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• Many of the mindfulness tools are designed to be incorporated as you go through the activities of your day. For example, Awareness of Surroundings (Tool 6-1) can be used at any time but is particularly helpful when you:

go anyplace else during the day

I intend to be mindful of my surroundings in these two places:

1.) _____________________ 2.) ___________________

• The Awareness of Tasks Mindfulness (Tool 11-2) is specifically designed to be practiced while you are doing a task. This task might be

driving eating

doing the dishes

taking a shower or using the restroom doing a work project or homework any task you commonly perform

I intend to be mindful while doing these two tasks every day:

1.) _____________________ 2.) ___________________

Tool 3-3: How to Find a Place for Core Practice

THEORY: Setting aside a specific location for regularly scheduled core sitting meditation practice helps the client associate that place with mindfulness, which helps them relax into the meditation more quickly. Carefully choosing a place can ensure both comfort and fewer distractions. Generally, this will make it easier to practice. It is certainly acceptable to practice anywhere and for some clients this works great. But setting up a suitable space is very important for most clients.

IMPLEMENTATION: Use Handout 3-3 to help your client make a list of potential practice locations. Help them identify and eliminate potential sources of distraction such as phones, TVs, street noise, family demands, and temperature. Assist them in setting up a space that is calming, soothing, and pleasing to them.

PROCESSING: Now that your client has gone through the process of choosing and setting up a space, ask them how it is working out for them. Help them fine-tune it, if necessary. If they have resisted doing this step and are not having success with their practice, encourage them to complete this step to see for themselves how it changes their practice.

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• List the elements of a suitable place. This might include:

quiet

comfortable temperature soothing lighting

calming décor

pictures that are soothing

candles or incense (avoid if allergic)

free of distractions such as phones, TV, family demands, noise easily accessible

convenient inside

outside in a natural setting

• Make a list of possible locations for your practice.

Location Pros Cons

• List the pros and cons of each place (above).

• List what you might do to make the space more appealing.

• Choose and try out your top two locations.

1.) _____________________ 2.) ___________________

Tool 3-4: How to Incorporate Mindfulness into Daily Activities

THEORY: Mindfulness practice will never be effective if clients don’t actually do it. This workbook provides many mindfulness tools that can be incorporated directly into daily life. Some are considered formal sitting meditations. Others are mindfulness tools that the client can use as they do tasks throughout the day. One significant goal of mindfulness is to increase “awareness of awareness” on a moment-to-moment basis throughout the day. The more formal sitting mindfulness meditation skills train this “awareness of awareness” skill. Then, this skill can be applied actively throughout the day using tools such as Mindfulness of Breath (Tool 5-5), Mindfulness of Surroundings (Tools 1 and 6-2), Mindfulness of Tasks (Tools 11-1 and 11-2), and Mindfulness of Intention (Tools 13-1, 13-2, and 13-3).

IMPLEMENTATION:

Help the client incorporate mindfulness practice into their daily life.

• Help them establish a time and place for regular sitting practice.

• As you teach your client the specific mindfulness tools, help them choose styles that work best for them.

• Show them how to practice mindfulness outside of sitting meditations.

Mindfulness of Breath (Chapter 5) Present Moment Awareness (Chapter 6) Mindfulness of Tasks (Chapter 11) Mindfulness of Intention (Chapter 13) Mindfulness of Motion (Chapter 15)

• Start small and gradually increase little by little.

• Help them commit to the practice.

• Explain how and why to give practice priority.

• Teach them how to monitor progress (Chapter 22).

PROCESSING: Discuss the importance of incorporating mindfulness into everyday life. Ask the client when they used both sitting and active mindfulness. Ask them when they might have used it but didn’t. Explore their commitment to using mindfulness. Discuss what they expect to get out of it.

Explore the importance of giving it priority.

Tool 3-5: Journaling About Your Plans to Use Mindfulness

THEORY: As with any new practice it is important to clarify and understand personal expectations and commitment. This journaling tool will help the client explore their personal motivation and commitment to this work.

IMPLEMENTATION: Ask your client to review the journal prompts in Handout 3-5 and to respond to as many as they can. Explain that starting any new practice requires commitment, time, and energy and that these journal prompts will help them clarify their commitment and intention.

PROCESSING: Explore what came up for the client when they answered these prompts. Encourage them to make a clear commitment. If they are hesitant, explore their concerns and address objections using Tools 4-7 through 4-8. Ask them to start small with one basic mindfulness tool such as Belly Breathing (Tool 5-2), Awareness of Breath (Tool 5-5), or Present Moment Awareness (Tools in

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Journal Prompts:

• Why do you want to learn and use mindfulness skills?

• When have you been mindful this week?

• Where and when will you practice sitting mindfulness meditation?

• What benefits do you hope to gain from mindfulness practice?

• What hesitations do you feel about doing this practice?

• What physical positions work best for you?

• How much time are you willing to commit to mindfulness practice?

• How important is this practice to you?

• What would you be willing to give up doing in order to make time to practice?

• What would you rather be doing?

• Are you surprised that there is more to mindfulness than sitting meditations?

• What are you most looking forward to about this practice?

Chapter 4: Tools For Teaching Mindfulness Basics