Mind-PLANK

Curriculum Guide
5 weekly, 20-minute mindfulness lessons for exercisers

From the Author

When people learn that I teach and practice mindfulness meditation, they inevitably say, “I

could never do that. I could never make my thoughts disappear (clear my mind, empty my

head, stop spinning, quiet my mind, etc.)” or “I could never sit cross-legged for hours in

silence.” Before my own exposure to practice, those likely would have been my responses as

well. The reality is that many people have heard the word mindfulness, but that doesn’t mean

they intellectually or experientially understand what it is, what it’s not, how to “do” it, or why

it’s valuable. And starting something new can be daunting, even more so if it seems

intimidating, confusing, or even off-putting. I wanted to change that by bringing practice to

experiences that are already routine for people, so that an immediate connection is made

between life and practice.

My personal goal is to make practice accessible to anyone by helping them discover,

through meeting them where they are at, how much richer and more balanced life becomes

when lived with heightened awareness, acceptance, and gratitude. By looking at mindfulness as

another potentially healthy habit, it feels more do-able in a small, manageable way, with simple

and clear explanations of the basics, to create a foundational, accessible beginner practice. I’m

confident that this initial exposure makes the idea of both formal and informal practice realistic

within the constraints of a likely already hectic schedule and fosters an environment that
encourages the relevance and applicability of mindfulness for anyone and everyone within all

aspects of daily life.

So, if you’re already making time for regular exercise (even attending a fitness class or

gym once or twice per week), I want to encourage you to add a bit more to your cool-down and

recovery by staying for mindfulness instruction. I have been a regular exerciser for years and

started on my own mindfulness path when an injury sidelined me from my favorite yoga class.

It wasn’t until I was without yoga practice that I truly understood, and missed, the intrinsic

mind-body connection and sense of calm inherent in that practice. So, I downloaded an app,

ordered some books online, and through fits and starts slowly built my mindful meditation

practice. And in times when my formal mindfulness practice may wane, physical activity always

helps to break me out of that negative cycle and bring me back to the present moment. I’ve

learned that I value equally exercise for both my body and mind, strengthening them together

as part of a routine of self-care, stress relief, and overall wellbeing. I just feel better all-around

when I practice and when I move, so I want to share the benefits of this powerful partnership.

Having worked in the fitness space with individuals and coaches, teaching mindful

practice has been quite seamless, and a natural extension of training. But I’ve found that while

there are a growing number of resources and curriculum that connect sport and athletic

performance with mindfulness practice, many are geared towards people who already consider

themselves to be athletes, or competitors, whether individually or as part of team. My

approach is slightly different, in that the fitness environment is the shared space and

community gathering place through which a practice is established and supported, with the

connection to the body being the starting point. And in a fitness setting, exercisers are already
used to guidance from a trainer or instructor to improve their physical strength, stamina, and

health, so the addition of a mindfulness coach to support and train the mind is a natural next

step.

Introduction

Mind-PLANK is a 5-week beginner mindfulness curriculum for exercisers that focuses on

introducing fundamental mindfulness practice as an extension of established fitness routines.

The 20-minute modules are inclusive of both best practices for secular mindfulness instruction

and lessons that have resonated with my own students while facilitating individual and group

instruction within the fitness space. Mindfulness practitioners will recognize many of the

lessons and practices, so in that way, it is similar to other courses. A subtle difference is that the

Mind-PLANK lessons extend and transition directly from the fitness class as part of the post-

workout recovery time, with particular attention and gratitude towards acceptance of the body.

Fitness environments can sometimes create anxiety, and exercisers may be self-critical of their

abilities or their physiques. Mindfulness can be a supportive antidote for that judgment of

oneself and others.

The curriculum is intended to be taught by experienced mindfulness practitioners, all of

whom should have both an established mindfulness practice and an academic and theoretical

understanding of mindfulness. Given that there is some flexibility built into the modules,

allowing them to be executed in a slightly shorter amount of time (20 minutes, at minimum) or

extended by increasing the length of the guided practice time and/or dialogue, a skilled

practitioner will be able to modify accordingly based on their unique situation. Still, the
intention of Mind-PLANK is that it is relatively brief and therefore ideally manageable for

anyone to try.

The Mind-PLANK curriculum guide includes:

• Information on the Relevance of the Name: Mind-PLANK

• Note to Gym Owners, Trainers, Coaches, and Fitness Programmers
• Note to Mindfulness Facilitators
• Note About Inclusion
• Note to Exercisers – Why You Should Participate in Mind-PLANK
(to be distributed to participants)
• Five Scaffolded Lessons: Pause, Letting Go, Awareness, Non-Judgment, Kindness
• Post-Program Assessment Tool

Relevance of the Name: Mind-PLANK

The name of the curriculum – Mind-PLANK – is layered in meaning and intended to

clearly call out the mind-body connection, both in the fitness space and more deeply, as a

reminder of the balance inherent in a mindful life. The plank position itself is balance

embodied, with the back strong and even, the eyes downcast, the breathing steady. It is

considered an optimal, total-body exercise that combines the body and mind in harmony.

When executed properly, it engages many major muscles groups, particularly by supporting

increased strength and stability through the trunk and core, where we often notice our breath.

Like mindfulness, it also requires attention, awareness, and is not dependent on equipment.

Like mindful meditation practice, even beginners can practice plank pose, increasing the

duration as practitioners build their stamina and tolerance.

A Note to Gym Owners, Trainers, Coaches, and Fitness Programmers:

The Mind-PLANK curriculum is designed as a brief (5-week, 20 minutes/week),

introductory mindfulness experiential for exercisers, meant to be taught by an experienced

mindfulness practitioner. Ideally, it should be consistently scheduled at the end of workout

class as an extension of the cool-down and recovery time. Practically, this means that the

fitness instructor would transition/hand off the cool down period to the mindfulness coach who

would then lead the mindfulness instruction portion of the class (notes/sample script on this

transition are included in the curriculum). Within the designated mindfulness period of 15-30

minutes post-class, each Mind-PLANK lesson introduces a mindfulness concept through

instruction, provides time for formal mindful meditation practice, allows for dialogue (question

and answer), and offers guidance on both formal and informal practice outside of the fitness

space.

Alternately, the Mind-PLANK curriculum can be used weekly as a stand-alone mini-

workshop offered to exercisers within the fitness space. In terms of habit formation and

routine-building, there is a benefit to linking the program directly to the recovery portion of the

workout, but connections can still be made if this programming is offered separately and tied to

a broader fitness experience or community of exercisers (for example as an added benefit or

bonus when a client joins the gym). Similarly, Mind-PLANK can be offered as modules within a

high school physical education program. All options are intended to expose exercisers who are

novices to the benefits of mindfulness practice to support and improve workouts, but more

importantly, to encourage mindfulness practice as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

 During the instruction and meditation, participants will be asked to find a comfortable

seated or prone position. The availability of mats, chairs, Bosu balls or physio balls within the

space may provide comfortable options for participants, but there is no specific or additional

equipment needed for mindfulness practice. An experienced mindfulness practitioner should

be able to provide appropriate modifications accordingly based on the participant group. From

a programming perspective, at least 20 minutes should be scheduled within the actual space

(room, location) to allow for proper time and transition from class to mindfulness instruction

prior to the next programming block.

