Introduction to Mindfulness - Dean Amory

experience, this was like looking at whatever you were feeling and
saying “Bring it on”. Rather than trying to change their feelings or get
rid of some unpleasant thought, we asked them to “let themselves
be” and notice how they felt in their bodies.
Feedback:
The reactions were mixed: from “It reminded me of Mrs. Dalloway –
I could hear the clock tick, the dog bark and the distant wave. All was
well” to “I just switched off, thought of the sea”.
One person’s reaction to this exercise came as something of a
surprise: “It’s like something came over me, I couldn’t even hear you
(Clive) after a few minutes; it was mad, like a lightness… it was a bit
scary. It was like I was really relaxed but for a split second or two this
kind of lightness came over me. I got a fright, thought I’d snap myself
out of it”.
We encouraged her to adopt a kindly but curious attitude to her
experience. And to notice what happened within her when she shared
this experience with others in the room. She regained a full sense of
being grounded within minutes, but it was suggested that we should
begin with very short breathing exercises and check in frequently with
participants.
Post-group analysis:
In our post-group analysis, the facilitation team felt that perhaps
more formal breathing exercises should be introduced later in the
program, and that the early sessions should maintain a focus on
helping people – through body scan exercise, mindful stretching and
yoga – to reconnect with their bodily experiences and become firmly
grounded.
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