PPT Internship project

1. Mindfulness
The natural state of living moment by moment

2. What is Mindfulness?
 Mindfulness is about how we are in relationship to everything- our
thoughts, bodies, emotions, & past
 We can learn to live in a way that recognizes and makes use of what is
already beautiful and already whole inside of us, and drawing upon it to
live our lives
 Mindfulness practice is merely paying attention to what is when you
breathe, placing no expectations on the experience

3. The Benefits of Mindfulness
 Physiological
 Improve immune functioning
 Reduce Blood Pressure
 Behavioral
 Have a greater sense of choice and control
 Help in changing behaviors
 Cognitive
 Sustain focus and attention
 Increase creativity
 Enhance memory
 Achieve emotion regulation
 Emotional
 Foster resilience
 Reduce anxiety, stress and depression

4. A Survivorship Tool
 Mindfulness can positively effect the immune system and help with healing
 Studies increasingly show how cancer and the immune system are intertwined,
and thus mindfulness can be an important survivorship tool
 Mindfulness-Based Cancer Research finds that meditation can impact the
body’s inflammation response and lessen symptoms associated with
cancer

5. How Can One Practice Mindfulness?
 It is not about doing, but more about being and allowing yourself to be who
you already are
 Becoming mindful means to become aware of each moment, thought, or
feeling without judgement- nothing is good or bad, it just is
 You must be willing to live more in the present without wishing it were
different
 React not respond
 Reactions are unconscious and automatic; responses are made consciously and
with thought

6. Attitudes of Mindfulness
• Non-Judgement
• Becoming aware of our own judgements can
allow for more control over responses to
situations
• Labelling your surroundings as good, bad, or
neutral can be a habit that causes you to react
without thinking and involuntarily
• Patience
• Accepting the way things are in the present
• Beginner’s Mind
• The willingness to see things as if it were for
the first time, without viewing the world
through a lens shaped by past experience
• Trust
• Develop trust in you and you feelings
• Non-striving
• Do not focus on an outcome or what you
wish to achieve when undertaking
mindfulness; simply do the practice without
any expectations
• Focusing on an end goal interferes with you
being present
• Acceptance
• Seeing and acknowledging things as they way
they are, without approval or satisfaction
• Letting Be (rather than letting go)
• Avoid getting stuck on the past or future and
accept things as the way they are

7. The Best Medicine is Free
 One of the best ways to become mindful is to become aware of and focus on your
breath
 Controlled breathing keeps the mind & body functioning at its highest capacity,
while lowering blood pressure and promoting feelings of relaxation
 Diaphragmatic breathing (“belly breathing”): this method naturally influences
the involuntary nervous system to positively effect circulation, digestion, and heart
problems
 4-7-8 Exercise (or “Relaxing Breath”):
1) Sit with your back straight and place the tip of your tongue against your upper front
teeth
2) Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound
3) Close your mouth and inhale for a count of 4
4) Hold your breath for a count of 7
5) Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of 8
**This is one breath, repeat the cycle three more times, totaling four breaths

8. Breathing Techniques
 Breath Counting:
1) Sit with the spine straight and the head slightly forward. Close your eyes
and take a few deep breaths
2) Count “one” to yourself as you exhale
3) With the next breath count “two”; continuing until “five”
 Never count higher than five, if you do you will know your attention has
wandered
o Phrases for Focus:
o “I breathe in healing oxygen; I exhale toxins”
o “I am aware of my life energy in breath”
(inhale); “I am aware of relaxing fully”
(exhale)

9. Formal Meditation
 Sit comfortably with your back straight, you can close your eyes or focus
softly in front of you
 Breathe into your lower abdomen, following your breath as you breathe
naturally
 Upon exhaling, think about where your mind and attention is, observe
what you begin to think about, then come back to your belly and your
breath
 Begin practicing in small increments of time, and gradually increase
the length of your meditation
 The willingness to follow your breath and mind each moment is key
to mindful practice

10. STOP- One Minute Breathing Space
 Create space to reconnect with your natural resilience and wisdom. Turn into what
is happening right now without any expectations of the outcome
S- Stop and Take Stock
• Ask yourself “What is my experience right now?” to acknowledge and register what you are
feeling
T- “Take” a Breath
• Gently direct your attention to breathing, following each inhale with an exhale
O- Open and Observe
• Sense your body as a whole- your posture and facial expressions
• Further outward your awareness to the surroundings- sights, smells, sound, etc.
P- Proceed/ new Possibilities
• Allow your attention to move into the world around you, sensing how things are right now