Banner photo credit: @canweallgo
Congratulate yourself on being two-thirds of the way done with the Mindfulness Fundamentals course! What a great accomplishment! Way to go! Also, rest assured that this course still has much more good fortune to offer you in the remaining weeks.
Keep lovingly doing your practices and let them help you connect with and unleash your inner wisdom, love, and joy.
Do as Soon as Possible
1. Read this entire page so you understand your mission for the week. (3 min)
2. Click on the link to download the week 8 handouts that will help you with your mission:
3. Investigate three or more judgments, futurings, pastings, or fixed-views this week. (10 min per investigation) To aid you with that, please:
• Complete the investigation planning worksheet.
• Review handouts from previous weeks on falsehoods and investigating falsehoods as needed.
Do Every Day
4. Every day, between now and the next class, meditate using the loving-kindness meditation. Now that you have established a daily meditation habit, it is time to start gently expanding that practice. This week, please use the 7-minute loving-kindness meditation. You may use the 6-minute version if you still struggle to meditate four or more times per week, or on days where you don’t have time to do the longer one. Stream or download them above. Immediately after meditating, record the meditation on your tracking log. (6-7 min)
5. Every day, between now and the next class, do the week 8 intention-setting practice (see handouts above), then immediately record it in your tracking log. (5 min)
6. Be Here Now. Continue to lovingly do your best to do the Be Here Now practice to live in the present moment. To aid you with that, please:
• Read the Be Here Now Practice handout and follow the instructions.
• Make a point of reading your Be Here Now slogan cards throughout the day, and let them remind you to do the Be Here Now practice.
• Label disturbing thoughts as either: self-judgment, judgment, pasting, futuring, or fixed-views. Then individually label the feeling tone of the thoughts and any emotions they generate as either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? Also label when the mind is free of false thoughts and note the feeling tone of this as well.
7. Each day, any time after 2 PM, message your gratitudes to your gratitude group. Read their gratitudes and practice being happy for their happiness (sympathetic joy). (1 min)
Do This on Days When You Miss Doing the Meditation, the Intention-Setting, or Both
8. If you miss meditating or intention setting for a day, get out your journal and answer these questions (5-10 min):
• What prevented me from successfully completing my intention (to meditate, do the intention-setting, or both)?
• What can I do to prevent this situation from happening in the future?
• If I can’t prevent this situation from arising, what can I do to not let it derail me from completing my intention?
These questions can also be found in your Creating a Daily Meditation Practice handout under the heading “Test Drive Your Intention.”
Please do not record these as investigations in your tracking log any more. We want that number to reflect the number of self-judgments you have investigated. Thank you!
Recommended
9. Listen to Better People by India Arie to remind you to relate mentally and emotionally to all people with a nonjudgmental, accepting attitude. See all people as sacred, inherently valuable, and a child of Life. Lyrics here.
10. Listen to Wings of Forgiveness by India Arie to remind you to forgive unskillful people. Lyrics here.
11. Listen to Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz to remind you to keep love at the center of your life. Lyrics below.