Activity 1.6 Mindfulness and leaves-on-a-stream exercise

ACT Processes:

• Mindfulness

Objectives:

• To introduce the concept of mindfulness;
• To facilitate the experience of observing rather than engaging in thoughts among the participants;
• To support participants in de-literalizing thoughts; and
• To support participants in getting in touch with the here-and-now.

Participation Format:

• Participants sit in a large horseshoe ; co-facilitators sit across from each other at the open end of the horseshoe.

Number of Facilitators:

• 2

Time Required:

• 20 mins

Materials Required:

• A mindfullness bell
• Appendix 1.6 – Print and distribute to participant at the end of the session: one side consists of an image of leaves on a stream; the other side consists of links to free online audio recordings on mindfulness meditation at http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22 , and ‘leaves on a stream” mindfulness exercise at http://www.drluoma.com/media/Leaves%20on%20the%20stream.mp3

Activities & Instructions

Instructions for participants

Facilitator #2: “Now we are inviting you to take part in an exercise called mindfulness. How many of you have heard of mindfulness?” After participants respond, Facilitator continues, “Mindfulness means connecting to the present moment or the here-and-now”.

Facilitator #2 continues to give the following instructions:

1. Take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly. Do this a couple of times.
2. Now relax your body. Let your shoulders drop.
3. Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes gently, or lower your gaze to a fixed spot on the floor in front of you.
4. If you are willing, see if you can allow yourself to imagine that you are walking along a forest path… you can take in the colours of the forest … feel the sun shining on your face through the branches overhead… a gentle breeze … the smell of the forest … crunching of leaves beneath your feet … up ahead, you can hear the gentle sound of water … as you emerge through a clearing, you find yourself on a river bank…
5. Visualize yourself sitting by the bank of a gently flowing stream with leaves floating along the surface of the water. (Pause 10 seconds.)
6. For the next few minutes, notice whatever shows up in your mind … it may be a thought or an image … see if you can place it on a leaf… and allow your thought or image float away on the stream.
7. Do this with each thought or image that shows up next – pleasant, unpleasant, happy or painful, or neutral. Place them one by one on a leaf and watch them float away. (Pause 20 seconds)
8. If no thoughts enter your mind, just continue watching the stream. Sooner or later, your thoughts or images will start up again. Again just put them on the leaves and watch them float away (Pause 20 seconds.)
9. Let your thoughts and the leaves go at their own pace; there is no need to hurry them.
10. If you have the thought – “This is strange” or “this is boring” or “this is too hard or easy” or “I’m not doing this right” – place these thoughts on the leaves too and watch them flow by. (Pause 20 seconds.)
11. If a difficult or painful feeling arises, simply acknowledge it. Say to yourself, “I notice that I am having a painful feeling.” Place those thoughts on leaves and let them float along. (Pause 20 seconds)
12. From time to time, your thoughts may hook you and take you away from being fully present in this exercise. This is common. You may even forget that you are doing this exercise. As soon as you realize that you have become distracted by your own thoughts, gently bring your attention back to the exercise. You do not need to judge yourself… and if there is judgment, let the judgment sit on a leaf too and flow …”
13. After 10 minutes of mindfulness exercise, Facilitator #2: “… see if you can let your thoughts, the leaves, the river go … gently bring your attention back to your breath … notice that it has been there all along … gently guide your awareness to the fact that you are sitting here… in this present moment now… you can become aware that you are here with us in a group and in your mind’s eye, see if you can visualize the room and the pattern on the carpet or floor …it is time for us to reconnect. When you are ready, gently open your eyes feeling alert and refreshed.”
14. Facilitators pause for a few seconds and allow all participants to reconnect with the space and the group.
15. Facilitator #1 invites everyone to share their experience in doing the mindfulness exercise. Facilitators keep in mind the following points:
    • Having ongoing thoughts is common for human beings.
    • If you found yourself struggling to remain fully present and mindful, be patient and compassionate with yourself. You may have less and less struggle with the practice.
    • If you experience some painful and difficult thoughts during this exercise, recognize them for what they are – they are thoughts. With practice, you may be able to transform how these thoughts affect you.
    • Mindfulness helps to free us from suffering related to thoughts that interfere with meaningful living.
16. Facilitators bring out the following points to introduce the concept of mindfulness:
    1. Being present in the moment (vs. past and future)
       • Often we may find ourselves thinking about the past … bothered by something bad that happened to us that made us sad or angry … or bothered by something we did and feeling regretful and guilty… conversely, we may be worried about things that have not happened yet … it may even be so scary that we avoid doing certain things… when we did this exercise just now or even on your way to attend this training today, you may have had thoughts about what you may do tonight when you get home … notice how easy it is for us to miss being in the present moment and get caught up with past or future …
    2. Being present attentively (vs. auto-pilot)
       • …have you ever found yourself being on “auto-pilot”? You may be in a car, and before you know it, you are there … quite likely, on your way here, you may not have noticed the colour and number of trees… mindfulness is helping us to switch off the “auto-pilot” and attend to the present moment…
    3. Observing compassionately (vs judging)
       • …mindfulness is also about being non-judgmental and cultivating compassion … this includes the judgment that we are not being mindful … instead, take on the role of an observer – observe thoughts, feelings, images or whatever comes up in the moment – as thoughts, feelings, images … without the need to evaluate, judge, or figure them out in some way …
17. Facilitator #1 wraps up by encouraging participants to integrate mindfulness as an everyday practice.

References & Sources

• From Hayes et al, 1999, p 159 and adapted and modified from Schenck, L. (2011). “Leaves on a stream” – cognitive defusion exercise. Retrieved June 24, 2014 from http://www.mindfulnessmuse.com/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy/leaves-on-a-stream-cognitive-defusion-exercise/

Appendix 1.6 – Free online audio guide on Leaves-on-a-stream & Mindfulness Meditation

(Print in black and white, cut, and give each participant one resources link)

	Leaves-on-a-stream: http://www.drluoma.com/media/Leaves%20on%20the%20stream.mp3 Mindfulness meditation: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
	Leaves-on-a-stream: http://www.drluoma.com/media/Leaves%20on%20the%20stream.mp3 Mindfulness meditation: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
	Leaves-on-a-stream: http://www.drluoma.com/media/Leaves%20on%20the%20stream.mp3 Mindfulness meditation: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
	Leaves-on-a-stream: http://www.drluoma.com/media/Leaves%20on%20the%20stream.mp3 Mindfulness meditation: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
	Leaves-on-a-stream: http://www.drluoma.com/media/Leaves%20on%20the%20stream.mp3 Mindfulness meditation: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22