Lesson-8, Welcome!

“The rest of our lives”

Overview: In this 3.5 hour session, experiential mindfulness practice continues and participants are given ample opportunity to inquire into and clarify any lingering questions about the various practices and their applications in everyday life. 

A review of the program is included with an emphasis on daily strategies for maintaining and deepening the skills developed during the course of the program. Creating a satisfying closure by honoring both the end of this program and the beginning of the rest of your life.

Theme: Keeping up the momentum and discipline developed over the past 7 weeks in the meditation practice, both formal and informal. 

Review of supports to help in the process of integrating the learning from this program over time: books, recordings, graduate programs, free all day sessions for all graduates 4 times per year; mention retreat centers.

Hand out Hints and Reminders booklet with reading list and resources list.

Typical Class Sequence:

Body scan (coming full circle, since this is how class one begins.)
Yoga stretching, either guided or self-guided.

Sitting Meditation, mostly silent.

Optional: one or both of the following:

1) Guided reflection -what do you want to be sure to remember -something you’ve touched or learned about yourself. 
Option of setting three short-term (3 months) and three long-term (3 years or more) goals which come out of your direct experience in the program and with the meditation practice. 
Include potential obstacles to reaching these goals and your strategies for working with them. 

2) Post-program reflection - (This may also be preceded by a guided reflection that incorporates some or all of the questions below.

Examples of questions: 
Think back to why you came originally -expectations -and why you stayed:

• What did you learn?

• What were the costs to you? 

• What did you want/hope for?

• What sacrifices did you make?  

• What obstacles did you encounter?

• What was learned working with these obstacles? 

• What did you get out of the program, if anything? 

• How will you continue to practice when this program is over?

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: 
How do you feel about the course ending?
How was it practicing without recordings this week?
Review the entire course and focus briefly on salient features.

Final meditation and acknowledgement of the ending of this MBSR program.

Home Practice Assignment:

• Go back to the recordings if you wish.

• Keep up the practice and make it your own.