Lesson-7, Welcome!

“Self-Kindness”

Overview: In this 2.5 hour session, experiential training in MBSR skills continues. The day ‘day of mindfulness’ will be touch on. There may be a continuation of the discussion of communication that began in class 6. Participants are asked to exercise greater personal latitude in the choice of formal mindfulness practices done as home practice during the week between this session and the final one. 
Emphasis is on maintaining 45 minutes of daily practice, without recorded instructions. Participants are encouraged to create their own blend of the various practices. (For example, 20 minutes of sitting, 15 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes of body scan.) The intention is to further maintain the discipline and flexibility of a personal daily mindfulness practice by encouraging people to become attuned to the changing conditions in their lives.

Theme: Integrating mindfulness practice more fully and personally into our daily life. We are asked to purposefully reflect on life-style choices that are adaptive and self-nourishing as well as those that are maladaptive and self-limiting. Typical Class Sequence:

Options include any of the following exercises:

• Yoga

• Body Scan

• Loving-Kindness

• Difficult Emotions- R.A.I.N.

• The Science of Mindfulness

• Seeing from a different perspective

Reflection on the home practices and the all day retreat: reactions and responses to it, likes and dislikes.
What you saw, what you learned about yourself. Invite responses to different aspects of the day, and how it felt afterwards. Connect the reflection to the experience of doing the meditation practice this week, both formal and informal (daily life).

Emphasis the importance of making the practice one’s own. This week, no recordings for home practice. Encourage people to take the same 45 minutes, and practice on their own. They decide what, how much, etc.

Option: Reflections and observations about communication stemming from last week’s session. If necessary, there is the option of continuing to explore communication through the exercises that are related to this week’s class reflection.

Home practice assignment:

• No recordings this week. Practice formal sitting, yoga, walking and/or the body scan on your own, every day for 45 minutes. (Note: if this is too difficult, alternating between the recordings and self-guidance every other day.)

• Practice informally when you are not doing the above formal practices by being as aware and awake as possible throughout the day.