Lesson 2 Empowerment through Mindfulness-Based Practices.docx

Lesson 2: Empowerment through Mindfulness-Based Practices
INSTRUCTOR NOTE: Play music of your choice for about 5
minutes before class begins. We typically choose something
upbeat and uplifting.
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Questions
Mindfulness Activity - Observe Exercise
Observe is a mindfulness skill that is “wordless watching.” So,
class take 1 minute to observe what you see. Do not say
anything you see yet, and after 1 minute, we will come back to
Describe what you see.
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Empowerment through Mindfulness-Based Practices
Lesson 2
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(DeCano & Cook, 2015)
*Circle the areas that the skills for the day relate to
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Summary of the Previous Lesson
Stress is an unavoidable aspect of life
When unmanaged, stress can take its toll on our minds and
bodies, and ultimately cause us to be less effective in whatever
we do
There are two distinct but inter-related dimensions to our
mental health: distress/problems and well-being/flourishing
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Summary of the Previous Lesson
Resilience is the ability to BOTH survive and thrive in life
Resilience is an ordinary process that can be learned through

healthy skills, strategies, and routines
This class is going to help you develop your own set of skills,
strategies and routines that increase resilience and applies to
your life – it takes practice an coaching to make them work.
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Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
explain mindlessness and how our brains function
describe the different components how mindfulness and related
practices that lead to increased awareness and better decision-
making and coping strategies
use of mindfulness skills to gain greater mental clarity, assist in
coping strategies, and for better decision-making during
stressful situations
learn specific mindfulness practices that strengthen and enable
you to be more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and
surroundings
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Lesson 2: Glossary TermsLesson 2 Mindfulness ResilienceOur
ability to withstand or recover from significant challenges that
threaten our stability, viability, or development.APT Model
Adaptbecome adjusted to new conditionsPerseverecontinue
steadfastly or determinedly; persistentThriveprosper or
flourishPrefrontal CortexThis brain region has been implicated
in regulation of complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral

functioning.MindfulnessMindfulness means paying attention in
a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and
nonjudgmentallyReasonable MindReasonable mind is acting out
of reason and logic in the absence of emotion.Wise MindWise
mind is the synthesis of reasonable mind and emotion mind. It
is the place from which we can make wise decision tat
acknowledge bout our logic and emotions.Emotional
MindEmotional mind is thinking and acting from intense
emotion, disregarding all reason and logic.
Participation Week 2 Part 1
What felt different for you about the mindfulness activity we
did today as compared to the breathing practice we did last
week?
If you weren’t in lecture last week, write one sentence about
what you thought of today’s mindfulness practice.
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Which is more productive?
Doing one thing at a time?
Multitasking?

Turn and talk then call out answers
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Multi-tasking and missing what’s right in front of our faces
How do we typically go through the world?
Mindlessly
Story – driving to my house instead of where I meant to go
We’ve often been told multitasking is good for us. In fact, our
brains are only made to do one thing at a time, so when we do
more than one, we’re rapidly switching back and forth and
actually running about 50% slower
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Mindlessness is…
behaving automatically without thinking
believing all our thoughts as if they’re telling the literal truth
reacting to situations based on emotions rather than rational
thinking
getting stuck thinking about past and future

How many of you have ever done one of these things? How
many of you have done one of these things today even?
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Hindsight is 20/20
Behaving in ways we later regret
Consequences of Mindlessness...
problems for self and others.
Our aim then is to recognize when we are on autopilot and need
to respond more effectively to routine or difficult situations.
When we live in a mindless manner, we end up overlooking
what is right in front of your face. This means we miss
opportunities to do what matters most in moment.
We also fail to see important cues in our environment that
communicate to us what we should do next.
Perhaps most importantly, our relationships suffer, because we
don’t provide our loved ones who we are working with our full
undivided attention to ensure their needs are being met.
Mindlessness also means that we exhibit behaviors that we later
regret because we acted upon unwanted thoughts and emotions

rather than from a calm and rational perspective.
Thoughts are just thoughts, feelings are just feelings.
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“The motivations of man. Because he sacrifices his health in
order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate
his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he
does not enjoy the present, the result being that he does not live
in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to
die, and then dies having never really lived."
What is Surprising about Humanity?
In essence, we tend to live our lives chasing things that are not
in the present moment. This quote describes a life lived in
pursuit of things, rather than enjoying what is already there.
According to the Dalai Lama, this keeps us from fully living our
lives.
Today we will be learning about mindfulness – paying attention
to the present moment in a specific way – and how it can
enhance our lives.
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In General, Mindfulness is . . .
. . . about having greater mental clarity to make good decisions
during difficult situations.

