The cultivation of moment-by-moment awareness of our surrounding environment is a practice that helps us better cope with the difficult thoughts and feelings that cause us stress and anxiety in everyday life.

With regular practice of mindfulness exercises, rather than being led on auto-pilot by emotions influenced by negative past experiences and fears of future occurrences, we harness the ability to root the mind in the present moment and deal with life’s challenges in a clear-minded, calm, assertive way.

In turn, we develop a fully conscious mindset that frees us from the imprisonment of unhelpful, self-limiting thought patterns and enables us to be fully present to focus on positive emotions that increase compassion and understanding in ourselves and others.

Session Assignments

Example of Mindfulness You Can Do Today

Enjoying a decadent chocolate dessert after dinner is a good scenario for illustrating mindfulness. As you receive the dessert from the waiter, pay attention to the elegance of the plate, the presentation of the dessert, the pleasant smell of the chocolate.

• Do not just EAT the dessert, relish it.
• First bite: Observe the colors of the room, the food, the clothes of the other guests.
• Second bite: Behold the dance of movement and the symphony of sound that surrounds you.
• Third bite: Embrace the playful laughter and chuckle along.
• Fourth bite: Feel the warmth of happiness and companionship.
• Fifth bite: Practice gratitude for this special moment.

You can practice the same kind of exercise with anything really - dinner, wine, tea, hot chocolate etc. Take in the smells, textures, and flavors as you take one bite, and then the next. Observe the atmosphere with the same steps above while you enjoy it.