Relational Mindfulness

Relational Mindfulness

• Relational Mindfulness
• Relational mindfulness: focusing attention on another person, allowing authenticity to arise by removing aspect of social performance
• Anchor of attention: another person
• Mindfulness of the other.
• Turning intensely solitary activity into interactive.
• Changing the normal rules of social conversations by allowing complete listening or complete speaking; results in authenticity arising without trying.
• Relational mindfulness is a byproduct of all mindfulness.
• Bottom-up rather than top-down.
• Appreciative Joy
• Appreciative joy: joy for the joy of another
• Relational practice and cultivating positive emotions go hand-in-hand; best/most salient together
• Don't try too hard!
• With relational practice and cultivating positivity.
• These qualities arise naturally; bring in ease.
• Authenticity
• Core of love: willingness to pay attention
• Bringing awareness to how we relate.
• Authenticity is a result of relating in line with our values.

• Practices
• Kaleidescope
• Formation of triangles/groups of three; persons A, B, and C.
• A stays put; B goes clockwise; C goes counterclockwise.
• Different exercises, between 15 sec and a few minutes per person; rotate between exercises.
• Hot Seat
• All seated in circle, one person is in "hot seat."  
• Everyone listens except speaker in hot seat.  
• All others in circle ask hot seat person questions by raising hand/taking turns, guided by facilitator.
• Anchor of attention: person in hot seat

Notes from MARC MAPS: Relational Mindfulness, taught by Marvin Belzer, May 16, 2018 - June 20, 2018.