1. Session 1 Attention & the Now
Mindfulness X

2. This Presentation What is Mindfulness? The Now Attention This Training
OUTLINE
This Presentation
What is Mindfulness?
The Now
Attention
This Training

3. 1
What is Mindfulness?

4. Mindfulness is not: 1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? to relax a religion
a way to change thoughts
difficult
easy
a way to not be concerned with the future anymore
impossible to investigate scientifically

5. Mindfulness is popular
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness is popular ”

6. Mindfulness is popular
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness is popular
Mindfulness has also become a popular topic within the field of scientific research
2016: over 4,000 academic publication references

7. Integration in clinical practice
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Integration in clinical practice
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT)

8. Pali was the language of Buddhist psychology 2,500 years ago
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Roots
Buddhism
2500 years ago
English translation of the Pali word “sati”
Pali was the language of Buddhist psychology 2,500 years ago

9. ” ” Definition Keeping one’s complete attention to the experience on a
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Definition ” ”
Keeping one’s complete attention
to the experience on a
moment-to-moment basis
in an open and
non-judgmental way.
Note that the nature of attention is really important here: open and non-judgmental. Otherwise this definition would be very close to a definition of simple concentration.

10. Jon Kabat-Zinn (PhD) Professor of Medicine Emeritus
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Jon Kabat-Zinn (PhD)
Professor of Medicine Emeritus
brought mindfulness into mainstream of medicine and society
detached religious aspects
developed MBSR

11. 5 core components attention open awareness acceptance
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components
attention
open awareness
acceptance
no identification
choice

12. 5 core components attention
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components
attention
pay attention to what occurs in this moment
awareness of thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and feelings

13. 5 core components open awareness awareness of judgment
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components
open awareness
awareness of judgment
awareness of labeling (e.g. “good” vs “bad”)
letting go of lables and judgements

14. 5 core components acceptance accept current experience as it is
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components
acceptance
accept current experience as it is
do not attempt to change it
no struggle/fight

15. 1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components
no identification
you are not the emotion/thought
I experience sadness vs I am sad
not everything you think is true
states (emotions/thoughts) come and go
Identification means that we become one with our thoughts and emotions. When we are identified with thoughts or emotions, they take over.

16. 1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components
Choice
not letting a states take over
room between impulse and action
Conscious vs automatic behaviour
Rather than impulsively reacting on thoughts or feelings, mindfulness awareness creates room between our impulses (e.g. wanting shouting when getting angry) and the eventual response (staying calm).

17. 1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
5 core components ” ” ?
Sounds easy?

18. 1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindlessness
rushing through activities without being attentive to them
breaking or spilling things because of carelessness inattention, or thinking of something else
failing to notice subtle feelings of physical tension or discomfort
finding ourselves preoccupied with the future or the past
snacking without being aware of eating

19. Practicing mindfulness
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Practicing mindfulness }
attention
open awareness
acceptance
no identification
choice
Prevented by automatic patterns

20. Practicing mindfulness
1. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Practicing mindfulness
therefore, extensive practice is needed:
body scan
breathing meditation
(small) daily practices
applying knowledge

21. 2
The Now

22. It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
2. THE NOW
Exercise
Please remember a beautiful moment from the past.
Try to think of what happened back then.
It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
Maybe you were together with person you love. Maybe you were traveling, holding a newborn child, climbing a mountain or supporting a friend.

23. Exercise Now consider the moment you just thought of:
2. THE NOW
Exercise
Now consider the moment you just thought of:
Where was your attention?
Were you thinking a lot?
Were you living in the moment?
Were no other problems present in your life at that time?

24. It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
2. THE NOW
The present moment
plays a fundamental role in mindfulness
we are often not in the now
where are we then?
It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
Maybe you were together with person you love. Maybe you were traveling, holding a newborn child, climbing a mountain or supporting a friend.

