mindfulness meditation group facilitation manual

Mindfulness groupfacilitation manualOctober 2014

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Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

5 essentials that make a great mindfulness facilitator ................................................................... 5

About this manual ................................................................................................................................................ 6

How to set up a group ....................................................................................................................................... 7

7 essential guidelines for facilitating mindfulness sessions ........................................................... 8

8-week base plan ................................................................................................................................................. 9

Extended plan (4 additional weeks) .......................................................................................................... 27

Facilitation FAQs ............................................................................................................................................... 36

Templates ............................................................................................................................................................. 45

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Introduction

As a leading brand in the field of digital psychology, all of us at Mental Workout

continue to be excited about our apps’ ability to help millions at any time from

anywhere in a personalized way. But our ambition does not end with our apps. We are

equally excited about designing complementary products and services around our apps

to amplify their impact. This mindfulness group facilitation manual is a great example

of those efforts.

This manual enables the users of our Mindfulness Meditation app to learn and practice

mindfulness meditation by following the app in a study group setting with friends and

colleagues. The manual is designed to provide what no app can deliver by itself – in-

person peer support and community.

Now anyone with an interest in hosting a meditation group and spreading the benefits

of mindfulness can easily organize and facilitate a group without years of training,

while maintaining the integrity and quality you expect from our Mindfulness Meditation

app.

If you feel comfortable with the content of this manual and have had exposure to

mindfulness and meditation in the past, just follow the clear-cut guidelines in this

manual. If you don’t feel comfortable or ready to host a group, we highly recommend

that you complete a brief course consisting of a 2-hour webinar or in-person class

plus a quiz. You can enroll by going to

http://www.mentalworkout.com/academy/mindfulness-facilitator/. The course will

support you with details for how to get started.

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We also offer the following packages, which include training, app licenses, and

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If you are an individual or company offering mindfulness training and consulting

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5 essentials that make a great mindfulness facilitator

1. You’re motivated to make a genuine difference in life.

2. You’re engaged in your community, organization or company.

3. You can set aside time for 8-12 weeks to facilitate mindfulness.

4. You want to gather a group of people to learn mindfulness.

5. You’re willing to play the role of facilitator without pretending to be a teacher.

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About this manual

Combined with our Mindfulness Meditation app, this manual provides everything you

need to start and facilitate a mindfulness meditation group lasting 8 or 12 weeks.

Highlights:

• 8- to 12-week plan

• Daily or weekly group sessions

Included in this manual:

• Guidelines for conducting group meetings

• Opening statement for each meeting

• FAQ to enable the facilitator to respond to questions

• Relevant email templates

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How to set up a group

When you have decided to host a mindfulness meditation group, follow these steps:

Before:

• Use the ‘email invitation template’ later in this manual to invite people to your

group.

During:

• Follow the ‘7 essential guidelines for facilitating mindfulness sessions’ and the

‘8-week base plan,’ and if you decide to continue for a total of 12 weeks, the

‘12-week extended plan.’

After:

• Once you have finalized the 8-week base plan or 12-week extended plan for your

group, you can decide if you want to continue to meet or possibly set up a

Facebook group for the people who have participated in your group(s).

Remember that mindfulness is a life-long journey, and it can be helpful to have

peers who support one another on the path. Later in the manual, you will find

the ‘email next-step template’ that you can use for establishing a continued

relation with your group.

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7 essential guidelines for facilitating mindfulness sessions

Each session presents its own body of knowledge and systematically leads to the next.

The format has been carefully designed to give participants the maximum benefit and

enjoyment.

1. Present the material clearly and accurately without interjecting your own

opinions or agenda.

2. Use the participants’ experiences and questions to lead into the material.

3. Arrive early to check the room set-up and make last-minute adjustments.

4. Check your equipment, loudspeakers, and printed copies.

5. Be punctual for all sessions, and try to start on time.

6. Allow time for questions, and be prepared to be available after the sessions.

7. Make sure the room is large enough for the group to sit comfortably, theater

style.

