Week 5-6: Cultivating a Stable Mind
Introduction
The framing ‘A Stable Mind’ is taken from Margaret Wheatley, whose work guides this practice. By ‘Stable Mind’, Wheatley refers to how being contemplative and reflective allows us to attend to our minds (in how, and where we are).
The materials and resources have been kindly generated by many interested in mindfulness and working in different roles across public services. We have shared them, largely unedited and thank the mindfulness community for their generosity. We invite you to gently stroll through the materials at your own pace and time but highlight some live sessions that you may want to sign up for and put in your diary.
Upcoming 'Stable Mind' Events
Mindful Photography Week - 1 June - 5 June 2020
Take part in our Mindfulness Photography week!
This is inspired by Justine’s blog post on ‘Mindfulness and Photography’ which you can find here. Starting on 1 June, we invite you to share your mindful photographs via the hastag #mindfulphotoweek on Twitter. Please also follow us @CollectiveScot on Twitter, and Justine (@flowyourcreativity) on Instagram.
Live Community Event
'Beginnner's Mind'
4 June 2020, 10am - 11am
Join us to find out what mindfulness is and how it can support you, your team and/or family and wider community.
- We will explore the relationship between mindfulness and meditation
- Recognise the different and varied practices that help cultivate a stable mind
- Practice mindful meditation together
- Consider what next?
We warmly encourage all those who don’t yet have a mindfulness practice but are curious to know more to sign up, as well as those who are keen to share their experiences and practices.
Empathy: The Magic of Deep Listening
with Shona Cameron
Slidepack of sessions now available online
There are many definitions of empathy and ideas about what it is. Rather than more discussion this webinar is focused on the experience of empathy. Being deeply heard is a powerful experience that can stay with us. In this space of acceptance we find our own inner resources, solutions and move forward.
During these past sessions, Shona Cameron explained the simple process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and then demonstrated with space for questions and further exploration.
Slidepack for Sessions
Slidepack for the sessions, having taken place in May, are available for download below.
Coming Back to Our Senses
Life pulsates with business and rushing. At the moment these sensations seem particularly accentuated through the shifts that COVID-19 has brought to our rhythms and relationships. To take time to be present might seem counterintuitive against such a backdrop. However, focusing on being present and upon where we are offers a way of living and working in this. Developing a stillness and an attentiveness to where we all are offers the opportunity to see more clearly, to attend to our own (and others) needs, to make more careful decisions, and the space to pause and reset in these difficult times. A chance to be still. To think about our senses. To reflect on how we are, before we think about what we have to do. We want to invite you to set time aside to do this.
Take a moment to just be.
What do you notice?
Where does your mind go?
What can you see?
What can you smell?
What can you hear?
What are you touching?
Overview
In the following sections, you can learn about some of the underlying mindfulness theory, try out mindfulness practices, explore further resources and sign up for our upcoming online events, if you haven’t done so already.
The links to audio files/documents offer examples of practices that you can do in your own time. You do not need to work through all of these, but use them in a way which fits with where you are now. They can be done by yourself, in teams, with friends and families.
You can jump to each section by clicking on the section heading in this list below, or scroll down to see all sections.
Underlying Theory
at the University of Massachusetts
The background to this work is based on mindfulness. Mindfulness develops through meditation and other practices. It is about focusing on what is happening in the current moment, without evaluating what it means, or worrying about what happens next.
The 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness
In this video Jon Kabit-Zinn explores 9 attitudes of mindfulness. Although he goes through all of these individually, he reminds us that these are interconnected.
After watching the video, you might want to spend a few minutes journaling some responses to the following questions.
You can respond to all the questions or just those that resonate most with you in this moment:
How do I show up with an open attitude and a willingness to pause my expertise?
when do I notice I am judging others and myself? How can I bring compassion and kindness when I notice I am judging?
What am I struggling to accept?
What am I trying to cling onto? What would it mean to let go?
How can I trust myself more?
What or who could I demonstrate more patience with?
Where do I notice that this comes into focus?
