neuroskill-com/neuroskill-protocols-mindfulness

Mindfulness Protocols

(This is a domain sub-skill of the neuroskill-protocols repertoire. For the personalisation engine, API integration guide, modality router, and matching guidance, see the parent neuroskill-protocols skill. For evidence collection rules, see neuroskill-evidence.)

FORMAL MINDFULNESS PRACTICES

Noting Practice → high mental chatter, rumination, low focus, inability to disengage from thoughts Label each experience as it arises: "thinking", "hearing", "feeling", "planning", "remembering". The label creates distance from the content. ◈ Beginner: Use broad categories only (thinking / feeling / sensing). ◈ Advanced: Add granularity — "judging", "anticipating", "resisting", "wanting". ◈ Child: "Name what your brain is doing like a nature narrator — 'now it's worrying, now it's daydreaming!'" ◈ Non-verbal variant: Instead of labeling, gently nod internally at each experience — acknowledge without words. 🔧 API: Before: status → snapshot focus, bar, lzc, label "protocol start: noting" --context "focus=X, bar=X, lzc=X". During: poll status every 60s — focus should stabilise, lzc should rise as meta-awareness develops. After: label with deltas. Longitudinal: compare noting sessions vs breath-counting — noting often outperforms for rumination-prone users.

Mindful Breathing (Awareness, Not Control) → stress, autopilot mode, need to ground, moderate bar Observe the breath exactly as it is — do not regulate, count, or shape it. Notice temperature at nostrils, rise and fall of chest/belly, pauses between breaths. ◈ Key distinction from breathwork: Zero effort to change the breath. If it's shallow, let it be shallow. ◈ Anchor point options: Nostrils (sharpest sensation), belly (easiest for beginners), whole-body breathing (advanced). ◈ Breath-averse: Observe heartbeat or ambient sounds instead — same principle of non-reactive observation. 🔧 API: Track relaxation, rel_alpha, bar. Unlike breathwork protocols, expect gradual rather than rapid shifts — the mechanism is attentional, not physiological. label with anchor point used.

Sitting Mindfulness (Full Spectrum) → daily practice, building equanimity, moderate-to-advanced practitioners Structured sitting in layers: breath (5 min) → body sensations (5 min) → sounds (5 min) → thoughts and emotions (5 min) → choiceless awareness (5 min). ◈ Shorter version: Pick 2–3 layers, 3 min each. ◈ Difficulty with thoughts layer: Treat thoughts as sounds — they arise, have a texture, and fade. 🔧 API: dnd_set enabled:true. say layer transition cues. Track metric shifts across layers — focus typically peaks in breath layer, lzc peaks in choiceless layer. label each transition for granular session analysis.

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INFORMAL MINDFULNESS (DAILY LIFE)

Mindful Eating → rushed meals, stress eating, cravings, disconnection from hunger/satiety One meal or snack with full attention: observe colour, texture, smell before tasting. Chew slowly (20+ chews). Notice flavour changes, swallowing impulse, satiety signals. ◈ Minimum viable: First three bites of any meal, fully attended. ◈ Social meals: Alternate — one mindful bite, then conversation, repeat. ◈ Child: "Be a food detective — what's the secret flavour hiding in this bite?" 🔧 API: label "mindful eating start" and label "mindful eating end" to bracket. Compare bar and relaxation during mindful vs rushed meals over time.

Mindful Listening → interpersonal stress, poor attention in conversations, high bar during meetings Listen to another person (or ambient sounds) without planning a response, judging, or drifting. Just receive. ◈ Conversation: Let 1 full second of silence pass after they finish before responding. ◈ Sound-based solo: Sit and identify all distinct sounds in your environment, one at a time. ◈ Music variant: Listen to one song as if hearing it for the first time — track individual instruments. 🔧 API: Track focus, bar. label with context (conversation/ambient/music).

