Here is **Week 6** of your MBSR Mini-Course, focused on taking ownership of your practice and integrating mindfulness into your daily life. It 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 6 of 8: Making the Practice Your Own 🧘♀️
Welcome to Week 6! We’re near the end of our journey, and this session is a significant step. It’s all about **transitioning from guided lessons to personal practice**. This week, you’re the boss! We are putting the power into your hands to create a daily mindfulness practice that truly supports and nourishes *your* unique life.
## Introduction & Theme (5 Minutes)
So far, we’ve relied on specific, separate practices (Body Scan, Yoga, Sitting). This week, we begin to **blend** and **choose** what serves you best, moving toward integrating mindfulness fully into your day.
* **The Power of Choice:** You now have the skills to decide what kind of mindfulness your body and mind need on any given day. You are encouraged to **create your own blend** of the various practices.
* **The Theme: Integrating Mindfulness and Lifestyle Choices.** We’re looking at how mindfulness connects to your overall life. This means purposefully reflecting on **lifestyle choices**—what you do, how you care for yourself—and noticing which are **adaptive** (helpful and nourishing) and which are **maladaptive** (limiting and draining).
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## The Mindfulness Principle: Personal Latitude and Flexibility (5 Minutes)
The key principle for this week is **Discipline and Flexibility**.
You’ve built a solid foundation of discipline by showing up for practice. Now, we introduce **flexibility**. A truly resilient practice is one that can bend and change depending on what’s happening in your life.
* **The Practice:** You are invited to **drop the recordings** for your home practice. Instead, you’ll practice **on your own**, trusting the guidance you’ve absorbed. You get to decide: is today a day for quiet sitting, gentle movement, or checking in with the body?
* **The Goal:** The aim is to become deeply **attuned to the changing conditions in your life**. Your practice should *serve* your well-being, not feel like another chore to complete. This is **making the practice your own.**
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## Daily Practice Schedule (Total: ~60 Minutes Over 5 Days)
This schedule emphasizes **self-guidance** and encourages blending practices. **Note: No recordings are needed this week!** Aim for about **12 minutes per day** of practice, done entirely by yourself.
| Day | Practice | Time | Focus/Instructions |
| :— | :— | :— | :— |
| **1** | **Self-Guided Sitting** | 12 min | **Focus: The Flow.** Sit comfortably. Gently guide yourself through the process: check your posture, anchor to your breath. When the mind wanders, simply **gently** bring it back. **Practice: Trusting Your Inner Voice.** |
| **2** | **Self-Guided Yoga/Movement** | 12 min | **Focus: Self-Nourishment.** Choose 3-4 gentle stretches you learned (standing or lying down). Move slowly and kindly. Ask yourself: **”What movement would be most nourishing for my body right now?”** |
| **3** | **Self-Guided Body Scan** | 12 min | **Focus: Adaptive Choices.** Lie down and scan your body from head to toe. As you pass through different areas, reflect on one **adaptive (healthy) choice** you made this week and acknowledge the effort that took. |
| **4** | **Blended Practice** | 12 min | **Focus: Your Blend.** **Mix it up!** You decide the time and order: maybe 5 minutes of mindful walking, 5 minutes of sitting, and 2 minutes of focusing on sound. **Practice: Disciplined Flexibility.** |
| **5** | **Self-Reflection & Meditation** | 12 min | **Focus: Full Awareness.** Sit and practice open presence. **Reflection:** Where did I feel most “awake” or “aware” this week? How did letting go of the recordings feel? (A touch on the **”Day of Mindfulness”**—simply acknowledge that taking a full day for silence can be intense, but deeply revealing). |
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## Weekly Takeaway & Home Assignment
### Being “Aware and Awake” Throughout the Day
Formal practice (sitting, yoga) is your training ground. Informal practice is the game! This week, your informal goal is to be **as aware and awake as possible** throughout the day.
* **Mindful Transition:** Pay attention every time you **start** or **finish** a task (walking into a room, turning on the computer, ending a phone call).
* **Lifestyle Check-in:** Take a few moments each day to reflect on your **lifestyle choices**. *Example:* Is scrolling on your phone for an hour adaptive (relaxing, connecting) or maladaptive (draining, isolating)? No judgment—just notice the effect.
### Home Practice Assignment
**The Goal:** To take full ownership of your daily practice.
1. **Formal Practice (Self-Guided):** Practice **every day** for at least **15 minutes** (aim for more if you can). **No recordings this week!** Create your own blend of sitting, yoga, walking, and/or Body Scan based on what you need that day.
2. **Informal Practice:** Focus on integrating mindfulness throughout your day, especially during routine activities. Use your breath as a grounding tool to **stay awake** when you’re not doing a formal practice.
**Closing Thought:** The greatest gift you can give yourself is the willingness to show up for your own experience, just as it is, and to trust your inner knowing. Congratulations on getting this far!