Session 1 Attention the Now Mindfulness X OUTLINE

Session 1 Attention & the Now Mindfulness X

OUTLINE This Presentation 1. What is Mindfulness? 2. The Now 3. Attention 4. This Training

1 What is Mindfulness?

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Mindfulness is not: § to relax § a religion § a way to change thoughts § difficult § easy § a way to not be concerned with the future anymore § impossible to investigate scientifically

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Mindfulness is popular ”

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Mindfulness is popular

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Integration in clinical practice § Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) § Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) § Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) § Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) § Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT)

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Roots § Buddhism § 2500 years ago § English translation of the Pali word “sati”

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Definition ” Keeping one’s complete attention to the experience on a moment-to-moment basis in an open and non-judgmental way.

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Jon Kabat-Zinn (Ph. D) § Professor of Medicine Emeritus § brought mindfulness into mainstream of medicine and society § detached religious aspects § developed MBSR

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components 1. attention 2. open awareness 3. acceptance 4. no identification 5. choice

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components 1. attention § pay attention to what occurs in this moment § awareness of thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and feelings

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components 2. open awareness § awareness of judgment § awareness of labeling (e. g. “good” vs “bad”) § letting go of lables and judgements

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components 3. acceptance § accept current experience as it is § do not attempt to change it § no struggle/fight

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components 4. no identification § you are not the emotion/thought § I experience sadness vs I am sad § not everything you think is true § states (emotions/thoughts) come and go

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components 5. Choice § not letting a states take over § room between impulse and action § Conscious vs automatic behaviour

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? 5 core components ” ? Sounds easy?

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Mindlessness § rushing through activities without being attentive to them § breaking or spilling things because of carelessness inattention, or thinking of something else § failing to notice subtle feelings of physical tension or discomfort § finding ourselves preoccupied with the future or the past § snacking without being aware of eating

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Practicing mindfulness 1. attention 2. open awareness 3. acceptance 4. no identification 5. choice } Prevented by automatic patterns

1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Practicing mindfulness therefore, extensive practice is needed: § body scan § breathing meditation § (small) daily practices § applying knowledge

2 The Now

2. THE NOW Exercise § Please remember a beautiful moment from the past. § Try to think of what happened back then.

2. THE NOW Exercise Now consider the moment you just thought of: § Where was your attention? § Were you thinking a lot? § Were you living in the moment? § Were no other problems present in your life at that time?

2. THE NOW The present moment § plays a fundamental role in mindfulness § we are often not in the now § where are we then?

2. THE NOW The present moment Future “I have to do…” “ What if…” Past “Yesterday I…”

2. THE NOW The present moment PAST NOW FUTURE

2. THE NOW The present moment PAST NOW FUTURE

2. THE NOW Thoughts… § are a powerful tool § difficult to “turn off” when not needed anymore § disconnect us from the present moment § can become problematic when believed to be true

2. THE NOW Mindfulness & thoughts § thoughts are not facts § observe vs being caught in a train of thought § in this moment, there is seldom a problem

3 Attention

3. ATTENTION Focus Attention focuses our awareness on a specific experience: § book § TV § conversation § physical pain § thoughts

3. ATTENTION 2 forces 1. the one which demands attention (internal/external) EMOTION THOUGHT SOUND 2. the one who regulates attention TV COMMERCIAL MINDFULNESS

3. ATTENTION Exercise Try to stop your thoughts for 2 minutes.

3. ATTENTION Exercise What did you experience? § thoughts demand a lot of our attention § it is difficult (if not impossible) to stop thoughts by not trying to think of them

3. ATTENTION Dealing with thoughts § over 50. 000 thoughts per day § thoughts can be handy: ü creative ü new ideas ü making plans

3. ATTENTION Dealing with thoughts § thoughts can be problematic: ü worry ü rumination ü negative stories about the self

3. ATTENTION Ways to deal with thoughts § suppression § distraction § challenging

3. ATTENTION struggle Ways to deal with thoughts { § suppression rebound § distraction § challenging temporary in head: thinking

3. ATTENTION no struggle Mindfully dealing with thoughts { § observe § take less serious § let them pass

3. ATTENTION Mindfully dealing with thoughts thinking = attention for thoughts

3. ATTENTION Mindfully dealing with thoughts ” § focus attention to one point § point = an anchor § return to this anchor

3. ATTENTION Examples of anchors ” § our breath § our body § an object § a sound § a smell

3. ATTENTION Mindfully dealing with thoughts thinking mindfulness = attention for the now using an anchor mindfulness

3. ATTENTION Mindfully dealing with thoughts thinking observing = detachment from thoughts observing

4 This Training

4. THIS TRAINING 8 session, 8 essential topics § Session 1: Attention (for the present moment) § Session 2: Automatic patterns and reactivity § Session 3: Judgment § Session 4: Conflict / Acceptance § Session 5: Goals / Future (doing versus results) § Session 6: Compassion § Session 7: Ego / Identity § Session 8: Integration

4. THIS TRAINING Science § Why does mindfulness work? § What happens when I meditate? § What is the evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness?

4. THIS TRAINING Practice § integration of mindfulness in daily life § meditation § acting with awareness § dealing with emotions

Thanks For your attention