A Note to Mindfulness Facilitators:

A skillful teacher will bring in any number of things as appropriate to inform and round out the
teaching, dialogue, and practice itself, drawing on his or her extensive professional and personal
knowledge base, temperament, and skills.
Jon Kabat-Zinn

Just as exercisers benefit from being properly coached in physical fitness endeavors by

trainers who are properly educated and both understand and exercise themselves, this

mindfulness offering is meant to be taught by skilled, experienced practitioners who have their

own established and consistent practice. As such, the weekly content is likely familiar to you.

The curriculum itself is secular, intended to have broad appeal, and flexible enough in design to

accommodate various beginner practitioners. It is intended to be an introduction to

mindfulness practice, and a springboard for future and continued practice.

Mind-PLANK is comprised of five weekly lesson plans, each containing an overview of

the key learnings, essential questions to consider each week, and both a formal and informal

practice (skill). Each lesson contains five sections: transition, didactic instruction, guided
practice, dialogue (Q&A), and instructions for at-home practice. The At-Home Practice section

should be printed out and distributed to participants at the end of each class, or sent via

text/email, whatever is most feasible in your particular situation. Also included in Lesson 1 and

Lesson 5 is a link to the Mindful Awareness Scale, which similarly should be made available to

each participant. Each in-person section includes a sample script. Still, I encourage you to adjust

any lessons accordingly based on your own embodied practice and understanding of your

participants interests and experiences. There is room for facilitator notes at bottom of each

section should you choose to keep track of any changes.

The inclusion of some resource materials at the end of Lesson 5 allows participants to

explore additional avenues for study upon the conclusion of the program. These are some of

my personal favorites, but do not scratch the surface in terms of available resources for

teachers and students. I encourage you to add or share your own with your participants. I have

also included some references to the Buddhist roots of mindfulness practice. While Buddhism is

addressed briefly in Lesson 1 as context for contemporary mindfulness practice, the shortened

time-frame does not allow for robust study, which may be interesting to some participants, but

certainly not compulsory.

Mind-PLANK Outline:
Lesson 1: P = Pause
Lesson 2: L = Letting Go
Lesson 3: A = Awareness
Lesson 4: N = Non-Judgment
Lesson 5: K = Kindness & Compassion
A Note About Inclusion

I encourage Mindfulness Facilitators interested in using the Mind-PLANK curriculum to

be creative about fitness-related spaces that would benefit from this offering. There is a wide

spectrum of environments that offer programming for all ages, communities, and affinity

groups. Often, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, local community spaces, recreation centers, and

the like offer free or deeply discounted fitness memberships and access to exercise

programming. On the other end of the spectrum, there are more expensive, custom, and

personalized fitness facilities with varying membership costs. It is important to remember that

any exerciser can benefit from understanding the value of the mind-body connection and the

addition of mindful practice to the end of a workout. You may naturally gravitate to where you

feel a connection and fit based on your own professional goals, interests, and whether you

provide your teaching services free of charge or require a fee. The curriculum is intended to be

an adaptable resource. Use it in a way that resonates for you and your students.

Note to Exercisers – Why You Should Participate in Mind-PLANK

Changing habits is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be painful.

Dr. Jud Brewer – Neuroscientist and Mindfulness Researcher

As exercisers, we understand the concept that regular physical training both in and out

of the gym produces results. Without training, we can’t expect to increase our strength and

stamina or improve how we feel about ourselves. We don’t start by lifting the heaviest weight

on the rack or running a marathon, but instead progress incrementally, acclimating our bodies

with exercises that become second nature the more that we train. Over time, those muscles
that were at first sore and angry at the newness of weight and movement, become stronger

and more accustomed to the challenge. With consistency and dedication, we can improve our

physical health, and this commitment to training builds on itself. Exercise makes us feel good

when we do it and begin to understand that adage “use it or lose it.” When we fall out of a

routine and neglect exercise for any period of time, we often realize how much we missed it

when we do return to it.

Just as our bodies can change and adapt to physical exercise, our brains are also capable

of positive growth and change. While scientists once believed that our brain development

stopped when we reached adulthood, we now know that the brain can continue to change and

adapt throughout our lives as it is exposed to different stimuli and experiences. This is called

neuroplasticity, or in other words, the ability to teach old dogs new tricks. This is particularly

exciting when it comes to understanding the positive effects of mindfulness and meditation on

the brain.

Dr. Sarah Lazar’s lab at Harvard studies the impact of meditation on practitioners.

Overwhelmingly, her research suggests that “meditation can produce experience-based

structural alterations in the brain” and there is “evidence that meditation may slow down the

age-related atrophy of certain areas of the brain” (Lazar Lab, Harvard University, 2021). When

we meditate, we activate the mental muscles of focus, concentration, and awareness, which

help strengthen our tolerance and improve our ability to better regulate our behavior.

Meditation can also reduce stress, manage anxiety, and generally support a more positive

outlook on life. Just like physical exercise, it’s beneficial both in the moment and preventatively

as a way to build our mental resilience. Meditation also teaches us to consider ourselves and
our experiences with more kindness and compassion, allowing us to feel more balanced and

less overwhelmed.

Mindfulness and meditation practice builds our mental muscles in much the same way

we build our physical ones. In all likelihood, your brain is a muscle you’ve been overlooking in

your training, but it will respond to practice and routine. That’s where Mind-PLANK comes in.

This 5- week program offers an introduction to mindfulness and meditation practice as an

extension of the recovery part of your workout. The simple techniques and instruction are

designed to help you understand, and more importantly, PRACTICE, adding mindfulness to your

already beneficial exercise routine. And while these few lessons will expose you to the basics,

they are intended to set you on a course for integrating mindful practice in all aspects of your

life, both in and out of the gym. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

Adapted from: https://blog.tdathletesedge.com/mental-muscles

Meredith Tedford, December 2021
 CURRICULUM GUIDE
Lessons: 1 – 5

Mind-PLANK: Session 1 - “PAUSE”

Exercisers will have initial exposure to the most fundamental component of mindfulness
practice by considering the power and potential in learning how to PAUSE.

Key Learnings:
• Beginning to cultivate gratitude for the physical body
• Working definitions of mindfulness and meditation
• Formal and informal practice
• Anchors of Attention
• Practicing with the breath as an “anchor of attention” and a way to PAUSE

Unit Essential Questions:

1. What does it feel like to extend the recovery time of your workout and intentionally
PAUSE?
2. Can you begin to notice when the mind wanders?
3. How might you begin to incorporate PAUSE into your everday routine through formal
and informal practice?

Practices:
• Formal: Awareness of Breath Meditation
• Informal: PAUSE 1-2-3

Notes for the Mindfulness Coach:

Coordinate with the fitness coach to transition from active workout time to recovery. This may
mean assisting with putting equipment away, allowing exercisers to get a drink of water, or
putting mats out for sitting. Then, encourage exercisers to settle and transition to this extended
recovery time as they rest in a comfortable position. Introduce yourself and welcome
participants to Week 1.
TRANSITION
(5 Minutes)
Welcome & Housekeeping

