What is Mindfulness?
What is an example of a Mindfulness Practice?
Mindfulness Practice can include:
- Mindfulness and mindfulness skills
- Meditation
- Contemplative Prayer
- Mindfulness Movement
When was the last time you were in emotion mind. Describe the situation and experiences to the group.
Emotion mind is: Hot, Mood-Dependent, & Emotion Focused. When in emotion mind, you are ruled by your moods, feelings and urges to do or say things. Facts reason, and logic are not important.
How do you "observe"?
- Notice your body sensations
- Pay attention
- Control your attention
- Practice wordless watching
- Observe both inside and outside yourself.
What is an example of a judgment? And then replace judgment with nonjudgmental statement.
Judgments are judgmental thoughts and statements.
Nonjudgmentally:
- Don't evaluate as good or bad, observe and describe, acknowledge differences without judging.
What is your favorite mindfulness practice?
Answer can be anything!
-Drinking your morning coffee mindfully.
-A favorite meditation.
-Mindfully taking a walk, folding laundry, taking a shower...
-Etc.
What are mindfulness skills?
Mindfulness skills are the specific behaviors to practice that, when put together, make up mindfulness.
What are the 3 states of mind?
Reasonable (Or Logical) Mind, Wise Mind & Emotion Mind.
What are the 3 "What" skills?
Observe, Describe & Participate.
What are the 3 "How" Skills?
Nonjudgmentally, One-Mindfully, & Effectively.
What is self-compassion?
Having compassion for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others. Think about what the experience of compassion feels like. First, to have compassion for others you must notice that they are suffering. If you ignore that homeless person on the street, you can’t feel compassion for how difficult his or her experience is. Second, compassion involves feeling moved by others’ suffering so that your heart responds to their pain (the word compassion literally means to “suffer with”). When this occurs, you feel warmth, caring, and the desire to help the suffering person in some way. Having compassion also means that you offer understanding and kindness to others when they fail or make mistakes, rather than judging them harshly. Finally, when you feel compassion for another (rather than mere pity), it means that you realize that suffering, failure, and imperfection is part of the shared human experience. “There but for fortune go I.”
Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself. Instead of just ignoring your pain with a “stiff upper lip” mentality, you stop to tell yourself “this is really difficult right now,” how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?
Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?
You may try to change in ways that allow you to be more healthy and happy, but this is done because you care about yourself, not because you are worthless or unacceptable as you are. Perhaps most importantly, having compassion for yourself means that you honor and accept your humanness. Things will not always go the way you want them to. You will encounter frustrations, losses will occur, you will make mistakes, bump up against your limitations, fall short of your ideals. This is the human condition, a reality shared by all of us. The more you open your heart to this reality instead of constantly fighting against it, the more you will be able to feel compassion for yourself and all your fellow humans in the experience of life.
Give us a definition of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is intentionally living with awareness in the present moment, without judging or rejecting the moment, without attachment to the moment.
Give an example of being in reasonable mind?
Reasonable Mind is: Cool, Rational, & Task - Focused. When in reasonable mind, you are ruled by facts, reason, logic, and pragmatics. Values and feelings are not important.
Observe and then Describe something in the room you are in.
Describe:
-Put words on the experience.
-Label what you observe.
-Unglue your interpretations and opinions.
-If you can't observe it through your senses; you can't describe it.
Give an example of practicing one-mindfully.
One-Mindfully:
-Rivet yourself to now.
-Do one thing at a time.
-Let go of distractions.
-Concentrate your mind.
What are the 3 elements of self-compassion?
1. Self-kindness vs. Self-judgment.
Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism. Self-compassionate people recognize that being imperfect, failing, and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable, so they tend to be gentle with themselves when confronted with painful experiences rather than getting angry when life falls short of set ideals. People cannot always be or get exactly what they want. When this reality is denied or fought against suffering increases in the form of stress, frustration and self-criticism. When this reality is accepted with sympathy and kindness, greater emotional equanimity is experienced.
2. Common humanity vs. Isolation.
Frustration at not having things exactly as we want is often accompanied by an irrational but pervasive sense of isolation – as if “I” were the only person suffering or making mistakes. All humans suffer, however. The very definition of being “human” means that one is mortal, vulnerable and imperfect. Therefore, self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering and personal inadequacy is part of the shared human experience – something that we all go through rather than being something that happens to “me” alone.
3. Mindfulness vs. Over-identification.
Self-compassion also requires taking a balanced approach to our negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated. This equilibrated stance stems from the process of relating personal experiences to those of others who are also suffering, thus putting our own situation into a larger perspective. It also stems from the willingness to observe our negative thoughts and emotions with openness and clarity, so that they are held in mindful awareness. Mindfulness is a non-judgmental, receptive mind state in which one observes thoughts and feelings as they are, without trying to suppress or deny them. We cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion for it at the same time. At the same time, mindfulness requires that we not be “over-identified” with thoughts and feelings, so that we are caught up and swept away by negative reactivity.
What is a goal of a mindfulness practice?
Goals of Mindfulness Practice include:
-Reduce suffering & increase happiness
-Increase control of your mind
-Experience reality as it is
What is Wise Mind?
Wise Mind is:
-The wisdom within each person
-Seeing the value of both reason and emotion
-Bringing left brain and right brain together
-The middle path
When was the last time you intentionally used the "What" Skills effectively? Describe to the group.
Describe how you used: Observe, Describe &/or Participate with the group!
Give an example of how to practice effectively.
- Be mindful of your goals
- Focus on what works
- Play by the rules
- Act as skillfully as you can
-Let fo of willfulness
- Ask :"Is this effective"
-Notive willfulness, practice willingness.
What is Loving Kindness?
Loving kindness is a mindfulness practice designed to increase love and compassion first for ourselves and then for our loved ones, for friends, for those we are angry with, for difficult people, for enemies, and then for all beings. (Page 62).
Imagine you wanted to share about mindfulness to a friend... describe mindfulness.
Mindfulness is intentionally living with awareness in the present moment, without judging or rejecting the moment, without attachment to the moment.
You can practice mindfulness in many ways including mindfulness practices (at anytime, anywhere intentionally paying attention to the moment without judging or holding onto it), meditation, contemplative prayer, or mindfulness movement.
Give two examples of Wise Mind Practices.
Page 49 in Binder:
- Stone flake on the lake
-Walking down the spiral staircase
- Breathing "Wise" in, "Mind" out
- Asking Wise Mind a question
-Asking is this Wise Mind?
-Attending to Breath and Finding Your Center
- Expanding Awareness
- Dropping into the Pauses
Lead the group in a "Participate" Activity!
Have the group sing, dance, exercise, etc.
Participate:
-Throw yourself completely into activities of the current moment
-Become one with whatever you are doing.
-Go with the flow!
Lead the group in a One-Mindfulness Practice.
-Awareness with meditation or activity, one-mindfully bringing yourself and the group back to the moment.
What are some of the pros and cons to practicing mindfulness?
Pros: Reduce suffering and increase happiness, increase control of your mind, experience reality as it is, improved relationships, etc.
Cons: Can be uncomfortable to be mindful of circumstances and/or feelings, can be challenging at times, takes awareness and discipline to practice, etc.