This document provides information about mindfulness meditation and its benefits. It defines mindfulness as focusing present-moment awareness on feelings, thoughts, and sensations with acceptance. Meditation is defined as thinking deeply or focusing the mind for spiritual, religious or relaxation purposes. The benefits of mindfulness meditation include stress and pain reduction, improved focus and calmness, reinforcing ideals, better awareness of one's body and mind, and increased self and other acceptance. The goals are to develop awareness of present experiences through the senses and mind in a non-judgmental way. Preparing involves sitting comfortably, deep breathing, and gently redirecting attention when the mind wanders.

1. Meditation / Mindfulness
M.B.S.R
(Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)

2. What is Mindfulness
Google Dictionary defines Mindfulness as: “A
mental state achieved by focusing one's
awareness on the present moment, while
calmly acknowledging and accepting one's
feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations,
used as a therapeutic technique.”
Reference: Google Dictionary

3. What is Meditation
Google defines Meditation as: The act of
thinking deeply or focus one's mind for a
period of time, in silence or with the aid
of chanting, for religious or spiritual
purposes or as a method of relaxation.
Ref: Google Dictionary

4. Excerpt From Jeffery Munn’s book Staying
Sober Without God

5. Benefits of Meditation / Mindfulness
• Stress / Pain reduction
• Better focus and calmer through out your day
• Allows instilment / reinforcement of ideals through mantra
• Closer connection with your physical body
• Better connection with your conscious and unconscious mind
•ACCEPTANCE OF ONE’S SELF AND OTHERS
Ref: My experience with the V.A’s MBSR program and https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/benefits-of-mindfulness/

6. Goals of Mindfulness
•To bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing
via your senses, or to your state of mind via your
thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. The goal of
mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our
mental, emotional, and physical processes.
•NOTE: And there’s growing research showing that when
you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually
remodeling the physical structure of your brain.
Ref: Mindfulness.org

7. Goals of Meditation
• Meditation is exploring. It’s not a fixed destination. Your head doesn’t
become vacuumed free of thought, utterly undistracted. It’s a special
place where each and every moment is momentous, observing each
physical sensation, emotion and thought
• Mindfulness meditation asks us to suspend judgment and unleash our
natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our
experience with warmth and kindness, to ourselves and others.
Ref: Mindfulness.org

8. Preparing for Meditation
• Close your eyes or take a soft, fixed gaze on the floor, wall, etc.
• Sit or lie down in a confrontable but dignified posture
• Breath deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth holding the
breath for one (1) second at the top and bottom of each a few times and then
breath normally in though your in through your nose and out through your mouth
• When you’re your mind wanders (and it will wander) tell yourself “that’s what the
mind does and gently nudge it back into focus
• Be still but not rigid
• Above all be kind to yourself
Ref: My experience with VA’s MBSR program / every resource I checked

9. • Set aside some time. You don’t need a meditation cushion or bench, or any sort of special equipment to
access your mindfulness skills—but you do need to set aside some time and space.
• Observe the present moment as it is. The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to
achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment,
without judgment. Easier said than done, we know.
• Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgments arise during our practice, we can make a mental note
of them, and let them pass.
• Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why
mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.
• Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice
recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.
Ref: Mindfulness.org / www.wisemindbody.com

10. Embracing the day
Meditation

11. How did that feel?
•Were you able to focus, if so for how long
•How long did it take before you noticed your mind
wondering
•Was it difficult to bring your mind into focus when it
wondered
•When your mind wandered did you start planning, or
telling yourself stories, or just judging on how lame this is
•What emotions did you feel
•What physical sensations did you notice

12. Group discussion
•Be honest
•Be kind
•Do not judge
•There are no wrong answers
•Do you feel energized or more ready to face the day
•Did it help at all (be honest there are no wrong answers)
•Are you just here to complete 1 of 6 class requirements
for this program (be honest there are no wrong answers)

13. Discuss with a neighbor
Take two or three minutes to tell your neighbor
what experiences you had and the listen to
his/hers
•Really listen to what your neighbor
•Be honest
•Be kind to each other

14. Body Scan

15. Discuss with a neighbor
Take two or three minutes to tell your neighbor
what experiences you had and the listen to
his/hers
•Really listen to what your neighbor
•Be honest
•Be kind to each other

16. Loving Kindness

17. How did that feel?
•How did it feel to send kindness to your loved ones
•How did it feel to send kindness to friends
•How did it feel to send kindness to someone you have
conflict with
•How did it feel to send kindness to yourself
•Did you feel unworthy of kindness
•Could you even accept love and kindness from yourself
NOTE: I had real difficulty at first