• As you get settled and transition from your workout take a few deep breaths: breathing
in gratitude for the physical exercise you were able to do today, not what you weren’t
able to do, simply gratitude for this time to strengthen the body, and breathing out calm
for this time to recover more deeply from your workout.
• And as you sit, take a few moments to just notice any sensations in the body post-
workout. Just noticing how the body feels after exercise.
• Over the course of the next 5 weeks, we will be taking this time to practice how to
strengthen the mind alongside the body to support your health and wellbeing, using our
senses, and awareness of our senses in relation to our bodies, to help ground us in the
present moment so that we are more balanced.
• This course is called Mind-PLANK, and PLANK is an acronym for 5 tenets of mindfulness
practice – Pause, Letting Go, Awareness, Non-Judgment, and Kindness & compassion.
We’ll be exploring a new topic each week.
• You’re likely all familiar with a plank in physical fitness, but over the course of the next
five weeks we’ll be practicing PLANK for our minds. You’ll be learning some various
concepts, practices, and techniques that like physical exercise, will be more beneficial if
you do them regularly, both here, and on your own.
• Like physical exercise, mindfulness practice can become part of a healthy routine,
something that you can incorporate into your day and your daily habits. Mindfulness is a
practice that will become unique to you.
• I also want you to know that this is a safe, supportive, welcoming space. This is a
judgment-free space. All experiences are welcome, and I am here for questions and
support.
• So, what is mindfulness? Well, its history is rooted in Buddhist philosophy that has been
practiced for more than 2500 years. This practice is not religious in and of itself but is
instead a way of experiencing the world, and anything that you do, including exercise,
more skillfully and with more awareness. How we practice today, and what you’ll learn
is a secular, contemporary interpretation of that ancient practice.
• You’ve actually all been practicing mindfulness without realizing it just by listening
(using the sense of hearing/listening) to me talk for the past couple of minutes. And
likely, as I’ve been speaking, you drifted away to something else – a task you needed to
remember to attend to, a sound in the room, a feeling in your body, anything – and
then, you realized that you weren’t paying attention to me, and you brought yourself
back to my voice and what I’m saying. The recognition that you’ve drifted away is a
mindful moment. Bringing yourself back to my voice and this instruction is an example
of mindful practice.

FACILITATOR NOTES:
Session 1 (continued)
DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION
(7 minutes)

• So, Mindfulness means paying attention, being fully engaged in and aware of the
present moment, whatever that moment may be.
• Mindfulness is NOT clearing our heads of all of the thoughts and feelings and emotions
that we have. It’s not making our mind a blank slate.
• It IS learning to develop a different relationship with those thoughts, feelings, and
emotions so that we don’t get carried away by them. Pausing helps us to do that.
Practicing PAUSE – the first tenet of Mind-PLANK - builds that skill.
• Another important component of mindfulness is kindness and curiosity about whatever
thoughts, feelings, or sensations exist. It is an awareness without judgment, an
acceptance of yourself first, and then others. This is important, as we are often our own
worst critics of both our bodies and minds.
• We’ll talk more about this as the weeks progress, but for now, we’re going to think of
mindfulness PAUSING so that we can notice and become more aware.
• And when we’re more mindfully aware, we are better able to skillfully manage and
regulate our responses to our environment. When we are mindful, we are more tuned
in, focused, and present in our lives, which ultimately enables us to be more calm, less
stressed, make better decisions, and live more joyously.
• Meditation is the foundational mental training and building block of living more
mindfully. There are many different types of meditation and various techniques dating
back thousands of years, but the practices that we will learn are for anyone, regardless
of your personal or religious beliefs.
• They all train our attention and focus, and all require practice for us to see their benefits
and results.
• Mindfulness-based meditation practice teaches us, through various breathing, focus,
and compassion exercises, to have more agency over our thoughts and behavior.
• Another way to think about mindfulness and meditation is that meditation is a formal
practice that helps us to develop the skills to live more mindfully.
• We’ll be practicing formally in each of these sessions (I’ll be guiding you) for just a few
minutes each week. You’ll also be learning some informal practices to incorporate into
your daily routines as you see fit, hopefully making this a habit.
• When we practice, either formally or informally, we are paying attention on purpose,
often using a specific “anchor of attention” to help us focus. In the example I gave you
earlier, my voice was the “anchor,” but over the course of these few weeks we’ll
practice with others anchors, including the body and bodily sensations that help bring us
back to the present moment.
• In both cases, both formal and informal practice, we are taking an intentional PAUSE –
the P in Plank. In future weeks we’ll talk in more detail about what happens in the brain
when we PAUSE, but for now, what we’ll practice and begin to understand is that when
we PAUSE, we give ourselves an opportunity, even if it is very brief, for space between
 the stimulus (what’s happening around us and happening in our heads) and our
response.
• When we PAUSE and breathe, focusing on the most fundamental bodily sensation of the
breath, we allow ourselves a moment of calm, a moment to settle, a moment to reset,
and a moment to think more clearly before we act. All of this benefits our wellbeing.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

GUIDED PRACTICE
(3 minutes)

First, we’re going to do a brief, formal meditation practice called Awareness of Breath
Meditation. This is the foundational practice that has been around for thousands of years, using
the breath as an anchor of attention. I’ll guide you in this practice. Please remember, this is
called practice for a reason. While there are certain techniques and skills that you will learn,
there is not “right or wrong” way to practice, it is about noticing your own experience.

AWARENESS of BREATH SCRIPT:

• “First, let’s take a few deep breaths at your own pace, sighing loudly on the exhale if
that feels right for you as you begin to settle yourself for practice.
• You posture should be upright and alert, but supportive and comfortable.
• Allowing the breath returns to its normal rhythm, closing the eyes if that’s comfortable
for you, or simply resting the gaze gently towards the floor.
• Begin to draw your attention to the sensation of your breath in your body, identifying
where you notice the inhale and exhale.
• This may be at the tip of the nose, inside of the nose, the back of the throat…or perhaps
noticing the chest or belly rising and falling with each inhale and exhale…maybe putting
a hand gently on chest or belly to feel the rise and fall of the breath, connected to the
body.
• Likely, your mind has already wandered away from the breath. That’s OK. That’s what
the mind does, even for people who have practiced for many years.
• When you notice the mind has wandered, perhaps even to your workout or other bodily
sensations, simply bring your attention back to the sensation of the breath.
• You’ll do this over and over again, gently bringing your attention back to the inhale and
exhale.
• Not judging where the mind has wandered, whether it’s to a task (like your to-do list) or
an emotion (like being bored or restless) or a sensation (like your foot falling asleep).
 Just noticing when the mind has wandered and gently bringing the attention back to the
breath.
• We’ll sit for a few more moments just practicing returning to the sensation of the breath
each time the mind wanders. Just noticing the mind wandering and gently bringing it
back.
• When you’re ready, you can begin to roll your shoulders, maybe stretch your neck, or
reach your arms up, gently bringing movement back into the body, and then when you
are ready, opening your eyes.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIALOGUE/Q&A
(5 minutes)

1. Can anyone describe how they are feeling upon the completion your first Awareness of
Breath Practice?
2. What does it feel like to PAUSE?

EXPLANATION OF AT-HOME PRACTICE:

1. As you go about your week, see if you can incorporate that formal Awareness of Breath
practice for even 30 seconds or a minute.
2. Think about a routine that you already have (like coming to this exercise class) that you
can tack on a practice to, making it a part of that existing routine.
3. A shorter, more informal practice is called PAUSE 1-2-3. This is intended to help you to
stop what you’re doing for a moment, and take three long, slow, deep breaths. When
we PAUSE and breathe, we give ourselves a reset. Try that right now at your own pace.
4. You have a handout that includes a reminder of these two practices.
5. You’ve also been given the “Mindful Awareness Scale” that if you like, you can take at
home and fill out. It may help you to realize areas in your life that could benefit from
more mindful awareness. We’ll take it again at the end of our 5 weeks together.
6. As you begin to experiment with mindfulness practice, consider your normal habits and
routines. Do you like to set alerts and reminders on your phone or calendar? If so,
consider adding a reminder to PAUSE and breathe. Do you like to keep handwritten
notes or journal? Then write down the word PAUSE and stop for a moment to breathe
or put PAUSE on a post-it note on your bathroom mirror. PAUSE before you drink your
first sip of coffee or before you turn the doorknob to enter your home at the end of the
workday. Any time can be a moment of practice. Experiment!

