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De-Mystifying Mindfulness

Approx. 44 hours to complete

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Course Summary

Learn the art of mindfulness and its benefits in this online course. Discover how to transform your thoughts and improve your mental health through guided meditations, breathing exercises and more.

Key Learning Points

Understand the basics of mindfulness and its benefits
Practice mindfulness through guided meditations and breathing exercises
Learn how to apply mindfulness in your daily life

Learning Outcomes

Understand the benefits of mindfulness and how to apply it in your daily life
Learn how to manage stress and improve your mental health through mindfulness practices
Develop a sense of emotional intelligence and self-awareness

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior knowledge or experience required
Access to a quiet and comfortable space for meditation

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

Online self-paced course
Video lectures
Guided meditations
Interactive exercises

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Eckhart Tolle
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Description

Interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation has grown exponentially in recent years. Rather than being seen as mystical practices from ancient Buddhism or esoteric philosophy, they are increasingly seen as technologies rooted in evidence from psychology and neuroscience. Mindfulness has become the basis for numerous therapeutic interventions, both as a treatment in healthcare and as a means of enhancing well-being and happiness. For millions around the world, mindfulness has become a life-style choice, enhancing and enriching everyday experience. Mindfulness is big business.

But, what actually is mindfulness? Is it really good for you? Can anyone learn it? How can you recognize charlatans? Would you want to live in a mindful society, and would it smell like sandalwood? What does it feel like to be mindful? Are you mindful already, and how would you know? Evolving from the popular Honours Academy course at Leiden University, this innovative course combines conventional scholarly inquiry from multiple disciplines (ranging from psychology, through philosophy, to politics) with experiential learning (including specially designed ‘meditation labs,’ in which you’ll get chance to practice and analyze mindfulness on yourself). In the end, the course aims to provide a responsible, comprehensive, and inclusive education about (and in) mindfulness as a contemporary phenomenon. During the production of this course, we have been supported by Willem Kuyken, Director of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre, and Stephen Batchelor, co-founder of Bodhi College. And we gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by Mark Williams, co-developer of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Rebecca Crane, Director of the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at the University of Bangor. We have recently added expert advice from Dawn Scott (Spirit Rock & Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies), Sydney Spears (University of Kansa), Elisabeth Stanley (Georgetown University), Susan Woods (Centre for Mindfulness Studies), Patricia Rockman (University of Toronto) and Jeff Corntassel (University of Victoria). "A deep and profound dive into the ethical, social, psychological, and philosophical implications of modern-day mindfulness practice. The course is not for the faint of heart, perhaps, but it is also full of practical, guided exercises for the uninitiated! Thank you for redefining my relationship to Mindfulness in a completely new and thought-provoking way" 28 april 2021 "The course enabled me to explore the mindfulness construct at its deeper lever from philosophical, psychological and political lenses. The mindfulness labs were very useful in practicing the skills of being mindful." 23 nov 2018 "i took this course after a period of time when I was trying to practice mindfulness and meditation, but with doubtful success. The course answered many questions to me, and I needed that to keep me motivated. It really helped me understand the origins and, more importantly, benefits of mindfulness practice and made me persist in my attempts. I'm really glad I took the course, I find it interesting, well taught and very useful for all those seeking deeper explanation in why trying mindfulness." 9 Oct 2018 "I have taken other courses in other online platforms. However, this has been one of the best courses I have found online." 3 Oct 2018 "I really like the invitation to us, the learners, to rethink our preconceptions and beliefs, and then make our own judgement about mindfulness. The overall tone was very friendly and open, resources very useful." 12 Dec 2017

Knowledge

Understand popular conceptions and misconceptions about Mindfulness
Interpret your own experiences of Mindfulness practices
Evaluate the social and political significance of Mindfulness
Compare different psychological and therapeutic approaches to mindfulness

Outline

Welcome to the course
Course introduction
How to succeed in your online class?
Leiden University: Facts & Figures
Assignments in this course
Meet the instructor & the team
Community Guidelines
What is your learning path?
How mindful are you?

Introduction to Mindfulness
This thing called 'mindfulness'
Preconception - enlightenment
Preconception - martial magic
Preconception - mindlessness
Summary
Meditation lab l part 1
Meditation Lab l part 2
Kuyken: why mindfulness?
Kuyken: representation of mindfulness
Batchelor: coming to mindfulness
Batchelor: what draws others to mindfulness?
Scott: The journey to Mindfulness – self
Scott: The journey to Mindfulness - others
Spears: The journey to Mindfulness
Spears: Representations of Mindfulness
Spears: How did you find Mindfulness?
Stanley: The journey to Mindfulness
Woods & Rockman: Representations of Mindfulness, pt.1
Woods & Rockman: Representations of Mindfulness, pt.2
Med Lab 1: Exercises
Bio of Dawn Scott
Bio Sydney Spears
Bio Elisabeth Stanley
Bio Susan Woods & Patricia Rockman
What is this thing called Mindfulness?
Check your knowledge
Journal after Meditation Lab 1

Psychology of/& Mindfulness
Introduction
Operationalizing mindfulness
Measuring mindfulness
The problem of dis-ease
Mindfulness-based stress reduction
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
Common principles in mindfulness interventions
Summary
Meditation lab II
Kuyken: encountering difficulty
Kuyken: assessing teaching
Kuyken: science and Buddhism
Kuyken: who should teach?
Kuyken: 8 weeks later?
Batchelor: mindfulness teachers
Batchelor: mindfulness qualifications
Med Lab 2: Exercises
Psychology of/& Mindfulness
How stressed are you?
Check your knowledge
Journal after Meditation Lab 2

