MBSR

Before the programme starts, an introductory session is organised to share the programme outline, explain how the programme works, give a taster of what to expect, describe the commitment needed over the 8 weeks and respond to questions and concerns.

We set our individual intentions for the course.

We explore different forms of mindfulness practices.

This enables us to review the definition of mindfulness.

We start to learn how to reduce our automatic reactions, slow down and pay attention to our immediate experience, using sensations as an anchor.

We explore the attitude of the beginner’s mind.

We explore how our perception is shaping our sense of reality.

Our mind only perceives a small part of reality.

How we perceive (or not) situations determines in large measure how we react or respond to them.

We explore that it is not the stressors but how we handle them that influences the short and long-term health effects they may have on our mind, body and overall sense of well-being.

We practise sitting meditation, the body scan and standing up yoga postures.

We experientially understand the richness of “not-doing”. We discover the pleasure and power in being present.

We use mindful movements to facilitate the focus of attention in the present moment.

We explore the challenges we may face while introducing mindfulness in our daily life.

We experience what constitutes a pleasant experience.

We develop an observer attitude through sitting meditation, walking meditation and lying down yoga.

We develop a greater awareness of bodily sensations, thoughts and emotions that emerge in stress generating situations.

How do our perceptions and life conditioning influence our experiences?

We learn new ways to relate to stress-generating events, whether internal or external.

What constitutes for us an unpleasant situation?

We explore how the practice of mindfulness can help us reduce the effects of our automatic responses to stress.

We explore our emotions and thoughts with an attitude of acceptance, curiosity, flexibility and a beginner’s mind.

We deepen our attention to our breath as an anchor in order to regulate our responses to unpleasant emotions.

We continue our practice of sitting meditation and standing yoga postures.

We deepen our awareness of how our conditioned patterns impact our experiences of challenging and stressful situations.

We explore how to identify recognise, acknowledge, accept the thoughts, emotions and body sensations that emerge in the present moment and then consciously choose to respond instead of reacting to any situation.

We are invited to pay more attention to what happens in each moment that punctuates our daily life.

We continue our practice of sitting meditation and standing up yoga postures.

Our focus so far was on our internal world.

We now shift our attention to ways to be present in our interactions with others and how to respond to stressful communications with people we meet.

We focus on ways to acknowledge our feelings, how to share them respectfully with compassion while acknowledging and recognising that other people experience their perceptions, feelings and needs in a unique way as well.

We also explore the barriers to communication. We deepen our practice of standing up yoga and sitting meditation.

For many of us, this will be the first time to spend a few hours in silence and cultivate a quality of presence from moment to moment, being open to whatever emerges in our experiences.

New forms of meditation will be introduced: the mountain meditation, the lake meditation and the loving and kindness meditation.

We explore how we can integrate and practise mindfulness in all aspects of life, the life choices we make, the activities that are nurturing, how to provide a quality of attention that supports resilience and compassion towards ourselves and others and how to continue our daily practices while acknowledging that our life circumstances constantly change.

We also explore how much we feel at home within ourselves and in the world: do we have a place in the world, how does each one of us inhabit it?

We review our take-away, the changes we have observed, how we relate to stressful and challenging situations.

We explore the many ways we can integrate mindfulness in everyday life and how to make it a way of life.

Participants are then invited to continue the MBSR process once the formal sessions have ended.

This is session 9, the life curriculum.