UCLA Mindful Awareness Practice I (MAPs I) 6 Week Program: Mindfulness for Daily Living 

MAPs I is a 6 week course that teaches you to start a  mindfulness meditation practice.  We will practice sitting and walking meditations, and learn how to work with difficult thoughts and emotions. These practices will help you develop greater mind-body awareness and reduce stress, improve attention, boost immune function, reduce emotional reactivity and promote a general sense of wellbeing.  Developed and researched at UCLA’s Semel Institute Mindful Awareness Research Center.  

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.

Class Structure: Each class combines lectures, 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 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