Lesson 1
What Is Mindfulness?
This class describes the framework for the course, and spells out how students are expected to engage actively with the instruction to get the most benefit. Mindfulness is defined and explained, and students are guided through a couple of brief practices. Next is an overview of how and why people practice mindfulness, some of the interesting tricks the mind plays on us, and some of the benefits of the practice. Finally, the body scan practice for the first week is introduced, with detailed guidance on how to do the practice and how to approach any obstacles that may arise.
Practice for the week: 1 – Body Scan 20 min
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Lesson 2
One Moment At A Time
You should have two raisins handy before you start listening to this class, which will begin with a mindful eating exercise. Mindful eating, that is, eating with full attention on the experience, is an interesting practice since all of the physical senses are engaged when eating, so there is a lot to pay attention to. This is one complement to formal practices such as the body scan. Formal practice provides a lot of repetition, to develop and strengthen the ability to notice thinking and call the attention to the present moment. However, we don’t practice just to become good at it, although it is usually pretty relaxing. We practice so that we can start to have moments of awareness in the rest of the day, when it has a direct effect on how we live our lives. In addition to mindful eating, you can encourage the habit of carrying that awareness around by doing informal practices, which means having reminders to notice thinking, let it go, and call your attention back to the present moment briefly, just for one breath, now and then throughout the day. Every repetition is progress.
Practice for the week: 1 – Body Scan 20 min
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Lesson 3
Pain And Suffering
One of the most important insights that stems from mindfulness practice is that pain is inevitable but suffering, which is simply the resistance in the mind to pain, is optional. The moment you notice the mind state, you have a choice. Letting go of the suffering may not change the pain, but it will certainly change the experience of pain. One excellent way to begin to explore the difference between pain and suffering is doing yoga as a meditation practice, not just as an exercise class. The key difference is learning to notice the thinking, especially judging and striving – the opposite of mindfulness – and let it go. Yoga practice affords many opportunities to notice the difference between intense sensations in the body (pain) and the resistance in the mind to those sensations (suffering) under controlled conditions. Once you get the hang of it, you can begin to notice and let go of suffering in more challenging situations.
Practices for the week: 2 – Yoga 60 min (at least once), 3 – Yoga 20 min (daily)
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Lesson 4
The Poor Crazy Mind
This class includes a discussion of a few findings from psychology that pertain to what we notice as we observe the mind in action. Mindfulness practice enables us to see the workings of the mind more clearly, to become more conscious of what is often subconscious. Sitting meditation affords an opportunity to develop this clarity, and thus have more choices about how to respond to whatever the mind cooks up, rather than reacting automatically. When conditions change, it only takes one moment of awareness to shift from reflexive reacting to authentic responding. At first, you may be able to respond when conditions are only a little difficult. With sustained practice, you will develop the ability to respond with clarity under increasingly difficult conditions.
Practice for the week: 4 – 15 minute Awareness of Breath Meditation
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Lesson 5
Stress
With the exception of physical stress, most stress is caused not by the conditions we encounter, but by our reaction to the conditions. It isn’t the workload or exam schedule that is stressful, it is the reaction to those conditions that is stressful. Too much stress can be very harmful, even debilitating. Once you recognize the reaction in the mind instead of instantly being swept up in it, you have some choices about how to deal with it. Responding instead of reacting can dramatically reduce your stress level. However, you can’t just decide to respond instead of react. You have to develop the habit through practice, strengthening the ability to notice thinking and let it go until it becomes truly habitual. You have likely heard about having the serenity to accept the things you can’t change, and likely found that it is easier said than done. Meditation is a practical tool for cultivating that acceptance.
Practices for the week: 4 – 15 minute Awareness of Breath Meditation, 3 – Yoga 20 min
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Lesson 6
Feeding Your Body
There is much more to food than just sustenance. Learning to notice the impulses that determine when, what, and how much you eat in various circumstances, and the effects those choices have on you, enables more deliberate choices rather than acting on impulse or on autopilot. Similarly, there can be more conscious choices about alcohol, prescription drugs and recreational drugs, if those are things you consume. If you do not, you most likely know others who do. Taking a close look at your habits and impulses may or may not lead to any changes in the choices you make, but it allows for a more informed approach.
Practice for the week: 5 – 20 minute Awareness of Breath Meditation
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Lesson 7
Feeding Your Mind
We consume all kinds of information and messages. Those messages affect our thoughts and feelings, and ultimately our behaviors. Just as noticing impulses related to eating affords more control, noticing the kinds of media, messages and information you consume, and their effects on you, affords more choices. Some kinds of messages are easily noticed and relatively straightforward – for example, news, entertainment, or advertising. Other messages are more subtle, including the often-subconscious judgments we make about people based on their appearance (implicit bias), and all of the nonverbal cues (eye contact, body language, tone of voice) we receive from everyone we interact with. The more you notice, the more you can respond instead of react, and re-center yourself when you do react.
Practices for the week : 5 – 20 minute Awareness of Breath Meditation, 3 – Yoga 20 min
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Lesson 8
Loving Kindness And Interbeing
This class includes a guided loving kindness meditation that helps us develop compassion for others and ourselves. Since we are very social animals, we constantly exchange nonverbal cues with everyone we encounter, whether we want to or not. We can’t help being affected by, and affecting, everyone around us. Sometimes those effects are quite noticeable, sometimes they are subtle, but even the subtle effects add up. As with all thoughts and behaviors, the moment you notice what is happening instead of reacting automatically, you have a choice. Opening the heart has wonderful, powerful effects on our experience. We have a natural urge to connect with others. Like noticing the difference between pain and suffering, being fully present in our communities is a skill that can be developed. Then we truly carry mindfulness practice around with us, and reduce or prevent suffering for ourselves and everyone we encounter, and by extension everyone they encounter.
Practice for the week: Whole Body Meditation, then a brief Loving Kindness Practice
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Lesson 9
Schoolplay And Houseplay
This class includes a guided practice called the mountain meditation. It is meant to evoke a feeling in the body and the mind to help you connect at any time, in any circumstances, with the inner serenity and stability developed through meditation practice. Every single thing we do can be done with mindful awareness. The difference between work and play, between labor and leisure, between education and recreation, has less to do with the activity being pursued, and more to do with the mind state. A mind state of resistance, of wanting the moment to be different than it is (suffering), can make anything feel like work. A mind state of fully engaged interest, of accepting the experience one moment at a time, can turn anything into play. Mindfulness isn’t just formal and informal practice, it is a way of being, something we can access all day, every day.
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Lesson 10
Skillful Practice
Mindfulness, like any tool, can be used skillfully or unskillfully. Skillful practice reduces or prevents suffering. This entails developing both wisdom (pain is real, suffering is just a mind state) and compassion (we inter-are all the time, whether we want to or not). As your practice deepens, you will gradually and naturally develop greater wisdom and compassion simply by seeing your thoughts and feelings more clearly. There are a number of unskillful “mindfulness” practices that have become very widespread in our culture in recent years, several of which are discussed. Finally, guidance is offered on how to maintain and deepen your mindfulness practice once the course is completed.
Practice for the rest of your life: Choiceless Awareness Meditation
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