Thinking becomes a problem when it takes over—when we are no longer just thinking, but lost in thought. We’ve passed a tipping point: no longer living in the world, we are living in our heads.
Week 2 - Living in our Heads
This week we....
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Practiced the Body Scan
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Reflected on the home practice for Week 1
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Considered thoughts and feelings through the 'Thoughts and Feelings/Walking down the Street' exercise
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Considered the barriers to noticing everyday pleasant experiences, and how we might bring greater awareness to these events.
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Practiced a 10 minute Sitting Meditation
Home Practice
Before starting this week's home practice, please read through the session notes by clicking on the notepad icon below. These notes will provide you with some background information, and some hints and tips to support your home practice. There is also a record sheet that you can print off to keep notes of your experiences of the practices.
This week's home practice:
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Body Scan Practice - Do the body scan for 6 out of 7 days and record your reactions on the Home Practice Record Form
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Mindfulness of Breathing - At different times, practice 10 minutes of mindfulness of breathing for 6 out of 7 days. Being with your breath in this way each day provides an opportunity to become aware of what it feels like to be connected and present in the moment without having to do anything.
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The Pleasant Experiences Calendar - Start to become more aware and interested in pleasant experiences as they unfold. What are the pleasant events that “steady you” or “warm your heart” or “lift your spirits” (no matter how big or small)? Record one pleasant experience each day in the ‘Pleasant Experience Calendar’. Use this as an opportunity to become really aware of the thoughts, feelings, and body sensations around each pleasant experience, at the time it is happening. Notice and record as soon as you can, in detail, the precise nature and location of bodily sensations and use the actual words or images in which the thoughts came.
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Routine Activity - Choose a new routine activity to be especially mindful of (e.g., brushing your teeth, washing dishes, taking a shower, taking out the rubbish, reading to kids, shopping, eating).
To find out more about why we suggest these practices, follow this link.
Complete the ‘Practice Record Form’ each time you do any of the practices. Make a note of anything that you notice.
Session Notes
Walking Down the Street Exercise
