Secular Meditation-Based Ethics of Responsibility (MBER) Program Wise Intentions, Consciousness and Reflexivities

An ethical solution to the current health, ecological and financial problems we face is to mobilize our responsibility by overcoming our duality with the environment. It calls for changes in attitudes and behaviors that are not self-evident and can be facilitated by specific learning. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are increasingly used in professional settings, particularly in therapy, because their effectiveness in terms of change is increasingly supported by scientific evidence.

This book presents a detailed program aimed at developing an ethics of responsibility known as Mindfulness- or MeditationBased Ethics of Responsibility (MBER). It combines theoretical explanations, exercises and secular meditations to propose (rather than impose) ethical guidelines, accompanying participants in identifying their own ethical values, acting in accordance with them, while weakening their dual functionings.

Hélène Hagège is a professor of education and training at the Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l’éducation in Limoges, France.

Foreword xi

Preface xv

Introduction xix

Chapter 1. Session 1: Ethics and Meditation, Living in the Present Moment in Coherence with Our Values 1

1.1 Getting to know each other and adjusting expectations (0 min) 1

1.2 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (17 min) 2

1.3 Experiencing meditation with focused attention on breathing (20 min) 3

1.4 Understanding the purpose of the program (55 min) 6

1.5 Understanding one of the resources of the program: meditation (1 h 05 min) 8

1.6 Take a break (1 h 20 min) 15

1.7 Experiencing CSM (1 h 20 min) 15

1.8 Knowing our values and understanding how they relate to our lives (1 h 55 min) 18

1.9 Leaving with a training program to complete by the next session (2 h 50 min) 24

1.10 Having reading lists to progress certain points 26

1.11 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the session (2 h 57 min) 26

Chapter 2. Session 2: Reducing Stress to Consciously Develop Responsibility 27

2.1 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (0 min) 27

2.2 Learning a mini-practice of attention regulation (2 min) 28

2.3 Providing a space for discussing the practices carried out since the last session (20 min) 30

2.4 Asking a question to collect initial conceptions and quoting the reflection (40 min) 32

2.5 Understanding the attitude to adopt in the face of guilt to promote an ethical approach (45 min) 32

2.6 Understanding stress regulation through the conscious sensory mode (1 h) 38

2.7 Practicing a sitting meditation to stabilize attention on a mental visual object and understanding the right attitude (1 h 07 min) 39

2.8 Taking a break (1 h 30 min) 43

2.9 Understanding one of the basic mechanisms of the dual functioning of the mind: grasping (1 h 30 min) 43

2.10 Understanding a link between mindfulness and responsibility (1 h 40 min) 44

2.11 Understanding the different types of reactions and responses to stress (1 h 50 min) 46

2.12 Learning a technique to practice CSM (mindfulness training): body and scanning (2 h 10 min) 49

2.13 Leaving with a training program to complete by the next session (2 h 53 min) 52

2.14 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the session (2 h 57 min) 54

Chapter 3. Session 3: From Dual Functioning to Wisdom, to Live Happily and Ethically 55

3.1 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (0 min) 55

3.2 Practicing stabilizing attention on sounds (2 min) 55

3.3 Debrief on the practices carried out since the last session (35 min) 56

3.4. Learning to see our own projections in terms of judgment (45 min) 59

3.5. Understanding the impact of our thoughts on our lives (1 h 20 min) 63

3.6 Taking a break (1 h 30 min) 64

3.7 Understanding the role of attentional biases in dual functioning (1 h 30 min) 65

3.8 Transforming the tendency to judge (2 h 05 min) 70

3.9 Clarifying some vocabulary (2 h 30 min) 74

3.10 Learning a meditation to gather and let go quickly (2 h 35 min) 77

3.11 Having a panorama of dual functioning (2 h 40 min) 79

3.12 Understanding the link between duality and projection (2 h 50 min) 82

3.13 Leaving with a training program to complete by the next session (2 h 55 min) 83

3.14 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the session (2 h 58 min) 85

Chapter 4. Session 4: Changing Our Relationship to Thoughts and Expanding Our Consciousness 87

