Day of Mindfulness - Mindfulness, 2-5

1. Day of Mindfulness Family Resource Centre Mindfulness 2 of 5 1 www.TheMindfulCoach.com

2. Day of Mindfulness Theme: “Yes we can, …” Borden Family Resource Centre 2

3. APPRECIATION Appreciation restores our emotional energy.  Morning Has Broken, by Cat Stevens 3

4. STOP & DROP Tiny Mindfulness Practice Please, take two minutes to just stop and drop. Notice: 1. The sounds in the room 2. The sensations in you hands 4

5. Learning Retention 5

6. PRACTICES Grounding Grounding & Opening Grounding, Opening & Resting EXERCISES Deep Listening Note: everything is optional + 15min 6

7. MINDFULNESS 7

8. ICE BREAKER When I am happy, I … (2 minutes) If it feels comfortable choose another person to explore two reflections. Each person takes 1 minute to speak as the other one listens without comment. Notice any thoughts or feelings that arise. 1- “When I am happy, I feel … “ e.g. content 2- “When I am happy, I do … “ e.g. kind things 8

9. CONNECTION “Transforming knowledge into happiness” If we have a better understanding of the things that make us healthy, happy and successful. Then we can make better use of these mechanisms to create our own happiness and happiness in the world around us. Connection provides individual happiness, the happiness of groups and organizations. Source- The World Book of Happiness, Leo Bormans, 9

10. GOVERMENT Many government organizations offer mindfulness training. The British Parliament organized a mindfulness-session for its members in 2014. Many large organizations have been adding mindfulness into their culture. Companies such as Apple, Google, General Mills offer mindfulness training and coaching to their employees. Mindfulness training has been found to result in better employee well-being, lower levels of frustration, and an improved overall work environment. In addition, mindful employees have lower absentee rates, burnout and other negative results. Source- Wikipedia 10

11. MINDFULNESS 11

12. What is Mindfulness? Broadly defined mindfulness is our mental faculties of attention & intention We bring attention, to our experiences .e.g. (My body feels cold) Then a wise intention, to match the experience e.g. (I will put on a sweater) Mindfulness deepens our understanding of life Understanding life results in less stress and more happiness 12

13. STRESS LOOPS 13

14. GROUNDING 14

15. BRAIN to BODY 15

16. Emotion Log Activity +/- Self-Talk PRIDE 175 Scorn "i'm so wonderful“, "i have all the answers" ANGER 150 Hate "i hate this“, "What's wrong with them" DESIRE 125 Craving "i want a lot more of this“, "i've got to have it" FEAR 100 Anxiety "something bad is going to, happen, i just know it" GUILT 30 Blame "it's all my fault“, "they are to blame" SHAME 20 Humiliation i'm a failure“, "i'm not good enough" FEAR BASED 16

17. SYMPATHETIC Purpose: Promotes the ‘fight or flight’ response. Emotional Content: Is activated by negative emotions and thoughts including: fear, sadness, anger, worry, resentment, and aggressiveness. The Sympathetic Nervous System: Muscle tension Creates stress and anxiety Causes difficulty resting and sleeplessness Increases the heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and heat production Increases adrenaline (epinephrine), insulin, cortisol and the thyroid hormones 17

18. Emotion Log Activity Self-Talk ENLIGHTENMENT 700-1K Ineffable “Clear, Spacious Awareness” PEACE 600 Bliss Nothing more, needs to be done, let it all go JOY 540 Serenity Life is a beautiful mystery, It is perfect, just as it is LOVE 500 Reverence I am sorry, I Love you, I respect myself and others REASON 400 Understandin g May I understand, What is Life's lesson in this? ACCEPTANCE 350 Forgiveness Everything, will work out, There is nothing really wrong COURAGE 200 Affirmation Yes, I can. We can do this, Just glad, to be alive LOVE BASED 18

19. PARASYMPATHETIC Purpose: Promotes healing, regeneration and nourishment of the body, and up-regulates the immune system. Emotional Content: Is activated by feelings of: love, calmness, peacefulness, contentment, satisfaction and being appreciated. The Parasympathetic Nervous System: Is activated by rest, sleep, meditation, and relaxation therapies. Laughter and tears are both usually signs of parasympathetic activity. Decreases blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and heat production. The mind can see the bigger picture and also turns inward for reflection, receptivity. Is associated with feelings of ‘coming down’ and release grief, shame, guilt, and despair. 19