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. . . about not being trapped by uncomfortable thoughts and
feelings. Rather, it is putting your mind where you want it to
be.
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. . . about better connecting with and understanding the needs of
others and yourself.
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Mindfulness is not about trying to turn the mind into a still
lake. It’s about learning to surf the waves.
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The direct opposite of mindlessness
Mindfulness is “the awareness that emerges through paying
attention on purpose, in the present moment, with an element of
openness to the unfolding of experiences moment-by-moment.”
--
Kabat-Zinn, 2003
Mindfulness Defined
Also refers to intentional exercises and practices of mindfulness
Mindfulness practices represent a collection of formal and
informal strategies
Training one’s attention and awareness
… To bring mental processes and behavior under greater control
routine and challenging situations.
It helps us to alter our habitual responses by pausing, noticing
what’s happening, and choosing how best to act.
When we are mindful, we experience the world directly through
our five senses. We taste the food we are eating.
We also recognize the thoughts we are having. In doing so, we
learn how our minds work, and we are better able to label the
thoughts and feelings we are having, instead of allowing them
to overpower us and dictate problematic behavior.
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Mindfulness is NOT about….

New age pop psychology
Religion
Chanting in a foreign language
Making your mind empty
Overanalyzing your experience
Meditation
Sitting in painful positions or levitating
New age pop psychology – this has been around for a long time,
we just now have research that supports it.
Religion – it’s not about any one religion. It comes from
buddhist roots, however, it can be done within any context, not
only religious one. Pray would be one
example of a mindfulness practice, and there are numerous
others that we are going to learn that do not involve pray or
religious practices.
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Awareness Is the Key
Insight – awareness about one’s self (internal)
Thoughts
Values
Feelings (tone)
Emotions
Physical sensations
Outsight – awareness of others and our surroundings (external)
Other’s feelings
Other’s physical presence
What others are doing
How you’re being received
The physical environment

Awareness is about what you are able to notice, pick up on, and
detect through focused, purposeful attention.
Awareness itself does not have judgment, an opinion, or motive.
Awareness is simply noticing or observing what is happening on
the inside and outside. Awareness is the boundless ability to
recognize and know present experiences (i.e., what is happening
now). Spacious because it can hold anything thoughts, feelings,
sounds, sensations in the body,
By purposefully channeling our awareness, we tap into our
insight and outsight.
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Mindfulness – WHAT and HOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCJ0R6vAUnw&list=PL_L7
KEOxOeQ_gwUQX8ExtaIt3jSm8XYbK&index=20
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How Mindfulness Practices Work
Increased Awareness Through Mindfulness
Practices
What Skills
+
How Skills
Better Decision-Making and Coping Strategies
The “WHAT” Skills:
1. Observe: - wordless watching,
paying attention
without reacting

2. Describe: - putting what you
observed into words
3. Participate: - throwing yourself
completely in
Mindfulness Practices: are intentional exercises, routines, and
activities that help cultivate and build greater present moment
awareness as experiences unfold moment-by-moment builds…
Awareness: of self, others, and the environment which leads to
….
Components of Mindfulness: What Skills: Observe – wordless
watching, Describe, and Participate
Empowerment: because we become liberated from
uncomfortable or distressing thoughts or feelings, able to
interact more effectively with others, and ultimately live a more
enriched and satisfying life.
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Increased Awareness Through Mindfulness
Practices
What Skills
+
How Skills
Better Decision-Making and Coping Strategies
The “HOW” Skills:
1. Nonjudgmentally: - see but don’t
evaluate, just the

facts
2. One Mindfully: - being completely
present
3. Effectively: - focus on what works
Mindfulness Practices: are intentional exercises, routines, and
activities that help cultivate and build greater present moment
awareness as experiences unfold moment-by-moment builds…
Awareness: of self, others, and the environment which leads to
….
Components of Mindfulness: How Skills: Nonjudgmentally,
One Mindfully – one thing in the moment, and Effectively –
doing what works
Empowerment: because we become liberated from
uncomfortable or distressing thoughts or feelings, able to
interact more effectively with others, and ultimately live a more
enriched and satisfying life.
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Receptive Attitude (Nonjudgmentally)
It does not mean being passive.
It is about intentionally distinguishing between facts and our
own opinions.
Having a receptive attitude, or being nonjudgmental, means
letting go of our evaluation of things as good or bad, or our
belief that things should be different than they are.