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8-week base plan

In this section you’ll find the content of the 8-week mindfulness meditation base plan.

The plan is divided into daily and weekly sessions that you can facilitate. If the group

prefers to meet only once a week, the group members should instead practice the

exercises listed in the daily session at home.

The sessions include audio from the Mindfulness Meditation program that you play for

the group directly from www.mentalworkout.com or the Mental Workout iPhone or

Android app, as well as group discussions that you facilitate. In the group, you and

group members should decide how long you want the weekly and daily sessions to last,

whether 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, or longer. The length can also vary from week

to week, although we recommend consistency. Follow the prescribed format, and stay

faithful to the material presented in the app; do not extemporize or add your own

interpretations or opinions.

Remember, you are just a group facilitator, not a mindfulness teacher. Your primary job

is to create a comfortable space that allows participants to relax and enjoy their time

together. If possible, host the group in your own home or in a pleasant room where you

work or meet. Have a few sitting cushions available, and offer tea and cookies, if you

like.

Whether you use the Mindfulness Meditation program on the Mental Workout website

or from your mobile phone, make sure that you review all the elements of the plan for

the day and week and reflect on how to optimally facilitate the group.

Some people may react emotionally during the session. This is completely normal and

often follows a period of suppressed emotions or exceptional pressure and stress.

Bring tissues to sessions and allow for the emotions to be expressed and even for a

participant to leave the session if necessary.

The first time you meet, allow group members to introduce themselves briefly by telling

who they are, what motivated them to join the group, and what they hope to get from

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the group.

Week 1 - Weekly session

• Read group assembly/welcome message:

The purpose of this group is for each of us to learn about mindfulness

meditation and build a sustainable meditation practice together. We're using

Mental Workout's Mindfulness Meditation program as a foundation.

The plan consists of an eight-week 'base' program plus four weeks 'extended'

for those who wish to continue. Eight weeks was chosen because most studies

use this time-frame as a benchmark for comparing results. Eight weeks is also

what many of you can commit to and stick with, and many will hopefully stay for

the extra four weeks once you have experienced the benefits.

The plan offers one long session per week, lasting about one hour, and then

four short sessions for the remainder of the week, lasting about 30 minutes

each. If you can’t make the daily sessions, you can choose to meditate on your

own using the Mindfulness Meditation program and then join the weekly

sessions.

Please try to attend as many of the meetings as possible, to maintain continuity

and mutual support. Each week we’ll also listen to a talk by Stephan Bodian,

author and narrator of the Mindfulness Meditation program, and we’ll have time

for discussion and homework based on the talk. During meetings, please avoid

crosstalk, casual conversation, and discussion of other topics. What happens in

this group stays in this group.

Please let me know if you feel there's something I can do better as a facilitator

or you have input for Mental Workout’s Mindfulness Meditation program, which I

will be happy to forward to them.

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Week 1 - Weekly session (continued)

• Group discussion: Reasons for joining the group

Lead a brief discussion where group members can share why they have chosen

to join the group and what they expect to get out of it

• Experiment with mindfulness: Learn about mindfulness

App location: Useful tools > Learn how to meditate

• Experiment with mindfulness: Explore how to sit comfortably

App location: Useful tool > Learn how to meditate

• Talk: Commitment and motivation

App location: Useful tools > Receive helpful guidance

• Exercise: Practice mindfulness meditation 5 minutes

App location: Meditate now

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Week 1 – daily sessions

• Read welcome message:

“The purpose of this group is to learn about mindfulness meditation and build a

sustainable meditation practice together. We're using Mental Workout's

Mindfulness Meditation app as a foundation. Please try to attend as many of

the meetings as possible, to maintain continuity and mutual support. During

meetings, please avoid crosstalk, casual conversation, and discussion of other

topics.”



• Feedback after exercise as appropriate:

Lead a brief discussion where group members are invited to share what they

experienced during the exercise. Remember, there are no right or wrong

experiences, acknowledge whatever is expressed. Also acknowledge and accept

if some group members are not ready to talk about their experience.

