Practices

Body Scan - from class #2 - (28 mins)

Body Scan - shorter version (11 mins) for busy days

Mindful check-in from class #2

Another definition for Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the awareness that arises out of intentionally paying attention in an open, kind, and discerning way.

Shauna Shapiro & Linda Carlson

Three keys to mindfulness:

Intention – choosing to be more deliberate in how we use our mind
Attention – knowing where the attention goes, bringing it to the present
Attitude – accepting that what is here, is here

Perception

Your mind doesn’t just take in the world, it shapes it.

Out of everything you could see, hear, and feel, you only notice a small part. And from that small part, your mind builds a full story about what’s real.

This means your experience isn’t just about what’s happening.

It’s also about where your attention goes, and the mood you bring with you.

When you’re stressed, the world can feel tense.

When you’re calm, the same moment can feel manageable.

Mindfulness helps you see this more clearly.

It invites you to notice not just what you’re paying attention to, but also what you might be missing. It creates space to get curious instead of certain.

So when you form an opinion about yourself or someone else, try asking -

“Are you sure?”

Not to doubt everything, but to soften the grip of quick conclusions.

It’s also worth noticing how your habits and coping patterns shape your reactions.

The way you respond to stress isn’t fixed.

It’s learned.

and that means it can change.

Think of a difficult situation, past or present.

How did your perception influence what happened?

And what might have been different if you saw it another way?

Nine Dots Exercise

Connect all nine dots with four straight lines without lifting the pencil,

and without retracing prior lines

What does this puzzle tell you about perception?

What is your response to the challenge of this puzzle?

How did you respond when discovering or finding out the answer?

Suffering equals Pain times Resistance

Pain is inevitable in life. resistance is something added.

Perception is quietly running the show.

It shapes how we experience everything, even something as simple as that raisin a moment ago.

And not just the raisin. Every moment of life is filtered through perception first, reality second.

There’s a simple equation we keep coming back to in this work:

S = P x R

Stress equals Pain times Resistance.

Pain is part of being human. No one gets a version of life without it. The details change, the intensity changes, but pain shows up for everyone. Loss shows up for everyone.

We come to the world with the pain of birth.

Pain includes both physical and emotional pain.

The part that shifts is R.

Our resistance. Our reactivity. Our “no, this shouldn’t be happening.”

Resisting our pain worsens our suffering.

Resistance can include:

Shoulds
Coulds
Woulds
Denial
Pushing Away
Holding on to
Guilt
Judging
Negative Self-Talk
Rumination.

That’s where most of our struggle lives.

Sometimes a strong “no” is exactly right.

Clear. Protective. Necessary.

But often, it’s not the pain that overwhelms us, it’s the fight against the pain that turns the volume up.

Reducing our resistance to the pain we experience can lessen or eliminate our

suffering

Traffic is a simple example. One version of you sits in it. Breathing. Waiting. Nothing extra added. Another version sits in it and argues with it, pushes against it, tightens around it. Same situation. Very different experience.

And most of that reaction isn’t random. It comes from conditioning.

Everything that came before this moment is part of it. Your body. Your history. The family you grew up in. The conversations. The media. The patterns you learned without even noticing.

All of that shapes how R shows up.

So it’s easy to say, “this is just how I am.”

But awareness changes the equation.

Because once you see the reaction happening, something opens up. Not always a big change, sometimes just a small pause. A little space. And in that space, choice becomes possible.

It’s not about controlling everything that happens. It’s about noticing:

What is happening in me right now? What am I adding to this moment? Where is the struggle actually coming from?

There’s a simple reminder here: it’s rarely just what happens to us that determines how much we suffer, it’s the meaning and resistance we layer on top of it.

Perception is doing that layering.

This is also important to say clearly: taking responsibility here is not about shutting down emotions or pretending everything is fine. Anger, grief, frustration, even rage, all of it is human.

Sometimes anger is exactly what’s needed. It can protect, clarify, and move things forward.

The key is discernment.

When is this reaction helpful? When is it adding unnecessary weight? When does it serve something important, and when is it costing more than it gives?

That’s the work we’re practicing.

Homework

Complete the Pleasant Event Calendar
Formal: Body Scan 6 days this week
Formal: Try Anchoring practice or Awareness of Breathing
Informal: Eat one meal mindfully
Informal: Pick a daily activity to do mindfully each time

Pleasant Event Calendar

Noting at least one event each day. It may be easier to notice unpleasant events, but for now focus on the pleasant!

Option 1: You can share pleasant event with the group - in our new Students Reflections Page

Option 2: download this page, print it out and fill it out during the week

↓ Pleasant-Events-Calendar.pdf

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is about coming back to the moment and truly experiencing your food. It’s choosing to slow down, pay attention, and notice what your body is telling you. When you eat this way, food becomes more than just fuel, it becomes something you actually enjoy and connect with.

It also helps you build awareness without pressure. You begin to notice when you’re hungry, when you’re full, and when you’re eating out of habit or emotion.

That awareness can gently shift your relationship with food in a healthier, more balanced direction.

Here are some simple, feel-good ways to practice:

🌿 Create a calm space Sit at a table, take a breath, and let your meal be the focus
📵 Remove distractions Turn off screens and give your attention fully to your food
🐢 Slow it down Take smaller bites, chew fully, and pause between each one
👅 Engage your senses Notice the taste, texture, smell, and even the colors on your plate
🧠 Check in with your body Ask yourself if you’re still hungry or starting to feel full
🌎 Get curious about your food Think about where it came from and what went into making it
🍽️ Make it an experience Set the table, light a candle, or share the moment with someone
👩‍🍳 Be part of the process Cook something simple and enjoy the act of creating your meal

Over time, these small shifts can make eating feel more satisfying

more intentional

and a lot more enjoyable.

Poetry: The Cookie Thief - by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,

with several long hours before her flight.

She hunted for a book in the airport shops,

bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,

that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . .

grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,

which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,

as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,

thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”

With each cookie she took, he took one too,

when only one was left, she wondered what he would do.

With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,

he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,

she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother.

This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude,

why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,

and sighed with relief when her flight was called.

She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,

refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,

then sought her book, which was almost complete.

As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,

there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,

the others were his, and he tried to share.

Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,

that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.