“This is best investment of time I’ve ever made. I suggest this workshop to anybody looking for small moments of happiness. Everybody is respectful of our silence and participation. There is no pressure. I just love this class an I will go miles to be present for many more years to come. The Quiet Mind helped me to turn the things I learned from years of management courses into a reality. I’ve finally attained self-control during different difficult situations and feel more at peace. I am more sensitive to people and take more time to react very differently than before. Even my co-workers have commented and appreciate my new approach. I look forward to continuing my training.”

Diane Du Cap
Adorable Lingerie Inc.
Sourcing Production Manager

“I’ve enjoyed Stephen’s classes immensely. I learned that understanding your mind is not as easy and effortless as it sounds. It’s very challenging and requires much commitment. Meditation, to me, means getting closer to your center. I liked the structure of the classes and enjoyed all of Stephen’s thoughts and opinions about love, life, pain, happiness etc. He is an exceptionally articulate speaker and I found myself thinking a lot about the things of which he spoke. Thank you Stephen for the opportunity to tap myself on the shoulder and take a peek inside my mind.”

Linda Rosati
Marketing Executive
Roscan, Montreal

“Thank you very much for the wonderful meditation course. It was thought-provoking and calming at the same time. My meditation routine is well established. I believe that I am on my way.”

Hildegard Brack, PhD
Psychologist

“I didn’t quite know what to expect when I signed up for Stephen’s Quiet Mind workshop. I knew there’d be some discussion, but I was a bit worried there’d be a lot of weird hippy stuff—you know: holding hands, chanting, etc. Thankfully, there isn’t any of that at all. The workshops require thinking, concentration, and active listening; and while Stephen welcomes and encourages discussion, students are free to participate however they please. I can be quite outspoken in my personal and professional life, but at the Quiet Mind I tend to simply take in the conversations Stephen and my peers generate, and I feel I gain much from (and perhaps offer a little through) my own personal form of quiet participation. I attend the workshop for many reasons, but primarily to practice attentiveness, and the Quiet Mind has helped me further cultivate this skill.”

Matthew
Long-time QM Student

“There is so much to say on mindful reflection. It’s helped me get in touch with my emotions, what is going on within me right now. Whether I’m happy, sad, frustrated, angry or just going on about my business. Through this awareness, I’m able to spot old habits (reactions that make me miserable or sick) and consciously choose to change them. It’s not easy; sometimes it is very hard but with a bit of willingness and a lot of intent…things really do change. My life being active and busy has a tendency of taking over (I let it) and forget to take care of myself and my mind. Meeting Stephen and attending his workshops has kept me focused and mindful on what is important to me and my family. Practicing meditation on a daily basis has given me more clarity and peace of mind. Consequently, I feel more confident and make better choices for myself. Basically, for me it has become a way of seeing and living life.”

Christine Anhoury
Long-time QM Student

“I have known Stephen and Caroline five years now and have attended and very much enjoyed several QM workshops. Through them I have continued to learn how to set up and maintain a meditation practice. Stephen through his sessions has taught me to focus my consciousness and quiet my mind chatter. Moreover, through my own practice I have learned through reflection and insight much more about myself and the world around me. I have Stephen and Caroline to thank in making the wonderful Buddhist teachings — the art of mindful reflection — an integral part of my daily life. As a result, my life and my relationships are deeper and richer, more compassionate and loving. In a Western world filled with consumerism and quick fixes these teachings are the most authentic insights into life I have ever come across and only serve to reinforce and deepen the understanding about some of the paradoxes of the Christian teachings I grew up with.
I did need Stephen’s authority and interpretations of the Buddhist teachings to gain clarity about the many misunderstandings I previously had about them. If you want to learn and explore with real discernment and gain a deeper perspective into who you really are, and make more of a positive impact on your own life and the lives of the people who are close to you, I strongly recommend making the effort to learn about these teachings and what it means to have and live with true integrity and honesty, especially to yourself . It is an extremely liberating experience, but not one for the faint of heart. Stephen and his wife Caroline truly provide a gateway that helps to facilitate the understanding why the Buddha and his teachings are some of the most influential teachings ever and how they can make a major difference in the way you live your life ”

Falk Kyser
Long-time QM Student

“I keep taking your course to learn a new way of using my brain; this includes learning how to think more clearly, how to handle stress better. I find my natural personality comes out more easily. The changes have been small and subtle but they are cumulative. Gradually, over the years I have been your student, I have come to realize that these are life-changing—something I didn’t expect. The core of what I’ve learned in your course is an understanding based on experience (aka ‘gut’ understanding ) , as opposed to an understanding based on rational thinking ( philosophy, ideology, or generalizations). This ‘understanding based on experience’ can not be fully described using words – only hinted at. As well, I’ve been learning how to use this understanding as a foundation from which to face reality, a foundation from which to reason. One of the things I like about your course is that it fits so well with things that I have already figured out about life as a consequence of having been alive a long time. An essential part of your course, for me, is that it is intended for people who are trying to figure out life for themselves, not for people who want a set of rules to follow.”