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Week 2 - weekly session







topics.”

• Discussion: Experiences and questions after first week

Lead an open discussion of the experiences group members have had after the

first week. Some members may have a lot to share, others may have nothing to

share. Some have practiced daily, others have not practiced since the last

session. Acknowledge any progress made and discuss ideas for how to find time

and place to practice

• Experiment with mindfulness: Apply pre-meditation checklist


• Talk: Come home to your body


• Exercise 1: Short body scan


• Exercise 2: Practice mindfulness meditation 5 minutes


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topics.”








experiences; acknowledge whatever is expressed. Also acknowledge and accept


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topics.”

• Learn how to meditate: Check if you're doing it right


• Talk: Wake up to your life




• Exercise 2: Practice mindfulness meditation (5 minutes)




experienced during the exercise or during the previous week. Remember, there

are no right or wrong experiences; acknowledge whatever is expressed. Also

acknowledge and accept if some group members are not ready to talk about

their experience.

• Field questions as necessary:

Open up for questions as appropriate. Refer to the FAQ as necessary, and don’t

pretend to be an authority. Allow space for any thought, reflection, or emotion

to come up and be shared.

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topics.”










.

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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Experiment with mindful attention

App location: Useful tools > Experiment with mindful attention

• Talk: Shift from doing to being




• Feedback after exercise or topic discussion as appropriate:





their experience.





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topics.”








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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Take note of your thoughts

App location: Useful tools > Experiment with mindfulness

• Talk: Dealing with difficulties


• Exercise: Relax your body









their experience.





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topics.”

• Exercise 1: Relax your body













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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Recognize your self-judgment


• Talk: Reduce stress with mindfulness









their experience.





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topics.”



• Feedback after exercise or topic discussion as appropriate





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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Eat mindfully

App location: Experiment with mindfulness

• Talk: Cultivate compassion

App location: Useful tools > Appreciate your life








their experience.





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topics.”








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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Drive mindfully


• Talk: Apply mindfulness in everyday life




• Discussion: How to integrate mindfulness into your life from now on

Lead an open discussion where group members are invited to share what they

have experienced in the group. Remember, there are no right or wrong



• Be sure to discuss how group members can and will integrate mindfulness into

everyday life. How much time do they want to spend on mindfulness? Can they

find a comfortable place in their home to meditate? Will they do the exercises

on the bus or train? Is their spouse or partner open to their spending time on

mindfulness?

• Ask: Who wants to continue and participate in the 4-week extended plan?

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topics.”








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Extended plan (4 additional weeks)

The guidelines provided for the base plan apply to the extended part of the plan as well.

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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Work with the mind


• Talk: Getting to know your habitual patterns








if some group members are not ready to talk about their experience. Be open

for members who need time to talk and share. Some people think by talking and

in this way allow reflection to flow.





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topics.”








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topics.”

• Talk: Mindful relationships


• Exercise: Long body scan











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topics.”








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topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Optimize your practice


• Talk: Mindfulness at work













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topics.”

• Exercise 1: Long body scan









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Week 12 - weekly session [longer session]







topics.”

• Experiment with mindfulness: Deepen your practice


• Talk 1: Mindfulness is your natural state


• Talk 2: Savor the moment

App location: Useful tools > Appreciate your life



• Discussion: How to integrate mindfulness into your life from now on

Lead an open discussion where group members are invited to share what they

have experienced during this app. Remember, there are no right or wrong



• Be sure to discuss how group members can and will integrate mindfulness into

everyday life. How much time do they want to spend on mindfulness? Can they

find a comfortable place in their home to meditate? Will they do the exercises

on the bus or train? Is their spouse or partner open to their spending time on

mindfulness?

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topics.”








• Ask: Does the group want to network or even meet after this plan ends? How?

