Mindfulness is a learned practice of bringing consciousness to the present moment without evaluating the associated emotions arising during that moment. It is one of the hundreds of meditation techniques rooted in Buddhist philosophy. It states that emotions don’t hold power upon us until and unless we engage with them. If we remain still and maintain our calm, they disperse into thin air.

There are several alternative techniques of mindfulness MBSR available online on Palouse mindfulness that can be employed along with or separately with conventional MBSR training. Let’s read further in more detail about them.

Complete List of Palouse Mindfulness Alternative MSBR Training

There are specific other mindfulness exercises that can be alternatively done to manage chronic stress and other associated issues. They are very similar to mindfulness techniques but differ in variations from classic Palouse mindfulness therapy. 

What is Palouse Mindfulness?

Palouse Mindfulness (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) is an online technique of psychotherapy taught by trained MBSR coach Dave Potter.  It was founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He began using this technique on patients who had stopped responding to medicines and was hugely successful in his approach.

Using Mindfulness for Reducing Stress

This stress-reducing technique came to be known as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Gradually, MBSR gained popularity and became a very effective stress-management tool among clinical psychologists.

How Palouse Mindfulness Works

Its principles are based on Buddhist teachings of mindfulness, where you have to become aware of your thoughts, sensations, and emotions of the body without engaging in it. A person is taught to be merely an observer of all the emotions without reacting to the happenings around.

Does Palouse Mindfulness Really Work?

Now the question arises, “ Is Palouse Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction a legit technique?” The answer is Yes; it is authentic as many clinical trials have proven its efficacy in reducing stress, managing anger, and other self-loathing issues, and creating a more positive approach to life.

What is the Palouse Mindfulness Method?

It is essentially an eight-week online or virtual mode of learning mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques through a trained instructor. It is designed especially for those who find it difficult to attend physical classes. It is free with no hidden costs. The reading materials are available online free of charge; hence it is self-paced. It is available in the language of your preference. There is a translator button on the webpage which allows you to select the language of your choice. The additional plus point is that you get to listen to various lectures of imminent psychotherapists worldwide, whereas in in-person classes, you are taught by just one instructor. 

Main Components of Palouse MBSR Method

1. Raisin Meditation
2. Body Scan
3. Sitting Meditation
4. Mindful Yoga 1
5. Mindful Yoga 2
6. “Turning Toward meditations for physical and emotional pains.”
7. Mountain Meditation
8. Lake Meditation
9. Loving kindness
10. Soften, Soothe, Allow
11. RAIN Meditation
12. Silent Meditations

Best Palouse Mindfulness Alternatives

Although mindfulness and meditation techniques are known to reduce stress and are quite a vogue these days, with several people teaching various variations of meditations via their channels or online, a substantial number of people didn’t benefit from these practices. Some people have very negative experiences with mindfulness and classical meditation techniques. Rather than helping them, these techniques have increased their negative behaviors like anxiety attacks. Those people are not failures or have something very wrong with them; it’s just these techniques might not be helping them. For all those, there are undoubtedly other alternatives that they can do in their comfort zone.

1. Palouse Meditation body scan
2. Radical acceptance Palouse meditation
3. Palouse Mindfulness Mountain meditation

Palouse Meditation Body Scan (Alternative 1)

After Mindful awareness of yourself, next is the Body Scanning Technique. It is a process of gradual and progressive relaxation of the body and mind. This is achieved by lying down and concentrating on individual body parts – starting from the foot muscles to the facial muscles. This leads to generalized body relaxation, which calms the body and mind. Why is this meditation named Palouse? Palouse is named after the north-western US mountains. The hills of the Palouse change in different seasons and adjust to the environment. This has led to calling this technique Palouse mindfulness, which also teaches us to be resilient.

Radical acceptance Palouse meditation (Alternative 2)

This technique was devised by Tara Brach, a Buddhist meditation teacher. This technique is beneficial for people dealing with self-loathing and self-critical behavioral patterns. The method consists of accepting the emotion (radical acceptance) without resisting the emotions arising during that emotional phase. Whatever we resist, it grows manifolds and leads to the chain reaction of varied emotions like anger, disgust, pain, etc. We are our worst judges, and in doing that, we get tied to the feeling of anger, guilt, shame that leads to pain and suffering.

Instead, it involves being compassionate with those feelings, sitting with them, and acknowledging their presence without indulging or providing any kind of reaction to them. 

 Palouse Mindfulness Mountain Meditation (Alternative 3)

This kind of guided meditation is guided by hypnotherapist Francesca Elisia and is an essential component of Dave Potter’s MBSR technique.

Start with sitting in a comfortable position on the floor or chair and feeling the contact of your body and chair or floor to feel the connection of stability. Feel the whole body by keeping awareness of each part. Concentrate on standard breathing patterns and keep it natural. Visualize a beautiful lofty mountain and connect with it by imagining every detail of it. Just as mountains remain stable in every weather and stand firm, our human awareness of being like that should be like that, firm and stable. Imagining yourself like a mountain or instead connecting with it creates a sense of balance and harmony.

Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Always Beneficial?

Getting into the conventional form of meditation could be a daunting task for some people. Although mindfulness and meditation techniques are known to reduce stress and are quite in vogue these days, with many people teaching various variations of meditations via their channels or online, a substantial number of people didn’t benefit from these practices. Some people have very negative experiences with mindfulness and classical meditation techniques. Rather than helping them, these techniques have increased their negative behaviors like anxiety attacks.

This does not mean that something is wrong with them; it’s just these techniques might not be helping them. For all those, there are undoubtedly other alternatives that they can do in their comfort zone. One of the perks of joining an MBSR program with Palouse mindfulness is online and self-paced. You can dive into the inner journey without time constraints and with several different therapists.