25. The present moment 2. THE NOW Future “I have to do…” “ What if…” Past
“Yesterday I…”

26. It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
2. THE NOW
The present moment
PAST
NOW
FUTURE
It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
Maybe you were together with person you love. Maybe you were traveling, holding a newborn child, climbing a mountain or supporting a friend.

27. It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
2. THE NOW
The present moment
PAST
NOW
FUTURE
It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
Maybe you were together with person you love. Maybe you were traveling, holding a newborn child, climbing a mountain or supporting a friend.

28. Thoughts… are a powerful tool
2. THE NOW
Thoughts…
are a powerful tool
difficult to “turn off” when not needed anymore
disconnect us from the present moment
can become problematic when believed to be true

29. Mindfulness & thoughts
2. THE NOW
Mindfulness & thoughts
thoughts are not facts
observe vs being caught in a train of thought
in this moment, there is seldom a problem
It can help to give some examples of beautiful moments here:
Maybe you were together with person you love. Maybe you were traveling, holding a newborn child, climbing a mountain or supporting a friend.

30. 3
Attention

31. Focus Attention focuses our awareness on a specific experience: bookTV
conversation
physical pain
thoughts

32. external: noise, a handsome passerby or an advertisement on TV
4. ATTENTION
2 forces
the one which demands attention (internal/external)
the one who regulates attention
EMOTION
THOUGHT
SOUND
TV COMMERCIAL
MINDFULNESS
external: noise, a handsome passerby or an advertisement on TV
internal: a feeling, sensation, emotion, though

33. 4. ATTENTION
Exercise
Try to stop your thoughts for 2 minutes.

34. Exercise thoughts demand a lot of our attention
What did you experience?
thoughts demand a lot of our attention
it is difficult (if not impossible) to stop thoughts by not trying to think of them

35. Dealing with thoughts over 50.000 thoughts per day
4. ATTENTION
Dealing with thoughts
over thoughts per day
thoughts can be handy:
creative
new ideas
making plans

36. Dealing with thoughts thoughts can be problematic: worry rumination
4. ATTENTION
Dealing with thoughts
thoughts can be problematic:
worry
rumination
negative stories about the self

37. Ways to deal with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Ways to deal with thoughts
suppression
distraction
challenging

38. Ways to deal with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Ways to deal with thoughts {
suppression
distraction
challenging
rebound
temporary
in head: thinking
struggle

39. Mindfully dealing with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Mindfully dealing with thoughts {
observe
take less serious
let them pass
no struggle

40. Mindfully dealing with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Mindfully dealing with thoughts
thinking
thinking =
attention for
thoughts

41. Mindfully dealing with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Mindfully dealing with thoughts ”
focus attention to one point
point = an anchor
return to this anchor
Direct your attention to one point, for instance your breath, your hands (bodyscan), and object, activity etc.

42. ” Examples of anchors our breath our body an object a sound a smell
4. ATTENTION
Examples of anchors ”
our breath
our body
an object
a sound
a smell
Direct your attention to one point, for instance your breath, your hands (bodyscan), and object, activity etc.

43. Mindfully dealing with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Mindfully dealing with thoughts
thinking
mindfulness =
attention for
the now using an anchor
mindfulness

44. Mindfully dealing with thoughts
4. ATTENTION
Mindfully dealing with thoughts
thinking
observing =
detachment from thoughts
observing

45. 4
This Training

46. 8 session, 8 essential topics
3. THIS TRAINING
8 session, 8 essential topics
Session 1: Attention (for the present moment)
Session 2: Automatic patterns and reactivity
Session 3: Judgment
Session 4: Conflict / Acceptance
Session 5: Goals / Future (doing versus results)
Session 6: Compassion
Session 7: Ego / Identity
Session 8: Integration

47. Science Why does mindfulness work? What happens when I meditate?
3. THIS TRAINING
Science
Why does mindfulness work?
What happens when I meditate?
What is the evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness?

48. Practice integration of mindfulness in daily life meditation
3. THIS TRAINING
Practice
integration of mindfulness in daily life
meditation
acting with awareness
dealing with emotions

49. Thanks
For your attention