Keeping up the good work – maintaining your mindfulness practice

So you’ve just finished the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course in Preston and you’re wondering how to keep up the great work…

Here are some tips to get you started!

Sitting groups

Melbourne Zen Group meets on a regular basis on Saturday mornings in Brunswick East

Melbourne Insight Meditation Group meets on a regular basis in Malvern and Northcote

Melbourne Buddhist Centre has sitting groups as well as a range of courses on offer

Yoga centres and schools often have a regular meditation group – contact your local one to find out if they run a regular group.

Books

I suggest borrowing or buying one or more of the following books. There are some helpful reviews online that will help you decide whether they are of interest to you.

Meditation – an in-depth guide, Gawler, I. and Bedson, P.

The Mindful Way Through Depression – Freeing yourself from Chronic Unhappiness, Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J. D., Kabat-Zinn, J.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J. D.

Full Catastrophe Living, Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. Kabat-Zinn, J.

The 5-minute Meditator, Harrison, E.

Buddha’s brain, the practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom, Hanson, R.

Websites and online resources

www.mindful.org A website full of informative articles.

www.psychologytoday.com A website full of informative articles

www.soundstrue.com A website of podcasts, videos and other online resources

www.rickhanson.net Psychologist, teacher and researcher, Dr Rick Hansen’s website is filled with podcasts, articles and research findings related to mindfulness and happiness.

www.tarabrach.com Psychologist, mindfulness teacher with a specific focus on Buddhism, Tara Brach’s website is filled with podcasts, articles and other resources.

Teachers

With thanks to the Clarity Centre for providing the following list of teachers:

Pema Chodron: Focuses on fear, anxiety, habits, feeling stuck

Tara Brach: Focuses on shame, self-aversion and self-criticism

Craig Hassed, Vidyamala Burch, Shinzen Young, Jon Kabat-Zinn: Focus on working with pain

Kristen Neff, Sharon Salzburg: Focus on self-compassion

Thich Nhat Nahn: Focus on Peace and interdependence

Gregory Kramer, Dan Siegel, Rick Hanson: Focus on interpersonal mindfulness

Dan Siegel, Rick Hanson: Mindfulness, science and the brain

Apps

There are no shortage of mindfulness apps! Here are a few I recommend:

Smiling Mind – Free

Headspace – Free option

Mindfulness – Free option

Calm – Free option

Next course

Melbourne Mindfulness Foundation regularly delivers 5 week How to Meditate and the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses in Melbourne and Preston.