Neil Gordon Wallace
Long-time QM Student

“When I first came to class, I was not sure what to expect and I had preconceived ideas about what you might be telling us – maybe trying to persuade us that other forms of meditation were inferior or possibly presenting some sort of religious dogma. Well, even with my prejudices and skepticism, you quickly disarmed me. I find your classes wonderful.

You project your sincerity and your humility with great warmth and humour. I find that each week you express some of what I have been thinking – and much more that provokes me to deeper thinking.”

Doris Potter
Pharmaceutical Systems Coordinator

“This course offers a no-nonsense approach to developing coping skills for modern day lifestyles. I especially appreciated the unpretentiousness of Stephen’s advice towards meditation as a practical art rather than a religious preoccupation. I feel I have left the course a more able person for dealing with all of life’s many stresses and this skill is priceless. The course is a worthy investment towards personal development. Thank you for this experience.”

Diana Simms
Teacher

“The classes gave me a greater awareness of self, and an increased sense of inner peace. I also enjoyed the sense of being stretched as I worked to grasp the theories and concepts presented and discussed. Going to a ‘class’ was a great opportunity. I particularly enjoyed the sense of connectivity, so difficult to experience without the facilitation of a knowledgeable teacher.”

Anne St. Georges
VP, HR & Corporate Services (Retired)
Bell Canada International

“After 6 or 7 workshops I still find the reinforcement of the ideas that are shared help to keep me grounded. I feel I have tools to deal with life‘s stresses, twists and turns. Focusing on the breath, the present moment, using the mantra ‘let it go’ and remembering even 5 minutes of meditation a day is better than nothing, have helped me along this pathway. Tips Stephen gives us such as “every time you look at your watch or clock, take 3 breaths” is an example of what makes things work for me. You don’t need to assume you need to sit meditating for hours to have it make a difference in your life. The totally relaxed environment during the classes and being with like-minded people are also comforting and supportive aspects of the workshops”

Diane Sprackett
Long-time QM Student

“The Mindful Reflection workshops help me stay on track, and Stephen’s various commentaries on the essential reality of life is a gift I enjoy. With all our busy lives, it’s essential to stop from time to time, all the better to see the road and appreciate it at its best. Life’s a one-time journey – we must have a good look at it and share it with our loved ones. You’re doing a great job to improve humanity. Keep going.”

André Vezina
A.W. Miller Technical Sales Inc.
Sales Coordinator

“Prior to starting Stephen’s Quiet Mind Workshop I knew that my work-life balance was not right, but I could not put a finger on what needed changing. Through the workshop I was able to get past the everyday clutter and focus on rebalancing my life, which resulted in a positive impact on both my home and work life.”

Arthur Baylis
Product Development Manager
EMS Technologies Canada, Ltd.
Quebec, Canada

“As an executive in the public sector, I can say that The Quiet Mind has helped me relax, manage my stress level and increase my concentration. Also, it has given me some tools to better understand myself and my reactions to external events and put those events in their proper perspective.”

Germain Laporte
Senior Officer, Internal Disclosure
Social Development Canada

“After studying various types of Meditation over the past fifteen years, I’ve found that the techniques I learned in The Quiet Mind workshops have had the greatest impact on everyday life. As a business owner and mother of two young children, I find that I’m much calmer now than I was before. It has definitely made a huge difference in the way I relate to people, and in the way people perceive me. We are fortunate to have access to such an enlightened teacher.”

Debbie Must
President
Aylmer-Must Healthcare Services

“The workshop helped me to realize that meditation isn’t a quick fix, or an easy way to solve my problems. It was, however, simpler and more effective than I’d thought it would be. By taking the time to bring my attention back to the breath while meditating each day, I realized that I wasn’t a slave to my thoughts and emotions. I developed a sense of calm.”

Kyla Gilbert, Age 16
Quiet Mind student