1. Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice
Introduction
Dr Gemma Griffith
Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice
Bangor University
22nd September 2016

2. Mindfulness
A common, first approach that people have towards mindfulness is with the notion…
“Can it help me fix a particular problem?”
How can I cope with stress at work
How can I deal with this person
How do I stop my mind from churning when it keeps me awake at night
How do I stop worrying about my life

3. Seem familiar?

4. Mindfulness
What many of these questions have in common - is about the ability to self-regulate.
However, Mindfulness (specifically MBSR) isn’t about ‘fixing’, and a core principal is that whoever you are, there is more right then wrong with you.
It is about getting to know how your own mind works, and practicing simply ‘being with’ the mind, body, and emotions.
This ‘being with’ changes our relationship with ourselves, and can help with self-regulation.

5. There is a difference between ‘mindfulness’ and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Basically refers to a mental state, of observing and allowing ones experience in the present.
Lots of organizations and people have various/diverse interpretations of what this is.
Media often confuses ‘mindfulness’ with MBSR or MBCT
MBSR is an 8-week group course:
Sitting meditation
Bodyscan
Mindful Movement
Walking meditation
Bringing attention to routine tasks
Psycho-education
Support of group peers

6. Mindfulness is simple, yet complex
Intellectual understanding supports mindfulness practice, but it needs to be underpinned by experiential understanding.

7. What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from:
“....paying attention
on purpose,
in the present moment,
non-judgementally...”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Have a brief breath practice here?

8. Where did Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction start?

9. Origins of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979
University of Massachusetts Medical School
To help patients with chronic pain, who could not be helped by the medical world.

10. Origins of MBSR
The first publications (in the early 80’s) were about how mindfulness affected people with chronic pain and psoriasis.
A recent research explosion into mindfulness, looking at depression, anxiety, PTSD, people with cancer, people with psychosis, medical and healthcare professionals, children in schools, in workplace settings…
This research interest is one of the reasons why mindfulness is so popular today

11. The research explosion

12. Mindfulness of Breath Practice…

13. Turn to someone next to you and discuss how that breath practice was…

14. Attention is like a puppy
We ask our mind to ‘sit’ or ‘stay’ in a certain place
But it isn’t very good at staying for long
It wanders off
It keeps fetching things we didn’t ask for
Sometimes it makes a real mess!

15. Myths about mindfulness
It is a relaxation technique
It is about escaping everyday life
Mindfulness is difficult
Mindfulness is easy
Mindfulness is all about the mind
Mindfulness is about stopping thoughts
Mindfulness is having an empty mind

16. Doing and Being modes
‘Doing’ : Planning, getting tasks completed, analysing, automatic pilot.
‘Being’ : showing up, being present to whatever is there.

17. Doing and Being Mind (Williams, 2010)
DOING/Conceptual
BEING/Perceptual / Direct Sensing
Labeling
Elaborating
Analyzing
Judging
Goal-setting
Planning
Comparing
Remembering
Self-reflecting
= DOING MIND
Seeing Tasting Touching
Hearing Smelling
Visceral sensations
Musculature and proprioceptive sensing = BEING MIND

18. Shifting attentional focus and creating more flexibility of response
Conceptual/ Simulation
DOING
Perceptual/Direct
BEING B
Choosing a mode of mind appropriate for the task

19. Tuning in to our Mind’s Journey and choosing to be here.
THE PAST
remembering, reflecting, reviewing
THE FUTURE
planning, worrying, anticipation
THE PRESENT MOMENT

20. Three step Breathing space
First taught in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy – now is a core part of MBSR curriculum in the UK.
It is a short practice
Bring mindfulness into daily life

21. Three step Breathing space
Step 1: Acknowledging what is here.
Step 2: Gathering..(to the breath or a grounded place)
Step 3: Expanding outward again, being aware of what is around you

22. Turn to someone next to you and discuss how that breathing space practice was…

23. Take mindfulness with you…