Why would we want to be non-judgmental? Sometimes feeling
judgmental feels good – it makes us feel better about ourselves
by comparison. And you might be thinking, how can I be non-
judgmental of something awful that is happening? Practicing
having a receptive attitude and being non-judgmental does not
mean we give up saying something is harmful to others – it does
not mean we ignore the consequences, it is an exercise in
separating our opinions from the facts in order to broaden our
perspective.
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This broadens our perspective.
It allows us to stay calm, engage in problem solving, and act
effectively.
… and don’t forget: don’t judge yourself for judging!
Having a receptive attitude, or being nonjudgmental, means
letting go of our evaluation of things as good or bad, or our
belief that things should be different than they are.
Why would we want to be non-judgmental? Sometimes feeling
judgmental feels good – it makes us feel better about ourselves
by comparison. And you might be thinking, how can I be non-
judgmental of something awful that is happening? Practicing
having a receptive attitude and being non-judgmental does not
mean we give up saying something is harmful to others – it does
not mean we ignore the consequences, it is an exercise in
separating our opinions from the facts in order to broaden our
perspective.

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Being friendly to yourself and the experiences you encounter
internally and externally.
“There is nothing cold, analytical, or unfeeling about it. The
overall tenor of mindfulness practice is gentle, appreciative, and
nurturing.”
- Kabat-Zinn, 1994
kind and gentle to ourselves as we experience the present
moment.
Treat our internal and external experiences as enemies that need
to be fought against or avoided altogether.
The issue with this is that the more we fight or avoid, the less
present and mindful we become and the more upset we feel.
Question the relationships we have with our thoughts, feelings,
and experiences. Is the relationship we have make us feel worse
about ourselves, more angry towards others, or unwilling to
confront common experiences.
A good friend would be open and willing to accept who we are
and would refrain from using every word we say or behavior we
engage in as a means to negatively judge us or put us down.
When we adopt a receptive attitude, we are open and willing to

the full range of experiences that life presents to us, and better
able to see thoughts, feelings, and events for precisely what
they are.
Don’t judge that this thought, feeling or experience as good and
that one as bad. If we do happen to make negative judgments or
interpretations toward self, we simply notice them and let them
go.
We don’t get upset because we’re experiencing something we
don’t want to be experiencing or because we’re not
experiencing what we would rather be experiencing. We simply
work on accepting and noticing thoughts and feelings. We
notice them arising, passing through us, and ceasing to exist.
Developing a receptive attitude doesn’t mean that we passively
roll over and accept injustice or being wronged. Rather, we
question whether we are being friendly towards ourselves as we
experience what may be an act of injustice or wrongdoing.
When we are able to approach our experiences with a receptive
attitude, we are able to think more clearly and stay focused on
responding effectively rather than responding according to upset
thoughts and intense emotions. When we are unwilling, not
open, and unkind to ourselves, we are more like to beat
ourselves up, vilify others, and respond in ways that we later
regret. The goal of developing a receptive attitude while being
purposefully aware is to increase our ability to stay calm in the
face of adversity and stress, keep a clear head to stay focused
on how best to behave in any given moment, and intentionally
make good choices that are in our and other people’s best
interests.
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Purposeful Awareness (One-mindfully)
Paying attention on purpose to what is happening internally

(that is, thoughts and feelings) and externally.
You need to pay attention on purpose in a certain way to be
aware of what is going on moment-by-moment.
Purposefully aware, not just vaguely aware.
Example of mindful eating
Purposeful awareness is the act of deliberately directing
attention to aspects of the present moment. We can develop and
refine this skill by purposefully paying attention and noticing
even the littlest things moment-by-moment. Connecting to the
here and now on purpose to what is happening with regard to
your five senses rather than being somewhere else is the essence
of purposeful awareness.
Purposefully draw awareness to toes – how they feel in this
moment. Direct attention to what is developing and unfolding
in the present moment.
Important to be purposefully aware in a certain way in order to
be mindful and increase your chances of being calm, thinking
clearly, and behaving most effectively.
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Intentionality (Effectively)
Choosing to do what’s most effective on purpose.
Intentionality helps develop personal agency, which is the

confidence that arises when one realizes they have choices even
when things are stressful or seem uncontrollable
Nobody can make you do anything. Nor can a thought or feeling
make you do anything.
Intentionality is about developing the personal agency to choose
what to do next in the moment even when confronted with
challenging, frustrating, or stressful situations. Intentionality is
also about having the confidence that certain unwanted
situations and internal experiences can arise and we can still
intentionally make certain choices that are more effective than
other possible choices that actually create more problems and
make the situation worse.
Intentionality means being able to choose to do hard things on
purpose.
Example: not wanting to go to class or work – overriding
thoughts and feelings to do the effective thing.
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Benefits to Mindfulness
Better self-awareness and concentration
Increased calmness
More skillful ways to respond to difficult situations
Increased empathy and understanding of others
Decreased stress & anxiety
Enhanced physical health
Lower blood pressure
Reduced pain

