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Not focusing on what’s going on in the moment Mind being on “automatic pilot” Driving and don’t remember how you got somewhere Doing several things at the same time Focusing on or worrying about the future or past Mind wandering during class Focusing on goals so as to not pay attention to what’s going on right now Rushing through things without being attentive to them

Aware of present experience with acceptance Observing where attention goes moment by moment Awareness, attention, and remembering Remembering: to be aware and pay attention Can help us see and accept things as they are Can help us come to peace with the inevitability of change and the impossibility of always winning Can help us loosen our preoccupation with “self” Helps worries fall into perspective Helps us experience the richness of the moments of our lives Frees us up to act more wisely and skillfully in everyday decisions

Mindfulness can involve changes to the actual physical structure of the brain Study by Sara Lazar of individuals within average of nine years of meditation experience, averaging six hours per week compared to age matched control group MRIs: Meditators had thicker cerebral cortexes in three areas: anterior insula, sensory cortex, and prefrontal cortex Differences in thickness were more pronounced in older subjects Degree of thickening was proportional to the amount of time a person had spent meditating over a lifetime Other research findings indicate less loss of gray matter among meditators

Many people medicate to avoid discomfort and alcohol and use of other substances are common Can distract us from unpleasant thoughts or feelings Experiential avoidance plays a big role in maintaining anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other forms of distress

Practice being with whatever is occurring at the moment without doing anything to try to change or escape it Pay attention to how things actually are rather than how we want them to be Change our relationship to difficult experiences; we move toward them instead of trying to escape or avoid them

It’s not having a blank mind: it helps us see our thoughts clearly It’s not becoming emotionless: enables us to more fully bear a full range of emotional experience It’s not withdrawing from life: its use as to others and helps us feel more connected It’s not seeking bliss: it helps us accepts all of our experiences instead of just clinging to pleasant one It’s not escaping pain: it helps us embrace pain and lessens suffering It’s not converting to another religion: it supports efforts in almost any spiritual or psychological tradition

Breath awareness meditation: sitting straight, close eyes, and bring attention to the sensations of your breath When mine wanders, gently return your attention to the breath Walking meditation: standstill and start to walk slowly and deliberately. Notice how it feels to lift 1 foot step forward, and place it down, as the other foot begins to left. Loving-kindness meditation: begin by repeating silently to yourself: may I be happy, may I be peaceful, may I be free from suffering. Keep repeating this phrase and when mind wanders come back to the phrase