Introducing Mindfulness Course Practices
Welcome to the Introducing Mindfulness home practice support page. Following on from your in-person or online course session, this page has all the essentials you need to explore the home practices suggested during your session. If anything isn't clear or you feel that you would benefit from any extra guidance please don't hesitate to contact your mindfulness teacher.
Click here to download the OMF's Introducing Mindfulness Course Handbook 2023
This handbook from the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation will also guide you through the course and the most effective way to use it is to read each of the 3 session chapters AFTER each session as a reminder and support to the teachings and practice you experienced in class.
Home practice following session 1:
1. Do a 10 minute Body Scan, using the audio track, every day this week. Don’t expect to feel anything in particular from doing the practice. In fact, give up all expectations about it as best you can. Just let your experience be your experience. Don’t judge; just keep doing it, and we’ll talk about how it went next week.
The Body Scan: 10 minutes
2. Ten-Finger Gratitude Practice: bring to mind ten things for which you are grateful, counting them on your fingers and opening to and savouring the sensations of gratitude in the body as best you can.
3. Choose one routine activity in your daily life and make a deliberate effort to bring moment-to-moment awareness to that activity each time you do it. Possibilities include waking up in the morning, brushing your teeth, showering, drying your body, getting dressed, eating a meal or a snack, taking out the rubbish, shopping, etc. Explore how it is to zoom in and experience fully what you are doing as you are doing it. Notice body sensations, thoughts and feelings as they arise.
Please note:
1. These practices are for you, to support you in your daily life. No ‘oughts or ‘shoulds’. No one is checking up on you. Your practice is a relationship between you and you. Please engage with them in a way that supports your learning.
2. Feel free to use the home practice notes page opposite to make a note of anything that comes up for you, either as a reflection or as a reminder for discussion at our next session.
Home practice following session 2:
1. Bring the 3-Step Breathing Spaces into everyday life, maybe at key moments in your day like when you get out of bed, arrive at work or home, and get into bed at the end of the day. You can guide yourself through these, but if you want a reminder of the 3 steps, you can use the guided version below. It can be easy to forget to do this, so you could also set an alarm at key moments in your day to remind yourself.
3 Step Breathing Space:
2. Continue with your 10-finger appreciation practice: bring to mind ten things for which you are grateful, counting them on your fingers and opening to and savouring the sensations of gratitude in the body as best you can.
3. Continue to bring mindful awareness to your daily life, making a deliberate effort to bring moment-to-moment awareness to that activity each time you do it. Possibilities include waking up in the morning, brushing your teeth, showering, drying your body, getting dressed, eating a meal or a snack, taking out the rubbish, shopping, etc. Explore how it is to zoom in and experience fully what you are doing as you are doing it. Notice body sensations, thoughts and feelings as they arise.