Course Summary

In the last few months, our society and culture have experienced tremendous shifts and challenges in direct relation to how our work, relationships and routines have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Those who are agile and able to deal with and respond to acute and ongoing change and stress, are better positioned to maintain self-care - and even flourish - through the opportunities presented this year and beyond.

In the same way that measured stress in weight training builds muscle, leaning how to interpret and work with our mental and emotional challenges helps us to develop ‘mental fitness’. 

By skilfully engaging with what is real in the present moment and reducing attention on the negative bias in our habitual thinking, we can deal with stress with greater grace and ease.

Over 8-weeks, we will explore and integrate the following benefits:

  • Understand how the human mind is geared towards enacting stressful survival patterns – and how to defuse and deal with the autopilot tendency to live in anxiety in unpredictable times;
  • Learn how to usefully engage this new understanding, cultivate inner strength and expand your capacity to identify and affect positive developments in your life and through external circumstances;
  • Cultivate a ‘Resilience Toolbox’ to engage with the current situation, fast-moving-changes and when relating to others;
  • A daily working practice to ground these new insights and ensure lasting habits. 


Learning will be spread across 4 x informative and interactive workshops (including smaller breakout groups), individual reflection and optional journaling exercises. A variety of supporting resources are provided, including a pre-course survey (to gauge your goals), participant course workbook, additional worksheets/handouts and a community discussion area for ongoing support and accountability. 


This evidence-based 8-week course format allows for a fortnightly period in between each workshop, to give you the time to integrate all the tools and resources, and to create sustainable confidence, clarity and calm in your life.

Course Outline

About Michael

Michael Bartura has been involved in lifestyle education, health & wellness promotion, training and organisational development since the mid-Eighties. With close to 20 years of management experience in four continents, he brings to the table a well-refined cross-cultural mentoring capacity and a managerial acumen amassed in both not-for-profit and business contexts. He has extensive experience in Mindfulness practices and delivers insightful and engaging training seminars and groupwork through nondenominational science-based methodologies. In earlier years, Michael worked as a therapist and a trainer in clinics and centres in Australia, UK, the US and Canada. Later, he undertook senior managerial roles in international businesses and charities. In his last full-time role, as a manager for the East West Learning Centre in Singapore, he focused on designing platforms to deliver an integrated Mind-Body approach to leadership education. Last year he oversaw the TeamUp program – a unique coaching journey designed to counter stress and build resilience in charities. In Australia, he runs his own coaching practice based on Mindfulness-based Leadership and Positive Neuroplasticity to work with individuals, organisations and Startups. He is a member of the core faculty of the School of Life in Melbourne and the development team for the new Ripple Affect Institute. Besides a variety of certificates and diplomas in holistic therapies, Michael holds a Master’s degree in Management from Macquarie Graduate School of Management. He is a passionate and skilful coach and has been an associate of the Asian leadership Institute for close to 20 years.

Michael Bartura

Positive Neuroplasticity & Mindfulness Leader

Pricing & Inclusions

Pricing Inclusions: Your $270AUD enrolment fee includes 4 x informative and interactive workshops including smaller breakout groups (total 9 hours of workshop time) and a variety of supporting resources including a pre-course survey (to gauge your goals), participant course workbook, additional worksheets/handouts and a community discussion area for ongoing support and accountability.

Choose to pay $270AUD upfront, or split the cost over 2 x monthly instalments of $135.

learn practical evidence-based lifestyle strategies to maximise your health and wellbeing

For over 35 years, our compassionate and expert therapists have helped people find a better quality of life following diagnosis; providing you with the tools and information to help you make confident choices and take control of your health and wellbeing. Consistent with the research underpinning lifestyle factors associated with chronic illness, our programs emphasise the importance of reducing stress and regaining physical, emotional and mental balance to promote healing, boost immunity, reduce stress and create clarity of mind at a time when it’s needed most.

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We're here to Support You

Our client services team are available during business hours Monday to Friday to answer any questions you might have. Call us on +61 3 5967 5400 (freecall 1300 651 211 within Australia) or email us today!
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Booking Terms & Conditions

  • Program Commitment

    The course requires you to complete and integrate 4 workshops and associated homework within the allocated course timeframe (8-weeks). Our course framework has been set up to best support successful completion, and we have allowed allow ample time for you to layer and integrate the material in a relaxed pace. We do, however, ask that you consider whether you are able to commit to this program prior to booking.

  • Cancellations

    Cancellation requests received before commencement of the program (24th October 2020), are eligible for a full refund or administrative transfer to a future program (either online or face-to-face) at no charge. Where a cancellation has been processed, access to this online program will be deactivated. Please contact us at programs@gawler.org or call 1300 651 211 to arrange a cancellation.

  • Transfers

    Transfer requests received before commencement of the program, will not incur any administrative transfer fee. Transfer requests received during program participation due to health or personal challenges, are eligible for the following: 1) ONE complimentary administrative transfer from this program to another comparable course at a suitable time. 2) Subsequent administrative transfers will be charged at a rate of $110 per transfer. Please note this transfer may be waived at the discretion of The Yarra Valley Living Centre where extenuating circumstances apply. 3) If in consultation with our Programs Team is deemed that the online program format is unsuitable, we will offer you a complimentary administrative transfer to a shared room in a comparable face-to-face retreat program. A 30% discount will also be applied to the retreat cost and you will be required to pay the remaining fee. Please contact us programs@gawler.org or call 1300 651 211 to discuss your options.