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Facilitation FAQs

Facilitated groups are not therapy sessions, and the facilitator

is not acting as a therapist, teacher, or authority of any kind. If

participants have challenging psychological issues, please advise

them to seek professional help.

Q: I keep falling asleep during meditation. Is there anything I can do to stay awake?

Occasional sleepiness is not necessarily a problem or a reason not to meditate. But if

you want to optimize your wakefulness, here are a few suggestions:

• Schedule your meditation for times when you’re fully awake. If you wait until

right before bed, you may find yourself nodding off.

• First thing in the morning is generally best, but you should shower and have your

morning coffee or OJ first before getting started. Studies show that it can

take a while for the brain to come online, especially if you wake up to an alarm.

Other good times include during your lunch break and at the end of the workday

before dinner. Find the time that works best for you.

• If you still tend to fall asleep, you can get up and walk around or splash some

cold water on your face.

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Q: My mind is so busy when I meditate that I barely notice I’m breathing. I just can’t

get my mind to settle down. What should I do?

The point of mindfulness meditation is not to stop your mind, but to become aware of

your thoughts and the other aspects of your experience. If you struggle to calm your

mind, you merely create more agitation. Just follow the meditation instructions, with

particular emphasis on being aware of sensations, and when your attention wanders

off and gets lost in thinking, gently bring it back to the sensations of the breath

without trying to stop or eliminate thoughts. Gradually, your mind will settle down on its

own, and your thinking will slow, though it will probably never stop entirely.

Q: I feel so agitated and restless when I meditate that it’s hard to sit still. What can I

do?

Sitting still for 10 minutes or more can be challenging if you’re used to being active.

The stillness may act like a mirror that makes the restlessness more noticeable in

comparison. Also, silent sitting can stir up fears of what you might discover if you sit

still long enough.

Agitation and restless are not problems in themselves; there’s no need to try to get rid

of them, as long as you can continue to sit through them. Notice where in your body you

experience the feelings, and welcome them just as they are. After a few minutes, ask

yourself if there are any thoughts or beliefs that are fueling the agitation and

restlessness. For example, “If I don’t keep busy, I won’t survive” or “I’m not really safe in

the world, I need to work to protect myself.” Welcome these as well.

If you’re just too restless to sit still, you can practice mindful walking.

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Q: When I meditate for more than a few minutes, my back and knees start to hurt.

What can I do to minimize the pain?

Sitting still for an extended period of time inevitably involves a certain amount of

discomfort. The key here is to distinguish between pain that signals you might be doing

damage to your body, and pain/discomfort that’s an inevitable part of extended sitting.

If you’re sitting relatively upright yet relaxed on a chair, the discomfort is almost

certainly benign (unless you have a back problem that requires special attention, in

which case you should do what you must to take care of your back). Once you’ve settled

into a relatively comfortable position, try to sit with/through the discomfort, if at all

possible; being present with discomfort without trying to avoid or change it is an

excellent skill that you can apply to unpleasant and unavoidable life situations.

If you’re sitting cross-legged or kneeling on a cushion, you don’t want to sit through

pain in your knees; best to move your position to a more comfortable one to alleviate

the pain.

In general, once you’ve found a relatively comfortable, balanced sitting position, try to

remain still without shifting your position for as long as you can. If you must shift, do

so, but then try once again to remain still.

If none of the sitting positions feels tolerable, you can always meditate lying down on a

relatively firm, supportive surface. Just know that you’ll have to be especially attentive

to avoid falling asleep.

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Q: I find I can’t sit completely still for the full meditation; I have to change my position

from time to time. Is this OK?

Yes, that’s fine. But before you move, bring mindful awareness to your discomfort.

Notice where you experience it in your body; allow yourself to feel it fully. Awareness of

discomfort often eases the temptation to move. When you do feel the need to move,

do it gently and mindfully.

Also, resist the temptation to fidget or scratch as much as you can. Let the impulse to

move be another object of your mindful attention.

Q: What’s the best posture for meditating?