20. NERVOUS SYSTEM 20

21. ATTENTION The first step of developing the power of mindfulness, is paying attention to: • Sensations of the body • Moods of the mind • Self-talk Phrases of attention: “There is … “ “There is anger in me” “This is my anger” “There is real nothing wrong with feeling my anger” 21

22. INTENTION The faculty of intention In developing the power of mindfulness, the second step is setting a wise intention to the experience in our attention: We use phrases of intention: ‘may I be safe’, ‘may you be safe’, ‘may we be safe’ ‘may I be well’, ‘may you be well’, ‘may we be well’ Note, Phrases of Intention are not affirmations 22

23. HIERARCHY OF NEEDS 23

24. GROUNDING PRACTICE 24

25. GROUNDING Feeling the body • Posture of the spine • Feet, legs, hips & hands Intentional breathing • Noticing, on the in-breath • Letting go, on the out-breath Feeling the heart beating • Breathing-in, invite the chest to open • Notice, the heart beating in the chest 25

26. BREAK 26

27. OPENNING 27

28. GROUNDING & OPENING PRACTICE 28

29. OPENING 29

31. OPENING Opening & Smiling • Still grounded • Silently repeat ‘may I smile’ Opening & Feeling • Still grounded • Silently repeat ‘I let you be’ Opening & Letting go • Still grounded • Silently repeat ‘I let it all go’ 31

32. DEEP LISTENING First, choose a partner, someone you are comfortable with. Determine who will speak first and a mutually interesting topic. Then, sit face-to-face with your partner, closing your eyes as you begin to feel the connection with the other person. When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes. 32

33. DEEP LISTENING The first speaker begins. The topic might be about: 1. Sports 2. Gardening 3. Work etc. Speakers are asked to speak genuinely about their thoughts or feelings. The speaker speaks without being interrupted. Listener listens with an open heart. 33

34. DEEP LISTENING The listener’s job is to simply hold the space for their partner to speak. The listener is not to judge, fix, offer suggestions or have a response ready the moment it’s their turn to speak. As the listener, your only job is to receive and pay full attention to the speakers: • Facial expressions 55% • Body posture 38% • Words 7% 5min- When the five minutes are up, a bell is rung. 1min- The two partners sit in silence for one minute with their eyes closed. Allow what was said to settle, and not think of a respond to the speaker. 34

35. DEEP LISTENING Change roles after one minute of silence, the partner speaks on the same topic. The new speaker does not to respond to what their partner has just said. The new speaker deeply connects within themselves and says what is meaningful on the topic from their point of view. SUMMARY Once you feel comfortable with deep listening, you can bring this skill with you to: • conferences, phone calls • meetings, clients, adversaries • one-on-one encounters with colleagues No one even needs to know you’re doing it—it’s your instrument of connection.  Adapted from Real Happiness at Work, by Sharon Salzberg 35

36. COMMENTS How did it feel to be deeply listened to? 36

37. Grounding, Opening & Resting 37

38. RESTING 38 Resting

39. RESTING 39 Resting

41. OPENING Opening & Smiling • Still grounded • Silently repeat ‘may I smile’ Opening & Feeling • Still grounded • Silently repeat ‘I let you be’ Opening & Letting go • Still grounded • Silently repeat ‘I let it all go’ 41

42. RESTING Stopping & Dropping • Stopping the over-thinking • Dropping back into the body Opening & Letting Go • Breathing-in, opening the mind • Breathing-out, let everything go Resting in Awareness • Awareness of sensations in the body • Awareness of the sounds in the body 42

43. DISCUSSION 43

44. 44

45. SUMMARY 1- Grounding- ‘Stopping & Dropping’ (attention to the body) 2- Opening- ‘Opening & Smiling’ (intention to the mind) 3- Resting- ‘Resting in Awareness’ (understanding the experience) 45

46. Inland Revenue Tax Statistics We publish tax related statistics each year which are intended (intention) to improve transparency and meet the information (attention) needs of external users and government departments. Who is Inland Revenue We collect revenue that government needs to fund its programmes (intention). Source- http://www.ird.govt.nz/ Business Transformation We're changing (understanding) to make it simpler and faster for New Zealanders to pay their taxes and receive their entitlements. 46

47. THANK YOU Attention + Intention = Mindfulness “tēnā koutou” (Maori) Thank you for your attention  G Ross Clark 1-519-648-2985 47