That’s a wonderful idea! Creating a simplified, warm, and manageable MBSR mini-course is a great way to introduce these powerful practices.
Here is **Week 1** of your **FREE MBSR Mini-Course: The Power of Seeing Clearly**. It’s designed to be done over five days, totaling about one hour of practice.
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# FREE MBSR Mini-Course 1 of 8: The Power of Seeing Clearly
This mini-course is all about learning to **see things a little differently**. We’ll explore how our **perceptions**—the way we look at stress, our bodies, and our lives—can completely change how we respond to them. It’s like putting on a new pair of glasses! 👓
## Introduction & Theme (5 Minutes)
Hello! I’m so glad you’ve carved out this time for yourself. This first mini-course focuses on a simple but powerful idea: **”It’s not the stressors per se, but how we handle them.”**
Life is full of moments that challenge us, whether it’s a hectic morning, a work deadline, or just a feeling of being overwhelmed. We often feel like we’re just reacting on autopilot.
This week, we’re going to explore **Mindfulness**, which is simply the practice of paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment. This practice is the key to changing how we handle those challenging moments.
Our theme is **Perception**: how we look at things will determine, in large part, how we respond to them. How you **see** your participation in this course, your stress, or even your body, will set the stage for everything else. No pressure—just a gentle invitation to see things as they are.
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## The Mindfulness Principle: Self-Responsibility (5 Minutes)
The key principle for this week is **The Pivotal Role of Self-Responsibility**.
This isn’t about blaming yourself for stress. It’s about recognizing that **you have the power** to choose your response to life’s events. You can’t always control what happens *to* you, but you can absolutely guide how you **show up** for it.
* **Think of it like this:** If you spilled a drink, you wouldn’t blame the table; you’d grab a cloth and clean it up. Self-responsibility in mindfulness is realizing that when stress hits, **you are the one** who can choose to pause, breathe, and act wisely, instead of reacting automatically.
* **Your Practice:** Your main responsibility this week is simply to **show up** for your daily mini-practice, even for a few minutes. That’s it!
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## Daily Practice Schedule (Total: ~60 Minutes Over 5 Days)
You can do this practice all at once or spread it out over the week. If you choose the 5-Day route, aim for about **12 minutes per day**.
| Day | Practice | Time | Focus/Instructions |
| :— | :— | :— | :— |
| **1** | **Body Scan (Part 1)** | 12 min | **Feet and Legs.** Lie down comfortably. Bring attention to your toes, the soles of your feet, and up your legs. Simply *notice* any sensations—warmth, tingling, nothing at all. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your feet. **Practice: The Power of Coming Back.** |
| **2** | **Body Scan (Part 2)** | 12 min | **Hips, Torso, and Back.** Continue lying down. Bring attention to your hips, belly, chest, and back. Notice the rise and fall of your breath in your belly. **Practice: The Body’s Language.** The body holds wisdom—just listen without judgment. |
| **3** | **Body Scan (Part 3)** | 12 min | **Hands, Arms, Neck, and Face.** Bring your attention through your fingers, hands, up your arms, and into your neck and face. Notice any tension in your jaw or forehead, and gently allow it to soften. **Practice: Simple Acceptance.** Acknowledge what’s here, no need to change it. |
| **4** | **Gentle Yoga Stretching** | 12 min | **Standing Mountain Pose & Simple Side Bends.** Stand tall, feet hip-width apart (**Mountain Pose**). Feel the connection of your feet to the floor. Lift your arms overhead and take a few gentle **Side Bends**—slow, easy stretches. Focus on the sensation of movement and breath. **Practice: Moving with Awareness.** |
| **5** | **Mindful Breathing & Reflection** | 12 min | **Breath Awareness (Sitting).** Sit comfortably. Close your eyes and simply feel your breath—where do you notice it most? The nose, chest, or belly? For 10 minutes, let the breath be your anchor. **Reflection:** How was it to make time for yourself this week? |
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## Weekly Takeaway & “Stop & Drop”
### The Best Way is Not to Try
One of the most surprising things about mindfulness is this: **The best way to get somewhere is not to try to get anywhere.**
In the Body Scan, if you start to feel sleepy or bored, or your mind is racing, that’s not a failure! **The coming back** to your object of attention (like your feet, or your breath) is the real practice. Each time you notice your mind wandering and gently guide it back, you’re strengthening your “mindfulness muscle.”