FACILITATOR NOTES:
 AT HOME PRACTICE - SESSION 1
P - “Pause”

Formal:

As you are able, try a seated, quiet Awareness of Breath Meditation at home by pausing,
focusing on the sensation of your breath, and returning to that sensation every time your mind
wanders (and it will!). Try 30 seconds to start (you can set a timer if you’d like) and build on
that. Even short practice is valuable.

Experiment with this practice at different times of day, before or after different activities, to
see what feels right to you (for example, before you get dressed, when you sit down at your
desk before beginning to work, lying in bed at night).

Don’t be hard on yourself if you forget to practice or you can’t sort out the “just right” time in
your day. This is all a work in progress and incorporating a new habit can take time. You can
share those challenges or barriers in you’d like, and we’ll talk about it.

Informal:

As you are able, begin to bring more awareness to the routines and tasks during your day,
remembering that the moment you notice you haven’t been mindful, you suddenly are!

What does this experience of noticing feel like? If you’re the type of person who likes to keep a
journal or take notes on your phone, considering keeping track of what you notice. If that feels
like a chore, don’t do it. Noticing is enough as that noticing is present-moment awareness.

And, when you have a moment of mindful awareness, try to incorporate PAUSE 1-2-3 –
stopping and taking three deep, long breaths. What happens in your mind (or body) when you
remember to PAUSE? Notice that.

Think about a time in your life that you needed to take a pause/break but didn’t? How might
the outcome have been different had you paused?

See if you can notice/identify a daily experience or interaction that would benefit from even a
brief PAUSE.

If you’d like, fill out the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (questionnaire – link below). There
are no right or wrong answers here, but it may give you some insight into areas of your
everyday life that you aren’t fully engaged in and aware of. We’ll talk more about this idea of
being on autopilot in coming weeks.

https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/The_Mindful_Attention_Awareness_Scale_-
_Trait_(1).pdf
Mind-PLANK: Session 2 - “LETTING GO”

Exercisers will begin to practice “LETTING GO” of thoughts and feelings that carry them away
and cause stress and anxiety. By returning to present moment awareness and building the skill
of observation, they will begin to practice noticing habits and patterns of behavior that may be
helpful to “let go” of.

Key Learnings:
• Building on PAUSE
• Beginning to notice the expectations we have for ourselves and others
• Becoming more comfortable with thoughts, feelings, and sensations without trying to
control them
• Beginning to notice habits and patterns of behavior that may cause stress

Unit Essential Questions:

1. Can you begin to identify the experiences that cause you the most stress?
2. How does your reaction to those experiences impact your feelings or choices?
3. What happens to those feelings when you practice PAUSING and LETTING GO

Practices:
• Awareness of breath
• Noting practice (formal and informal)

Notes for the Mindfulness Coach:

You may already have a sense of how talkative or engaged your group is. Feel free to adjust
each session to accommodate your participants, allowing for either more instruction, longer
practice (by adding longer pauses between the guidance), or more time for dialogue.
Session 2 (continued)
TRANSITION
(5 Minutes)

• As you get settled and transition from your workout take a few deep breaths: breathing
in gratitude for the physical exercise you were able to do today and breathing out calm
for this time to recover and rest more deeply from your workout. Taking this time to
rest and recover more deeply allows us to strengthen the mind alongside the body.
• And as you sit and begin to recover from your workout, take a few moments to just
notice any sensations in the body post-workout. Just noticing how the body feels after
exercise, connecting to the physical sensation of the body.
• Last week we learned about the P in Mind-PLANK – “Pause” – and how when we take a
moment to actively engage our awareness, we give ourselves some valuable space
between stimulus and response.
• We talked about what mindfulness is, meditation, informal, and formal practice. If you
didn’t get a chance to practice, that’s OK. We’ll practice together today.
• Does anyone have any questions?
• If you did experiment with practice on your own, you likely gained a bit more
understanding about how a moment of pausing and breathing provides a bit of rest,
reset, and perspective.
• Before we move on, would anyone like to share what their experience of last week’s
class or personal practice throughout the week was like?
• (Allow for a couple of minutes for dialogue)
• Remember, mindfulness isn’t about clearing our heads, it’s about developing a different
relationship with our thoughts and feelings, so that we don’t get carried away by them.
• When we’re carried away, they control us or at least feel like they’re controlling us.
• That brings us to today’s lesson on the L of Mind-PLANK - “LETTING GO.”

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION
(5 minutes)

• What does “LETTING GO” mean and look like in terms of living more mindfully?
• Well, we can get attached to the idea that things in our life need to be a certain way. We
want to be in control. This can be small things, like the right way to fold laundry, or big
things, like the expectations we have around how people should act or behave (children,
our partner, co-worker, etc.).
 • In the gym, this may be expectations about how heavy a weight we can lift, how far we
can run, or what our bodies “should” look like.
• When our expectations aren’t met, this creates difficulty, stress, conflict. We suffer.
• This is not to say that some expectations aren’t reasonable. We all want to feel loved,
cared for, and respected, for example. We want to feel good and be happy. Letting go
does not mean being taken advantage of or ignoring things that are wrong.
• But the reality is we can’t control all of the things, experiences, and people around us.
• We can learn to have more awareness of our reactions and responses in order to
increase our self-control, be better able to self-regulate, and become more skillful in
how we go about our daily lives.
• Mindfulness practice can help us “LET GO” of the attachments and expectations that
cause us distress and suffering by better understanding our patterns of behavior and
our own responses to the various situations of daily life.
• But mindful practice shifts the emphasis away from expectations and outcome towards
more present-moment awareness, curiosity, and observation. Allowing things to be as
they are in the moment, giving those expectations some space, and seeing what
happens.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

GUIDED PRACTICE
(5 minutes)

Today, we’re going to build on last week’s Awareness of Breath practice, focusing a bit more on
where the mind wanders before we bring our attention back to the breath.

This is called Noting Practice, and it allows us to begin to recognize the thoughts, feelings, and
sensations that may distract us from the present moment.

We’re going to practice noting if the mind drifts to a thought (for example: I have to make a
dentist appointment, the car needs gas), a feeling (I’m angry at my partner, I’m restless sitting
here), or a sensation (my nose itches, my back is tight).