Mindful Walking → autopilot commuting, restlessness, afternoon energy dip Walk at normal pace but place attention on: feet contacting ground, leg muscles, air on skin, peripheral vision. ◈ Distinction from walking meditation: Normal speed, normal context (commute, hallway). Not a separate practice — a way of being while walking. ◈ Micro-version: Be fully present for just 10 steps. Then allow autopilot. Repeat throughout the day. 🔧 API: label "mindful walking" --context "location, duration". Compare focus snapshots during vs after.

Mindful Transitions → context-switching fatigue, high bar between tasks, scattered attention At every natural transition (finishing an email, leaving a room, starting a meal), pause for 3 breaths and arrive in the new moment. ◈ Digital: Before opening a new app or tab, pause and ask "what am I looking for?" ◈ Doorway practice: Every time you walk through a doorway, feel your feet for one step. 🔧 API: Set up a hook — when bar spikes after sustained focus drops (context switch detected), say "Pause — take three breaths before the next thing". label transitions for pattern analysis.

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STRUCTURED MINDFULNESS FRAMEWORKS

STOP Practice → acute reactivity, emotional hijack, impulse to act, sudden bar spike Stop what you're doing. Take one breath. Observe (body, thoughts, emotions). Proceed with awareness. Total time: 15–30 seconds. ◈ Before emails: STOP before hitting send on any emotionally charged message. ◈ Conflict: STOP before responding to provocation. ◈ Child: "Freeze like a statue, take a dragon breath, look around, then go." 🔧 API: Ideal for hooks: hooks_suggest → trigger STOP when bar spikes above threshold within 10s. say "STOP. One breath. What do you notice?". label "STOP practice" --context "trigger, bar level".

RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) → difficult emotions, resistance, self-judgment, emotional avoidance Recognize what's happening ("I notice anxiety"). Allow it to be there without fixing. Investigate with curiosity — where in the body? what does it need? Nurture with self-compassion — hand on heart, kind inner voice. ◈ Stuck at Allow: Say "This too belongs" or "It's OK to feel this." ◈ Stuck at Investigate: Ask "If this feeling had a shape/colour/temperature, what would it be?" ◈ Stuck at Nurture: Ask "What would I say to a friend feeling this?" 🔧 API: Track valence, bar, faa, relaxation. say each RAIN step as a prompt with pauses. After: label "RAIN" --context "emotion, valence delta, bar delta". Longitudinal: search-labels "RAIN" to see which emotions recur and whether response patterns improve.

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding → dissociation, derealization, panic, overwhelm, very high bar Name: 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you touch, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Forces sensory present-moment contact. ◈ Simplified: Just "name 3 things you see and 2 you hear" if full sequence is too much. ◈ Eyes-closed variant: 5 body sensations, 4 sounds, 3 textures within reach, 2 temperatures, 1 taste. ◈ Child: Make it a game — "Quick! Spot 5 blue things!" 🔧 API: say each prompt with pauses. Track bar — should drop rapidly across the sequence. label "grounding 5-4-3-2-1" --context "bar start=X, bar end=X".

Three-Minute Breathing Space (MBCT) → mid-day reset, between meetings, cognitive overwhelm Minute 1: Awareness — "What is my experience right now?" (thoughts, feelings, sensations). Minute 2: Gathering — narrow attention to breath at belly. Minute 3: Expanding — widen attention to whole body and posture. ◈ Origin: Core practice from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). ◈ Calendar integration: Schedule 2–3 per day as recurring calendar events. 🔧 API: dnd_set enabled:true. say each minute transition. timer 3m. Track focus and bar across the three phases. label "3-min breathing space". After: notify "Breathing space complete".

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MINDFUL AWARENESS OF THOUGHTS

Thought Defusion → rumination, catastrophizing, over-identification with thoughts, low valence Observe thoughts as mental events, not facts. Techniques:

• "I notice I'm having the thought that..." (prefix)
• Visualize thoughts as leaves on a stream, clouds passing, or train cars going by
• Say the anxious thought in a cartoon voice (breaks identification) ◈ Key insight: The goal is not to stop thinking. It's to change your relationship to thinking. ◈ Repetitive thought: Count how many times the same thought arises in 5 minutes — the counting itself creates distance. 🔧 API: Track bar, valence, rel_beta (high beta often correlates with ruminative loops). label "thought defusion" --context "theme, repetition count, valence shift".

