Mindfulness
In this section you will find the following tools:
Every Day Mindful Practices
Settling & Intention Setting
Mindful Listening & Speaking
Every Day Mindful Practices
Mindfulness has been growing in popularity over the last couple of decades although its roots are in Buddhist traditions more than 2500 years old. Increasingly we are learning the benefits of mindful practices to our overall sense of well-being. Mindfulness if about bringing us into the present, to be fully aware of what the immediate moment holds.
Much of the foundation of current mindfulness practice was developed by Jon Kabat-Zin . He defines mindfulness as “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally, as if your life depended on it”. He reminds us that mindfulness is not a technique, but rather a way of being.
There are a range of way that we can start to bring more present awareness into our lives:
Mindfulness Meditation: Basic breathing techniques can be used by participants throughout the day to slow down and focus, calm anxiety or collect their thoughts before a difficult conversation.
Mindful living: Participants are encouraged to identify daily habits such as hand washing, eating, or dressing, which they could intentionally increase focus and awareness as a way of enhancing mindfulness.
Mindful Communication: Building awareness as both a listener and a speaker are practices to which considerable time is dedicated in the training. We will look at this in more detail as part of the Interpersonal Tools.
Building a practice of Gratitude: The scientific benefits of practicing gratitude are well documented. In one experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). Within the training we typically close the day with a gratitude circle and we use a gratitude jar where participants can note their appreciations as they occur. Participants are encouraged to integrate gratitude into their mindful practices, either through journaling, meditation or sharing gratitude with others.
Beginner’s Mind: “If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” (Shunryu Suzuki). To cultivate Beginner’s Mind, participants are encouraged to approach every situation as if they have never experienced it before and they have no knowledge or expectation of what the experience will bring.This can be particularly impactful in those experiences that participants have had multiple times and typically approach almost on automatic pilot – like a regular commute or a monthly staff meeting. With Beginner’s Mind, many new things can be learned and experienced in these daily events.
VIDEO RESOURCES
Sahuna Shapiro on the Power of Mindfulness - TedTalk (14 mins) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeblJdB2-Vo
John Kabat-Zin on mindfulness (5 ½ mins) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmEo6RI4Wvs
Richard Davidson on meditation - TedTalk (18 mins) https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_j_davidson_how_mindfulness_changes_the_emotional_life_of_our_brains_jan_2019?language=en
BOOKS
Goleman D. & Davidson R. (2017) Science of Meditation: How to Change your Brain, Mind and Body
Goleman D. & Davidson R. (2017) Altered Traits: Science Reveals how Meditation Changes your Mind, Brain and Body
Settling & Intention Setting
The most important part of entering into connection and relationship with others is to pause, gather your sense of your energy and intention, and settle to be fully present and engaged. There are many ways to undertake this exercise but the key is to provide a mechanism for all to arrive into the session with awareness and intention. The focus is on creating a pause in the day, to check in with how you are doing, so that each person can bring their full selves into the process.
There is a significant body of science that demonstrates the power of taking a mindful pause (self-regulation) and intention setting. Some resources to point you toward this science are included below.
In Indigenous practice, a pause before meetings is often offered through an opening meeting and a prayer. Another method suggested for settling in the CSL approach is a breath-focused settling and intention setting: a 3 - 5 minute guided meditation.
Settling Meditation Sample Script
“Close your eyes and place your hands comfortably in your lap. Sit up straight. Imagine a string is tugging the top of your head. Feel your self firmly sitting in the chair and your feet firmly on the ground.
Begin by taking three deep, slow, conscious breaths. Follow your breath to the end of the inhale, notice the small pause and then follow it all the way to the end of the exhale. Now just turn to the natural rhythm of the breath. Allow the breath to be your anchor, your resting place.
(Here pause for a minute of silence).
Now think about your intentions for our time together today.
(In order, speak each of these questions and give time after each one for silent consideration)
What would you like to leave with today?
What would you like to let go of? Worries, recurring, planning, thoughts…..
What values you want to express in your interactions today?
(After each question has been asked and considered)
Now return to the breath. (Pause here)
When you are ready come back to the room in your own time.”
The final stage in this process is to ask participants to take out their journals and write about the intentions they set for the day, before entering into a check in to share this with another participant.
Mindful Listening & Speaking
There are many reasons that our communication can be ineffective.
In terms of listening capability, we often hear what we expect to hear rather than what is actually being said, leading us to jump to conclusions and reinforce old biases. Often our minds are busy listening to our own internal chatter or planning what we want to say rather than listening to another. Or we may just be too busy to slow down long enough to actually listen.
In terms of our speaking, we rarely slow down to reflect on what we really want to say. And so often, our words can be layered with judgement or even blame. Our words may not reflect what we are thinking and feeling: they may be our interpretation of other’s actions and feelings.
We use mindful communication as an introductory tool to address these challenges. It is a tool to practice as much as you can so that a habit of mindful communication can be developed. Mindful communication occurs when we are present in the interaction. It requires both the speaker and the listener to slow down, to reflect, and to be intentional in their actions and words. It is non-judgemental and has the potential to increase connection between those communicating.
Mindful communication is practiced in dyads.
Step 1: Take the time you need to reflect on the topic of conversation – journal or simply remain quiet and tune into your thoughts, emotions and physical self.
Step 2: Identify who will speak first and who will listen first.
Step 3: Allow the first speaker 2-3 minutes to simply speak, without interruption. The listener simply listens, with their full attention, without judgement, and with an intention to hold what the speaker is saying.
Step 4: Thank each other.
Step 5: Reverse roles and use the same structure as above.