Mindful Awareness Practices for Daily Living

Mindful Awareness Practices are the signature educational programs of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. These six-week classes are taught throughout Los Angeles and on the UCLA campus. The series creates the foundation for students to understand the basic principles of mindfulness, develop a personal meditation practice, and apply the principles in their daily lives.

The MAPs I course is an excellent introduction to mindfulness. It’s also appropriate for experienced practitioners who wish to revitalize their practice. The class is suitable for ages 16 and over.

Each class is a combination of lecture, practice, group feedback, and discussion. MAPs are taught in the context of a supportive community environment with classes no larger than 30-40 students. Classes are six-weeks long and meet once per week for two hours. Students also practice meditation at home starting with five minutes a day and working up to 20 minutes a day by the end of the course. Students attending an in-person Maps I class receive a complimentary home practice CD. 

Students learn Mindful concepts that include: 

• Overview of Mindfulness 

• Mindfulness of the Body 

• Obstacles to Mindfulness 

• Mindfulness to help with Physical Pain 

• Working with Difficult Emotions 

• Cultivating Positive Emotions 

• Working with Difficult Thoughts 

• Mindful Interactions 

Practices taught include: 

• Sitting meditation 

• Eating meditation 

• Daily life meditations 

• Relational mindfulness 

• Walking meditation 

• Standing meditation 

• Movement meditation 

• Practices to develop positive emotions