Jen Opie

Jen Opie

Jen has trained, researched, and worked in the fields of psychology, mindfulness-based health enhancement, yoga and English language teaching. She has worked in adult education for 17 years.

Location Western Australia

Activity

  • Ending the course feeling inspired to meditate more - this is wonderful! Thanks for sharing Elaine and best wishes to you with your ongoing mindfulness practice.

  • Thank you also for being such a kind and encouraging group, helping foster a mindful community that has supported and inspired one another. This has really enriched the past four weeks of learning as we have attempted to process and put into practice all these mindfulness lessons. As Craig often says, mindfulness is simple but it is not easy, thus there is a...

  • Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts about the course here and in Step 4.17. Although it is not feasible to reply to everyone individually, the Monash team is delighted to see so much gratitude and kind feedback.

    It has been especially heartening to hear how learners have gained important new insights, developed skills and...

  • I really enjoyed reading your thoughtful comment @ZoeS and am so pleased that this information about stress and sleeplessness is useful for you. Go well.

  • Jen Opie made a comment

    Congratulations to those who have recently commenced Week 4 or are reviewing key lessons. Your participation in the course is greatly valued and the team wishes there was more time and resources available to support learners over a longer period.

    However, the mentoring period has now ended, so I am no longer replying to posts. But I hope that the pinned...

  • Jen Opie made a comment

    Congratulations to those who have recently started Week 3 and have completed the first half of the course. Your participation is greatly valued and the team wishes there was more time and resources available to support learners over a longer period. However, the mentoring period for this run has now ended, so I am no longer responding to comments and questions...

  • And for those of you who are interested in doing multiple FutureLearn courses over a one year period, you may like to consider the Unlimited option (which includes a digital Certificate of Achievement for each course completed satisfactorily) as detailed here: https://www.futurelearn.com/unlimited

    For further information on free access, upgrading and...

  • Jen Opie made a comment

    Welcome to those who have recently started Week 2 of the course, or are reviewing key lessons. Your participation is greatly valued and the team wishes there was more time and resources available to support learners over a longer period.

    However, now that the mentoring period for this run has now ended, I am no longer replying to learner posts. But I hope...

  • Hence we strongly encourage learners who are new to mindfulness to complete the first course before commencing this one and postpone this course until it next runs later in 2021.

    Please note that FutureLearn keep all course materials freely available for six weeks from the time you register and commence the course, or indefinitely for those who wish to...

  • Welcome to Maintaining a Mindful Life - a course for those with prior mindfulness training who wish to deepen their understanding and practice of mindfulness.

    Now that the first four weeks of this course run has ended I, as course mentor, am unfortunately unable to keep responding to comments and questions raised. But I do hope that the pinned comments at...

  • @TomHalsall - I too delighted in your expression "a piñata full of gems" :) and have appreciated your contributions & engaging interactions with fellow learners. I sincerely wish you well as you continue to explore mindfulness and apply all you have learnt. Go well.

  • N R - I am very touched and humbled by your incredibly generous words. Thank you for your enthusiastic contributions and interactions with fellow learners throughout the course. I'm glad that you have found it to be so engaging and worthwhile! Best wishes as you continue to imbue your life with kind mindful awareness. Go well.

  • Ashmead, it's wonderful to know that taking part in this course and in discussions with your fellow learners has been so rewarding for you. Best wishes as you continue to practice and explore mindfulness however feels most appropriate and personally meaningful for you. Go well.

  • I'm glad that the discussion on visualisation was useful for you Geraldine.

  • I really like what you say about this being a beginning Les, and I'm glad that despite the challenging aspects, that it has overall been a positive learning experience for you - well done for persisting!

    Thank you too for your incredibly kind words. Go well.

  • Thank you @GillMcKenzie for sharing this.

  • Thank you Zan for your very kind feedback. I agree that the supportive online community of learners enriches this course significantly - it really makes mentoring such a pleasure!

  • I'm glad this was useful for you @magswatson !

  • I'm glad to see that the 10 tips from the Mindful article is so useful for many learners!

    @DianeEdwards - That's so understandable that this would cause some confusion! As we looked at it the introductory (with the stress-performance curve) a little stress can be motivating and can help lift our performance to a degree, for example, by moving us out of a...

