NOTE: This sequence is guided by Dr. Lynn Rossy, Health Psychologist for the University of Missouri Wellness Program.
Even if you are very experienced in yoga, please be sure to read Mindful Yoga before your first time doing this practice. Mindful Yoga is different than many traditional yoga practices in that there is less of a focus on the exact posture achieved and more focus on body/mind awareness.
Mindful Yoga 1
Special Note: If these movements are too challenging, and trying to do them, even with modifications, is painful or harmful, there are a number of good options. First, there is a 20-minute Yoga sequence, also by Lynn Rossy, which is less challenging. If that's still too challenging, a gentle but powerful option is Ten Mindful Movements (the ten movements are done twice, first by a Thich Nhat Hanh student and then by Thich Nhat Hanh himself). Still another option is to try Mindful Yoga 1 with camera emphasis on chair poses. It is identical to the video for Mindful Yoga 1, except that the camera is focused on another instructor who does all the poses from a chair.
Whether or not you have physical limitations, be sure to modify the movements in any way that makes them doable for you. Sensing what is appropriate for you, and modifying the practices accordingly, is mindfulness in itself.
Common Questions [ Click below. To return to this page, use the "back" button of your browser. ]
I already have a yoga practice/class. Can that substitute for the MBSR yoga?
Can I do the yoga in several shorter sessions during the day?
Below is an audio alternative to the video above. We recommend you view the video at least the first few times to see how the poses are done, but afterwards you may choose to use this audio version:
If you like, after doing this for a week or so, you might choose to do it without guidance at all. This is totally a matter of preference - some people choose to "go solo" after a time, and others always use the recorded guidance.