S3 - Components

• Aim of mindfulness

  • Roots in ancient buddhist practice
  • Teaching people to control the mind and increase awareness
  • Focuses on here and now
  • Improves cognitive functioning and well being
• 1 - Gaining control of thoughts

  • Mindful focuses on present thoughts and emotions (Self regulation of attention and acceptance)
  • Focus on the present and become aware of all thoughts and accept them
  • Goal is to gain awareness of negative unhelpful thoughts
  • Negative automatic thinking - anxiety
  • Mindfulness teaches to recongise when process occuring and to reflect
• 2 - Formal practices/ meditation

  • Central to mindfulness is art of meditation
  • Formal training via sitting is more effective in developing mindfulness skills (physically removes individual from interactions)
  • Focus the mind
  • Learnt via guided instruction and personal practice
  • Pay attention to body sensations and emotions preventing unhelpful thoughts
  • Teacher is both therapist and learner
  • Meditation reprocesses internal experience and accept thoughts
  • Eg: 6-8 MBSR
• 3 - Informal practices of mindfulness

  • Practiced throughout daily life (eg: when showering driving)
  • Opposite to multi-tasking as it is conscious decision to focus on a task
  • eg: paying attention to water in the shower (orientation to the moment)
  • When attention wanders, bring attention back to sensations