  • It's great to see so many contributions here! As stated above, I think that for the purpose of this section of the course, it's helpful to think of ethics as guidelines, helping us to discern what is right and wrong in a given situation.

    Values may be personal, familial, organisational, cultural etc. and they reflect what is most important to us, thus they...

  • I'm glad that these specific parts of the guidance were so helpful for you D.

  • You're most welcome @AM

  • That part made me smile too!

  • Thanks Britta for sharing all these course gems! It's great to note how many key ideas have resonated for you. Best wishes with your ongoing mindfulness practice.

  • @RachelS - That's brilliant! Enjoy browsing the mindfulness resources on your next library visit!

    @NatalieFajardo - Thank you for reiterating this key point. Best wishes with your next steps :)

  • Whereas getting lost in an unproductive cycle of worrying/catastrophising about possible unseasonal torrential rain, possible unlikely accidents, possible rarely seen wild animals, would be unmindful and unproductive, and an example of "What if?" style thinking - worrying.

    I think too that we can often really feel the difference. The focussed attention...

  • @JanetBayat - Yes, it's helpful to distinguish between the two. Planning, like reflection and reasoning, really is one of the great abilities of our executive functioning.

    When we are consciously planning something such as an approach to a task, a journey, or a presentation, we are being mindful as mindfulness involves consciously choosing where we would...

  • This is really well expressed @SueMarieK. Certainly when we suppress our emotions this tends to have unhelpful effects on our wellbeing.

  • I'm really glad to note comments like yours Roz, indicating how this fairly new step is prompting such thoughtful reflection.

  • Nicely expressed Ariel. Acceptance is certainly key.

  • And thank you for sharing your thoughtful reflections here. I like what you say regarding thinking about as opposed to worrying about death.

  • I'm glad this resonated with you Bridget!

  • Thank you David for sharing this wisdom and how it has affected your approach to life. There is much to be sad for accepting death as a part of life.

  • Lesley - Thank you for sharing how different aspects of mindfulness have supported you through such profound difficulty and grief. I wish you and your family well, and I hope that your understanding and practice of mindfulness continues to support you in how you approach life and death. Take gentle care.

  • Thank you Phil! Much appreciated. I'll let the technical team know. Admittedly, this typo gave me a laugh!

  • Yes! As Craig outlined in the video, cognitive flexibility means that we can be adaptable, actually read situations with a clear perspective, and sometimes realise that we need change our approach or follow a different path. These skills really are essential for those times when life inevitably throws us unexpected obstacles, challenges, and things over which...

  • You are most welcome N R! I'm glad to know this is useful for you.

  • That is wonderful! It really made me smile reading this Hazel. Thank you for sharing. It truly sounds as though your mindfulness is being taken "off the cushion/chair" so to speak.

  • More mind wandering and restlessness is not uncommon when we venture into longer practices, but with practice and perseverance, it generally becomes easier to maintain our focus for longer periods.

    As we considered with the Training the Puppy analogy in the introductory course, we simply want to notice when our mind has wandered or we're distracted by...

  • Yes, some people certainly do find that they benefit from longer practices, saying that it gives them more time to settle.

  • I'm glad that you were able to accept the noise created by this family member and continue your practice. With the peace of mind that follows acceptance, it's generally much easier to keep going with a meditation practice or any task for that matter!

  • Yes, when we venture into longer practices more mind wandering and/or restlessness is not uncommon, but with time and effort, it generally becomes easier to maintain our focus for longer.

    As we looked at with the Training the Puppy analogy in the introductory course, the aim is simply to notice when our mind has wandered, or we're distracted by physical...

  • Best wishes as you do so Lorraine!

  • Thank you for letting us know!

  • How wonderful that choosing an online course (almost on a whim) took you down such a path! I'm glad the two courses have been rewarding for you Lauren. Best wishes as you continue to practise and apply all you have been learning.

  • I am really enjoy reading people's individual gems from the past four weeks! Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to respond to every post individually in my limited part-time work hours, but it is very heartwarming to read the growing number of reflections and gratitude for the course in this step and all of your feedback is greatly appreciated.

