Building on the previous weeks, here is your mini-course for **Week 3**, titled **Learning to Strengthen the Mind**. This course maintains the standardized, warm, and simple format, totaling about **one hour** of practice spread across five days.
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# FREE MBSR Mini-Course 3 of 8: Learning to Strengthen the Mind đź’Ş
Welcome to Week 3! This is where we start to really notice the strength we’ve been building. This week is all about **deepening our concentration** and using mindfulness to reduce the negative punch of stress. We’re learning to **respond** wisely instead of **reacting** automatically.
## Introduction & Theme (5 Minutes)
In Week 1, we worked on **seeing clearly** (perception). In Week 2, we focused on **being present** and noticing our pleasant/unpleasant habits.
Now, in Week 3, we bring all of that together to understand **stress reactivity**.
* **What is Stress Reactivity?** It’s that feeling when stress hits (like a sudden deadline or a disagreement) and your body and mind jump into autopilot—heart racing, mind spinning, feeling defensive.
* **The Theme:** Our theme is **Responding, Not Reacting**. We learn that stress isn’t just “out there”; it’s a physical and mental experience in *here*. By practicing mindfulness, we develop a little **pause button** between the stressful event and our usual reaction.
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## The Mindfulness Principle: Curiosity and Openness (5 Minutes)
The key principle for this week is **Cultivating Curiosity and Openness**.
When something stressful or painful happens, our natural instinct is to shut down, numb out, or fight back. This week, we are practicing something different: **Mindful Inquiry**.
* **Curiosity:** Can you meet a difficult feeling—like a tight jaw or a racing thought—with **curiosity** instead of criticism? Can you ask, “What is this feeling actually like in my body right now?”
* **Openness:** This means being willing to experience the *full range* of life, both the easy stuff and the hard stuff, without trying to block or numb the present moment.
* **Your Practice:** When you notice yourself feeling stressed, your task is to simply **Recognize** the stress, **Accept** that it’s happening, and then **Inquire** into your reactive pattern. Just notice, “My shoulders are tense, and my mind is calling my boss an idiot.” No need to change it yet—just see it clearly.
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## Daily Practice Schedule (Total: ~60 Minutes Over 5 Days)
This schedule intentionally cycles through the three main practices: Body Scan, Yoga, and Sitting Meditation. Aim for about **12 minutes per day** of formal practice.
| Day | Practice | Time | Focus/Instructions |
| :— | :— | :— | :— |
| **1** | **Standing Yoga (Part 1)** | 12 min | **Focus on Stability.** Do **Standing Mountain Pose** (feet firmly on the ground) and a few gentle **Cat/Cow stretches** (or similar forward/backward bends) while standing. Feel your **feet grounding** you. Notice any wobbling or tension, and balance gently. **Practice: The Body as an Anchor.** |
| **2** | **Body Scan (Full)** | 12 min | **Focus on Sensations of Pain/Discomfort.** Lie down and move your attention slowly through the whole body, from head to toe. If you find an area of **physical pain** or discomfort, gently rest your attention there. **Do not try to fix it or push it away.** Just breathe with it and notice the edge of the sensation. **Practice: Working with Pain.** |
| **3** | **Mindful Sitting (Part 1)** | 12 min | **Focus on the Breath and Body.** Sit comfortably. Spend the time following the sensation of your **in-breath**. Feel how the air moves and nourishes. Then, expand your attention to feel the **entire body** breathing—a unified experience. **Practice: Expanding Awareness.** |
| **4** | **Standing Yoga (Part 2)** | 12 min | **Gentle Balance.** Practice a simple **Tree Pose** (or simply standing on one leg for a few seconds). It’s okay if you fall! If you fall, simply bring your attention back to your balance point and begin again. **The Principle:** Practice bringing your mind back without judgment, just like bringing your foot back to the floor. |
| **5** | **Mindful Sitting (Part 2)** | 12 min | **Stopping & Dropping.** Use the **STOP** practice as your formal meditation: **S**top, **T**ake a breath, **O**bserve your mind/body/feelings, **P**roceed. Do this 3-4 times, taking a minute between each time to sit silently and notice how the mind responds. **Reflection:** Review your Unpleasant Events Calendar. What common qualities did you notice? |
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## Weekly Takeaway & Home Assignment
### What is *My* Stress? 🤔
We often talk about stress as one big thing, but this week, let’s get specific. Stress isn’t just a feeling; it’s a mix of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
* When you are stressed, where do you feel it **physically**? (Tight neck? Stomach clenching? Shallow breath?)
* What **thoughts** are looping in your head? (“I can’t do this,” “This isn’t fair.”)
This process of **naming** your unique stress experience is the first step toward reducing its power over you.
### Home Practice Assignment
**The Goal:** To recognize your stress patterns *as they happen*.
1. **Formal Practice Cycle:** Continue to **Alternate** your practice: **Body Scan** one day, **Standing/Lying Yoga** the next. Do the **Sitting Meditation** (10-15 minutes minimum) **every day** this week.
2. **Awareness of Stress Reactions:** This week, your main informal assignment is to simply **be aware of your stress reactions.** When you feel that tension, that rush of anger, or that feeling of being **stuck, blocking, numbing, or shutting off** to the present moment—just **notice it**. Do **not** try to change it yet. Just shine a light on it.
**Closing Thought:** Every time you choose curiosity over judgment, and every time you stop trying to fix a feeling, you are strengthening your mind. You’re building a healthy space between you and your stress. Great work!