Awareness of Impermanence → attachment, clinging to states, frustration that "it's not working" During any practice, notice that every sensation, thought, and emotion changes on its own. Nothing you observe stays constant for more than a few seconds. ◈ Practice: Watch a single body sensation closely — notice it pulse, shift, fade, return. ◈ Meta-application: When meditation "isn't working", notice that even that judgment is impermanent. 🔧 API: Real-time EEG makes impermanence visible — status snapshots 60s apart always differ. say "Notice: your brain state just shifted. Nothing stays." Use metric variance itself as a teaching tool.

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COMPASSION-BASED MINDFULNESS

Self-Compassion Break (Kristin Neff) → self-criticism, shame, perfectionism, failure response Three phrases: "This is a moment of suffering" (mindfulness). "Suffering is part of life" (common humanity). "May I be kind to myself" (self-kindness). ◈ Physical anchor: Both hands on heart, or one hand on heart and one on belly. ◈ Personalize: Replace third phrase with what you most need to hear right now. 🔧 API: Track valence, bar, faa. say each phrase with 10s pauses. label "self-compassion break" --context "trigger, valence delta".

Equanimity Practice → reactivity to pleasant/unpleasant, emotional volatility, high valence variance Notice pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral experiences arising. For each: "This too is impermanent. I don't need to chase or push away." ◈ Body-based: Scan for pleasant sensations (warmth, comfort) and unpleasant ones (tension, itch) — hold both with equal attention. 🔧 API: Track valence stability over session. Equanimity practice should narrow valence variance. compare sessions to verify.

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MINDFULNESS IN DIFFICULT MOMENTS

Urge Surfing → cravings, addictive impulses, compulsive checking, digital addiction triggers When an urge arises, don't act on it or fight it. Observe it as a wave: it builds, peaks, and naturally subsides (usually within 15–20 minutes). ◈ Track the intensity: Rate 1–10 every 2 minutes. Watch the number fall. ◈ Body location: Where is the urge felt physically? Chest tightness? Restless hands? ◈ Digital: When reaching for phone, pause and surf the urge for 60 seconds before deciding. 🔧 API: timer for 15 min. Poll status every 2 min — track bar and focus. label "urge surfing" --context "urge type, peak intensity, duration until subsided". Longitudinal: search-labels "urge surfing" to identify patterns.

Mindful RAIN for Pain → chronic pain, acute discomfort, pain-related anxiety Apply RAIN specifically to physical pain: Recognize the pain. Allow it without bracing. Investigate — where exactly? what quality (sharp/dull/throbbing/burning)? does it have edges? Nurture — breathe warmth toward the area, soften surrounding muscles. ◈ Key: Separate the sensation from the narrative ("this will never end", "something is wrong"). ◈ Discovery: Pain often has texture and movement when closely observed — it's rarely the solid block it seems. 🔧 API: Track bar, stress_index. Pain-related anxiety (bar) often drops faster than the pain itself. label "mindful pain" --context "location, quality, bar delta".

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SESSION DESIGN GUIDELINES

| Context | Protocol | Duration | |---|---|---| | Acute reactivity | STOP or 5-4-3-2-1 | 15–60 sec | | Mid-day reset | Three-Minute Breathing Space | 3 min | | Daily informal | Any informal practice (eating, walking, transitions) | Varies | | Daily formal | Mindful breathing → noting or sitting mindfulness | 10–20 min | | Emotional difficulty | RAIN or Self-Compassion Break | 5–15 min | | Craving/impulse | Urge Surfing | 10–20 min | | Deepening practice | Sitting mindfulness (full spectrum) | 20–45 min |

Integration rule: Formal practice builds the skill. Informal practice is where the skill lives. Prioritize weaving mindfulness into daily activities over adding more cushion time.

Attitude foundations: All practices rest on: non-judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, letting go. When practice feels forced, return to these.

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