Improved sleep
Grossman et al, 2004
So what is our ideal State of Mind?
It depends on the situation!
However we tend to be most productive in our objectives,
relationships, and aligned with our core values
in………………………
Wise Mind
So we know there are benefits to mindfulness, AND you can’t
live in the present all the time. We have to plan what we’re
going to make for dinner when we’re at the grocery store so we
buy the right things. We have to plan ahead to do our
homework. We need to plan ahead to leave early enough to get
to class. So mindfulness is about building awareness and
drawing our mind to the present, yes, but we do this to get into
the best head space possible. So what is that ideal state of
mind?
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3 States of Mind

Define reasonable mind, emotional mind, and wise mind.
There are times we want to make decisions in reasonable mind
(surgeons) and emotional mind (when the person who love
proposes to us). Usually, though, we want to be making our
decisions in wise mind
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Bring Your Awareness back to the Present Moment: Breathing
is the Hub
Breathing is the hub of human awareness.
Being aware of the present moment (open mind)
Stay focused on one thing at at a time (focused mind)
Why breathing:
It never stops.
It is always there operating outside of our awareness.
If you didn’t do it, you wouldn’t be here.
Breathing is a center or hub of awareness. Breathing never
stops, in fact it has never stopped since you were born or you
wouldn’t be alive. Breathing is always there most often
operating outside of our awareness. In this way our breathing is
always available to us as a way of grounding on awareness and
bringing it back. It is called the hub of awareness because we
can always go to our breathing in order to become purposefully
aware.
Once we become purposefully aware we can choose to direct
our attention and awareness to other things being experienced
through the five senses and other senses, such as our bodily
sense, relational sense (connection to and needs of others), and

mental sense (thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, beliefs).
Our awareness should come from a place of open mind allowing
us to stay focus on where we choose (focused mind)
At any point while practicing mindfulness when intrusive
thoughts enter or you realize that you’ve become unaware and
are acting mindlessly, you can purposefully bring yourself back
to the hub of awareness by focusing on your breathing. From the
hub, you can direct your attention to other aspects of the present
moment and become aware of how best to proceed in the
moment.
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Summary of this Lesson
We have a tendency to act mindlessly
Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose, putting your
mind where we want it to be, and being present in the moment
Our goal is to make decisions in Wise Mind
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Mindfulness is comprised of two sets of skills:
The WHAT Skills:
Observe
Describe
Participate

The HOW skills:
Non-judgmentally
One mindfully
Effectively
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Mindfulness-based practices serve two functions:
Full awareness (open mind). Being aware of the present
moment, thoughts feelings, sensations without judgment or
trying to change it
Attentional control (focused mind) – staying focused on one
thing at a time
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Participation Week 2 Part 2
What is one way you plan to practice mindfulness this week?
There may be additional questions/activities you want to add
here.
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0 = Not thought about or used
1 = Thought about, not used, didn’t want to
2= Thought about, not used, wanted to

3= Tried but couldn’t use it/them4 = Tried, could do it/them
but they didn’t help
5 = Tried, could use it/them, helped
6 = Didn’t think about it, used it/them, didn’t help
7 = Didn’t think about it, used it/ them, helpedNS = Not learned
the Skill Circle Days PracticedSkills Weekly Skills Use Rating /
CommentsMINDFULNESS WThFSaSuMT1. Wise Mind
(balance between emotion mind and reasonable mind)
WThFSaSuMT2. Observe (just notice the experience) a
component of the “What” skills WThFSaSuMT3. Describe (put
words on the experience) a component of the “What” skills
WThFSaSuMT4. Participate (throw yourself completely into it)
a component of the “What” skills WThFSaSuMT5. Non-
judgmentally (see but don’t evaluate, just the facts) a
component of the “How” skills WThFSaSuMT6. One-mindfully
(be completely present) a component of the “How” skills
WThFSaSuMT7. Effectively (focus on what works) a
component of the “How” skills
Skills Daily Diary Card
Utility and frequency of skills usage:
Name:______________ Date started:___/____/____
The document looks like this. Download it and edit the word
doc or print it out and then submit the picture/PDF scan of it.
Identify which days you practiced the skill by
highlighting/bolding/italizing/changing the font colors on the
days and then before you submit it fill in the rating on the side.
One rating for the whole week using the 0-7 code at the top.
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Diary Card
Use Ratings:
0 – didn’t think about or use the skills
1/2 – consciously thinking about the skill, but not using it
3/4/5 –consciously thinking about and using the skills

