Psychology: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Psychology 498

Module 2: Be Present

Practice Booklet

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Seminar PSYC 498

Be Present: Mindfulness

Consider the following question: How would you define “mindfulness”? Also, what is the purpose of mindfulness?

Try a simple breathing meditation, which you can follow along with in the lecture video in Module 1.

After engaging in the breathing meditation

Reflection: Consider taking some notes on the following:

· What was your overall experience of this exercise?

· What is your best guess for how many times your mind pulled your attention to something different than your breath?

· What was the most difficult part of this exercise?

· What was the best part of this exercise?

Be Present: Self-as-Context

Try a “self-as-context meditation,” which you can follow along with in the lecture video in Module 1.

After engaging in the self-as-context meditation

· Reflection: Please take notes on the following:

· What did you notice the most during the meditation? Would you consider this thing “helpful” or “unhelpful” in terms of helping you pursue your personal values?

· What was the most helpful thing that your mind brought up as you went through the meditation? Why was it the most helpful thing?

Be Present: Reflection

Consider taking some notes on the following (this may help you gather information you can use for the participation discussion post and/or the reflection assignment in Canvas):

· How easy and/or difficult was it for you to engage in the exercises (e.g., the mindful breathing exercise) in this “Be Present” section of the seminar?

· On a scale from 1 (not at all important) to 10 (extremely important), how important do you think it is to “Be Present” in life? Why did you give that number?

· Can you come up with some examples of problems or issues that mindfulness exercises might not really help solve or make better?

Optional Practice Materials: Being Present:

1. UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center Website (Free Recordings Available) link: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations

2. UCLA-Semel-Breathing Meditation_Transcript

Breathing Meditation (5:31)

Find a relaxed, comfortable position

Seated on a chair or on the floor, on a cushion

Keep your back upright, but not too tight

Hands resting wherever they're comfortable

Tongue on the roof of your mouth or wherever it's comfortable.

And you can notice your body

From the inside

Noticing the shape of your body, the weight, touch

And let yourself relax

And become curious about your body

Seated here

The sensations of your body

The touch

The connection with the floor

The chair

Relax any areas of tightness or tension

Just breathe

Soften

And now begin to tune into your breath

In your body

Feeling the natural flow of breath

Don't need to do anything to your breath

Not long not short just natural

And notice where you feel your breath in your body

It might be in your abdomen

It may be in your chest or throat

Or in your nostrils

See if you can feel the sensations of breath

One breath at a time

When one breath ends, the next breath begins

Now as you do this you might notice that your mind might start to wander

You might start thinking about other things

If this happens this is not a problem

It's very natural

Just notice that your mind has wandered

You can say "thinking" or "wandering" in your head softly

And then gently redirect your attention right back to the breathing

So, we'll stay with this for some time in silence

Just a short time

Noticing our breath

From time to time getting lost in thought and returning to our breath

See if you can be really kind to yourself in the process

And once again you can notice your body, your whole body, seated here

Let yourself relax even more deeply

And then offer yourself some appreciation

For doing this practice today

Whatever that means to you

Finding a sense of ease and wellbeing for yourself and this day

[bell rings]

3. UCLA-Semel-Body Scan Meditation_Transcript

Body Scan Meditation (2:44)

Begin by bringing your attention into your body

You can close your eyes if that’s comfortable to you

You can notice your body, seated, wherever you’re seated

Feeling the weight of your body, on the chair, on the floor

And take a few deep breaths

And as you take a deep breath

Bring in more oxygen and livening the body

And as you exhale

Have a sense of relaxing more deeply

You can notice your feet on the floor

Notice the sensation of your feet touching the floor

The weight and pressure, vibration, heat

You can notice your legs against the chair

Pressure, pulsing, heaviness, lightness

Notice your back against the chair

Bring your attention into your stomach area

If your stomach is tense or tight, let it soften

Take a breath

Notice your hands

Are your hands tense or tight?

