Table 2.

Weekly MBSR adapted course content.

	Topic	Content
Session 1	Introduction to mindfulness; Finding Stillness	Introducing caregivers to the notion of mindfulness as a way of being, exploring their needs and expectations from their participation, setting the group environment, and defining the term of “awareness” as a fundamental pillar of mindfulness
Session 2	Perception and its relation to stress; Perception and Perspective Taking	Highlighting the importance of commitment to practices, exploring the notion of a “non-judgmental” attitude toward the participants’ handling of practice as well as challenges, introducing the exploration of different angles of perception and perspective taking, and investigating the “habits & barriers” set by our automatic responses
Session 3	The power of being present; There is Pleasure & Power in Being Present	Expanding the awareness toward the present moment with a “no striving” attitude, introducing the concept of “power of choice” to caregivers and their challenges, deepening of mindfulness practices, and encouraging caregivers to expand on their awareness of noticing and appreciating pleasant moments in any experience
Session 4	The relation between mindfulness and stress; How Does Mindfulness Relate to Stress?	Exploring the relationship between stress reactivity, automaticity, and mindfulness, investigating maladaptive coping mechanisms stemming from stressful situations, modelling “acceptance” in caregivers’ experiences, expanding on the concept of grief in caregiving, and exploring the physiological territory of stress
Session 5	The difference between responding and reacting; Responding vs. Reacting	Introducing the concept of mindfully responding rather than automatically reacting to stress, considering the role of reactivity and its effects on health and suffering, discussing the role of feelings (e.g., anger, sadness, and grief), understanding the importance of being able to express feelings effectively, practicing acceptance, and assessing commitment and practicing in the middle of the intervention
Session 6	Learning about stressful communications; Stressful Communications	Shifting and extending focus from practicing intrapersonal to interpersonal mindfulness, learning to maintain inner balance while interacting, being aware of feelings, sensations, and thoughts while interacting with others, especially under conditions of acute or chronic stress, introducing the attitude of “letting-it-be & letting-it-go,” and exploring difficult communications in dementia caregiving
Retreat	Mindfulness Day/Silent Retreat	Three (3)-hour silent retreat. Extending mindfulness practices in a variety of approaches, reinforcing and deepening of mindfulness practices, while staying in silence for the duration of the retreat
Session 7	Learning and exploring self-resilience; Cultivating self-resilience	Expanding practices to daily caregiving life, introducing the fundamental mindfulness aspect of “trust” into daily life and caregivers’ challenges, cultivating psychological self-resilience, exploring the territory of self-compassion and self-reflection
Session 8	Continued practice, Wrap-up; Endings are New Beginnings	Reflecting on experiences of participations, cultivating the attitudes of “gratitude & generosity,” exploring the possibility of writing a personal letter for a recommitment to the individual practices in the future, overviewing of all practices, and unwrapping the dementia gifts for the mindful caregiver