Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation

Overview

Course No. 1933
Meditation — the technique of mental focusing for enhanced awareness and self-mastery — offers deep and lasting benefits for mental functioning, emotional health, and overall well-being. This practice is closely related to “mindfulness,” which Professor Muesse defines as “a deliberate way of paying attention to what is occurring within oneself as it is happening.”

This course comprises 24 detailed lectures that teach the principles and techniques of sitting meditation, walking meditation, and applying meditative awareness in everyday activities such as eating and driving. You’ll learn to work with your thoughts and emotional states, deepen your sensory awareness, and become attentive to your mind’s operations. By the end, you will have a solid foundation for your own meditation practice and be able to integrate its benefits into all aspects of your life.

Course Lectures

1. Mindlessness – The Default Setting
   Investigate how the mind operates and the condition of “mindlessness,” exploring the cultivation of a mind conducive to well-being.
   Duration: 33 min
2. Mindfulness – The Power of Awareness
   Explore the concept of mindfulness and its numerous benefits, from emotional regulation to its physical health effects.
   Duration: 33 min
3. Expectations – Relinquishing Preconceptions
   Distinguish the true nature of mindfulness meditation and its capacity to instill a deeper connection to reality.
   Duration: 33 min
4. Preparation – Taking Moral Inventory
   Consider the interconnections of ethical behavior and mindfulness, examining behaviors that support successful meditation practices.
   Duration: 33 min
5. Position – Where to Be for Meditation
   Learn about beneficial physical conditions for meditation, including optimal sitting postures and the right environment.
   Duration: 30 min
6. Breathing – Finding a Focus for Attention
   Discover the importance of breath as a focus for mindfulness meditation, learning techniques for returning to breath without judgment.
   Duration: 33 min
7. Problems – Stepping-Stones to Mindfulness
   Explore common difficulties in meditation and how mindfulness skills can help address them in daily life.
   Duration: 34 min
8. Body – Attending to Our Physical Natures
   Learn about the “body scan” technique and its benefits for sensory awareness, relaxation, and concentration.
   Duration: 24 min
9. Mind – Working with Thoughts
   Identify detrimental thoughts and discover methods to influence the conditioned mind through conscious response.
   Duration: 32 min
10. Walking – Mindfulness While Moving
    Understand how to practice mindfulness during walking and incorporate it into your daily routine.
    Duration: 29 min
11. Consuming – Watching What You Eat
    Engage in mindful eating practices, using the senses to enhance your culinary experience.
    Duration: 34 min
12. Driving – Staying Awake at the Wheel
    Learn how to apply mindfulness principles while driving, focusing on sensations and emotions in the moment.
    Duration: 30 min
13. Insight – Clearing the Mind
    Begin to explore the concept of insight in meditation and learn about the notion of impermanence.
    Duration: 32 min
14. Wisdom – Seeing the World as It Is
    Investigate dukkha, the concept of dissatisfaction, and not-self, the illusion of a separate identity.
    Duration: 34 min
15. Compassion – Expressing Fundamental Kindness
    Discover how to cultivate compassion and empathy as core components of mindfulness practice.
    Duration: 30 min
16. Imperfection – Embracing Our Flaws
    Reflect on perfectionism and embrace both imperfection and the act of being imperfect.
    Duration: 32 min
17. Wishing – May All Beings Be Well and Happy
    Experience metta meditation, focusing on well-being for oneself and others.
    Duration: 28 min
18. Generosity – The Joy of Giving
    Learn about the positive effects of generosity and the relationship it has with attachment.
    Duration: 29 min
19. Speech – Training the Tongue
    Study the link between speech and behavior, and reflect on skillful communication practices.
    Duration: 29 min
20. Anger – Cooling the Fires of Irritation
    Explore mindful ways to deal with anger, focusing on observation and conscious choice of response.
    Duration: 30 min
21. Pain – Embracing Physical Discomfort
    Learn techniques for working with physical discomfort through the lens of mindfulness.
    Duration: 35 min
22. Grief – Learning to Accept Loss
    Contemplate loss as a fundamental aspect of life and how mindfulness can aid in acceptance.
    Duration: 32 min
23. Finitude – Living in the Face of Death
    Understand how reflections on death can liberate and enrich life experiences.
    Duration: 31 min
24. Life – Putting It All in Perspective
    Conclude with ways to continue your meditation practice and the transformative potential of mindfulness.
    Duration: 32 min