MBCT-L Course Practices
Welcome to the MBCT-L 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 MBCT-L Course Handbook
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 8 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 20 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: 20 minutes
Body Scan (voice only)
Body Scan (with nature sounds)
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. Do a 20 minute Body Scan: Continue with your daily body scan practice.
2. Complete the Experiences Calendar: this week the calendar focuses on pleasant experiences. Make sure to bring awareness to at least one pleasant experience each day. Use this as an opportunity to become really aware of the sensations, feelings, thoughts and impulses that arise, at the time. Notice and record, in detail, the precise nature and location of bodily sensations and use the actual words or images in which the thoughts came. You will also be invited to continue this practice throughout the rest of the course.
3. Do a Sitting with Breath Practice for 5-10 minutes every day this week.
Sitting with breath practice (voice only)
Sitting with breath practice (with nature sounds)
4. Ten-Finger Gratitude Practice: Continuing with your gratitude practice.
5. New habits in everyday life: 50:50 Attention. Continue keeping the body in mind when listening and speaking.
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 3:
1.Stretch & Breath Practice / Mindful Movement: Practice mindful movement this week on days 1, 3 and 5. This could be the lying or standing movements we did in the session, or other gentle movements of your choice, done with mindful awareness (audio track below).
2.Experiences Calendar: This week, focus on unpleasant experiences. Each day, note at least one unpleasant experience, bringing awareness to the sensations, feelings, thoughts, and impulses that arise. Record these in detail, using your own words for thoughts or images that come up. This practice is an opportunity to understand how reactivity arises and its impact on your mind and body.
3.Three-Step Breathing Space: Practice the Three-Step Breathing Space at least three times per day. Feel free to use it more often as needed, especially if you experience stress or other strong emotions. Remember that this practice is a way of ‘coming home’ to yourself throughout the day.
4. Sitting with Breath and Body Practice: Practice for 10-20 minutes if you can, bringing your attention to your breath and body. Do this on days 2, 4 and 6. Perhaps practicing with the audio track or maybe seeing how it is to guide yourself, just sitting with whatever is present, gently guiding attention back to the breath again and again.
Stretch and Breath practice (With the lovely Claire from the OMF)
4. Ten-Finger Gratitude Practice: Continue with your gratitude practice daily, finding moments to express appreciation for things in your life.
5. New habits in everyday life: 50:50 Attention. Continue keeping the body in mind when listening and speaking.
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 4:
1.Sitting with the breath practice: Aim for 10-30 minutes per day, use the sitting with the breath audio guidance above or feel free to guide yourself, perhaps adding in the soundscape alongside sensations of the breath and then body.
2.Walking in daily life: bringing mindful awareness to your everyday walks. Perhaps with the dog, or even for a few moments as you move from one room to another during your work day.
3.Three-Step Breathing Space: Continuing to practice your 3SBS. Adding a sense of compassion for whatever is there. Really focusing in on the breath, short breath in, twice as long out, calming and grounding. Especially when things are difficult.
4. Ten-Finger Gratitude Practice: Continue with your gratitude practice daily, finding moments to express appreciation for things in your life.
5. 50:50 Attention: Continue keeping the body in mind when listening.
6. Experiences Calendar: Noting either pleasant or unpleasant experiences and how you respond to them.
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.