Table 1.

Overview of MBCT sessions

Theme of session	Mindfulness exercises	Didactic teaching	Homework assignments
1. Automatic pilot	• Raisin exercise • Body scan • Three-minute breathing space	• Bipolar disorder • Rationale for mindfulness	• Body scan • Mindful eating • Mindful routine activity • Three-minute breathing space
2. Dealing with barriers	• Awareness of surroundings • Body scan • Sitting meditation – focus on breath • Three-minute breathing space	• Relationship between thoughts and feelings	• Body scan • Three-minute breathing space • Mindful routine activity • Pleasant events calendar
3. Mindfulness of the breath	• Sitting meditation – focus on breath and body • Three-minute breathing space • Floor yoga	• Awareness of pleasant events • Automatic positive thoughts (mania) • Recognition and managing core symptoms of mania	• Sitting meditation • Floor yoga • Mindful routine activity • Unpleasant events calendar • Three-minute breathing space
4. Staying present	• Sitting meditation – focus on breath, body, sounds, and thoughts • Three-minute breathing space • Mindful walking	• Awareness of unpleasant events • Automatic negative thoughts • Recognition and managing core symptoms of depression	• Sitting meditation/ mindful walking/ floor yoga/ body scan • Three-minute breathing space (regular) • Three-minute breathing space (coping) • Stressful events calendar
5. Allowing and letting be	• Sitting meditation –focus on breath, body, sounds, and thoughts • Standing yoga • Three-minute breathing space	• Acceptance • Stress • Helping and non-helping thoughts	• Sitting meditation • Standing yoga • Three-minute breathing space (coping) • Communication events calendar
6. Mindful communication (partner session)	• Standing yoga • Three-minute breathing space	• Mindfulness and bipolar disorder • Communication – listening and speaking	• Sitting meditation/ mindful walking/ floor yoga/ body scan • Three-minute breathing space • Creating crisis intervention action plan
Silent day - 6 hours
7. Taking care of yourself	• Sitting meditation – focus on breath, body, sounds, thoughts, emotions, and choiceless awareness	• Recognizing symptoms of relapse • Keeping in balance • Relapse prevention plan	• Sitting meditation/ mindful walking/ floor yoga/ body scan • Three-minute breathing space • Adjusting relapse prevention plan Self-evaluation
8. The rest of your life	• Three-minute breathing space • Body scan • Three-minute breathing space	• Preventing relapse • Maintaining practice • Reflection