Mindfulness For Absolute Beginners

In this session, we practice 'The Basics of Mindfulness'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath at the nose. If you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from purposefully paying non-judgmental attention to the present moment. Our goal is not to empty the mind but rather notice where it is. We do this by focusing on an anchor (the breath) and then noticing when it has wandered

In this session, we discuss the question, "What does mindfulness mean to me?" and "When practicing mindfulness meditation, the mind will wander, can we use where the mind wanders as a way to discover insights into our own nature?"

In this session, we practice 'Present State Awareness'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath at the nose if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. Then shift your point of focus: What can you hear? What can you see? What can you feel? These are the sensations arising in this moment. You can choose anything as an anchor of focus. Explore these in your day to bring more mindfulness into your life.

In this session, we discuss the question, "If we are practicing mindfulness, and our mind goes back to a memory from ten years ago, should we ignore it or address it?" We discuss this from a pure 'mindfulness meditation' approach and from a self-improvement longevity approach.

In this session, we practice 'Labeling For Mindfulness'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath at the nose if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. When you notice your mind has wandered, label it "thought", "sensation", "memory", etc. Choosing the category of distraction (not the specifics) and then returning your focus to the breath. If you cannot label it specifically, use the label "cloud" as in a cloud of overwhelm. Labeling can help you to notice where your mind is and return it to focus.

In this session, we discuss the question, "What do I do when my thoughts don't stop?". We discuss this question from a mindfulness perspective, applying the lessons learnt to help process anxiety attacks, triggers, and overwhelm.

In this session, we practice "Intention Setting". Setting an intention for your session helps to keep you focused on the practice. For a Mindfulness Practice, "For the next few minutes, I will be mindfully meditating to improve my calm, clarity, and focus. I will gently return my focus back to the breath for the duration of the session." For a Introspective practice, "I will approach and accept everything that arises with compassionate curiosity and calm confidence." As a mantra/point of focus/contemplation, "I am here now." Intention setting helps you to stay focused and on task. I encourage you to make your own, print it off, and place it where you meditate. A good model to follow is, "What you are doing, why, and for how long."

In this session, we discuss the question, "How Can I Use Mindfulness To Manage Triggers & Feel Safe?" The answer draws on components of mindfulness (present-state awareness) and also employs aspects of the CBT model, affecting your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

In this session, we practice 'Using Mindfulness To Reduce Pain'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath at the nose if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. When you are ready, turn your attention to a point of pain in the body (or feeling of tiredness). Focus on the sensations within, the pressure, movement, and tension. Maintain your focus on the pain and notice what arises in the mind. Notice the changes. Notice the desire to shift focus. If the pain is too strong, mindfully move/shift the body or take time to focus on the breath then return to the pain when you are ready.

In this session, we discuss the questions, "When meditating on pain, are there times when the pain and tension are too much, should I continue with the practice for longer or shorter, or should I just be okay with the experience?" and "I often drift into sleep during silent meditation, any advice?"

In this session, we practice 'Using Counting To Enhance Mindful Focus'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath at the nose if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. Option 1: in your mind, label the in breath 'in, in, in' and the out breath 'out, out, out'. Option 2: in your mind, with the breath, label it as '1, 2, 3...' and so on until you get to 10 or lose your count. Either way, simply begin again at '1' Counting (labeling) is a good too to enhance mindful focus on the anchor. If it works for you, add it to your practice. It is also a good measure of mindful focus, some days you will struggle to get to '3' other days '10' will not be a problem at all. Either way you are meditating correctly.

In this session, we discuss the questions, "Is there a fragility in mindfulness, such that we are at risk of being swept away by thoughts, or does its endurance grow stronger? How do we distinguish fleeting awareness from insight and habitual judgement? Can we stay present with awareness so we can avoid clinging, labeling, or over-identification and remain aware of the ego's subtle influence?"

In this session, we practice 'Focused Attention With Broad Awareness'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. Maintain a small amount of broad awareness to 'track' potential distractions before they shift your focus off the breath. Label them 'thought, emotion, memory, sensation, etc. Focused attention is like a microscope. It will be seen in extensive detail, but may shift easily. With broad awareness, we are looking from a detached, peripheral, stepped-back perspective, noticing things that may disrupt our focus before it is shifted.

In this session, we discuss the question, "What is really happening when we work with focused attention and broad awareness?" Through the use of an analogy of a microscope to explore the nature of hyper focus being easily moved/led astray, but the 'peripheral vision' of broad awareness helps us to stay focused.

In this session, we practice 'Mindful Object Focusing'. Choose an object (e.g., a pen, cup, or rock). Focus your attention upon it if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. Focus with the curiosity of someone who has never seen it before. What does it feel, look, sound and smell like? Discover as much as you can about your object. This practice will help you to see the truth of the reality of the object, not just your preconceived notions of the object. See it for what it is, not what your mind says it is!

In this session, we discuss the question, "How do I process deep feelings and memories that arise during meditation?" This answer draws from the Vipassana practice, where it is assumed that the body holds onto things from life, and it is our role as practitioners to feel and release them.

In this session, we practice 'Mindfulness'. Focus your attention on the sensations of the breath at the nose if you notice your mind wandering or lost in thought, gently and lovingly return it to the breath. Consider using broad awareness, labeling, and counting to maintain focus. If at any time you find yourself lost in thought, gently and lovingly bring it back to focus.

In this session, we explore the question, "Why is mindfulness the key to healing?". We discuss how mindfulness seems to be at the core of most spiritual traditions, practices, psychological interventions, and is found within religions (perhaps by a different name). It is there for a reason; it works!

Today we practiced ' Loving Kindness & Compassion'. Hold a person in your heart and offer them love. "May you be free of ill will. May you be free of suffering. May you be full of loving kindness. May you be happy." Begin with someone who is easy to offer love, then extend to yourself, strangers, the world, someone who has wronged you, and all living beings. Loving Kindness) (Metta is offered as a balm, a soothing, a softening. Some believe it acts as a prayer, others that it is a self-healing practice. I will leave that for you to decide. I just know that it helps in life and with other mindfulness/meditation practices.

In this session, we discuss the question, "How can I work with self-love difficulties?" We discuss this from a perspective of attachment, childhood events, and the cognitive behavioral therapy model of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors impacting one another.

In this session, we discuss the question, "What would you recommend if we have a moment of pure clarity/enlightenment?" "What are my thoughts on open awareness meditations?" "How do you navigate the line between analyzing and labeling?"

In this session, we recap the key aspects of mindfulness meditation for beginners. We revisit the core practices of using the breath as an anchor, gently returning when the mind wanders, and building awareness without judgment. We also touch on tools like labeling, counting, and broad awareness, along with working skillfully with thoughts, emotions, pain, and distraction.