TOKYO MINDFULNESS PRESENTS
Two sessions together in person. Three live sessions online. One consistent practice partner throughout the course.
SEP 1 – 29, 2026 · TOKYO + ONLINE · ¥46,000 ·
LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE
★ 4.9 across 650+ reviews · 1,000+ people guided through five years of workshops and retreats
Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world. But it can also be one of the loneliest.
I think most of us are looking for the same thing: a deeper connection with ourselves, with other people, and perhaps with something larger than ourselves.
It means saying what is actually happening, listening without immediately trying to fix things, and allowing ourselves to be seen, even when it's a bit uncomfortable.
When we find the courage to step forward, even just a little, we often discover that the connection we were looking for was there all along.
WHAT IS THE ART OF CONNECTION?
The Art of Connection is a five-session experiential course presented by Tokyo Mindfulness. We begin and end together in person in Yoyogi-Hachiman, Tokyo. The three sessions between them take place live online.
The course draws from mindfulness, authentic relating, emotional inquiry, self-compassion, and interpersonal practices.
You will spend much of our time practising with other people: listening, reflecting, noticing your reactions, experimenting with honesty, and discovering what gets in the way when you try to let yourself be seen.
A room full of people discovering what changes when we slow down and really listen
WHAT MIGHT CHANGE?
When you perform, please, withdraw, fix, judge, or try to say the perfect thing
Which feelings and needs you find difficult to acknowledge
How quickly you turn an experience into a story about yourself or someone else
What happens when you listen without offering advice
How to express yourself more honestly without blaming or overwhelming the other person
What it feels like to be seen without having to impress anyone
You will not leave as a perfectly connected person. But you may leave knowing yourself more clearly, trusting your capacity for honest contact, and having experienced what becomes possible when a group of people stops performing quite so hard.
Guided exercises designed to move beyond small talk without forcing intimacy
THE FIVE-SESSION ARC
IN PERSON · 2.5 HOURS · TUE, SEP 1
We begin by creating the kind of space where people can slow down, connect, and be a little more honest than usual. Through movement, paired listening, mirroring, and vulnerability practices, you will explore what happens when you meet another person without immediately fixing, advising, or trying to impress them.
ONLINE · 90 MINUTES · TUE, SEP 8
Through guided parts work, chair work, and self-compassion, we will explore the parts of us that criticise, please, perform, withdraw, or try to stay in control — and practise meeting them with curiosity rather than trying to get rid of them.
ONLINE · 90 MINUTES · TUE, SEP 15
We will look at the stories we create about ourselves and other people, including the familiar patterns of blaming, rescuing, and feeling powerless. You will practise separating what is actually happening from your interpretation of it and finding a more honest sense of responsibility.
ONLINE · 90 MINUTES · THU, SEP 24
We will explore the feelings, needs, boundaries, and desires that often remain unspoken in relationships. Through emotional inquiry and communication practices, you will practise saying what is true for you more clearly — without blaming, hinting, or making the other person responsible for how you feel.
IN PERSON · 2.5 HOURS · TUE, SEP 29
We return to the room for gratitude, eye contact, honest reflection, and integration practices. This final session is a chance to let yourself receive the attention of others, reflect on what has shifted, and consider how to bring greater honesty and connection into the rest of your life.
Sessions 1 and 5 are in person. The others are online, and all you need is a good internet connection and a quiet place that you can take the call where you're comfortable enough doing mindfulness practices.
The wider Tokyo Mindfulness community at a park gathering
THE PRACTICE BETWEEN SESSIONS
Each week, you will have a short call with the same practice partner. You will receive a clear structure involving a check-in, uninterrupted listening, reflection, and a practice connected to that week’s session.
You do not need to become best friends. You do not need to coach one another. You do not need to solve each other’s lives.
You will also receive selected audio practices from my Beyond Calm course to explore between sessions.
THIS COURSE MAY BE FOR YOU IF ...
You understand yourself intellectually but still repeat familiar patterns
You want more honest, meaningful, and boundaried relationships
You’re interested in mindfulness, psychology, somatic awareness, parts work, or Authentic Relating
You want direct experience and practice rather than another lecture-heavy course
You do not need previous experience with any of these approaches. You do need a willingness to participate honestly, respect your own limits, and engage in paired and small-group practices.
It may not be the right fit if you do not want to participate in partner practices, are currently experiencing an acute mental-health crisis, or need a level of individualized therapeutic support that a group course cannot safely provide.
