Mindful Practices

Relaxation & Mindful Health Practices

>For dates of weekly lessons, click on the tab for the Calendar.
>For personal applications, click on the tab for Action Plans.

Welcome to Mindful Practices for Healthy Living. This online course has been included due to the research that has emerged supporting its efficacy with chronic pain, sleep disturbance, fibromyalgia, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and many other mental and physical conditions. More specifically, mindfulness has been shown to target improvements in:

• daily living skills

• level of independence

• quality of living

Evidence-based relaxation and mindful health practices, skills, strategies, and resources are applied to challenges related to living with a chronic health condition, providing care for an individual with a chronic health condition, or to those who simply want to enhance their day-to-day wellness. 

Each lesson includes an overview of:

• how to apply relaxation & mindful health practices in everyday life

• challenges involved in applying relaxation & mindful health practices

• supportive research regarding the effects of relaxation & mindful health practices

• evidence-based guided relaxation & mindful health practices.

By practicing relaxation and mindful health practices throughout the duration of this course, I hope you can develop skills to bring heightened awareness and gratitude to your everyday life experiences.

For more information, click on Mindfulness: What It Is & Isn't

Mindful Practices
Course Outline & Contents*

Lessons for Weeks 6-18

Self-Management Skills, Strategies, & Support 

To download a lesson, click on the links (in blue).
For "Relaxation and Mindful Practices."
Click Calendar.

• Lesson 1: The Mindful Way Workbook; Mindfulness & Integrative Medicine
  Relaxation Practice (1): Awareness of Your Breath
  Read: 8 Meditation Tips You Can Use Right Now (Meditation is linked to Positive Aging.)

• Lesson 2: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) & Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
  Relaxation Practice (2): Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Lesson 3: Depression, Unhappiness, & Emotional Distress: Why Do We Get Stuck;  Finding Resources for Mindfulness
  Relaxation Practice (3):  Muscle Tensing and Relaxing

• Lesson 4: Doing, Being, & Mindfulness
  Relaxation Practice (4): Visualization & Guided Imagery

• Lesson 5:  Using Your Mind/Emotions to Manage Symptoms
  Mindful Practice (1)  Mindful Breathing

• Lesson 6: Exercise and Physical Activity with Mindfulness-Beyond Automatic Pilot
  Mindful Practice (2): Body Scan  

• Lesson 7: Another Way of Knowing-The Hidden Power of Thinking
  Mindful Practice (3): Mindful Walking & Movements  

• Lesson 8: Coming Home to the Present-Gathering the Scattered Mind
  Mindful Practice (4): Mindfulness in Everyday Activities 

• Lesson 9: Recognizing Aversion (Negative Thoughts) 
  Mindful Principles: Beginner's Mind

• Lesson 10: Allowing Things to Be as They Already Are
  Mindful Principles: Being Present

• Lesson 11: Seeing Thoughts as Thoughts
  Daily Mindful Practices: Positive & Loving Kindness (with Self)

• Lesson 12:  Mindfulness &  Kindness in Action
  Daily Mindful Practice: Mindful Awareness & Sleep 

• Lesson 13: Looking Forward - Heartfelt Intentions to Sustain Mindful Practices
  Daily Mindful Practice: Loving Kindness-Heartfelt Intentions to Sustain Mindful Practices 

Course Integration:  
What now? Personal Review

Relaxation & Mindful Practices

Cultivating Mindful Practices, Gratitude, & Well-Being

For Weekly Relaxation & Mindful Practices, click on the links in the Calendar.

Supplemental  Information

Text: Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions (2020)
can be used as a supplement to these lessons.