    Also,...

  • Thank you Diane for your kind words. We are always so glad to know that repeat learners continue to benefit from re-engaging with the course materials, deepening their understanding and practice. And it certainly takes time to apply this learning - perhaps a lifetime! Go well.

  • Thank you Phil for your kind words and for taking the time to thoughtfully outline your course gems (and jewels!). Your contributions and interactions with fellow learners have been much appreciated. Best wishes as you continue to apply all you've learnt.

  • Thanks for your feedback Katy. Although not specifically related to the topic of mindfulness, but certainly regarding the topic of death, like Tom, I would also really recommend the series Six Feet Under! Best wishes with your ongoing meditation practice.

  • That's fantastic to hear Pat! Best wishes as you further explore and practise self-compassion.

  • You're most welcome Patsy! It is always nice to know that repeat learners are continuing to find new insights each run. Go well.

  • Jen Opie replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]

    You're most welcome Anne. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.

  • @SusanTyler - Yes, I see your point here. Please note that Richard has commented on this in the feedback video which is now in Step 4.18. I particularly like the point he makes about the ego and what our self-worth might be linked to. I hope you enjoy the discussion!

  • What’s important is developing that sense of impartial observation where we let sensations rise and fall out of awareness (as you’ve described), letting everything be just as it is. So we might think of this kind of awareness as being like a light that illuminates a whole room and is not focused on anything in particular in that room. Similarly, it’s like...

  • Good question @AM ! What you say about being comfortable with no particular focus certainly sounds like an open awareness, yet it’s very natural in our practice to observe the mind becoming focussed on one particular sensation.

    With the more concentration oriented practices we’ve done previously, when we notice the mind wander, we bring it back to the...

  • Yes, a number of learners have shared that they found it more difficult not having a clear object of focus to "anchor" the mind to. Silvia, you may find it helpful to reread the guidance in this step as well as the additional guidance I've given in the pinned comments above. Please note too that Craig and Richard discuss this practice in this week's feedback...

  • Yes, I understand what you say about it creating a sense of freedom. There is something very freeing in simply observing and allowing everything to be just as it is.

  • It sounds as though this style of meditation has worked really well for you, perhaps engendering a greater felt sense of acceptance. Also, experimenting with this technique unguided is a great idea!

  • It's interesting you say this Catriona because I remember on a 2020 run of this course that (for the first time) there were a significant number of comments from learners sharing that they had had much difficulty with the practice. At the time we wondered if, as you say, it was particularly challenging as people were having such a hard time with the pandemic...

  • The Monash mindfulness team are delighted to announce that the Week 4 feedback video, "The Being Mode", has now been uploaded to this step.

    In this feedback video, Craig and Richard discuss key topics and questions raised by learners in our final week of learning together. We hope their discussion about the Choiceless Awareness meditation, imagery, values...

  • Thanks for sharing how practicing mindfulness has supported you to have better sleep and how important acceptance is. This shift in mindset is often key.

  • Thanks for sharing this Kirsty! This strategy of leaving bed, and if possible the bedroom, is important and something that's taught in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).

    We can see from many people's comments that practising "beditation" helps them to get back to sleep. However, if this is not helping, we do not want to spend a prolonged...

  • I hope that you find some useful tips in this step and from your fellow learners.

  • It's encouraging to hear that this has worked well for you Rhonda.

  • Yes, it is difficult to witness the impact many parents' mobile phone addiction is having on many children; hence role modelling mindful behaviour around young people is key.

  • Yes, young children can certainly be fantastic mindfulness teachers!

  • Well done on applying your mindfulness skills here Rhonda! That's really encouraging to have noticed you are more engaged. I imagine they notice (and appreciate) it.

  • It's good to know that this section has been useful for you Carmen and it's wonderful that you're keen to model mindfulness to your grandson. I hope that you will have a very special time together!

  • Thanks for sharing this @PiaNystad - it's lovely to note how your mindfulness skills have supported you to be so attentive with your grandson.

  • @MaureenBisanti - Another learner, Paula, shared the acronym earlier in this step. I'll paste it here:
    S - stop

    T - take a breath

    O- observe

    P- proceed

  • Nicely expressed Olivia!