See if you can allow them to soften

Notice your arms

Feel any sensation in your arms

Let your shoulders be soft

Notice your neck and throat

Let them be soft, relaxed

Soften your jaw

Let your face and facial muscles be soft

Then notice your whole-body present

Take one more breath

Be aware of your whole body, as best you can

Take a breath

And then when you’re ready

You can open your eyes

4. UCLA-Semel-LovingKindnessMeditation_Transcript

Loving Kindness Meditation (9:31)

To begin this practice

Let yourself be in a relaxed and comfortable position

We’re going to do the practice of cultivation positive emotion

In this case, loving kindness

Which is the desire for someone to be happy

Or yourself to be happy

It’s not dependent on something, it’s not conditional

It’s just a natural opening of the heart

To someone else or to yourself

So, you can check in to your body and notice how you’re feeling right now

Letting whatever is here, be here

Now let yourself bring to mind

Someone whom, the moment you think of them, you feel happy

See if you can bring to mind

It could be a relative, a close friend

Some with not too complicated a relationship

Just a general sense, that when you think of them you feel happy

Can pick a child

Or you can always choose a pet

A dog or a cat

A creature it’s fairly easy to feel love for

So, let them come to mind

Have them-- have a sense of them being in front of you

You can feel them, sense them, see them

And as you imagine them

Notice how you’re feeling inside

Maybe you feel some warmth

Or there’s some heat to your face

A smile, sense of expansiveness

This is a loving kindness

This is a natural feeling that’s accessible to all of us at any moment

So now having this loved one in front of you

Begin to wish them well

May you be safe and protected from danger

May you be happy and peaceful

May you be healthy and strong

May you have ease and wellbeing

And as I say these words, you can use my words or your own words

And have a sense of letting this loving kindness come from you

And begin to touch this loved one

Reaching out

You might think in images

You might have a sense of color or light

You might just have a feeling

The words may continue to bring on more of this feeling

And I encourage you to say whatever feels meaningful to you

May you be free from stress and anxiety

May you be free from all fear

And so, as you’re sending out these words and these feelings of loving kindness

Also check into yourself and see how you’re feeling inside

And now imagine that this loved one turns around

And begins to send it back to you

So, see if you can receive the loving kindness

Take it in

And they’re wishing you well, may you be happy

Meaning you

May you be peaceful and at ease

May you be safe and protected from all danger

May you have joy, well-being

Letting yourself take it in

Now if you’re not feeling anything at this point

Or before in the meditation

It’s not a problem

This is a practice that plants seeds

And if you’re feeling something else other than lovingkindness

Just check into that

What is it I’m feeling

There may be something to learn here

Now if it’s possible and it’s not always easy to do this

But see if you can send loving kindness to yourself

You can imagine it coming down your body from your heart

You can just have a sense of it

May I be safe and protected from danger

May I be healthy and strong

May I be happy and peaceful

May I accept myself just as I am

And as you ask yourself the question “what do I need to be happy?”

See what arrises

And offer that to yourself

May I have meaningful work

A joyful life

Close friends and family

And now checking into yourself

And noticing what it is you feel as you do this

And now let yourself bring to mind one person

Or a group of people that you wish to send the loving kindness to

Imagine them in front of you

Sense them, feel them

May you be happy and peaceful

May you be free from all stress and anxiety and fear Worry

Grief

May you have joy and happiness

Wellbeing

And now let this loving kindness expand out

Spreading

Touching anyone that you want to touch right now

In all directions

People you know, people you don’t know

People you have difficulty with

People you love

Just imagine expanding and touching

And each person or animal

Whoever is touched by this loving kindness

Each person is changed

You can imagine that

So, may everyone everywhere be happy and peaceful and at ease

May we all experience great joy

[bell rings]

5. GGIA at University of California, Berkeley: Loving Kindness Meditation Recording and Script link: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/loving_kindness_meditation