Mindfulness for All

Mindfulness for All

Adapted from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be sitting still for long periods and feeling our bodies in ways that might be uncomfortable for us.

In this Mindfulness series we will be learning mindfulness together in ways that we can individualize it for our unique selves.

This program will be a chance to learn and practice these adapted mindfulness tools in an inclusive and neurodiversity-affirming setting that is open to beginners and experienced meditators alike.

This program happens in-person and on a drop-in basis. No registration required!

Step-by-step directions to our space are here: camh.ca/-/media/education-files/camh-pfls-directions2024-pdf.pdf. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

New mindfulness techniques will be taught each week, in a 6 week cycle. Come to one session, or come to all. We will have some fun while taking care of our wellbeing. Mindfulness is not therapy- but a set of tools we can access anywhere, anytime, with practice.

Session 1 -Mindfulness: Come to our Senses

We will practice connecting with our senses in our own individual ways, as practices to ground ourselves. These mindfulness tools are easy to use anywhere we are, and are practical ways of getting grounded using the senses available to us: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell.

We individualize the practices to be accessible for each of us.

Session 2 – Mindfulness and Breath: Making it Accessible for me

We will explore ways of being mindful of breath in unique and creative ways. We will explore feeling the breath, listening to the sound of the breath, and even moving our bodies with the breath – in ways that work for us. We are all unique in how we feel the breath – and this practice is individualized to help us all find our personal “sweet spot” to connect with the breath.

Session 3 – Body Awareness – In ways that are Neuro-affirming and self-compassionate

When we pay attention to the feelings in the body with mindfulness practice it is important to be gentle with what we feel inside. Any of us who have backgrounds of trauma, or feelings of sensory overload can actually feel worse when we try just noticing the body sensations in standard cookie-cutter mindfulness practices like the body scan.

In this practice we are compassionate toward ourselves, and practice being aware of body sensations in ways that are comforting for us.

Session 4 - Mindfully moving my body: Walking meditation using our feet or mobility device

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be just sitting still. In this session we will explore mindful walking (Please note, we use the term “walking” aware that we adapt these practices for ourselves if we use a wheelchair or mobility device).
We will explore different ways of paying mindful attention to ourselves while walking. These are tools we can use anywhere we go!

Session 5 – Deep Compassion for myself and others

Self-compassion is the heart of all the mindfulness exercises we do. In this session we focus specifcally on this part of the mindfulness path. We will explore a few different ways of cultivating compasison for ourselves and others. The great thing about this practice, is it can be developed like a muscle! The more we practice it, the more compassion we will develop for ourselves and others.

Session 6: Mindfulness, music, and art

In this session we will explore personal playlists to get us in the mindful mode, creating art in ways that is comforting and use the breath and body awareness.

Our Facilitators:

Sue Hutton (she/her) MSW, RSW

Caregiver Mindfulness, Neurodiversity-informed Mindfulness Teacher

CAMH Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre - Toronto, Canada.

Sue’s passion for making mindfulness accessible for caregivers, support staff and neurodivergent minds comes from her unique path of 38 years of unifying disability rights advocacy for neurodevelopmental differences in a committed social work career, with a deep dedication to formal mindfulness training. ​

Sue has taught mindfulness through groups, one-on-one sessions and presentations to over a thousand people over the years in health, education and mental health settings.

Sue teaches mindfulness with a focus on compassionate inclusion at the CAMH Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopment Centre, where she has worked with the research team adapting mindfulness for neurodivergent minds, as well as caregivers for over 10 years.

Bartholemew (Bart) Campbell (he/him) l M.Ed, WRAP@ALF l Let(s) Lead Mentor

Program Engagement Co-Facilitator, Collaborative Learning College (CLC)

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Bartholemew (Bart) Campbell (he/him) join CAMH about 4 months ago as Program Engagement Co-Facilitator with the Collaborative Learning College and a mentor for Yale University Let(s) Lead program. He studied HR Management at Toronto Metropolitan University and holds an M Ed. in Adult Learning from Yorkville University. He was a management professional for over 25 years until he was derailed by mental illness. Upon recovery he became a trained a peer support specialist and a wellness educator, utilizing his lived experience, training and his certification as an Advanced WRAP facilitator to partnered with Hope+Me (MDAO) and several community agencies to inspire people affected by mental illness, break free from self-stigma to enjoy a better quality of life.

The Mindfulness practices we will engage in have been developed over 10 years through research at the CAMH Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre. The Azrieli Centre’s research on mindfulness with both caregivers as well as autistic adults has been adapted from the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum with Sue Hutton, MSW, RSW (trained with Jon Kabat-Zinn in delivering MBSR) and Dr. Yona Lunsky’s research team.

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