  • It's good to know that completing this helped you to identify these values Avril - it sounds as though this has been a thought-provoking exercise for you!

  • Jen Opie replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]

    Yes, this point about mental/cognitive flexibility is important and relates to the concept of the sunk cost bias. Having an understanding of this can be really helpful, especially for those who were raised to be persistent and to see things through to the end.

    Mindfulness really helps us to pause and assess the current situation with a clear perspective,...

  • @JMTB - Well done for persisting with this despite the difficulty. It sounds as though your determination and efforts are bringing you some important benefits. Best wishes as you continue to practise mindful self-kindness.

  • This sounds wise Helen.

  • Thanks for sharing some of your key take-aways from this step Josephine. Also, I'm glad you find the Mindful Moments video to be helpful!

  • @AM - Yes, I think that it can be useful to revisit these four cognitive practices every so often and to consider how we are or how we might apply them in different areas of our life.

    @SheenaGilby - This sounds like a very helpful habit to have cultivated! Thanks for sharing.

  • Best wishes as you apply your mindfulness skills to making this decision Olivia. Quietening the mind to get in touch with your intuition sounds like an important part of your process.

  • Jen Opie replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]

    Yes, slowing down can certainly help us to become more mindful and in turn more able to tune in to our values.

  • Taking a step by step approach sounds wise Lorraine and I'm glad that this has worked so well for you.

  • You're welcome Olivia! I hope you enjoy exploring this.

  • It sounds as though you have developed a very discerning approach to managing the media you access. Also, I like what you say about keeping some focus on how you can make a positive difference in your environment. Thanks for sharing this Simone.

  • Well done on making the time to do this and to make those changes Linda. It's certainly interesting to consider how living in accordance with our values might reduce stress.

  • Thanks for this feedback Brent. That does sound cumbersome! Hopefully we might be able to find and provide a more user-friendly replacement in future runs.

  • I'm glad these guiding questions have provided some focus for you Brent.

  • Yes, when we venture into longer practices more mind wandering and restlessness is not uncommon, but with time and effort, it generally becomes easier to maintain our focus for longer.

    As we looked at with the Training the Puppy analogy in the introductory course, the aim is simply to notice when our mind has wandered, or we're distracted by physical...

  • I'm glad you've found this useful Julie!

  • I'm sorry to hear you've had a difficult 24 hours Kersten. That sounds wise to leave this kind of exercise for later. Take gentle care.

  • Yes, getting caught up in "What if?" style thinking tends to exacerbate worry, so coming back to "What is" is usually most helpful.

  • Thanks for sharing your experience of this Lyn. The notion of not worrying about not getting enough sleep may seem paradoxical but is actually key for anyone experiencing sleep difficulties.

    Worrying about not sleeping can really exacerbates sleep problems, so having some techniques to reduce that reactivity is important. This is where our mindfulness...

  • This sounds like a really helpful observation. Thanks for sharing Allison.

  • Yes, taking regular breaks can be incredibly helpful. It may seem somewhat paradoxical that taking a break can actually help us to be more productive, but there is growing evidence that this can be useful, as summarised in the following article from Psychology Today:
    ...

  • Lovely! I'm glad this imagery worked well for you.

  • Yes! Being able to mindfully observe and be with whatever arises, with curiosity, acceptance and non-judgement, is such a valuable skill to cultivate - not just in meditation, but in our day-to-day life also.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughtful reflection Hazel.

  • Well done for persevering Katy!

  • I agree Geraldine - it's a lovely image :)

  • Yes, when we're accustomed to having a clear object of focus, exploring a practice like this can seem tricky and it's unsurprising to experience more mind-wandering!

    You're absolutely right that it takes practice to become more familiar with cultivating this kind of open receptive presence. So I encourage you to keep experimenting, observing whatever...

  • That's a really interesting observation Nicky. I'm glad that cultivating this kind of open, receptive presence was such a positive experience for you.

  • Thanks for sharing this Jenny. This quality of peaceful acceptance sounds very easeful and useful too.

  • It sounds as though coming to this practice with a kind of "beginner's mind" worked really well for you @GillMcKenzie
    Thanks for sharing the lovely, calming poem!