About us

We are a not-for-profit organisation committed to the practice, research and application of mindfulness.

At its heart, mindfulness is paying attention on purpose from moment-to-moment with an attitude of non-judgment, curiosity and openness. This simple capacity we recognise as universal and transformational, transcending ideology, belief and culture. As such we support the integration and application of mindfulness in diverse areas of South African society as a means for individuals to connect with the inherent, spacious wisdom and peace at the core of our being.

We all witness the effects of mindlessness in our lives and on the lives of others, not to mention our planet. The practice of mindfulness is an authentic way to address this tendency and connect with what is arising in the here and now and respond to it with less reactivity, greater clarity and skilfulness.

The objective of the Institute for Mindfulness is to be an umbrella organisation for those who are interested in the practice and in its application. We are a collective of individuals from diverse backgrounds who appreciate the value of mutual support and personal development that result from cooperation.

To launch the Institute we were delighted to host Jon Kabat-Zinn, emeritus professor of Medicine, founder and first executive director of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center during April and May 2008. Jon led retreats and offerered academic lectures, public talks and seminars to the great benefit of all those who attended. We look forward to hosting Jon again for an extended training retreat.

If we do not want to be overwhelmed or consumed by the currents of fear and doubt which plague our country we cannot afford to be passive . Cultivating mindfulness is a significant way in which we can develop, share and extend our capacities for awareness and compassion - by valuing being as much as doing, and allowing our doing to be informed by this deeper quality that is essential and common to all of us. While this practice appears on the surface to be "much ado about nothing" it is in fact a profound way to be proactive in how we engage with, understand and respond to the challenges, uncertainties and confusion in us and around us. As an organisation, then, we will embrace the idea of mindfulness in action, working to ensure that we contribute, individually and collectively to the ongoing healing of our country.

The section -21 company has 3 directors who are voted in at our AGM each year. The day to day running of IMISA is through the executive commitee (ExCo), under the chairmanship of Simon Whitesman, and secretarial efficency of Viv Zaacks. There are a number of portfolios including: (coordinator in brackets): Training and Events (Pete Milligan), Research (Victoria Ives), Community Outreach (Phil Ginsberg), Peer Support (Mathew Watkin), Communication/IT (Lindsey Gittins)

We invite you to join us: we welcome your active participation in the Institute for Mindfulness.

For information on membership please contact us

For information on portfolios and contact details of coordintors contact Viv Zaacks on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it