MINDFULNESS PROGRAM FOR ADULTS

A PROGRAM FOR:

• Developing a greater state of tranquility and serenity.
• Learning to empathize with oneself.
• Learning to take care of one's psychophysical state.
• Becoming protagonists of one's own life by choosing personal health and well-being.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM

The program is recommended in cases of:

• Stress - work, school/studies, difficult family situations, separations, etc.
• Illnesses - chronic pain, psychosomatic illnesses and problems, skin conditions.
• Psychological problems - anxiety, panic, depression, obsessive thoughts, asthenia, and sleep problems.
• Prevention and wellness - to maintain mental and physical balance and prevent illness by learning to take care of oneself.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The program consists of 8 weekly meetings of two hours each in which you will learn:

• Practical skills to accept and cope with difficult and stressful situations and thus improve the quality
• of life.
• Techniques for becoming aware of mind/body interaction.
• Techniques for maintaining inner balance through managing emotions, thoughts
• disturbing and automatic and recurring patterns of behavior.
• Skills to train the ability to pay attention, focus and have a
• nonjudgmental toward self, others and experiences.
• Skills to "respond" rather than "react" to problems.
• Techniques for cultivating states of deep peace.

MSC-T

Mindful Self- Compassion program for Teens

"It is good to see, after taking the course, how much my life in general has improved. It was so important, so I will do it again and maybe improve it even more." - Teenage participant

"Finally, a self-compassion course for teenagers! This delightful and innovative program captures the essence of self-compassion for teens at the stage when they need it most. Recommended wholeheartedly!"-Christopher Germer, PhD

Adolescence is a time of change and growth. It is a time in life of rebellion and self-discovery, but with the increased demands of life for teens, this period is often filled with confusion, anxiety or depression.

To help teens deal with the ongoing challenges of daily life, Karen Bluth, Ph.D., and Lorraine Hobbs, M.A., together created the Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (MSC-T) Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Teens program. It was adapted from the original Mindful Self-Compassion program for adults and is endorsed by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer.

THE PROGRAM
The program teaches the fundamental principles and practices that enable adolescents to respond to the challenges of these critical years with kindness and self-compassion.
In this 8-week course (2-hour weekly classes), teens (ages 12-19) engage in activities appropriate to their developmental time in carefully crafted practices and meditations that provide them with opportunities to learn how to manage life's emotional ups and downs. Research findings indicate increased emotional well-being and resilience after taking the course.
Research:
Two research studies on this program have been published. In the first (Bluth, Gaylord, Campo, Mullarkey & Hobbs, 2016), results indicate decreased anxiety, stress, depression and negative affect. The results of the second study (Bluth & Eisenlohr-Moul, 2017) showed a decrease in stress and an increase in resilience, positive risk-taking (willingness to take on new challenges), and gratitude after the end of the course.

GOALS
- Deal with and regulate difficult emotions (anger, sadness, frustration) with greater ease.
- Manage anxiety, stress and self-critical voice.
- Train and strengthen emotional skills and resilience that allows you to admit your mistakes and respond with kindness and self-respect.
- Begin to understand the science of mindfulness and the brain.
- Practice the art of self-compassion and self-appreciation: learning how a kind attitude toward oneself affects and changes our brain, mental functioning and behavior.

HOW IS THE COURSE DEVELOPED?
The course is developed in eight weekly 2-hour in-person sessions. Program activities include:

• Creative activities.
• Guided practices.
• Small theoretical introductions.
• Experiential exercises.
• Group dialogues.

Each participant is invited to practice the techniques learned in each session daily at home.

Mindful Schools Programs 

for Children and Teens

MINDFULNESS WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Studies on the use and effects of this technique in education are growing. Research to date shows that Mindfulness helps promote concentration, a very important factor particularly with the increasing use of technology; increases self-awareness, that is, recognizing emotions; increases impulse control by creating a space of awareness between the perception of impulses and the response to them; reduces stress by allowing one to return to calm when necessary; and increases empathy for self and others (Roeser, 2015). All factors that succeed in modulating school discomfort and preventing school dropout.

WHAT HAPPENS IN KIDS' BRAINS AFTER PRACTICING MINDFULNESS?

Several neuroscientific researches already conducted on the use of Minduflness in education show improvements in the social, emotional, physical and mental lives of children and adolescents. There is evidence that, after a two-month mindfulness program, structural changes are achieved at the brain level; that is, the pre-frontal cortex and the right anterior insula, (regions associated with attention, consciousness and the reprocessing of sensations), become enlarged. The amygdala, on the other hand, which regulates the reaction to stress and fear, shrinks.

MINDFUL SCHOOLS PROGRAM 

The Mindful Schools Curriculum  will consist of 6 to 12 classes of 50 minutes each, once a week. The course will include mindfulness exercises on: breathing, listening, thoughts, emotions, kindness and compassion, communication, eating, movement, testing and stressful situations in the classroom.

GOALS

• To acquire attentional skills that enable children to center their minds in the present moment.
• Gain awareness of feelings, thoughts and their emotions.
• Foster impulse control and the ability to concentrate.
• Responding rather than reacting to external stimuli.
• Improving the degree of attention and concentration during school hours.

ACTIVITIES

• Focusing attention and observing the sounds.
• Mindful breathing.
• A journey into body sensations.
• Attention to emotions.
• Attention to thoughts.
• Pleasant or unpleasant emotions.
• Eating with the 5 senses.
•  Ddeveloping empathy, send kind thoughts.
• Moving mindfully.
• Calming down before an important event (tests, exams, essays, plays, etc.).