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Mental Health / Mindfulness Eating Group
Understand your eating behaviors and improve your health
Mindfulness,
the ability to be fully in the present moment, is a skill that
can be beneficial for increasing personal awareness of thoughts,
emotions, and choice in behavior. Mindfulness applied to eating
behaviors can improve a person's relationship to food and
promote awareness of "fullness" or satiety. This helps
people:
- Make better choices
- Feed the body when it is hungry
- Learn to attend more appropriately to other issues that may be causing non-hunger based eating
Dean’s Mindfulness Eating Group is a skill-based experiential group aimed to improve awareness of eating behaviors and promote healthy eating. Not a traditional psychotherapy group, but rather a group with class participation where members:
- Practice mindfulness together
- Participate in eating meditations
- Help each other identify barriers to being fully present (both internal and external)
- Identify triggers for non-hunger based eating
The group also discusses and learns about approaches to the present moment that promote balance, wise choices and lower stress. In addition to group attendance, group members are asked to commit to a 30 minute practice three times a week between group meetings. CDs are provided as practice aides.
Mindfulness Eating Group Discussion Topics and Exercises
Week 1: Introduction
Mindfulness Eating Practice
Non-Judging/
Beginner’s Mind
Week 2: Binge Triggers
Mini-Meditations
Body Scan
Non-Striving
Week 3: Hunger Awareness
Hunger Awareness Meditation
Sensation Meditation
Loving Kindness Meditation
Letting Go
Week 4: Satiety
Long Eating Practice
Pot Luck
Patience
Week 5: Forgiveness
Forgiveness Meditation
Acceptance
Week 6: Empowered Choice
Equanimity Practice
Trust
Week 7: Staying Mindful
Continued Commitment
Group Basics
This seven-week group meets weekly during the evenings for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Sessions are held at Dean East Clinic, 1821 S. Stoughton Road in Madison. Eating meditations occur weeks 1-4. Food for these practices will be provided weeks 1 and 3. Participants are asked to bring food weeks 2 and 4.
Mindfulness Groups are led by Dean Psychologist Lisa Rambaldo, PsyD.
New group attendees should begin the group on Week 1. Attendees who have already attended the seven-week group can join any ongoing session to reconnect to or refresh the practice. Make up group sessions can be arranged with Dr. Rambaldo.
Next Session
The next Mindful Eating session will start soon. The class is held from 6:15-8:15 p.m. To learn more or enroll,
please call 608.260.MIND (6463).
For related services, please visit Dean's Comprehensive Weight Management section.
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