Mindfulness Practice
What is Mindfulness Practice?
Mindfulness practice is fundamental to our ability to be fully present to the world as we move through it. Mindfulness is the practice of cultivating present moment awareness through informal and formal activities related to coming into the body, and being aware of the occurrence and impact of physical, mental, and emotional events that come and go.
Research Supports that an Ongoing Mindfulness Practice Cultivates:
• Increased empathy
• Reduced rumination
• Boosted working memory
• Improved focus
• Less emotional reactivity
• Increased cognitive flexibility
• Improved relationship satisfaction
• Enhanced self-compassion
• Decreased stress and anxiety
• Improved quality of life
(American Psychological Association, 2012)
Our Role in Supporting Mindfulness Practice
The Center of Innovation supports mindfulness practice as a strategy to improve the wellbeing and trauma responsiveness of our child and family serving systems. The COI offers a variety of training experiences related to mindfulness, facilitated by Liz Bennett who has been certified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction through Brown University’s School of Professional Studies. In addition to regularly offered training, the COI is available to coordinate mindfulness training customized to provider and stakeholder needs.
Mindfulness Practice Trainings Offered by the
Center of Innovation
Community Resources
- Community Mindfulness Sessions with the Mindfulness and Health Institute at Brown University
(Free and open to the public virtual mindfulness sessions led by an experienced instructor) - Additional Online Resources for Practice
Upcoming Mindfulness Trainings
Introduction to Mindfulness Training
This 90-minute workshop explores the foundational principles of mindfulness as described in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program developed by John Kabat-Zinn. Participants will encounter the essence of mindfulness by cultivating present moment awareness through meditation focused on the breath and body.
8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
This 8-week course will offer participants an opportunity to discover and practice fundamental concepts of mindfulness practice as presented by Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Mindfulness-based stress reduction invites participants to participate in formal and informal meditation practices including sitting and laying meditation, gentle movement practice, and eating and walking meditation. Course time will also include didactic components and reflective dialogue centered on contemplative practices taking place during and outside of class. The Course workbook, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Bob Stahl PhD and Elisha Goldstein PhD, will be included for participants after enrollment. There is a $375 course fee upon registration unless fee waiver has been allotted.
Mindfulness for Helping Professionals
A four-part series of hour-long practice sessions focused on service providers’ ability to apply and share mindfulness practices for wellbeing and regulation. Request more information and availability by filling out our Program Question Form below.
- Session 1: An Introduction to Mindfulness
- Session 2: The Mindfulness Mediated Stress Response
- Session 3: Cultivating Balance
- Session 4: Cultivating Compassion