Summary of Session 4: Staying Present
Adapted from Segal Williams and Teasdale (2007). Copyright by the Guilford Press.
Difficult things are part and parcel of life itself. It is how we handle those things that make the difference
between whether they control our lives or we can relate to them more lightly. Becoming more aware of
the thoughts, feelings, and body sensations evoked by events gives us the possibility of freeing ourselves
from habitual, automatic ways of reacting, so that we can mindfully respond in more skillful ways.
In general, we react to experience in one of three ways:
1.
With spacing out, or boredom, so that we switch out from the present moment and go off
somewhere else “in our heads.”
2. With wanting to hold on to things—not allowing ourselves to let go of experiences that we are
having right now, or wishing we were having experiences that we are not having right now.
3. With wanting it to go away, being angry—wanting to get rid of experiences that we are having
now, or avoiding future unwanted experiences.
As we will discuss further in the group, each of these ways of reacting can cause problems, particularly the
tendency to react to unpleasant feelings with aversion. For now, the main issue is to become more aware
of our experience, so that we have more possibilities around how we respond to life events.
Regularly practising meditation gives us many opportunities to notice when we have drifted away from
awareness of the moment, to note with a friendly awareness whatever it was that took our attention away,
and to gently and firmly bring our attention back to our focus. At other times, deliberately using the
breathing space whenever we notice unpleasant emotions or a sense of “tightening” or “holding” in the
body, provides an opportunity to begin to respond rather than react.
STAYING PRESENT
Remember to use your body as a means to awareness. It can be as simple as staying mindful of your
posture. You are probably sitting as you read this. What are the sensations in your body at this moment?
When you finish reading and stand, feel the movements of standing, or of walking to the next activity. Be
in your body as you move, as you reach for something, as you turn. It is as simple as that. Sometimes,
however, it is not so easy.
Patiently practise feeling what is there—and the body is always there—until it becomes second nature to
know even the smallest movements you make. If you are reaching for something, simply notice the
reaching. You are moving. Can you train yourself to be there, to feel it?
Practise again and again, bringing your attention back to your body. This basic effort, which,
paradoxically, is a relaxing back into the moment, gives us the key to expanding our awareness from times
of formal meditation to living mindfully in the world. Do not underestimate the power that comes to you
from feeling the simple movements of your body throughout the day.
HOME PRACTICE FOR WEEK FOLLOWING SESSION 4
1.
Practise the Sitting Meditation (Breath, Body, Sounds and Thoughts-CD 2) for 5 out of the next 6
days and record your reactions (OR: Alternate Sitting Meditation with Movement—indicate
which: M or AM below).
2. 3-Minute Breathing Space—Regular: Practise three times a day, at the times that you have
decided in advance. Record below by circling each “3”.
3. 3-Minute Breathing Space—Coping/Responsive: Practise whenever you notice unpleasant
feelings. Record at least one time you do it by circling the “CR”.
4. Fill out the Automatic Thought Record for at least one “hot thought” this week.
5.
Optional: You might like to check out the book –The Mindful Way through Depression (Williams,
Teasdale and Segal).
If you are unable to complete the Halfway Point Check In, please complete it at home and hand it in at the
start of next week’s session.
HOME PRACTICE RECORD FORM—SESSION 4
Record each time you practice. Make a note of anything that comes up, for discussing next week.
Day/date
Practise
Comments
SM / AM*
3 3 3
RC
SM / AM
3 3 3
RC
SM / AM
3 3 3
RC
SM / AM
3 3 3
RC
SM / AM
3 3 3
RC
SM / AM
3 3 3
RC
*Practices to record: Sitting Meditation / Alternate Sitting Meditation (SM/AM), 3-Minute Breathing
Space (3), Responsive/Coping Breathing Space (RC).
Automatic Anxious Thoughts
Listed below are a variety of thoughts that pop into people’s heads. Please read each thought and circle the
three that are most common for you.
I worry about my behaviour.
I think I’m a failure.
When I look at my future, I think more about the negative things that could happen to me than
the positive things.
If I have physical symptoms I tend to think of the worst possible outcome.
I have thoughts of becoming seriously ill.
I worry about having or getting cancer or a heart attack.
I worry about saying or doing the wrong things when I am with people I do not know.
I worry that my ability does not correspond to others.
I worry that I cannot control my thoughts as well as I would like.
I worry that people do not like me.
I take disappointments so hard that I can not get them out of my head.
I am easily embarrassed.
When I suffer from minor illnesses, such as a rash, I think that it is more serious than it actually
is.
Unpleasant thoughts enter my head against my will.
I worry about my failures and my weaknesses.
I worry about not being able to handle problems in life as well as others seem to do.
I worry about death.
