Welcome Spring 2015 UVM Yoga & Mindfulness Students!
Here is the class syllabus — Mindfulness Syllabus, Spring 2015
Please come prepared to practice yoga on the first day…also, please bring a journal and pen to the first class (and all classes after that).
Look forward to seeing you in class! John
WEEKLY HOMEWORK
Each week you are asked to:
• Meditate for 5 minutes every day, and make a short journal entry about the experience. You can do meditations you learn in class, others you know, or there are some good ones on line — I like meditationoasis.com, or using the app “Insight Timer” that helps track mediation, and has meditations to follow.
• Do a physical yoga practice once during the week for at least 30 minutes, and write a short entry in your journal about the experience. (this can be a live class, one of the free video classes on this website…there are over 80…or another online class or just practicing on your own.)
Week #12 (April 8th-11th)
This week’s homework can be turned in as extra credit to make up for a missed class.
Homework this week is to keep a daily gratitude journal. So, get a separate journal (or make one) and write gratitudes in it throughout the day.
To get extra credit turn in the journal at the beginning of the next class (which would be April 15-17th), I’ll mark you did it and give it back at the end of class. To get extra credit you need to show you put effort into it and wrote in the journal throughout the day. Also, if you want to, you could make it more artful and creative with the things you are grateful for. Either of those options.
Week #11 (April 1st-3rd)
We talked about belonging and being part of something in class. This week keep up the 10 minute mediation and think about groups you belong to an meditate on the people in those groups with love in your heart. Maybe it’s different groups each time, or the same people each time. Just as a reminder that you belong and you are part of something!
Week #10 (March 25-27th)
For homework for this week, meditate 10 minutes each day instead of 5 minutes like we’ve been doing. There is a Buddist quote that goes something like, “If you don’t have time to meditate for one hour, meditate for two.” So, as there is more pressure and responsibility as we head toward the end of the semester, it’s easy to feel like there is no time. So, to “make” more time, spend an extra 5 minutes day to give your mind a break and restart. As always, write in your journal about it each day. Thanks!
Week #9 (March 17-20th)
This week I was talking about happiness and methods to be happy. I mentioned this video from Ted Talks by Sean Achor.
YOUR HOMEWORK (for happiness):
Everyday between now and our next class —
– Write in your journal 3 things you are grateful for
– Journal about 1 positive experience you had in the last 24 hours
– exercise each day
– meditate each day
– Write 1 positive/affirming email to someone each day (a different person every day)
Look forward to seeing your happiness in the next class!
Week #7 (Feb 25-27th)
No homework during break – have a safe and fun vacation everybody!
Week #6 (Feb 18-20th)
This week was about the Chakras. Chakras are energy centers in the body that relate to different emotional experiences. It is thought that if you keep the energy of the chakras balanced, you’ll live a more balanced life. Here are the chakras:
1. Root Chakra – Represents our foundation and feeling of being grounded.
• Location: Base of spine in tailbone area.
• Emotional issues: Grounding, survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food.
2. Sacral Chakra – Our connection and ability to accept others and new experiences.
• Location: Directly below the belly button
• Emotional issues: Going with the flow of things, sexuality.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra – Our ability to be confident and in-control of our lives.
• Location: Upper abdomen in the stomach area.
• Emotional issues: will power, self-esteem.
4. Heart Chakra – Our ability to love.
• Location: Center of chest just above heart.
• Emotional issues: Love, joy, inner peace.
5. Throat Chakra – Our ability to communicate.
• Location: Throat.
• Emotional issues: Communication, self-expression of feelings, the truth.
6. Third Eye Chakra – Our ability to focus on and see the big picture.
• Location: Forehead between the eyes at the 3rd eye.
• Emotional issues: Intuition, imagination, wisdom, ability to think and make decisions.
7. Crown Chakra – The highest Chakra represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually.
• Location: The very top of the head.
• Emotional issues: Inner and outer beauty, our connection to spirituality, pure bliss.
HOMEWORK FOR WEEK #6 – Each day work on and contemplate one chakra…move from the 1st to the 7th over the period of 7 days. Consider if you are excessive, lacking, or pretty balanced with the chakra. Write in your journal each day about the chakra. Have fun!
WEEK #5 (Feb 11th-13th)
This week was about the Yamas — considered the ethical rules in yoga. These apply to all aspects of the Self; body, mind and heart. Here they are:
- Ahimsa (non-harming): non-violence, loving kindness, compassion.
- Satya (truthfulness): being genuine and authentic, having integrity, honesty, being honorable, not lying, not concealing the truth, not downplaying or exaggerating the truth.
- Asteya (non-stealing): not taking what is not yours or what is freely offered, not robbing people of their own experience or freedom, non-desire for another’s possessions, qualities, or status, not coveting.
- Brahmacharya (moderation): moderation on all levels concerning sex, food, and all aspects of daily life, no sexual misconduct, no overindulgence in senses.
- Aparigraha (non-possessivness): non-grasping, non-possessiveness, not accumulating things beyond what is necessary, non-attachment to possessions, no being greedy.
ASSIGNMENT: Contemplate these Yamas and decide on ONE that is difficult for you. (If you were in class you already have this!) Think about why it’s difficult for you, and each day take steps to work in a positive way with the yama. For instance, if you are working on Ahimsa and you find yourself feeling violent and argumentative, see if you can walk away from the situation. Write a couple sentences in your journal each day about the yama and how it’s going.
WEEK #4 (Feb 4-6)
This week in class I talked about how we each have the power to make a difference in ourselves and in the world around us. Which leads to this great homework assignment. 🙂
This week’s homework is to be emailed (or posted on blackboard if I get it together)
The homework for this week is to be “An Ambassador of Kindness.” Be the nice person. Here’s some options (not limited to these)…make dinner, open doors for people, smile, let someone else “win” the conversation, clean your shared apartment…
Each night write down what you did and how it went for you. At the end of the week write a concluding 2 to 4 sentence paragraph about the whole experience. BEFORE NEXT CLASS SEND ALL EIGHT OF THESE ENTIRES (an entry each day and the concluding paragraph). I’ll let you know if I get blackboard set up…otherwise email me the homework. Have fun!
WEEK #3 (Jan 28-30)
The idea is that we have an inner experience (which is what we’ve been noticing the last couple weeks), and then an experience outside of ourselves. With that in mind, the extra homework (besides the meditation practice), is to be a wallflower for 5 minutes/day and write about it. As an example, you could sit in the Davis Center and watch people walk be, but not interact. The thing I want you to do is take in as much as possible. We all end up blocking out a lot of what is around us. This is an opportunity to really see it, smell it, experience it, listen to it. Take in the outer world. You can do this anywhere (home, walking, driving…). And, of course, write about it each day in your journal.
WEEK #2 (Jan 21-23)
This week’s homework is exactly the same as last week, but adding the breath to your awareness once/day. It can be anywhere. Take about a minute and recognize how you feel in in your body, mind and heart and breath (without judgment). Then write about it in your journal. By the end of the week you’ll have 7 of these entries in your journal.
WEEK #1 (Jan 14-16)
Once/day bring awareness to your mind, body & heart. It can be anywhere. Take about a minute and recognize how you feel in in your body, mind and heart (without judgment). Then write about it in your journal. By the end of the week you’ll have 7 of these entries in your journal.