Mark Van Buren is the consummate mental fitness trainer. He teaches meditation, but it’s so much more than that – it’s life skills training for corralling and managing the daily stress and thoughts that block us from living our best life. Mark respectfully and non-judgmentally encourages and guides, using personal life examples and clear, motivating, easy to follow and repeat, well-explained exercises which he both demonstrates and does along with you. I never really grasped the value, need and enjoyment of meditation until I took Mark’s class. And I never knew there was such a variety of ways to meditate! He is an amazing, fluent teacher and a kind, patient mentor. I can only say how impressed I am that The Gym cares so much about its clients to offer such an all-encompassing and holistic fitness training program. Thank you!

Dorothy

I started private Mental Fitness Training with Mark about two months ago at THE GYM. My main motivation at the beginning was to try and create a more peaceful, less anxious, and calmer ME. I have so much going on in my life (like everyone), and with the added impact of COVID, I found myself often feeling out of control. Everything was causing anxiety. It was not a good situation.

 

To say the least, my sessions with Mark have provided me a safe haven. I’m learning how to quiet my noisy inner world and begin to accept my feelings, rather than let them take control. It’s really hard work, yet his emphasis on kindness, compassion, and loving myself motivates me and keeps me moving forward in my practice.

 

The “meditation” itself, is more challenging for me. As Mark says, just SHOW UP and make the time to be alone with yourself and your feelings. This seems to ground me, and allows me to explore who I am and who I want to be. It’s definitely hard to still and quiet my body and mind, but I am beginning to understand the importance of nourishing and being kind to myself, along with accepting myself exactly as I am – here and now.

 

As for my Mental Fitness Trainer, Mark. He is a kind, compassionate, loving and gentle man. His manner gives me the space to feel heard and recognized, which in turn seems to make me stronger and more resilient. I am 71 years old and trying to create, as Mark would say, “new nueral pathways.” This is quite the challenge! Through meditation I hope to be more open to new responses and new ways to assess situations I am confronted with. At least, with Mark’s help, I am trying. He is such a good teacher. He is never judgmental, and is always encouraging and passionate about the personal benefits that come from a steady meditation practice (which luckily he holds me accountable for).

 

So I am on a new journey trying to find more peace, calm, and compassion in my life. I know, this isn’t such an easy job, but it’s a start…

Joanne