### Daily “Stop & Drop” Reminder
Try to use the **Stop & Drop** throughout your day. It’s a mini-mindfulness moment that takes less than a minute.
1. **S**top what you’re doing.
2. **T**ake one deep, conscious breath.
3. **O**bserve what is happening in your body and mind right now.
4. **P**roceed with more awareness.
Use this when you feel a tiny bit stressed, before you eat a meal, or before answering the phone.
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## Home Practice Assignment
**The Goal:** To weave mindfulness into your regular day.
1. **Body Scan:** Try to do the full or partial **Body Scan** at least **four times** this week. You can use the daily breakdown above or listen to a full 10-15 minute recording.
2. **Mindful Activity:** Choose **one routine activity** this week—like washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, or making coffee—and commit to doing it mindfully. Pay attention to the smells, sounds, textures, and sensations, instead of letting your mind drift.
**Closing Thought:** Thank you for taking this time for yourself. Remember, you’re planting seeds of awareness. Be patient and kind to yourself as they begin to grow. 🌱
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Promot
FREE, MBSR Mini-Courses 1-8: Free – Please, create a week one mini-course from the content below.
1. there will 8 more in the future.
2. Provide a simple standardize
format.
3. Include Introduction, a Mindfulness Principal, Body scan, Yoga stretching, etc. for total of 1-hour done at once or spread out over 5-days.
4. the following is a full MBSR 1-week outline, which too much for MBSR mini-course.
5. Goal a simple format in grade-8 warm wording for women 25-65. –
“FREE MINDFULNESS TRAINING-2
“The pivotal role of self-responsibility”
MBSR Mindfulness Curriculum-2
Introduction & Theme
This 2.5-hour MBSR lesson includes:
Experiential mindfulness training and skill development
The pivotal role of self-responsibility in the positive development of short and long-term goals.
Focused reflection concerning the role of perception and conditioning in the appraisal and assessment of stress.
Home practice is assigned with an emphasis on the regular daily practice of the body scan for a second week, plus the introduction of short periods of sitting meditation and the application and integration of mindfulness in everyday life.
Mindfulness Training Theme:
Perception: how we see things (or don’t see them) will determine in large how we will respond to them. This ties in with how we see our participation in the program:
How we see our pain and illness.
How we see the stress and anxiety in our lives.
How our perceptions will set the level of commitment we bring to this mindfulness program.
The principle that “It’s not the stressors per se, but how we handle them” influences the short and long-term health effects.
Typical Class Sequence:
Outline
Stop & Drop
Attitude
Reflections
Body Scan
Standing Yoga
Breath Awareness
Summary
Assignments
Closing
Reflections:
Reflecting on our experience of the body scan.
How successful are we in making the time for it?
What problems were encountered, i.e. sleepiness, boredom how were the problems worked with or not
What are we learning (seeing) about ourselves from it, if anything?
Important:
We see the universality of the busy mind and the potential of working with it.
The coming back is as much a part of the meditation as staying on the object of attention.
Mindfulness training is the repeated recognition & acceptance of what is happening in our body and mind.
We note where the mind goes and what is on one’s mind; emphasize the importance of not repressing and suppressing thoughts or feelings.
A new way of learning:
“The best way to get somewhere in meditation is not to try to get anywhere…rather just let go.”
The body has its own language and its own intelligence. The possible breakthrough “aha!” experience. (Connect this theme to practicing the body scan.)
We Recall:
What it was like to eat one meal mindfully?
What was our relationship with food this week?
Talks:
In MBSR course-2 we examine, the experience of working with the 9 dots and the theme. We consider expanding the field of awareness in problem-solving and recognizing behavioral, cognitive, and emotional patterns that arise when working with difficulties.
(Option: Consider different ways of seeing or not seeing and the “Upstream/Downstream” article as a reflection on intervention and self-care.)
Meditation:
The introduction of sitting meditation with awareness of breathing as a primary object of attention.
Reflection:
Awareness of breathing meditation.
Assignment:
Body Scan recording ~ 6 times per week
Awareness of breathing sitting meditation: 10-15 minutes per day.
Home Practice Manual: fill out Pleasant Events Calendar for the week -one entry per day.
Mindfulness of routine activities: brushing teeth, washing dishes, taking a shower, taking out garbage, shopping, reading to kids, eating.
Close:
Stopping & Dropping
“