Description
The 8 Essential Mindfulness Skills: Transforming Default Habits into Skillful Responses
Each week focuses on developing and discussing the practical applications of one skill with specific micro-practices to transform default habits:
Week 1: Awareness
- Default Habit: Autopilot reactivity to triggering news and events
- Skillful Response: Awareness of automatic reactivity and the ability to step back to see the big picture
- Micro-Practice Example: “See with Fresh Eyes” – A 2-minute practice to release judgments and see situations as they truly are
Week 2: Compassion
- Default Habit: Harsh judgment and criticism of self and others
- Skillful Response: Understanding the causes and conditions underlying people’s behaviors and recognizing our shared humanity
- Micro-Practice Example: “Interbeing” – A 5-minute practice to recognize how our needs are interdependent and develop understanding even in conflicts
Week 3: Curiosity
- Default Habit: Confirmation bias that reinforces existing beliefs
- Skillful Response: Openness to new information and perspectives
- Micro-Practice Example: “Ask What, Not Why” – A simple technique to expand understanding by asking questions that invite new insights rather than reinforcing existing patterns
Week 4: Energy
- Default Habit: Passive acceptance of status quo and decision fatigue
- Skillful Response: Balancing the needs in four domains of life – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual to align with deeper values and intentions
- Micro-Practice Example: “Visit the Four Rooms” – A practice to balance and replenish your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy
Week 5: Appreciative Joy
- Default Habit: Negativity bias that focuses on problems and threats
- Skillful Response: Recognition of positive aspects and progress
- Micro-Practice Example: “Act with Love” – A practice to release perfectionism and reconnect with your intentions by focusing on what you appreciate about your efforts
Week 6: Inner Calm
- Default Habit: Attachment to fixed beliefs and certainty
- Skillful Response: Comfort with ambiguity and not-knowing
- Micro-Practice Example: “The Art of Stopping” – A practice to calm the momentum of habitual thinking and create space for new possibilities
Week 7: Focus
- Default Habit: Distraction and information overwhelm
- Skillful Response: Sustained attention on what truly matters
- Micro-Practice Example: “Just Three Breaths” – A centering practice to cut through overwhelm and reconnect with what’s most essential in this moment
Week 8: Equanimity
- Default Habit: Impulsive reactions to pleasant and unpleasant experiences
- Skillful Response: Balanced discernment in all situations
- Micro-Practice Example: “Unhook Yourself” – A liberating practice to recognize when you’re caught by the eight worldly winds (praise/blame, success/failure, pleasure/pain, fame/disrepute) and release their hold
What You’ll Experience Each Week:
- 75-Minute Live Sessions featuring guided meditation, skill exploration, and small group discussion
- Daily Micro-Practices that take just 2-5 minutes but create powerful shifts in your daily life
- Supportive Community limited to 20 participants to ensure meaningful connection
- Real-World Application Strategies for implementing mindfulness during your most challenging moments
You’ll Receive:
- Live Guidance from Dr. Shalini Bahl with opportunities for Q&A in a supportive community setting
- Daily Meditations to foster the eight mindfulness skills
- 48 Daily Guided Micro-Practices for building your skills between sessions
- Pre and post Mindfulness Assessment to track your progress
- Weekly Practice Guides with reflection prompts and application exercises
- Community Forum for sharing insights and ongoing support
Optional Add-ons:
You can deepen your practice by reading the skills and practices in detail before each meeting and/or using the deckible app to practice regularly throughout the day:
- A copy of “Return to Mindfulness” by Dr. Shalini Bahl
- Lifetime access to all 48 micro-practices on the Deckible app
Our Pricing Philosophy
We believe that mindfulness practices should be accessible to all who seek them while honoring the value of the teaching and community we create together. Choose the option that aligns with your current circumstances.
A note on our pricing: I frequently encounter 444 as a meaningful number in my life, which inspired me to create a pricing structure with repeating digits—a small reminder of the patterns and synchronicities that mindfulness helps us notice.
Community Builder
$444
For those experiencing financial abundance who wish to support our community’s growth. Your choice at this level makes it possible for us to offer accessible pricing and scholarships, creating a more diverse and inclusive gathering.
