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Core Mindfulness
reasonable mind
emotion mind
wise mind
"What" Skills
observe
describe
participate
onemindedly
nonjudmentslly
effectively
"How skills"
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Core Mindfulness
“What” Skills
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First set of mindfulness is the “what” skills
The “what” skills are what you do to practice mindfulness: Observe, describe or participate
You only do one “What” skill at one time-- Observe, describe or participate -- but not all three at
once
“What” skills can be applies to any of our 5 senses as well as to our own thoughts and mental
processes.
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2
3
Observe
Describe
Participate
1) Observe
Observing is sensing or experiencing without describing or labeling the experience. It is noticing or
paying attention to direct experiences at the level of pure sensation (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting,
smelling or even thoughts and feelings within your own mind) without adding concepts or categories.
Since it is pre-verbal, it requires you simply to focus on only on the thing you are observing and to be
attentive to it without using words or commenting inwardly or outwardly on the experience. Focus only
on the thing you are observing without using words or commenting in worldly or out worldly on the
experience.
2) Describe
Building on the observe skill, describe involves applying descriptive labels to an observed experience
while neither adding to nor subtracting from the empirical facts. If you did not observe something you
cannot describe it. Which means that description can’t be applies to interpretive or unobservable events
(another person’s thoughts and emotions for ex.). Applying descriptive labels to observe experiences
while neither adding nor subtracting from the experienced fact. Cannot take thoughts and emotions
literally. Distinguish between descriptions, judgments, interpretations, and opinions. Noting a thought
as a thought an emotion as an emotion. Imagine thoughts and bodily sensations running on a conveyer
belt.
3) Participate
The “participate” skill involves entering completely into the current moment without separating yourself
from the current moment and what’s happening. When you participate fully, you throw yourself into
things and lose self-consciousness in them. Participating requires engagement and spontaneity.
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Core Mindfulness
“How” skills
How skills can be used all at once.
1) Non-judgmentally – observe describe and participate without labeling or evaluation
as good or bad, valuable or not worthwhile or worthless. Acknowledging helpful,
wholesome, harmful, and unwholesome but not judging them.
2) One-mindedly – Fully experiencing each moment and completing activities one at a
time. Bring attention to the present moment if other thoughts and feelings distract you,
let go of the distractions and go back to what you are doing. Doing with all your
attention.
3) Effectively – Acting as effectively as possible to meet both your needs and demands of
the situation. What works and what needs to be done. Keeping an eye on the on
objectives and doing what is necessary to achieve them. Let go of the need to be “right”.
Abandoning vengeance and useless anger. “Playing the games”. Use all your skills to
achieve the goal. Stick to your objectives in relationships.
a) What I want.
b) What I need to do.
c) Balance what you want against what you are willing to do to get it.
*Use effectiveness in all four skills including Mindfulness, emotions regulations, distress
tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. *