Like Awareness of Breath practice, the focus is on the observation itself, not trying to change or
control where the mind goes, but simply noticing with curiosity and without judgment where it
wanders. Let’s try it.
Session 2 (continued)
Guided Practice

NOTING PRACTICE SCRIPT:

• Begin to settle into a comfortable, seated position, taking a few deep and deliberate
breaths as practice begins.
• Remaining alert but comfortable, allowing the breath to return to its normal rhythm.
Noticing the sensation of the breath on the inhale and exhale.
• Just becoming aware of the breath. Noticing the breath is always available to you as a
way to ground yourself in the present moment.
• As the mind begins to wander - and it will wander, that’s OK – take a brief moment to
notice where it has gone. No need to linger there, but simply label whether the mind
has wandered to a thought, a feeling, or a sensation. Just whatever your first instinct is.
• You can even say to yourself - thought, feeling, sensation - if that’s helpful, before gently
bringing your awareness back to the breath.
• We’re beginning to get comfortable with the wandering of the mind. Not reacting to
what we notice when the mind wanders, simply noting where it has gone, letting it go,
and returning to the breath.
• If you’re finding it difficult to identify where the mind drifts, that’s OK, simply practice
noting the mind has wandered, let it go, and gently return to awareness of the breath.
• We don’t have to change or control where the mind goes, just observe, and gently
return to the breath.
• As we come to the end of our practice, take a few more moments to focus on the
breath.
• When you’re ready, you can begin to roll your shoulders, maybe stretch your neck, or
reach your arms up overhead, gently bringing movement back into the body, and then
when you are ready, opening your eyes.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIALOGUE/Q&A
(5 minutes)

1. If you were able to note where the mind wandered, where there any patterns you could
identify (some people are more distracted by thoughts, than feelings, for example, or by
an itch or ache)?
2. What did it feel like to not react to where you mind was going, but simply continue to
pause, sit, and breathe?
 3. How might this inform the expectations you may have about the way things “should”
be?

EXPLANATION OF AT-HOME PRACTICE:

1. For homework, you’ll be building on PAUSE and LETTING GO by practicing PAUSE,

breathing, noting where the mind has gone, and letting it go by gently bringing your
attention to back the present moment.
2. Noting Practice can be done formally (like we did today) or more informally, by
becoming aware of when and where the mind wanders during your everyday tasks and
experiences (for example, when you lose your place while reading something).
3. We’ll talk more next week about what happens when we react instead of responding to
what we notice.
4. For right now, just noticing, and practicing LETTING GO is enough.

FACILITATOR NOTES:
 AT HOME PRACTICE - SESSION 2
L - “Letting Go”

Formal:

As you are able, try a seated, quiet Noting Practice (30 seconds - 2 minutes at home) by first
focusing on the sensation of the breath, then noticing where your mind wanders. Setting a
timer is helpful.

Before gently returning to the breath, see if you can identify if the mind has wandered to a
thought, a feeling, or sensation.

Remember, you’re developing your ability to be curious and observant about your own
experiences without trying to change or control them.

Informal:

As you go about your day, can you bring more awareness and attention to what distracts you?

For example, is your growling stomach making it hard to focus on work? Are you thinking about
an argument you had earlier in the day while making dinner? This is informal noting practice.
Ultimately, the information we receive allows us to make better decisions about what we do
next.

Can you become more aware of any habits or patterns in your life related to the expectations
you have for yourself and others? How do those expectations make you feel when they distract
you?

What happens when you take a moment to PAUSE, BREATHE, and acknowledge those thoughts,
feelings, and emotions, but then LET GO – even just for a moment?

PARTICIPANT NOTES:
Mind-PLANK: Session 3 - “AWARENESS”

Building on noticing patterns of behavior by observing the mind, exercisers will learn more
about how the brain works, and how bringing awareness to everyday experiences can improve
self-regulation.

Key Learnings:
• Skillful responsiveness vs. unskillful reactivity
• What’s happening in the brain? – amygdala versus pre-frontal cortex
• Mindful awareness through the most basic daily activity – eating - as a way to ground
oneself in the present moment

Unit Essential Questions:

1. What do you do every day on autopilot?
2. What happens when you bring more awareness to experiences or situations?
3. Can you think of an example in your life that would be improved by responsiveness
instead of reactivity?

Practices:
• Mindful Eating
• STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed)

Notes for the Mindfulness Coach:

Be prepared to bring some options to this session for the Mindful Eating practice. Raisins will
suffice, or some alternate, small, snack food, keeping in mind potential allergens.
Session 3 (continued)
TRANSITION
(4 Minutes)

• As you get settled and transition from your workout, take a few deep breaths: breathing
in gratitude for the physical exercise you were able to do today and breathing out calm
for this time to recover more deeply as we take time to learn to practice strengthening
the mind alongside the body.
• And as you sit and begin to recover from your workout, take a few moments to just
notice any sensations in the body post-workout. Just noticing how the body feels after
exercise, connecting to the physical sensation of the body.
• Last week we talked about noting the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise
during our life experiences and practiced “LETTING GO” of the control those
expectations have over us.
• Would anyone like to share what it was like to practice intentionally noting what
happened when the mind wandered, and you returned to the breath?
• Where you able to note any patterns?
• (Allow time for brief dialogue)
• Today, we’re going to talk more about how AWARENESS (the “A” of Mind-PLANK),
allows us to have more agency over how we respond to what we notice instead of
reacting impulsively.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION
(6 minutes)

• It’s important to understand a little bit about how the brain works, as impulsive
behaviors and knee-jerk reactions are rooted in the least evolved part of our brain – the
amygdala.
• The amygdala, located at the base of the brain is part of the sympathetic nervous
system, and responsible for what was once referred to as our “Fight or Flight,” instinct,
but now includes “Fight, Flight, or Freeze.”
• In other words, when we feel threatened in some way, this area of the brain is
activated, and we either “fight” (attack, act out, lash out), “flight” (run away) or “freeze”
(disengage, avoid) without employing any critical thinking to the situation.
• This is an impulsive and instinctual reaction to stress, but it’s not very skillful.
 • When we pay attention, we often feel this stress in our bodies (racing heart, sweaty
palms, upset stomach). Our bodies give us important feedback about how we are
impacted by our environment, but in the “heat of the moment” this information often
isn’t available to us.
• Another part of our brain – the pre-frontal cortex (right behind our forehead) – is
responsible for higher level, critical thinking, bringing context to situations, and allowing
us to have perspective. It allows us to make decisions and respond more skillfully and
less erratically to situations.
• Studies have shown that in the brains of experienced meditators, the amygdala is
actually smaller, and the pre-frontal cortex is actually larger than non-meditators,
suggesting that mindfulness practice helps to improve our ability to PAUSE and become
AWARE before reacting, quieting the impulsive part of our brain.
• We can train our brains to make more skillful, less impulsive decisions. This requires
practice through AWARENESS.
• Another way of understanding this is that amygdala is our autopilot – it is more
automatic, instead of thoughtful.
• But when we practice being intentionally AWARE, when we pause and breathe, we have
an opportunity to disengage that autopilot, quieting the pre-historic part of our brain,
and engaging with the more evolved part of our brain, allowing us to better regulate
and moderate whatever is present.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

GUIDED PRACTICE
(5 minutes)

We’re going to practice this today with something we do all the time, often quite automatically
and without awareness – eating.

This is a particularly relevant activity within our space here at the gym, given that routine
exercise combined with healthy eating helps us to feel good.

To be clear, this Mindful Eating practice is not a lesson in nutrition, it is not about dieting, or
limiting your food intake, and it is not about feeling badly about eating the things you enjoy.

Quite the opposite, this exercise is about intentionally slowing down and really experiencing,
with your full awareness, what it is like to eat, to nourish your body.
Lesson 3 (continued)
Guided Practice Explanation

And just like with our emotions, when we take a moment to pause and engage more fully in the
present moment, this allows us to be more aware. It allows us to disengage the autopilot.

I’m going to hand out (raisins or alternate small, snack such as M&M’s, being conscious to ask
about any allergies first) and I want you to just hold it in your hand and wait for my instructions.

