What will we learn?

Introducing mindfulness research, science and techniques and gaining an understanding of the physiology and psychology of stress. This course will strengthen your understanding of the connection between breath and brain. 

We will explore advanced mindfulness topics, such as emotional regulation and positive practice. You will practice integrating various mindfulness practices and consider how to develop mindfulness habits. 

By the end of the course, you will be able to identify methods to practice and strengthen mindfulness habits. 

Workshop Components

This course will consist of the following components:

  • Educational Content

    presentation / discussion / reading / video

    Participants will learn about mindful science and research, breathing, stress, and learn more effective and skillful responses to the challenges and demands of everyday life. In parallel, we will also explore how to integrate mindfulness practices into our lives through practice and repetition.

  • Content Supporting Exercises

    formal and practice and learning exercises

    In each lesson, participants will learn about and practice different forms of mindfulness including sitting meditation, body scan, and walking meditation as well as learning exercises such as mindful eating, speaking and listening, and mindfulness of daily activities. In each class, there will be periods of formal mindfulness practice, small and large group discussions, as well as practices and exercises related to that session's topics.

  • Recordings for Self-paced Practice

    guided meditation practices

    Because practice is an essential part of the program, participants are encouraged to practice setting aside 5-15 minutes of recorded practice as well as completing other exercises, activities between sessions.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Intro to Cultivate's Foundations Workshop

    • Before we get started

    • Workshop Resources and Exercises
  • 2

    Welcome to the Course

    • Video Introduction

    • Welcome to the course
  • 3

    Day 1

    • Today's Topic: Anatomy of Mindfulness & Awareness

    • Activity: Mindful Listening (Musical Awareness)

    • Activity: Mindful Listening, Peter & the Wolf excerpt

    • Activity Cont'd: Pause & Reflect Worksheet

    • Presentation : What is Mindfulness?

    • Video lesson: How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains: Sara Lazar at TEDxCambridge 2011

    • Presentation: how do our bodies respond to stress?

    • Awareness is the first building block of Mindfulness and Stress Management

    • Activity: 5 Senses Exercise

    • Activity Cont'd: Pause & Reflect Worksheet

    • Presentation: Taking awareness and mindfulness from theory to practice

    • Review Quiz: Day 1

    • Homework

    • Closing Exercise
  • 4

    Day 2

    • Today's Topic: Breathing to Beat Stress

    • Why is how you breathe important to stress management?

    • Activity: 3-minute breathing space

    • Activity: 3-minute breathing space cont'd: Pause & Reflect Worksheet

    • Presentation: How is breathing connected to mindfulness and stress management?

    • Presentation: How do our bodies respond to stress - part 2?

    • Activity: Full Body Breathing Exercise

    • Activity: Full Body Breathing cont'd

    • Presentation and video lesson: How to breathe and why?

    • Activity: Short Simple Breathing Exercises for Everyday

    • Activity: Short simple breathing exercises for everyday life cont'd

    • Review Quiz: Day 2

    • Homework

    • Activity Closing Exercise
  • 5

    Day 3

    • Today's Topic: Self-Regulation of Emotion

    • Activity: Four Sentences

    • Activity: Four Sentences cont'd

    • Presentation: How Can Mindfulness Support Emotional Regulation and Stress Management?

    • Presentation: Thought Awareness, How Do We Experience Negative Thoughts?

    • Video lesson: Getting Stuck in the Negatives (and how to get unstuck)

    • Presentation: Short and Long-Term Strategies for dealing with negative thoughts

    • Activity: Thoughts are not facts

    • Activity: Thoughts are not facts cont'd

    • Presentation: Understanding Thinking Traps and How to Avoid Them

    • Video lesson: Thinking Traps: Jumping to Conclusions

    • Presentation: Putting it All Together

    • Review Quiz: Day 3

    • Homework

    • Activity: Closing Exercise
  • 6

    Day 4

    • Today's Topic: Practicing Gratitude & Positivity

    • Activity: 3 Good Things

    • Activity: 3 Good Things cont'd

    • Presentation: How and Why Harness Optimism and Gratitude in Your Day-to-day Life

    • Video Lesson: Gratitude Letter in Practice

    • Activity: Gratitude Letter

    • Activity: Gratitude Letter cont'd

    • How Does Gratitude Work?

    • Video Lesson: How Positive Emotions Transform Us

    • Workshop Wrap Up

    • Activity: Closing Exercise