JD

I've signed up for an 8 week mindful meditation program which starts tomorrow. This topic seems to have some interest in the forum and I thought I'd post a week by week experience here for anyone that's interested. I've been doing some self taught mindful meditation for about 3 months now and I've seen it's benefits and wanted to try some more formal training.

The program isn't cheap at a little over $50 per week. But it's a 2 1/2 hour class each week and a heck of a lot less than I was spending on booze in a week. So I see it as money well spent.

My ultimate goal from the class is to see if it can help with depression and anxiety. The secondary goal is to be a better person and enjoy life more fully.

The first class is tomorrow night so I'll try to post thoughts on it on Tues.

happyandfree

I took a class like that a few years ago and it was well worth the cost. Mindful meditation is proven for many health benefits. Bravo to you for treating yourself to the class.

tursiops999

jd, what a good choice for investing your time and money ... I"ve been doing nightly mindfulness meditation and finding it really helps me. Let us know how your class goes.

Marcher13

$50 a week to help you turn around your life is a blue chip investment jd1639. I wish you well with it and I hope you will keep us posted.

ALinNS

Mindfulness is a powerful tool, I was in a 28 day in patient program in 2012, Mindfulness is so important to the leaders everyone had to take that course at least twice because they feel it is one of the most important tools we can use, playing the tape through if we think about relapse. I use it every day but still not as much as I could.

Meraviglioso

I look forward to following this thread, thank you for sharing it with us.

Soberwolf

I hope it turns out great JD best wishes bud

JD

OK, I went to the class last night. There are about 15 of us. The class started with about 10 to 15 minutes of sitting meditation. We did this four times throughout the class.

We then had to do a "meet and greet" of the person sitting next to us and tell them a little bit about ourselves. After that we went around the room and introduced ourselves to the group. I'm a pretty private person so this type of thing is outside my comfort zone. I also didn't want to get into whole sobriety thing and that meditation is something I'm doing as part of all the life style changes I'm making. But having to be vulnerable and out there is probably good practice for me.

All this took up about half the class.

The next half of the class was taken up with a body scan meditation. For those who aren't familiar, you lie on your back and the teacher talks you thru the meditation. You start by concentrating on the toes of the left foot. Really feeling what's going on. You then move to the next body part. For the foot it's the toes, then the sole, then the top of the foot, then the heal. Pausing on each area for a couple of minutes.

You continue doing that up the left leg, then on to the right. Then up your body from there until you reach the top of your head. All told it takes 30 minutes or more.

It got a little funky when you reach the top of your head. You're supposed to imagine a hole on the top of your head about the size of a quarter. And then breath in through that hole with the breath flowing all the way to your toes.

Now, I'm a degreed engineer with a nerdy discipline, Chemical Engineering. And fit some of the stereo types of not being very touchy feely. And this was a little touchy feely for me and I'm too literal. But I'm keeping an open mind.

There's a fair amount of homework you need to do. We have to do:

1. Do 6 body scan meditations, each a 1/2 hour during the week.
2. Do a 9 dot puzzle, Google it. I'm not sure what this has to do with mindful meditation but I'm sure we'll find out.
3. Read six chapters of Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zin . It's the bible of mindful meditation.

So that's the first of eight weeks. One thing I wasn't expecting. I slept like crap last night. This is supposed to help with insomnia. Maybe doing the meditations late in the evening made me less tired than normal, but I could not fall asleep. I'll be curious to see if it's a reoccurring thing or just a once off.

Bailey3

Sounds like a good class to take. I've read a lot on the topic of mindfulness in the last few days and, it's a like a good tool to use. Please keep us posted on the other classes.

LiveInPeace

I took a course just like this and enjoyed it. I wasn't disciplined in keeping up with the assignments because I had some medical issues going on, but I wish I did.

I wasn't comfortable with the group exercises at first either but the instructor telling us we are all there for similar reasons was helpful.

Carlotta

I took a three month Zen meditation class last year at a local monastery and it really was a life and mind changing experience for me.

Fabat50

My 11 year old son has recently joined a mindful meditation group for children. We were recommended this route by his "innovative" pediatrician for his serious concentration problems and agitation. It is not easy to find qualified people to teach these workshops in France and we did a lot of research.

After only a couple of sessions we could already see the progress. Sometimes the parents are welcome to stay for the first half an hour so that we can then practice the exercises at home together. Then we go in to an adjacent room for some simple coffee; chat and relaxation.

He has learnt some wonderful, practical techniques to help with his concentration and confidence. It has helped him at school but also in his sporting activities.

I am so proud of my son. His friends tease him and sometimes adopt the "classic meditation" posture in front of him to get a reaction. But he rises above it. Deep down I think he can feel that it is helping him.