Developing Mindfulness for Psychological Wellbeing
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“Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, moment-by-moment, and non-judgmentally.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
What: Eight-Week Developing Mindfulness Program Where: Zoom Who: This program is helpful for people of all backgrounds and religions, and is suitable for ages 16 and over. Date: Eight Saturdays, every two weeks – 9/5, 9/19, 10/3, 10/31, 11/7, 11/21, 12/5, 12/19. Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Cost: $400 for the eight-week program, or $50 per session. Insurance may cover the cost – please inquire for details. |
Mindfulness as a Way of Life.
Developing Mindfulness for Psychological Wellbeing is an experience-driven, interactional educational program providing foundational concepts to begin a formal mindfulness practice, as well as informal tools you can use throughout the day to manage stress and find your balance. The field of psychology has adopted the principles of ancient mindfulness traditions to help with:
Program and Session Structure Developing Mindfulness meets for 1.5 hours for eight weeks. Each session is a combination of lecture, practice, and group feedback and discussion. Developing Mindfulness for Psychological Wellbeing is taught in a context of a supportive community environment with classes no larger than 30-40 participants. Research from UCLA shows that group support is one of the most helpful and inspiring aspects for students attending mindfulness training classes. Participants will complete daily home practice meditation assignments starting at five minutes a day and working up to 20 minutes daily by the end of the course. (Links to online meditations to assist with a formal practice will be provided.) The program format includes : Session 1. Introduction to Mindfulness Session 2. Be Right Where You Are Session 3. Our Storytelling Minds Session 4. Cultivating Kindness Session 5. Willingness to Be with Things as They Are Session 6. Moving Forward Session 7. Finding Compassion Within Session 8. Enhancing Resilience Participants will learn a variety of formal and informal mindfulness practices so each person can discover which practice is useful to them. Practices taught include:
How Does It Work? "Mindfulness teaches us how to relate to our experiences differently." ~ Christiane Wolf and Greg J. Serpa Psychological change focuses on paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors and doing something different in order to feel better. Mindfulness practices help you cultivate the skill of noticing thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. With this awareness, you create space to make a choice about your thoughts and behaviors so you can step out of autopilot and actively drive your life. Paying attention to our minds and shifting the way we think and move through the world creates more calmness, clarity, curiosity, openness, and acceptance of ourselves and others. This leads to the cultivation of kindness and compassion in our daily lives. Authors and mindfulness researcher-practioners Christiane Wolf and Greg J. Serpa, answer the question: "How do [we] get happier?" "We can look to symptom reduction (physically and psychologically), stress elimination, a better quality of life, better coping skills, and a greater sense of connection or enhanced self-acceptance. How does this happen? By experiencing a greater sense of control and ease over how we relate to or cope with what is happening in our inner and outer experience." This program is based on the "The Comprehensive Session-by-Session Program for Mental Health Professionals and Health Care Providers" by Christiane Wolf and Greg J. Serpa (2015). |