COURSE DETAILS
DATES — SEPTEMBER 2026
Session 1 — In person · Tue, Sep 1 · 6:30pm-9:00pm
Session 2 — Online · Tue, Sep 8 · 7pm-8:30pm
Session 3 — Online · Tue, Sep 15 · 7pm-8:30pm
Session 4 — Online · Thu, Sep 24 · 7pm-8:30pm
Session 5 — In person · Tue, Sep 29 · 6:30pm-9:00pm
In-person sessions are 2.5 hours; online sessions are 90 minutes. All times are Japan Standard Time.
LOCATION
YCC 代々木八幡コミュニティーセンター
Yoyogi-Hachiman, Tokyo
Online sessions will be held live on Zoom. Access details will be sent after registration.
INVESTMENT
¥46,000
Limited to 15 participants.
The course will be facilitated in English.
INCLUDED
Two 2.5-hour in-person workshops
Three live 90-minute online sessions
One consistent practice partner for the course
Simple structures for weekly partner calls
Selected guided audio practices from Beyond Calm
Reflection and integration prompts
ABOUT MISHA
Hey there, I’m Misha Yurchenko, the founder of Tokyo Mindfulness and the author of Beyond Calm.
I’ve lived in Japan for more than ten years, worked in the corporate world, and built and ran a venture-funded startup. For almost five years I've been guiding retreats, workshops, and events designed to foster deeper connection.
I came to meditation after experiencing extreme burnout while running my startup in Tokyo. It helped me become more aware, but eventually I had to confront an uncomfortable truth: I could see my patterns clearly and still repeat them in the relationships that mattered most.
That question led me into somatic practice, emotional inquiry, and the relational side of healing. Through Tokyo Mindfulness, I’ve now guided more than 1,000 people through events, courses, workshops, and retreats.
I’m a certified, trauma-informed meditation teacher with more than ten years of practice experience. I live in Tokyo with my family and my cat, Clooney.
Guiding a circle on retreat in Nagano, Japan.
WHAT PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS SAY
guiding workshops & retreats across Japan
of people guided in person
average across 650+ event reviews
The course is new. The work behind it isn’t. These are a few words from people I’ve guided one-on-one and on retreat — the same inner territory the course moves through.
“I reached out to Misha when I felt lost and, at times, depressed about my life. After only two sessions, I felt like his guided meditations went deeper and uncovered more about myself than hours of behavioral therapy did.”
J.H., tech founder
“Working with Misha has been a source of clarity in my spiritual path. Each session helps me reconnect with self-compassion and discover new parts of myself that gently open a wider perspective on life, without trying to change or fix anything. His presence makes the process feel natural, grounded, and sincere.”
Chris, software engineer
“Misha’s coaching taught me how to self-soothe, regulate, and heal. I had several cathartic experiences during his guided meditations where I burst out sobbing with new realizations. His sessions helped me find the right direction for my future.”
Kay
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No. The Art of Connection is an educational and experiential course. It may complement therapy or other forms of personal work, but it is not group therapy or clinical treatment.
No. All practices will be explained and guided. You only need a willingness to slow down, pay attention, and participate.
You won't be expected to speak constantly or perform for the group. Much of the course takes place in 11- conversations in pairs, with clear instructions and time to reflect.
No. You are free to decide what you share. The purpose is not to reveal your most painful experiences. It is to notice how you relate and experiment with a little more honesty and contact. Starting small is usually a good idea!
I will pair participants with the intention of creating a supportive and workable match. You'll have different practice partners for each session. However, for the listening buddy call, you will stay with the same listening buddy throughout the course.
You will receive a simple structure for each call with your listening buddy. This will generally include a check-in, a period of uninterrupted listening, reflection, and a practice connected to the previous session.
Plan for approximately 45 minutes for your partner call, with 15-20 minutes for audio practices and reflection.
The in-person sessions are a core part of the course, so please register only if you can make a genuine commitment to attending every session. Of course, life happens, and I completely understand if something unexpected comes up. While I’m unable to offer makeup sessions, you’ll receive the session recording and can explore some of the missed practices during your buddy call.
Participants will be asked to keep personal stories and experiences shared during the course confidential. Specific confidentiality guidelines will be established during the first session.
You may request a full refund up to 24 hours before the first session begins. Because this is a small-group course with limited places, refunds are not available once the course has started, including for missed sessions or changes in personal circumstances.
If the course is cancelled by the organizer, you will receive a full refund.
COME PRACTISE WITH US
A chance to slow down, stop performing quite so hard, and practise being a little more honest than usual.
You do not have to arrive fearless, healed, outgoing, or certain.
You just have to arrive.
SEP 1 – 29, 2026 · TOKYO + ONLINE · ¥46,000 · LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE
縁 · EN — THE TIES AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER