Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Alumni
So many have found the MBSR journey life-changing. It brings me joy to continue supporting you long after the class has finished.
Below you’ll find resources for keeping your practice going: practical tips and suggestions as well as guided meditations to inspire and support you when your practice needs a bit of a refresh!
Your Journey After Your 8-Week Class Ends
During your course, we learned the importance of paying attention to the present moment in day to day life. There is a saying to take one day at a time. We can fine-tune this good advice by saying to take each moment at a time. We can maintain the mindfulness practice both formally and informally as much a possible.
Suggestions for Keeping Your Practice Going: These tips can help you keep your practice strong.
Create a routine.
Try to practice every day. As you being, set your intention for your practice. Recall why meditation is meaningful to you or what qualities or skills you are presently wanting to learn. When you practice, even 3 minutes will be beneficial but shoot for at least 20. You can continue using guided recordings but otherwise set a timer so that you can let go of the question of time. Having a set time and schedule for your practice is helpful. You meditation practice will become second nature if you meditate regularly at the same time of day. Do what works for you. Over time, your needs may change.
Beware of things that might impede your practice:
Be aware of the tendency to seek a positive experience while practicing mindfulness. It is true that we do these practices to make our lives better. However when practicing mindfulness, if you are trying to achieve a certain kind of experience, you may find yourself actually less mindful of how things are. Some of the foundations of mindfulness are non-striving, non-judging, patience, self-compassion, acknowledging things as they are, not having to do it right or feel a particular kind of way.
Do the practice that seems the most appropriate for you. There isn't one that is better than the other: breathing with awareness meditation, the body scan, yoga and mindful movement, walking meditation, sitting meditation and loving kindness meditation. The point is to make the practice your own, and to remove any standards of perfectionism that represent what a "good" practice should be. Ultimately, mindfulness is about seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, feeling physical sensations, eating, bathing, sitting, standing, walking, lying, driving, talking, AND KNOWING IT. Every moment can be an opportunity for cultivating mindfulness.
If you have any questions about mindfulness and how to keep your practice going, feel free to reach out!
Guided Recordings from Your MBSR Class
Below you will find the recordings we used in the 8-week MBSR course. Feel free to stream the recordings here or download them to your device.
Body Scan Meditation
This is the core meditation we will use during our 8 week course.
Sitting Meditation
This recording will provide guidance for your sitting meditation practice.
Lying Yoga
This is a recording to guide a lying down yoga session.
Standing Yoga
This is a recording to guide a standing yoga session.
Many alumni have told me that these are some of their favorite guided meditations!
Middle of the Night Mindfulness
One of my most popular meditations! When we can’t sleep and our mind is spinning, perspective, calm, and rest are as close as this six minute meditation.
Touching Serenity
No need to think of all the future breaths you’re going to breathe, just the one that’s happening right now. (Formerly titled Preferring the Breath.)
Simply Awareness of Breathing
We can give the mind a place to rest by focusing on just one breath at a time. You don’t have to think of all the future breaths that are going to be breathed, just the one that’s happening right now. (This one is also on the Insight Timer app.)
MBSR Sitting Meditation
A classic meditation in the tradition of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s flagship Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Non-Doing Meditation
Give yourself some time to just let yourself be. There’s no ending bell on this one - you can set your own time.
Island of Calm
If you have 5 minutes, you have enough time to visit this island of calm within your own being.
Short MBSR Body Scan
A shorter version of the classic body scan meditation. This is an older recording, here by popular demand.
Our lives are constantly changing and many find that it’s hard to keep a meditation practice going. Having a coach and teacher helps with accountability and problem solving so you can keep your practice going - and keep thriving yourself.