MINDFUL EATING SCRIPT:

• OK, we’re going to experience eating very deliberately, using all of our senses. This may
feel strange, but remember, this is another way to practice present-moment awareness.
• First, I want you to look at the (raisin) really closely. Take the time to turn it over in the
palm of your hand, noticing what the surface looks like, its texture and color.
• Begin to notice what the (raisin) feels like on the palm of your hand and between your
fingers. Turn it around, maybe close your eyes, and feel its shape more intensely.
• Bring it up to your nose and smell it. Have you ever done that before?
• How about listening to it? Does it have a sound? This may seem silly, but we’re exploring
this everyday experience of eating in a different way, using all of our senses
deliberately.
• Now, when you put it in your mouth, can you do so slowly, turning it over on your
tongue, noticing where you taste it, bringing awareness to the sensation of chewing,
and ultimately, of slowly.
• Can you bring awareness to the (raisin) entering your throat and even your stomach?
• When you’re finished, you can feel free to try again, maybe playing around with going
even slower, or perhaps more quickly, like or at whatever pace you would normally eat.
• Once everyone has eaten at least one (raisin) we’ll discuss the experience.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIALOGUE/Q&A
(5 minutes)

1. Did you notice anything other than the eating itself? Perhaps an emotion or feeling
associated with being so deliberate?
2. What does it feel like to bring this awareness to taking just one bite?
Lesson 3 (continued)
DIALOGUE/Q&A

EXPLANATION OF AT-HOME PRACTICE:

1. You can continue to experiment with Mindful Eating by choosing one meal a day, or
even one bite a day, to eat more mindfully.
2. A helpful way to remember is the acronym STOP– S is for Stop what you’re doing; T is
for take a breath; O is for observe what’s happening (in other words, bring awareness to
the experience); and P is for proceed. This short practice can be applied to eating, or any
task or situation that tends to happen on autopilot. It’s another way to help us PAUSE
and become more AWARE.

FACILITATOR NOTES:
 AT HOME PRACTICE - SESSION 3
A - “Awareness”
Formal:

Try the Mindful Eating Practice for at least one meal (or even one bite at one meal!) this week,
eating deliberately, slowly, in silence and without doing anything else. This might be sitting with
your morning coffee and just enjoying the warmth of the cup in your hands and its smell and
taste for a few moments without being on your phone or watching TV. Bring all of your bodily
senses and sensations to the experience of eating or drinking.

Informal:

Practice STOP (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) if you notice you are on autopilot.

Identify one task/activity that you often do on autopilot (without thinking). Can you bring more
awareness to that task? What happens when you do?

Practice bringing more awareness to personal interactions, and notice what happens if you
intentionally pause and then respond instead of reacting.

It’s difficult to disengage the autopilot, but even noticing situations where we tend to have
knee-jerk reactions is a helpful first step to building present-moment awareness.

PARTICIPANT NOTES:
Mind-PLANK: Session 4 - “NON-JUDGMENT”

As exercisers continue to develop awareness of their experiences, they will practice acceptance
and non-judgment, using the sensations of the body to ground oneself in the present moment.

Key Learnings:
• The mind-body connection inherent in mindfulness practice
• Paying attention to the body as a way to ground oneself in present-moment awareness
• Practicing non-judgment when noticing the feedback, the body gives us

Unit Essential Questions:

1. What happens when you bring attention to the sensations of body deliberately and
without judgment?
2. Can you let go of any expectations of performance related to the body and simply tune
in to the experience of being present and alive?
3. Does awareness of the body give you feedback on how you’re feeling? Explain.

Practices:
• Body Scan (full) or CALM (modified body scan of chest, arms, legs, and mind)
• Five-Finger Breathing and Stand & Shift

Notes for the Mindfulness Coach:

Based on the makeup of your class, determine if you’d like to guide a more formal body scan in
a prone position (on mats, if they are available) or a modified “CALM” practice in either a prone
or seated position.
Session 4 (continued)
TRANSITION
(1-2 Minutes)

• As you get settled and transition from your workout take a few deep breaths: breathing
in gratitude for the physical exercise you were able to do today and breathing out calm
for this time to recover more deeply as we take time to strengthen the mind alongside
the body.
• And as you sit and begin to recover from your workout, take a few moments to just
notice any sensations in the body post-workout. Just noticing how the body feels after
exercise, connecting to the physical sensation of the body.
• Last week, we talked about the areas of our brain responsible for reactivity and
responsiveness, the amygdala and pre-frontal cortex.
• We practiced bringing awareness to everyday activities in order to disengage our
automatic responses (autopilot).
• Would anyone like to share their experience with practice this week? Were you able to
pay attention on purpose to your everyday experiences? Did you notice when you were
on autopilot?
• (Allow time for brief dialogue)
• This week, we’re going to build on that AWARENESS with the next step in Mind-PLANK –
“N” for NON-JUDGMENT.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION
(8 minutes)

• Non-judgment is similar to what we discussed last week about bringing heightened

awareness to our experiences in order to respond skillfully.
• Non-judgment is about practicing acceptance of your experience, whatever it is, instead
of being reactive to it, or like we discussed in Week 2, LETTING GO of some control and
expectations.
• This can happen on a personal level, in how we experience the feedback our body gives
us, or how we feel about ourselves either physically or mentally, or more broadly, when
we judge others.
• The environment of a gym is sometimes a place of judgment. We may be critical of our
own bodies, about our stamina or strength, or fixate on being a certain size. We may
compare ourselves to others.
 • This judgment doesn’t serve us well. It’s not healthy. Mindfulness can help us notice
those patterns of judgment.
• All of that judgmental thinking is detrimental to our health and wellbeing and can
increase our stress and anxiety.
• When we focus our attention on the judgments themselves, instead of what is really
happening in any given moment, we are missing out on fully being present with the
experience of being alive.
• Mindfulness practice can help us gain perspective and acceptance of those experiences.
And when we are less judgmental, we are able to bring clarity to our experiences.
• Non-judgment doesn’t mean that we become unresponsive or allow others to take
advantage of us. It doesn’t mean that can’t form opinions about what we value or how
we might want to change or improve ourselves, but it does encourage us to find balance
by not getting carried away by judgments.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

GUIDED PRACTICE
(5 minutes)

The sensations of the body as a whole can be another way to practice being both more aware,
more accepting, and less judgmental.

Every time we notice a physical sensation: body temperature, heartbeat, sweat, tension,
sounds (like your stomach rumbling) we are paying attention, on purpose, to the present
moment, just noticing what is happening without judgment.

This mind-body connection is incredibly important, as it gives us feedback on how we’re feeling.
And this feedback is particularly useful as human beings and as exercisers, as injury or pain is
sometimes part of our life experience and a part of exercising as well.

The Body Scan Practice allows us to systematically take stock of how our bodies are feeling – it
is a check-in, a pause, and a reset. A shorter version of the full Body Scan is CALM (Chest, Arms,
Legs, Mind) and is included in the At-Home Practice this week.

And, when we make the connection between mind and body during mindfulness practice, we
activate the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to calm as we breathe and
bring mindful attention to the body.

