Practicing Mindfulness

CCSU’s Work-Life-Family Conference

Elizabeth A. Caswell
October 23, 2015
 Where Are You?

What Mindfulness is and how you can use it to:

 Wake up to your life
 Manage your thoughts and fears
 Become more creative, resourceful and healthy
 Starter questions:
1. I notice changes inside my body, such as my heart beating
faster, muscles tensing, face flushing.
2. If there is something I don’t want to think about, I have a
hard time getting it out of my mind.
3. When talking with other people,
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I am aware of their facial
and body expressions.
 What is Mindfulness?

Paying attention,
in the moment,
non-judgmentally,

as if your life depended on it.

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 Getting Started
Informal: Anytime, anywhere.
- Whatever you are doing, focus on only that.
- When you catch your mind wandering, let the thought go, and
- Bring yourself back to focus by checking your breathing and
reengaging.

Formal: Time and place specific

- Set aside a space and time without external distractions.
- Begin by just observing your breath.
- You may choose to extend to observing your body, bringing attention
to parts, in turn.

No judgements, no planning, no clock watching. Just be.

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 8 Attitudes of Mindfulness

1. Beginner’s mind: See things as new and fresh, as if for the first time, with a sense of
curiosity.
2. Non-judgment: Cultivate impartial awareness in any given experience –no labels.
3. Acknowledgement: Validate your experiences as they are.
4. Nonstriving: Be open to whatever arises in the moment – no manipulation; be OK
with being where you are in the present moment.
5. Equanimity: Involves balance and fosters wisdom; helps you understand the nature
of change and allows you to “be” with change with greater insight and compassion.
6. Letting be: Be with whatever is, without trying to force letting go of whatever is
present.
7. Self-reliance: See for yourself, what is true or untrue for you, in your own
experience.
8. Self-compassion: Enables you to cultivate self-love for you just as you are, without
blame or criticism.
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Source: Stahl, Elisha and Bob, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook
 Benefits of Mindfulness
CHRONIC PAIN

High Blood Pressure

A
Fibromyalgia
Hypertensio
n
Diabetes
Psoriasis
xi Weight
Management Asthma
Headache Depression
eSleep Problems
Creativity
n

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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 Additional Resources

 The Beginner’s Mind, Jon Kabat-Zinn

 Wisdom2summit.com
 Paulousemindfulness.com
 elizcaswell@yahoo.com