Sustaining
$333
This option reflects the actual cost of creating and facilitating this immersive experience, including fair compensation for our teachers and the resources provided.
Foundational
$222
For those experiencing financial constraints who would otherwise be unable to participate. We trust your self-assessment of what is possible for you right now, with no questions asked.
All participants receive the same program experience and community support. Payment plans are available for all levels. Limited scholarships are available—please contact us if needed.
What Past Participants Say:
“I didn’t really understand what mindfulness was when I started. I just thought it would help me be more present at home with my young kids and wife, as my relationship was suffering while I worried about my commercial real estate business. Now, I focus on understanding which habits aren’t serving me and trusting my body instead of just my mind. I’ve changed my view on everything. It’s about understanding myself more and recognizing patterns that are constantly problematic.” — T. A., Business Owner
“Before this program, I didn’t know what I needed—I just knew I needed something to help with my trauma and ongoing life challenges. I used to try to ‘brute force’ solutions, pushing square pegs into round holes. Now I’ve learned the importance of sitting with my emotions without bypassing them. Last week, I had a breakthrough acknowledging my anger rather than reacting to it. I’m grateful for these simple tools—just observing emotions rather than trying to handle everything with my mind.” — N. T., Business Owner
“My intention was to get mindfulness off the cushion and see it in real life. Despite practicing on and off for years, I had a lot in my head but wanted to change things around me. During a chaotic week with family visits, my formal meditation fell apart, but I realized that’s exactly what these 8 weeks were about—real life application. I noticed how mindful I could be amid the messiness. I’ve learned to be easier on myself after years of asking ‘Why aren’t you better at this?’ I kind of said to myself, ‘You are enough. You’re okay. You don’t have to strive anymore.’ I’m happy where I am right now, and that’s pretty big for me. Striving can take a lot out of you.” — L. M., Mindfulness Practitioner
“I could pull on mindfulness skills as I felt my anxiety get higher or that push to do things perfectly. I really watched myself calm down and not get caught up in the craziness that social work can do to you. My reason for taking this course was learning how to take what I had read and put it into daily practice—I wasn’t making that connection before. I feel so much better now that I’ve learned how to do this, and I plan to continue the process.” — F. S., Social Worker
“My intention coming into this class was navigating so much change and uncertainty in my life. During our final session, I was overwhelmed with preparing for a trip while caring for my grandmother after surgery. I thought I didn’t have time for class, but as soon as we started meditating, I realized this was exactly what I needed. The lesson I’ve felt over these 8 weeks is that while you can’t always control the chaos of life, you can return to that still point in the storm. Rather than trying to figure out my life, it’s about touching into those moments of mindfulness throughout.” — M. A., Coach
“This is the third course I’ve taken with Shalini, but it’s been a different experience. Initially I felt shame for not being a ‘good student’—having trouble keeping up with materials and my practice had ebbs and flows. But something important emerged: I noticed my pattern of throwing everything into whatever I’m doing. One of the big insights for me was realizing that ‘plenty is enough.’ I recently heard a child say, ‘You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails,’ and it struck me as profound wisdom. This program has been a good spark to look internally and reconnect with my authentic self.” — R. C., Business Professor
Join Our Next Gathering
When: May 21 to July 9, 2025
Where: Online via Zoom
Investment: Please see our pricing policy
Limited to: About 20 participants to ensure quality interaction
About Sama Life and Dr. Shalini Bahl
“Sama” in Sanskrit and Pali means balanced and skillful—qualities essential for navigating today’s complex world. Dr. Shalini Bahl has spent over 15 years researching and teaching mindfulness, focusing specifically on how these practices can help us respond skillfully to modern challenges.
Her insights in the Return to Mindfulness framework are uniquely informed by her diverse experiences of living in India, Kuwait, and the USA, as well as her five-year term as an elected town councilor in Amherst. This rich tapestry of cultural perspectives and practical governance experience brings depth and relevance to her approach.
Her Return to Mindfulness framework has been implemented in organizations, communities, and with individuals seeking practical ways to access clarity amidst overwhelm.
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