courses in 2015 will start on July 24-25, and October 2-3 in Rochester, MN.

Time – 8:00am to 5:00pm both days
Location – Will be informed after registration

Sood, Amit (2013). The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living. Da Capo Lifelong Books. ISBN 978-0738217123.

If you are interested to participate in a Transform course, please email us at [email protected] for further information.