I teach mindfulness because when you pay attention to what you feel, you can notice that it changes.
Making space for a thought
A thought can be noticed without obeying it or trying to prove it false. If “I will disappoint everyone” appears before a conversation, you might silently add “I am having the thought that...” and then choose what you want to say. The thought may remain; the choice is whether it must run the conversation.
ACT describes this kind of perspective alongside present-moment attention, values, and committed action. A brief exercise is not the same as a course of therapy, and mindfulness is not comfortable for everyone. Keep your eyes open, take a break, or seek support if the exercise feels too intense.
Association for Contextual Behavioral Science on ACT · Integration guide
Mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention to this moment on purpose, without judging it. It is a skill, and like any skill it grows with practice.
We ask you to start a simple practice before retreat. Being able to watch what is happening in you without being swept away is what lets you stay steady when ceremony gets intense.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Steven Hayes developed ACT in the 1980s. It has two parts. Acceptance means making room for hard thoughts and feelings without a fight. Commitment means taking the action that matches what you care about, even when it is uncomfortable.
One ACT idea we use a lot is defusion: seeing a thought as a thought, not as a fact. In ceremony people often see a long-held belief from the outside for the first time. Defusion gives you a way to keep that view afterward.
How we use it
These are the practices in our preparation month and in integration. We pick them because they are simple, you can do them at home and they ask you to act on what you learned.