We’re going to do a body scan today. Many people enjoy this practice at night before bed to
allow the body to calm. It may make you sleepy. That’s OK.
Lesson 4 (continued)

BODY SCAN PRACTICE SCRIPT:

• As you are comfortable, rest in a prone position and begin to notice the sensation and
weight of your body on the ground or mat. If it’s more comfortable for you to modify by
bending your knees to support your back, that’s fine. This is your practice.
• Notice the inhale and exhale of your breath as we have practiced, either in your nose, or
by putting a hand on the chest or belly.
• Draw the attention to the left foot, perhaps noticing the toes within your socks and
sneakers, or where the sock ends on your calf and shin.
• Allow your attention to travel up to your knee and then your quads and hamstrings.
• We’re just noticing the body, noticing if anything changes in our sensation of the body
as we bring attention there.
• Shift the attention to the right foot and toes, calf and shin, knee, quads, hamstrings.
• Notice the hips and glutes, moving up towards the abdomen and then chest, perhaps
stopping for a moment to notice the breath.
• Allow your attention to travel to your left hand, noticing the fingers and wrist, moving
up to the forearm and elbow, to the biceps and triceps and then shoulder.
• Just taking stock of the body. Noticing how it feels. Allowing it to settle.
• Shift your attention to the right hand, noticing the fingers and wrist, moving up to the
forearm and elbow, to the biceps and triceps and then shoulder.
• Notice the collarbone and neck, the jaw and mouth, cheekbones, nose, eyes in their
sockets, ears, forehead.
• Notice the top of the head, and the back of the head resting on the mat.
• Breathe deeply into the body. Just noticing. Just bringing awareness to the body and
breath.
• As we come to the end of our practice, begin to move your body, perhaps rolling the
ankles or wrists, stretching the arms above the head, and opening the eyes when you
are ready.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIALOGUE/Q&A
(5 minutes)

• What happens when you bring mindful attention to the body?

• If you became aware of any areas of tension or feelings of discomfort, what happened
when you noticed those areas?
Lesson 4 (continued)

EXPLANATION OF AT-HOME PRACTICE:

For homework you’ll be practicing the Body Scan by checking in, slowly and systematically with
the various parts of the body. This is best done lying down. Alternately, you can practice a
shorter, modified version of the Body Scan called CALM by checking in more broadly with the
Chest, Arms, Legs, and Mind, simply becoming aware of what’s happening in the body and
mind. This could be done in a seated position at a desk chair, during your commute (keep the
eyes open), or at the kitchen table.

I want to teach you two other practices that engage the body and can be done more informally.
We’ll do them here, but I encourage you to practice these at home any time you PAUSE and
reset. When we check in with the body and take in non-judgmental feedback, we have an
opportunity to PAUSE and engage with the present moment.

The first is 5-Finger Breathing: Open one hand and use your other hand to trace your fingers,
breathing in as you trace upwards, and exhaling as you trace downwards. Do this slowly and
methodically, connecting the breath and the tactile sensation of the body.

Another is Stand & Shift. Let’s all stand for a moment, first grounding ourselves on both feet.
Then, gently rise and lower the heel of one foot, then the other. Then gently rise and lower the
toes of each foot. Finally, let’s gently and slowly shift our weight from one foot to the other,
noticing how the body adjusts and responds to this movement.

FACILITATOR NOTES:
 AT HOME PRACTICE - SESSION 4
N - “Non-Judgement”

Formal:

Try the Body Scan (long) practice at different times of day. Is there a time that feels most
restorative? Sometimes a body scan at bedtime can help with relaxation and sleep.

You can modify the Body Scan with the CALM practice, focusing more broadly on the Chest,
Arms, Legs and Mind as a brief, non-judgmental check-in on how you’re feeling. This can easily
be done in a seated position.

Informal:

Try the 5-Finger Breathing technique. Open one hand and use your other hand to trace your
fingers, breathing in as you trace upwards, and exhaling as you trace downwards.

Try the Stand & Shift practice as a way to take a pause and connect the mind and body to the
present moment. Is there a time of day or a specific situation where this feels useful or helpful
(maybe waiting in a line or during a challenging conversation)?

Can you bring more awareness and non-judgment to your experience with exercise this week?
This might mean simply noticing how a muscle group feels during a particular exercise from one
day to the next. Can you bring more awareness to have you feel before you exercise and after?

Try becoming more aware of how and when the body moves or transitions. For example, try to
notice every time you go from sitting to standing or standing to sitting. Every time you DO
notice this transition; this is a moment of mindful, present-moment awareness.

You may find it’s difficult to remember to notice when we engage our body in everyday
movement. We often take it for granted and might go the whole day without ever noticing.
That’s OK. Try again at different times during the week. Remember, this is practice.

PARTICIPANT NOTES:
Mind-PLANK: Session 5 - “KINDNESS & COMPASSION”

Exercisers will expand their practice to incorporate the concept of kindness and compassion
towards both them and others.

Key Learnings:
• Understanding the importance of kindness and compassion as part of mindfulness
practice
• When we intentionally practice cultivating kindness and compassion to others in formal
practice, we are better able to act with kindness and compassion in our everyday lives
• We are all interconnected

Unit Essential Questions:

1. Can you practice treating yourself with more kindness and tenderness?
2. How does that extend to other relationships in your life?

Practices:
• Metta (Loving Kindness)
• WAIT – “Why am I Talking?”

Notes for the Mindfulness Coach:

Included at the end of this final session is a brief assessment tool. Encourage your participants
to fill it out at the end of this session to provide feedback on the 5-week course.
Lesson 5 (continued)

TRANSITION
(1-2 Minutes)

• As you get settled and transition from your workout take a few deep breaths: breathing
in gratitude for the physical exercise you were able to do today and breathing out calm
for this time to recover more deeply, taking this time to learn how to strengthen your
mind alongside your body.
• And as you sit and begin to recover from your workout, take a few moments to just
notice any sensations in the body post-workout. Just noticing how the body feels after
exercise, connecting to the physical sensation of the body.
• Last week, we practiced not judging our experiences, but simply honing our awareness
of what is happening in the present moment. When we focus on the body, we can
ground ourselves in the sensations of the present moment.
• This also gives us valuable feedback to what’s going on in the mind.
• Over the course of these past four weeks, you’ve learned and experienced what
happens when we intentionally PAUSE and LET GO (even just a little bit) to our tension,
our expectations, allowing time to simply observe and rest.
• We have practiced bringing AWARENESS to those experiences, feelings, and sessions
with NON-JUDGMENT and acceptance.
• These are all valuable skills and tools that help us better regulate difficulty and challenge
and allow us to have more agency over our decision-making.
• This is an ongoing, lifelong practice. These tools and techniques only “work” if you use
and practice them, experiencing them for yourself, over and over again in each new
moment, at any time, all the time.
• When we are aware, we live our lives more fully.
• But all of this awareness and acceptance is rooted in gentleness and non-judgment
towards ourselves first, which brings us to our final week of Mind-PLANK – “K” for
KINDNESS and compassion.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION
(8 minutes)

• The roots of mindfulness practice are based on the belief that everyone is capable of
kindness and compassion, and by extension, every human being wants the same thing:
to be loved, cared for, and treated humanely.
 • We don’t have to look too far to find examples every day of what happens when people
are not kind and compassionate to one another with both words and actions.
• But anger, sadness, and frustration can make it difficult to be kind and compassionate to
ourselves and others, especially towards people with whom we disagree or to those
who have hurt us. Those feelings are understandable.
• That’s why a big component of mindfulness is the practice of kindness and compassion,
called Metta, Loving-Kindness or Boundless Friendship Practice.
• When we practice being kinder and more compassionate in formal practice, we build
the skills to be kind and compassionate out in the world.
• Practically speaking, a growing number of studies suggest that intentionally practicing
kindness and compassion improves our own self-esteem, decreases our implicit bias,
and builds healthier, happier relationships.
• Metta practice can be difficult, but that is why we practice, to build our resilience to the
challenges and suffering that others may cause, and to build our own capacity for
kindness and compassion.
• The more we think and act with kindness and compassion, the more likely we are to feel
good about the relationships we have and the decisions we make in our everyday lives.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

GUIDED PRACTICE
(5 minutes)

This practice may feel strange at first. It may bring up feelings of hopefulness and joy, but for
others, there may be discomfort or awkwardness, even sadness. That’s OK.