Sitting on a chair with your back relatively straight yet relaxed is generally the most

comfortable position for extended meditation. But feel free to experiment and find

the one that works best for you (using the video found in the Mindfulness Meditation

app.).

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Q: How long is the optimal amount of time to meditate? How often? Is morning or

evening best?

Begin by sitting for 10 minutes at a stretch, and gradually extend the time to 20

minutes or longer. Meditate daily, if possible, or, as they say about exercise, more days

than not.

First thing in the morning is generally the best time, since it sets a mindful tone for

your day. But you should shower and have your morning coffee or OJ first, since

studies show that it can take a while for the brain to come online, especially if you wake

up to an alarm.

Other good times: during your lunch break and at the end of the workday before dinner.

Find the time that works best for you.

Between formal periods of mindfulness, you can practice moment-to-moment

mindfulness of everyday activities, beginning with the mindful driving and mindful eating

exercises in the Mindfulness Meditation app.

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Q: I feel an intense energy coursing through my body when I meditate, and I find it

distracting and unsettling. What should I do? I get vivid visions and images when I

meditate. What should I do?

Neither visions nor energy necessarily pose a problem, though they can be distracting.

As with anything you experience during meditation, the key is to be aware of what

arises without struggling against it, attaching to it, or believing it. For most people,

this approach may seem counterintuitive, but the truth is, what you resist tends to

persist, and what you allow tends to lose its intensity and pass through. Both energy

and imagery are inherently benign. Remember the general rule of mindfulness: let it be,

with mindful awareness.

If, however, you find that the intense energy or vivid imagery carries over into your

everyday life and makes it difficult for you to function or sleep, you might want to seek

some professional help. (Facilitators should be prepared to refer participants to a

therapist who’s familiar with mindfulness practice and the psychological problems that

sometimes surface. Our expert, Stephan Bodian, is available for phone consultations at

[email protected].)

Q: I have a lot of feelings coming up during meditation, mostly sadness or anger. Is this

OK? Am I doing something wrong?

It’s quite normal for feelings to surface during meditation. If you’re not accustomed to

sitting quietly and attending to your experience, your meditation gives feelings that

were repressed and hidden a newfound opportunity to reveal themselves. From a

psychological perspective, this is a beneficial process that will leave you feeling lighter

and freer, as long as you don’t obsess about the feelings or struggle against them.

Just continue to sit quietly, with gentle, compassionate awareness, and allow them to

arise and pass through.

If you find yourself getting stuck in certain feelings or replaying stories or unresolved

traumas from your past again and again, you might benefit from talking with a

therapist who’s familiar with meditation. (Our expert, Stephan Bodian, is available for

phone consultations at [email protected].)

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Q: For some reason, as soon as I start to meditate I feel anxious, as if I’m afraid

something bad is going to happen. How should I handle my anxiety?

When you meditate, you’re setting aside your usual distractions and defenses and just

being with your experience as it is. If you’re unaccustomed to doing this, you may very

well find it scary because you’re entering unknown territory and don’t know what to

expect. There’s nothing to worry about, however; the practice of meditation has

significant benefits and no dangerous side effects.

Just be aware of the sensations of anxiety and the thoughts that accompany them

without turning them into a problem. As you get comfortable with meditation, the

anxiety will likely diminish—and even if it doesn’t, it’s not necessarily an obstacle to your

meditation.

In general, thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations that arise during meditation are

not problems to be solved or distractions to be eliminated; they’re actually grist for

the mill of your meditation, opportunities to be mindfully present and aware.

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Q: I experience a lot of boredom/ self-doubt/self-judgment when I meditate. What

can I do about it?

In my experience, boredom and self-doubt are signs that you’re not really paying

attention. Refresh the energy of your meditation and pay wholehearted attention to

what’s happening right now, and you’ll find that the boredom and self-doubt fall away

because there’s no longer any space or energy to sustain them.

If your self-judgment focuses on your meditation, you should know that you can’t do

the meditation wrong. Just follow the instructions, do your best, and let go of the rest.