4.1 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (0 min) 88

4.2 Meditating and perceiving the evanescent character of thoughts (2 min) 88

4.3 Debriefing on the practices carried out since the last session (30 min) 91

4.4 Understanding the possibilities of changing our relationship with thoughts (40 min) 92

4.5 Practicing the perception of erroneous thoughts (45 min) 94

4.6 Taking a break (1 h 30 min) 100

4.7 Taking thoughts as objects instead of being the object of thoughts (1 h 30 min) 101

4.8 Understanding the contribution of CBT and MBCT to this process (2 h) 105

4.9 Meditating to develop altruistic thinking: Tonglen practice (2 h 15 min) 110

4.10 Leaving with a training program to complete by the next session (2 h 55 min) 114

4.11 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the session (2 h 58 min) 115

Chapter 5. Session 5: Changing Our Relationship with Emotions to Develop Responsibility 117

5.1 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (0 min) 117

5.2 Doing a short meditation to settle down at the beginning of the session (2 min) 117

5.3 Debriefing on the practices carried out since the last session (20 min) 118

5.4 Ridding ourselves of limiting beliefs about emotions (30 min) 119

5.5 Learning a model of different functional modalities of emotions (50 min) 130

5.6 Taking a break (1 h 20 min) 138

5.7 Learning to integrate emotions (1 h 20 min) 138

5.8 Sowing the seeds of future emotional exposure (2 h 35 min) 152

5.9 Doing practices labeled “pleasant” to “recover from emotions” (2 h 40 min) 153

5.10 Leaving with a training program to complete by the next session (2 h 53 min) 153

5.11 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the session (2 h 57 min) 154

Chapter 6. Session 6: Welcoming Ourselves with Kindness, So That We Can Do the Same with Others and Develop Joy, Authenticity and Creativity 155

6.1 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (0 min) 155

6.2 Starting with a practice to settle down (2 min) 155

6.3 Debriefing on the practices carried out since the last session (15 min) 156

6.4 Experiencing conscious listening and authentic speech – practicing “Primum non nocere” (25 min) 159

6.5. Understanding the link between authenticity and ethics (1 h 05 min) 162

6.6 Practicing forgiveness to break free from authenticity barriers (1 h 10 min) 164

6.7 Taking a break (1 h 30 min) 166

6.8 Further equipping ourselves to better understand and open our mind: cross integration dreams (1 h 30 min) 166

6.9 Understanding the virtuous circle between joy, authenticity and ethics (2 h 20 min) 170

6.10 Trying another practice to strengthen this circle: joy meditation or acrostic (2 h 25 min) 173

6.11 Generating a commitment to deepen our ethical approach 174

6.12 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the session (2 h 57 min) 176

Chapter 7. Day of Silent Retreat: Taking Care of Ourselves in Order to Take Care of Others and the Non-human Environment 177

7.1 Setting an ethical intention at the beginning of the session (0 min) 178

7.2 Recap of the principle and interest of silence (2 min) 178

7.3 Meditation (10 min) 179

7.4. Dynamic practices in place, outside if the weather allows it (25 min) 180

7.5 Individual walking practice, preferably outdoors (1 h) 180

7.5.1 Practices in conscious sensory modes (1 h) 180

7.5.2 Practices to develop gratitude (1 h 30 min) 181

7.5.3 Practice associating gratitude with mindfulness (1 h 45 min) 182

7.6 Short break, then relaxation inside to end the morning (2 h) 183

7.7 Lunch break (2 h 45 min) 185

7.8 Lightly energizing practices (4 h) 186

7.9 Meditation with stabilization of attention on a visual object (4 h 15 min) 187

7.10 Walking practice, preferably outdoors (4 h 30 min) 188

7.10.1 Group walking practices 188

7.10.2 Individual walking practices with visualizations 189

7.11 After a short break, a yoga nidra (5 h 15 min) 192

7.12 Breaking the silence to share experience (6 h 10 min) 197

7.13 Setting an ethical intention at the end of the day and sharing its ethical consequences (7 h) 202

Conclusion 205

References 211

Index 223

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