Many of us do not think about kindness and compassion as part of their daily routine, but when
we intentionally focus on these qualities, we become better able to grow them.

METTA (Loving Kindness) PRACTICE:

• Take a moment to find a comfortable seated position, alert and upright, but relaxed.
• Take a few deep breaths at your own pace and close your eyes if that feels comfortable
to you.
• We’re going to practice cultivating kindness for ourselves and for those around us
• Let’s begin by first bringing to mind a person (or even pet), living or passed, whom you
care deeply about.
• Notice the feelings of warmth and caring that arise when thinking of this person.
• Repeat these phrases to yourself: May you be happy, May you be healthy, May you live
with joy and ease.
 • Next, bring to mind someone you may encounter every day, but may not have a
relationship with – a clerk at the grocery store, someone you see getting coffee every
morning, for example.
• If no one comes to mind immediately, that’s OK. Just return to the first person who
came to mind.
• When bringing to mind this person, repeat these phrases to yourself: May you be happy,
May you be healthy, May you live with joy and ease.
• Next, bring to mind someone who may be difficult, this can be someone you know or a
stranger. It doesn’t matter, we are just practicing cultivating kindness.
• May you be happy, May you be healthy, May you live with joy and ease.
• Finally, let’s practice turning that loving-kindness towards ourselves. It’s not something
we often practice doing, but it’s important to treat ourselves with kindness and care.
• May I be happy, May I be healthy, May I live with joy and ease.
• Sit for a moment in stillness, allowing the feelings of kindness to wash over you.
• When you are ready, you can begin to reconnect with your body, stretching and then
opening your eyes when you are ready.

FACILITATOR NOTES:

Lesson 5 (continued)
DIALOGUE/Q&A
(5 minutes)

1. What does it feel like to practice kindness?

2. How might this practice benefit you in areas of your life?
3. Over the past weeks you’ve been exposed to some mindfulness basics and explored
various practices. Is there a particular practice, technique, or instruction that stands out
to you?
4. How will you continue to practice and make mindfulness a part of your routine?

EXPLANATION OF AT-HOME PRACTICE:

I encourage you to continue practicing Metta formally, but we can practice kindness more
informally in our interpersonal relationships with a practice called WAIT (Why Am I Talking?).

Often, when we’re engaged in conversation with others, we neglect to bring our mindful
attention and PAUSE to that experience. We may talk over others or be thinking about the next
thing we want to say instead of truly listening to the other person.
We can bring more kindness and compassion to our interactions with others by pausing and
waiting before we speak and respond, using the acronym WAIT (stopping and considering what
we’re saying). I encourage you to notice situations that benefit from talking some time to
respond. This is mindfulness practice in everyday life.

Closing Remarks:
Thank you for this time together to practice. Remember, just like physical exercise, when we
stop working out, moving and using our bodies, we don’t feel as strong and energetic. Ongoing
fitness requires making it part of our routine and habit.

The same is true for mindfulness. The more we practice, the more we strengthen and condition
that mental muscle. This 5-week course is the very first step.

You’ve already made a commitment to your physical health. I hope you have begun to see the
value and positive impact focusing on your mental health brings. But this too will take practice
and dedication. I encourage you to keep practicing, and use the additional resources provided
to grow and build your own mindful practice.

I’m going to hand out an Assessment form. I would appreciate your feedback on this course.
Included in your At-Home Practice is the same Mindful Awareness Scale you took at the
beginning of this course. If you’d like, fill it out and see if anything has changed over the course
of this class.

May you continue to make mindfulness part of your fitness regimen, and more importantly,
your life, to support your health and wellbeing.

FACILITATOR NOTES:
 AT HOME PRACTICE - SESSION 5
K - “Kindness”

Formal:

Metta Practice can take time to understand. Don’t force it, but experiment with this practice at
your own pace. Below are the phrases we used in class, but you can modify them as you see fit.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.
May you live with joy and ease.

Informal:

In conversations with others, we often aren’t fully engaged, focusing our attention on when it’s
our turn to speak and what we’re going to say next, instead of truly listening to the other
person. Mindfully listening and speaking are rooted in kindness.

We can remind ourselves to slow down, listen, and pause before speaking by practicing WAIT
(Why Am I Talking?). Remembering to WAIT allows for some space between the speaker and
your response, allowing for true listening, and time to determine what is the next best response
(which after waiting, might be nothing at all).

Can you bring metta practice into your daily experiences and interactions? In how you treat
yourself and others?

In Week 1 you were given the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. Feel free to take it again
and see if there’s anything that may have changed from your first class. Don’t be discouraged if
it hasn’t. Building mindful attention takes practice, just like strengthening our physical bodies.
Keep practicing.

https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/The_Mindful_Attention_Awareness_Scale_-
_Trait_(1).pdf
Additional Resources:

There are a tremendous number of resources available, both free and for purchase, but here
are just a few. I encourage you to explore and experiment with various texts, apps, and other
online resources, depending on your own interests. What is most important is to keep
practicing.

In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

Books:
• Jon Kabat-Zinn – Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your
Life
• Dan Harris – 10% Happier
• George Mumford – The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Peak Performance
• Jon Kabat-Zinn – Wherever You Go, There You Are
• Thich Nhat Hahn – The Miracle of Mindfulness
• Oren Jay Sofer – Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
• Mary Oliver – Devotions
• Kristen Neff – Self Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind
• Dan Siegel – Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence
• Rick Hanson – Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and
Happiness
• Gail Andersen Stark – Creating a Life of Integrity: In Conversation with Joseph Goldstein
• Corey Muskara – Stop Missing Your Life
• Tara Brach: True Refuge
• Jud Brewer – Unwinding Anxiety
• Sharon Salzberg – Real Change

Please note that virtually all of these authors have their own websites and YouTube channels,
many which offer coursework and opportunities for practice. I encourage you to discover the
teacher or guide that fits with your ongoing practice.

Apps:
• Headspace
• Calm
• Mindfulness.com
• Unwinding Anxiety
• Eat Right Now
• Insight Timer
Assessment Tool

Circle what applies for each question:

I can see that what I've learned, experienced, or have begun to learn is making a difference to how I relate to
myself and others, and how I make choices.
Never, sometimes, mostly, always

I PAUSE when I need to reset or take a break.

Never, sometimes, mostly, always

I can bring my attention back to my task at hand in my work when I notice that I’m distracted.
Never, sometimes, mostly, always

I am aware when I’m judging myself or others more frequently, and I accept this as learned awareness.
Never, sometimes, mostly, always

I can pay attention to the sensations of the body to ground myself in the present moment.
Never, sometimes, mostly, always

I can recognize when I am on autopilot.

Never, sometimes, mostly, always

I am making time for practice during my daily life.

Never, sometimes, mostly, always

Which Lesson has been the most impactful in your learning about mindfulness?
P – Pause
L – Letting Go
A – Awareness
N – Non-Judgment
K – Kindness & Compassion
Circle all that apply
None

Which practice have you been able to use in daily life? Circle all that apply
Awareness of Breath
PAUSE 1-2-3
STOP (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed)
Noting
Mindful Eating
Body Scan
Stand & Shift
Five-Finger Breathing
CALM
Metta (Loving-Kindness)
WAIT (Why Am I Talking?)

Additional Comments? (use the space below)