6/7 – the skill is your automatic response
Goal – practice the skills and begin building that neuroplasticity
Graded based on turning it in, not how much you practiced the
skills
Good place to leave questions for more specific feedback
Different card every week (Week 3 + 4 look the same)!
Remember to download the new card every week!
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Group Discussions
Make a physically open and accessible space for everyone
Ask for clarification, use follow up questions, and
paraphrase/reference what has been previously said (make use
of what others say)
Pair and share to generate conversation
Step up and step back, invite into the conversation, use wait
time
Share personal experiences rather than make general statements
Designate roles:
Facilitator: keeps conversation moving, asks questions
Time Keeper: keeps group on track
Elaborator: seeks connections between current + previous topics
Summarizer: summarizes what has been said and checks for
accuracy
Today we’ll be starting to have more group discussions after
our activities. Some tips for having a good discussion
Make sure everyone can pull up to the table and no one blocking
anyone
Share where you agree or see things differently
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Get to Know Your New Group Members
Names
Years, Majors
Rose – something that is going well for you this week
Thorn – something that has been a struggle for you this week
Bud – something you are looking forward to this quarter
You likely have new group members, so we’re going to take
some time to reintroduce ourselves – take about 10 minutes
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Participate:
SOUND BALL
Play sound ball in big groups for about 10 minutes; have
facilitator pause in the middle to prompt to go 20% more
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Discuss
Think about the three HOW skills (non-judgmentally, one-
mindfully, effectively). How did those go for you in this
practice? What was hard? What came naturally?
What felt different when you began incorporating the HOW
skills intentionally?

What felt different when you began participating more?
Describe
Have them do the describe practice on their own BUT DO NOT
HAVE THEM DISCUSS – instead they’ll write about it in their
homework post.
Refer to the word document with all the mindfulness exercises
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Reflection for Homework Post
For you homework post, reflect on this describe practice using
the following prompts:
Think about the three HOW skills (non-judgmentally, one-
mindfully, effectively). How did those go for you in this
practice? What was hard? What came naturally?
What felt different when you began incorporating the HOW
skills intentionally?
Would this have been easier or harder to do if you hated the
person? Loved the person? Why?
Homework Post 2: Mindfulness

Skill Practice Reflection: Reflect on a time you used a
mindfulness practice outside of class in the past week. Include a
response to the following prompts for a total of about 1.5 pages
double spaced.
· What did you do for a mindfulness practice this week outside
of class? Identify the "what" and "how" skills you used. What
did you notice during and after your mindfulness practice?
· What is one way you would like to see your life change in
terms of your ability to be present and aware of things in the
next four weeks? What specifically would happen if you made
this change?
· What is challenging about practicing mindfulness for you?
You may include external barriers, but be sure to also include
something internal that is a struggle for you (i.e. I get
distracted)
· What are your plans for overcoming the obstacles and barriers
you laid out in the previous question so you can continue
practicing mindfulness in the future? Be specific!
Class Activity Reflection: Reflect on your "describe"
mindfulness practice at the end of class this where you were
asked to describe a picture of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump
non-judgmentally. Respond to the following prompts for a total
of a half page double spaced.
1. Think about the three HOW skills (non-judgmentally, one-
mindfully, effectively). How did those go for you in the
"describe" practice? What was hard? What came more
naturally? Give a specific example of how you practiced each
skill.
2. Would this have been easier or harder to do if you hated the
person? Loved the person? Why?
Gratitude Practice: Write a half a page about something that
happened this week that you are grateful for.

Reading Reflection: Reflect on the previous lecture and the
assigned readings for next week and the associated videos.
Respond to the following prompts in a half page.
1. What is one thing that resonated with you class on
Wednesday, particularly from the lecture material? What do you
still have questions about (if anything)?
2. Identify one way you can see the content in the readings
helping you going forward.
Please review the Example Homework Posts for the first
assignment as an example of what we are looking for!
GRADING STANDARDS
Your post is worth a possible 10 points. To receive the full 10
points for this post, you must respond to all four sections of
reflection and address all prompts fully, totaling around 3-4
double-spaced pages. Be honest; part of the goal of these posts
is to have an opportunity to receive feedback and support from
the TAs, who have experience with using these skills and
coaching on the use of them. Your grade is NOT based on how
“well” you used the skills, but rather on how much we can see
you reflected on the skills/content and have thought about how
it applies to your life. Incomplete or late responses will be
docked points.

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