Highland Mindfulness Group

The recordings on this page are all from the study day entitled “Addiction and Addictive Behaviour” held in the Chapel of the RNI on the 14th June 2019. The meditations and the readings were derived from either Tara Brach’s book “Radical Acceptance” or Stephen Levine’s book “Who dies?”
If you encounter any difficulties with these meditations, please feel free to email Peter on highlandmindfulness@gmail.com

Practice 1 – “Watching the film/play” – a 25minute meditation in which participants are invited to experience and observe an example of their own addictive behaviour as if they were watching it being depicted on a film or as a play. 

Reading and Summary 1 – a reading from Tara Brach’s book “Radical Acceptance” followed by a summary of the discussion within the group regarding the nature and consequences of addiction and addictive behaviour plus a summary of how the process of mindfulness can be applied in this situation (6minutes).

Practice 2 – “The Yes Meditation” – a 26minute meditation practice in which participants practise staying open to their experience by saying “Yes” to whatever arises in their minds.

Practice 3 – “The pause meditation” – practical advice from Tara Brach regarding addictive behaviour during every day life. An 11 minute meditation practice and summary.  

Reading and Summary 2 – a further reading from Tara Brach followed by a summary of the discussions during the morning session (5minutes).

Practice 4 – “Staying open using the breath” – a 30minute meditation using the techniques of taking and sending with the breath, sometimes called tonglen, to stay open to our experience. 

Practice 5 – “The importance of self-forgiveness”. A 24minute practice that looks at the process of self-forgiveness in meditation and seeks to demonstrate how this can be very useful in dealing with addictive behaviour.

Practice 6 – “The self-compassionate smile”. A 15minute meditation in which a sense of self-compassion is generated and enhanced by smiling. Self-compassion is of course one of the keys that helps us unlock the prison of our addictions and gives us freedom from suffering.