If your self-judgment focuses on other areas of your life, treat it as you would any

other thought—allow it to arise and pass away without believing it or attaching to it.

If your self-judgment contributes to depression, you might consider trying

mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which has an excellent track record with

depression. Otherwise, just sitting with the judgmental thoughts without getting

caught up in them will gradually loosen their hold over you.

For guidance in bringing mindful attention to your judgments, you can practice the

“Recognize your self-judgments” exercise in the Mindfulness Meditation app.

Q: When I meditate, I feel like all my attention centralizes in my brain, as if I’m looking

down on my experience from above. I can’t relax and let my awareness be natural.

What should I do?

This is a common problem, especially for people with a strong mental orientation. The

key is to learn how to be intimate with your experience as if from the inside, rather

than observing from a distance. Spend most of your meditation time being present for

your sensations, particularly those on the inside of your body. Let go of the sense of

being localized in your head, and allow your awareness to rest in your body, in the midst

of sensations. When you get lost in thought or distancing, gently return to inner

sensing.

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Q: I know I should meditate, but I just can’t seem to motivate myself. I keep

procrastinating and avoiding it, even when I write it on my schedule.

The operative word here is “should.” No one is making you. If you want to motivate

yourself, you need to reconnect with your own reasons for meditating. If you’re doing it

primarily to please someone else, or because your employer told you that you had to,

you’re not likely to develop a consistent practice, unless you look more deeply for your

own motivation. Perhaps you’ve read about the benefits, like reduced stress, happier

mood, better concentration, or emotional intelligence. Remind yourself of your deeper

intentions, and you may actually begin showing up. If not, of course, no problem—

meditation is not for everyone.

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Templates

Email invitation template

Dear [name here],

I would like to invite you to participate in an 8-week mindfulness meditation group in

[location] starting on [date].

If mindfulness is new to you, these are some of the benefits of a regular mindfulness

practice:

• Brain research confirms that mindfulness meditation increases your happiness

and overall wellbeing

• Regular mindfulness practice provides numerous health benefits

• Scientific studies consistently demonstrates the benefits of mindfulness in the

reduction of stress

The group will be based on content from Mental Workout’s Mindfulness Meditation app,

designed world-renowned meditation teacher and a consultant specializing in stress

management and positive psychology, Stephan Bodian. He’s the author of the best-

selling guidebook Meditation for Dummies and the former editor-in-chief of Yoga

Journal.

You can read more about the Mindfulness Meditation app I will be facilitating on:

http://www.mentalworkout.com/store/programs/mindfulness-meditation/

Please contact me on [email or telephone number] if you want to participate. I hope you

will join the group.

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Email follow-up template

Dear [name here],

Thank you so much for your feedback. I am pleased to learn that you will be joining the

Mindfulness Meditation group.

As I mentioned in my first mail to you, the group will have its first session on [date here]

in [location here]. We start at [time here] and the weekly sessions are planned to last

for [minutes here]. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the session begins to allow the

group to start on time. If possible, wear relatively loose, comfortable clothing that will

allow you to sit and breathe freely.

Before you come to the first session, I suggest that you subscribe to Mental

Workout’s Mindfulness Meditation program for iPhone, Android, Mac, and PC:

http://www.mentalworkout.com/store/programs/mindfulness-meditation/

This program includes detailed instructions, guided meditations, body scans, relaxation

exercises, and inspirational talks, and will be useful in between sessions or when you

can’t make it to a session.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

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Email next step template

Dear [name here],

Thank you so much for your participation in the Mindfulness Meditation group. I hope

that you enjoyed it and that you have started reaping the benefits of mindfulness

practice.

I would like to stay in contact with you and the rest of the group for mutual support on

our mindfulness paths. I have created a [i.e. Facebook Group or newsletter...] that you

can join, if you wish. Let’s keep in touch.

I wish you the best on your personal mindfulness journey.

mindfulness meditation group facilitation manual

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