I worry about making a fool of myself.
I think I miss things in life because I worry so much.
I have repetitive thoughts such as counting or repeating phrases.
I worry about my health.
Automatic Depressive Thoughts
Listed below are a variety of thoughts that pop into people’s heads. Please read each thought and indicate
the three that are most common for you.
I feel like I'm up against the world.
I can't get things together.
I'm no good.
I hate myself.
Why can't I ever succeed?
I'm worthless.
No one understands me.
I wish I could just disappear.
I've let people down.
What's the matter with me?
I don't think I can go on.
I'm a loser.
I wish I were a better person.
My life is a mess.
I'm so weak.
I'm a failure.
My life's not going the way I want it
to.
I'll never make it.
I'm so disappointed in myself.
Nothing feels good anymore.
I feel so helpless.
Something has to change.
I can't stand this anymore.
There must be something wrong
with me.
I can't get started.
My future is bleak.
What's wrong with me?
It's just not worth it.
I wish I were somewhere else.
I can't finish anything.
The Centre for Mindfulness Studies
ATR
Situation
Do the first 3 columns of the
Automatic Thought Record
when you notice negative
emotions. The more
frequently you do these the
more you will discover about
your core beliefs and thoughts
that drive behaviour.
Moods
Moods and emotions
usually come in one
word (e.g. mad, sad,
glad, scared, happy)
Elicit as many as
possible.
Be as specific as possible
when describing a situation.
Describe it in one sentence.
Body Sensations
Are there any bodily
sensations associated
with your thoughts or
emotions? If yes, where
in the body did you feel
the sensations?
Automatic Thoughts
Automatic thoughts are those
that pop into your head
unbidden. They usually come in
the form of sentences although
may appear as images. You want
the immediate emotionally
charged thought. What is the hot
thought; the one that has the
most affective charge and is tied
to the most intense emotion?
Use the following questions if
helpful:
What was going through my mind
just before I started to feel this
way?
What does this say about me if
the thought is true?
What am I afraid might happen?
Who were you with?
Where were you?
What were you doing?
When was it?
Describe each mood in
one word.
Rate Intensity of mood
(0-100%)
What does this mean about how
the other person(s)
feel(s)/think(s) about me?
What images or memories do I
have in this situation?
The Three Minute Breathing Space – Responsive/Coping
The Responsive/Coping Space is a powerful practice that assists us in building tolerance for negative
affect. It is a way of developing a different relationship to difficult emotions, enabling us to decentre or
defuse so that we have the possibility of a new response that may be more skillful than our habitual ways
of reacting. Insight may arise around whether the problem needs addressing and if so, how or whether it
is enough to be with the experience as it is. We also begin to learn that difficult emotions are manageable
and need not be avoided.
So, taking a very definite posture, relaxed and dignified. The back is erect, but not stiff, letting the body
express a sense of being present and awake.
Now, closing your eyes, and turning your attention to the sensations of breathing for a moment or so.....
and then expanding to a sense of the body as a whole.
So now focusing on some troubling thought or situation, some worry or intense feeling. Remembering to
bring up the 10lb weight; not the 100lb weight. Then simply noticing what is arising in this moment.
Becoming conscious of what is going through your mind; what thoughts are around? As best you can, just
noting and acknowledging them as mental events…so we note them,
…and then we note the emotions that are around at the moment…in particular, turning toward any sense
of discomfort or unpleasant feelings. So, rather than try to push them away or shut them out, just notice
them, naming them.
Then noticing the sensations arising in the body, focusing your awareness on the part of the body where
the sensations are strongest, and if the sensations are particularly challenging perhaps using the breath as
a vehicle to assist in directing and maintaining your awareness to that part of the body, breathing into that
part of the body on the in breath, expanding and softening on the out breath. If strong sensations are
present, becoming aware of the physical resisting, holding, pushing away, tensing or bracing. Whatever is
arising in awareness perhaps saying to yourself – “It’s okay; let me feel this. It’s ok; it’s already here.”
…staying with the awareness of any thoughts, feelings or body sensations and your relationship to them perhaps breathing into them, accepting, letting them be
On the out breath continue in the opening and softening to these events. Perhaps on the out breath saying
– “Ah, that’s how it is right now.” Staying with these thoughts, feelings or sensations and your
relationship to them as long as they attract your attention;
Holding them all in this more open, spacious awareness, bring a gentle curiosity to your experience in this
moment…
And when you are ready, expanding your awareness to the entire body and then bringing this more
spacious attention into your next moments and allowing your eyes to open.
Halfway Point Check-In
How is your practice/program going?
What are the challenges you encounter?
What is working well?
What’s getting in the way?
Anything else you want the facilitators to know?
1