Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation

Course Overview

Learn the principles and techniques of meditation and enjoy the deep and lasting benefits of this ancient practice on your mind and body.

This 24-lecture course provides:

• Foundational mindfulness meditation techniques

• Practical applications for daily life (eating, driving, walking)

• Methods to work with thoughts, emotions, and physical discomfort

• Buddhist-inspired wisdom for cultivating compassion and acceptance

Video Lectures

01: Mindlessness – The Default Setting (33 min)

Exploring automatic thinking patterns and the potential for mindful awareness.

02: Mindfulness – The Power of Awareness (33 min)

Defining mindfulness and its benefits for mental and physical wellbeing.

03: Expectations – Relinquishing Preconceptions (33 min)

Distinguishing meditation myths from reality and its capacity to deepen presence.

04: Preparation – Taking Moral Inventory (33 min)

Ethical foundations for meditation practice based on Buddhist principles.

05: Position – Where to Be for Meditation (30 min)

Optimal physical setups and postures for effective meditation.

06: Breathing – Finding a Focus for Attention (33 min)

Using the breath as an anchor for mindfulness practice.

07: Problems – Stepping-Stones to Mindfulness (34 min)

Addressing common meditation challenges like discomfort and frustration.

08: Body – Attending to Our Physical Natures (24 min)

Guided body scan meditation for sensory awareness and relaxation.

09: Mind – Working with Thoughts (32 min)

Recognizing and skillfully responding to habitual thought patterns.

10: Walking – Mindfulness While Moving (29 min)

Techniques for practicing meditation during everyday walking.

11: Consuming – Watching What You Eat (34 min)

Full sensory approach to mindful eating practices.

12: Driving – Staying Awake at the Wheel (30 min)

Applying mindfulness principles to safe, present-moment driving.

13: Insight – Clearing the Mind (32 min)

Exploring impermanence as a fundamental characteristic of existence.

14: Wisdom – Seeing the World as It Is (34 min)

Examining dissatisfaction (dukkha) and the illusion of separate self.

15: Compassion – Expressing Fundamental Kindness (30 min)

Cultivating empathy through specific mindfulness practices.

16: Imperfection – Embracing Our Flaws (32 min)

Working with perfectionism through self-acceptance.

17: Wishing – May All Beings Be Well and Happy (28 min)

Guided metta (loving-kindness) meditation practice.

18: Generosity – The Joy of Giving (29 min)

Mindfulness perspectives on non-attachment and sharing.

19: Speech – Training the Tongue (29 min)

Applying mindfulness to communication and language use.

20: Anger – Cooling the Fires of Irritation (30 min)

Mindful approaches to working with anger and irritation.

21: Pain – Embracing Physical Discomfort (35 min)

Meditations for working with physical pain and suffering.

22: Grief – Learning to Accept Loss (32 min)

Mindfulness practices for processing grief and impermanence.

23: Finitude – Living in the Face of Death (31 min)

Contemplative practices for embracing life’s transience.

24: Life – Putting It All in Perspective (32 min)

Integrating mindfulness into lifelong practice and perspective.