What am I grateful for in this moment?
What am I doing with and for others without looking for recognition?
There is a wealth of literature and practices that surrounds mindfulness. We have included some of our favourites below, but please check out an additional resources page that we have set up and that includes texts, videos, blogs and practices.
Mindfulness Practice
While it’s important to consider the definitions, literature and attitudes of mindfulness, it’s crucial to practice!
We start by ‘taking our seat’ with Meg Wheatley:
Mindful Meditation Practices
We have included some practices here for those who are new (or need a refresher) to mindfulness. Please note we have included many more practices and links to practices in our resources section.
- Our body (physical sensations)
- Sensory experiences (touch, smell, see hear, taste)
- Emotions (moods, feelings, emotional states)
- Thoughts (ongoing chatter, plans, memories, images)
Exercise One: Recognising the Unsettled Mind
This first practice focuses on how our minds are usually distracted by multitudes of sensory experiences. We often attend to thoughts that pop into our heads. The practices are built upon the sense that by being more present, we can begin to become more aware of how we are responding to stimuli, and train our mind not to engage. It is worth highlighting that through this, we are not trying to rid the mind of thoughts (impossible) or suppress them (potentially dangerous) but learning to let thoughts and feelings just arise and disperse without attaching meaning to them.
This exercise takes 5 minutes.
Exercise Two: Settling the Mind
This practice builds on our awareness of how busy the mind can be, jumping from thought to thought, and introduces the breath as support to begin settling the mind.
This exercise takes 10 minutes.
Exercise Three: Becoming Aware of the Body
This practice is aimed at developing our ability to tune into what is going on, what we are experiencing and recognising the deep contention between mind and body. The aim is to become more aware of how we pay attention – sometimes we will focus on particular areas and sensations and sometimes we will be zooming out to become aware of more general areas and experiences. We will also become more aware of how distracted the mind gets (and it will).
This exercise takes 30 minutes.
Upcoming Events on 'Stable Mind'
Live Community Event 'The Beginner's Mind'
4 June 2020 @ 10am – 11am
Throughout the ‘Cultivating A Stable Mind ‘ themed weeks we will be sharing blogs, resources and practices about mindfulness. We ask that you approach them with a beginner’s mind and then join us for a community event on the 4th June 10am-11am. We warmly encourage all those who don’t yet have a mindfulness practice but are curious to know more to sign up, as well as those who are keen to share their experiences and practices.
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few”
Join us to find out what mindfulness is and how it can support you, your team and/or family and wider community.
- We will explore the relationship between mindfulness and meditation
- Recognise the different and varied practices that help cultivate a stable mind
- Practice mindful meditation together
- Consider what next?
Empathic Listening Live Zoom Events
There are many definitions of empathy and ideas about what it is. Rather than more discussion this webinar is focused on the experience of empathy. Being deeply heard is a powerful experience that can stay with us. In this space of acceptance we find our own inner resources, solutions and move forward.
The challenge for us all :
- Can we learn to listen beyond the words – and be with what truly matters?
- And what kind of world could we build if we were able to work from that place of connection- putting relationships first?
During these sessions, the simple process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) will be explained and then demonstrated with space for questions and further exploration.
Webinar 1 - Empathy: The Power of Deep Listening
26 May 2020, 9.15am – 10.45am
This session will be hosted via Zoom. Please click the button below to register for this event via our Eventbrite site.
Webinar 2 - Empathy: The Power of Deep Listening
29 May 2020, 11am – 12.30pm
This session will be hosted via Zoom. Please click the button below to register for this event via our Eventbrite site.
Mindful Photography Week
As part of our ‘Stable Mind’ weeks, we are planning for a Mindfulness Photography and images week. This is inspired by Justine’s blog post on ‘Mindfulness and Photography’ which you can find here. In week 6 of our ‘One Thing at a Time’ programme, we invite you to share your mindful photographs or other imagery with Justine (@flowyourcreativity) on Instagram and us on Twitter (@CollectiveScot).