Mindfulness has become commonplace in our modern lives and there are many ways to teach/learn/apply it to everyday living. The name, Basic Mindfulness, was a term invented by my teacher, Shinzen Young, and conveys a ‘teaching of the basics’ which is what I offer.
With both clients or mindfulness students I teach some basic concepts and practices and then apply and re-apply these in the situations presented until ‘the basics’ become fully embodied, i.e. not simply mental understandings. You are encouraged to refer only to your own direct experience about the impact of the practices and then we modify based on that information. Together we discover what works for you, not ‘what is supposed to be good for me.’
Many clients come with the specific intention to relieve physical, emotional and/or relational complaints–the psychological aspect of themselves. Many others start out using these techniques for complaints but then somewhere along the way want to know more deeply their own essential nature, their spiritual dimension. Still others come to explore mindfulness because they feel a sense of something missing in their lives and they want to explore a spiritual dimension outside of traditional religions. Wherever you are, that is where we enter the mindfulness learning process.
As a guide we sometimes use my book, Mindful Awareness and Strategy: A Basic Mindfulness Toolkit (go here to learn more), a manual that is based my decades of experience teaching mindfulness in psychotherapy. The ‘’toolkit’ offers mindfulness exercises and specific strategies for typical situations people encounter (difficult emotions, physical pain, stress, etc.) and is a guide for anyone who wants to learn to use mindfulness strategically.
For clients, mindfulness training is included as part of my approach to psychotherapy and the presenting issues. In this context it is part of a medical treatment and if you have insurance it usually covers some portion of my fees. Psychotherapy can be done in person and via teleconference (insurance may or may not pay for teleconferencing.)
For more about Mindfulness/Contemplative Consultations on their own, go here.