Philosophy of/& Mindfulness
Introduction - why philosophy?
Buddhism and sati
Vipassana and samatha
Zen
Daoism
Stoicism
Modernity and mindfulness
Summary
Meditation lab III
Kuyken: Buddhism and other traditions
Batchelor: was Buddha a therapist?
Batchelor: secular dharma
Batchelor: Pali canon
Batchelor: is dharma always Buddhism?
Batchelor: dharma needn't be Buddhist
Batchelor: towards modern dharma
Spears: Does Mindfulness need Buddhism?
Stanley: Does Mindfulness need Buddhism?
Med Lab 3: Exercises
Philosophy of/& Mindfulness
Journal after Meditation Lab 3

Politics of/& Mindfulness
MANIFESTO! - Don't just do something, sit there!
Mindful utopias and distopias
Martial mindfulness
Mindfulness in education
The mindfulness industry
Summary
Meditation lab IV
Kuyken: mindfulness in society
Batchelor: mindfulness in society
Batchelor: commercialism and mindfulness
Mindfulness and society
Med Lab 4: Exercises
Politics of/& Mindfulness
Journal after Meditation Lab 4

Extra 2021: Mindfulness, Trauma and Social Justice
Introduction
Mindfulness and Trauma
Mindfulness and Social Justice
Scott: Is access to Mindfulness equal for everyone?
Scott: Can meditation be dark?
Spears: Adverse experiences and trauma in Mindfulness
Spears: Uneven access to Mindfulness
Stanley: Adverse experiences and ethics
Stanley: Diversity, inclusion, and trauma-sensitivity
Stanley: Mindfulness for police and military
Woods & Rockman: Mindfulness, Society, and Diversity, pt.1
Woods & Rockman: Mindfulness, Society, and Diversity, pt.2
Corntassel: Mindfulness and Inclusivity
Corntassel: Other ways of knowing Mindfulness
Socially Engaged Mindfulness
Trauma sensitive meditation by Elisabeth Stanley
Mindfulness, Trauma and Social Justice
Reflection exercises

Extra 2021: Mindfulness and Nature & Land
Introduction
Escape from the city
Being among trees
Practicing in elements
Practising with the land
Practising on Land
Gardens
Wherever you go, the land is already there
Where ever you sit, the land is already there
Practices that honour the land
Healthy Working Habits: The Mindful Garden & Urban Jungle
Guided Meditation by Dawn Scott - the Four Elements
The Mindful Garden Project Brief
Podcast Urban Green Spaces
Creating your own urban green space
Mindfulness and Nature & Land
Reflection exercises

Mindfulness into the Future
Should I be mindful all the time?
Course Update 2019
PODCAST: The Art of Teaching Mindfulness, part 1
PODCAST: The Art of Teaching Mindfulness, part 2
PODCAST: The Art of Teaching Mindfulness, part 3
Susan Woods: Teaching as practice
Patricia Rockman: Teaching as practice
PODCAST: Mindfulness and Movement, part 1
PODCAST: Mindfulness and Movement, part 2
PODCAST: Mindfulness and Movement, part 3
PODCAST: Mindfulness & Despair
PODCAST: Meditation Goto-Jones Breath & Body
PODCAST: Meditation Goto-Jones Four Step Meditation
PODCAST Meditation Goto-Jones 3 step Breathing
PODCAST: Meditation Goto-Jones Sitting with Adversity
Meditation Lab V
Dana and the Donation Box
Thank you: Dana Box Update 2019
Dana and Update Donation Box 2020
Willem Kuyken: Parting advice
Dawn Scott: Parting advice
Sydney Spears: Parting advice on practice
Elizabeth Stanley: Parting advice for students and teachers
Susan Woods: Parting advice on practice
Patricia Rockman: Parting advice on practice
Med Lab 5: Exercises
Donation box
Meet our contributors
How mindful are you now?
Letter to Self

Honours Project
Honourable Mindfulness
Project Gallery
Project Sample: Mindfulness & Education
Project Sample: Mindfulness & the Workplace
Project Sample: Mindfulness & Health
Sample Project: Mindfulness & Individual Practice
Sample Project: Mindfulness & the Public Sphere
Project Sample: the Virtual Ninja Manifesto
Project Samples: honourable mentions
Presentation Suggestions

Summary of User Reviews

Discover the practice of mindfulness in this immersive course on Coursera. Users have rated this course highly, citing its comprehensive content and engaging instructor. Many users appreciated the practical exercises that helped them integrate mindfulness into their daily lives.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Practical exercises that help users integrate mindfulness into their daily lives

Pros from User Reviews

Engaging instructor who delivers comprehensive content
Practical exercises are helpful and applicable to daily life
In-depth exploration of mindfulness and its benefits

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course to be repetitive
The course may be too basic for those already familiar with mindfulness
Limited interaction with other students or the instructor
The course may not be suitable for those seeking a more spiritual or religious approach to mindfulness

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De-Mystifying Mindfulness

Interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation has grown exponentially in recent years. For millions around the world, mindfulness has become a life-style choice, enhancing and enriching everyday experience....

Save Course