Mindfulness+

8 basic attitudes

1. Openness, gentle curiosity, the beginner’s mind
2. Acceptance, surrender, letting go
3. Continuity (patience, perseverance)
4. Equanimity: direct perception devoid from partiality, judgment, interpretation or evaluation
5. Empathy, compassion & detachment
6. Gratitude & detachment
7. Loving-kindness
8. Right effort

Exercises

• Body scan level 1: filling the body with attention
• Body scan level 2: filling the body with awareness
• Body scan level 3: filling the body with presence 
• Body scan level 4: filling the body with loving-kindness/light
• Mind mastery level 1: staying in the now
• Mind mastery level 2: staying here and observing thoughts
• Mind mastery level 3: observing feelings and sensations
• Mind mastery level 4: focus and concentration, through breath
• Balancing exercise: “smilefulness”

Tackling misconceptions 

• Mindfulness is not about emptying the mind
• Mindfulness is not becoming emotionless
• Mindfulness is not about being calm or any particular way 
• Mindfulness can significantly reduce stress but it is not about stress reduction
• Mindfulness is not escaping the experience of pain
• Mindfulness is not about being complacent 
• Mindfulness is not a technique 
• Mindfulness is not a magic pill 
• Mindfulness is not religious 
• Mindfulness is not withdrawing from life
• Mindfulness is not seeking bliss

Content of the 4 albums

1/4 Introduction

Basic mindfulness

• Definition (John Kabat Zin, Jan)
• The NOW versus past and present
• Definition: highlight “wat is”
• Basis attitudes 1&2
  • openness, gentle curiosity, the beginner’s mind
  • acceptance, surrender, letting go
• Exercise:
  • Body scan level 1: filling the body with attention
  • Mind mastery level 1: staying in the now
• Tackling misconceptions
  • Mindfulness is not about emptying the mind
  • Mindfulness is not becoming emotionless
  • Mindfulness is not about being calm or any particular way 
• Q&A: naming successes

2/4 Review + level 1

• Introduction NO: observation without judgment or interpretation
• The HERE versus somewhere else or absent
• Definition: review “what is” + higlight “concisously”
• Basis attitudes 3&4
  • continuity (patience, perseverance)
  • equanimity: direct perception devoid from partiality, judgment, interpretation, or evaluation
• Exercise:
  • Body scan level 2: filling the body with awareness
  • Mind mastery level 2: staying here and observing throughts
• Tackling misconceptions
  • Mindfulness can significantly reduce stress but it is not about stress reduction
  • Mindfulness is not escaping pain
  • Mindfulness is not about being complacent 
• Q&A: naming successes

3/4 Review + level 2

• Intermediate NO: observation without interference
• Definition: review “consciously what is” + higlight “living”
• Basis attitudes 5&6
  • empathy, compassion & detachment
  • gratitude & detachment
• Exercise:
  • Body scan level 3: filling the body with presence 
  • Mind mastery level 3: observing feelings and sensations
• Tackling misconceptions
  • Mindfulness is not a technique 
  • Mindfulness is not a magic pill 
• Q&A: naming successes

4/4 Review + level 3

• Advanced NO: from judgment to discernment 
• Definition “what is” + “for what it is”
• Basis attitudes 7&8
  • loving-kindness
  • right effort
• Exercise:
  • Body scan level 4: filling the body with loving-kindness / light
  • Mind mastery level 4: focus and concentration, through breath
• Tackling misconceptions
  • Mindfulness is not religious 
  • Mindfulness is not withdrawing from life
  • Mindfulness is not seeking bliss
• Q&A: naming successes