Tag Archives: Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Resilience, Wellness

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A couple of weeks ago I  wrote:

Managing stress is as much a personal responsibility as not smoking, wearing a seat belt, and not using drugs. Nobody is going to do it for us. Ignoring or enduring stress can lead to such unhappy consequences as: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic headaches, sleep problems, depression and anxiety, irritable bowl syndrome, cancer, and premature aging. These problems creep up over time and can catch us off guard while we are painfully trying to “Do Our Best.”  From: 7 Tips for Managing Stress 2/2/2013

I listed several ways to manage stress which included: getting enough sleep, exercising, talking with friends, avoiding looking at things with a microscope, taking a mental vacation, journaling, and the practice of mindfulness.  There are many other methods for living a more peaceful life and I would love it if this blog could become a community of readers who share their tips. This week I am going to focus on the practice of mindfulness.

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Ten years ago mindfulness was seldom mentioned. In fact, it was a concept that was just beginning to take form in the therapeutic community as a mental practice with  potential related to stress reduction. Around that time I was working at a mental health agency that was beginning to implement a new treatment model whose foundation was based in mindfulness practice. Along with a colleague I was asked to master the treatment model, lead a group therapy session with clients, and educate our staff so that their clients could benefit from this new form of therapy.

All I knew about mindfulness was that is was a form of meditation finding it’s roots in Buddhism, and though it was practiced all over the world, was primarily an Eastern practice. I was honored to be asked, scared about the responsibility, but THRILLED at the thought of having such a cool job that I was actually going to get paid to learn how to meditate.

It has been twelve years since that time and I have a profound respect for mindfulness practice. I have learned a lot but still consider myself an”advanced beginner.” I know this will be not only a life-long pursuit of learning, but “being.”

In the late 1970’s Jon Kabat-Zinn was developing his own mindfulness practice under the Korean Zen master Seung Sahn. The following is an excerpt from mindful.org The Man Who Prescribes the Medicine of the Moment

On a more intimate note, he recalls interactions with his teacher, the late Seung Sahn (known to his students as Soen Sa Nim), with obvious admiration and a discernible sense of the teacher’s presence… “I said to him,” he recalls, “‘Soen Sa Nim, I’m here to learn how to practice from you. I’m not interested in being a teacher; I want to be the student.’ And he said ‘If you are my student, then this is how you will learn to be a student, as you teach.’ And I said, ‘But I don’t know anything. I don’t know what to do. I wouldn’t know what to talk about.’ And he said, ‘Aawwwwww,’ as if he really deeply understood what my issue was, ‘no problem, you only talk about area you understand. Don’t talk about area you don’t understand.’”

Singing Bowls

Singing Bowls

Let me share with you some of what I understand about this sacred practice…

Mindfulness begins with welcoming yourself in this present moment.

Some people avoid mindfulness because they are too shy to meet themselves, fearing who they really are. This is what comes from listening to everyone’s voices but their own. We have nothing to fear and everything to gain by investing time in our own minds. It is the only place we can meet God and or our higher selves, and see the present moment for what it is without judgment. It is the only place we can make wise choices.

Mindfulness practice is not about Nirvana. Practice is about strengthening the mind, just as going to the gym is about strengthening the body.

Mindfulness is state of being. It’s about being in the moment. There is a difference between practicing mindfulness and mindfulness.

Mindfulness is about watching your mind, your breathing, or whatever you are focusing on from an observer’s view; an observer with wisdom and compassion.

Mindfulness is about describing what you become aware of one-mindfully and non- judgmentally.

Mindfulness can be practiced sitting, standing, walking, eating, running, singing, playing the piano, cleaning, building…there is no one way…the possibilities are limitless

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of staying in the here and now. Marsha Linehan has said, “Our minds are like untrained puppies. We tell it to sit and stay…and it will for a moment and then run off. We must gently call it back.” This is the nature of our minds. This is what we are disciplining through practice.

Through the practice of mindfulness, we become our master.

A fruit of mindfulness is acceptance. Non acceptance is a source of great unhappiness. Therefore mindfulness brings peace.

Formal mindfulness practice involves designating a period of time on a regular basis to practice. Informal practice involves randomly checking in to the here and now, and opening your awareness to what is present. Both are useful.

Research linking the health benefits to mindfulness were based on formal practice.

As little as 10 minutes a day has shown to be beneficial in as short of a time as two weeks. Surprisingly this 10 minute period can be broken up into two 5 minute periods.

A Google search on mindfulness practice yields 10,200,00 results.

When I have been able to maintain a formal practice, I feel balanced, more in control of my emotions, less reactive, happier, and more compassionate towards others. It sounds strange, but I believe my body responds in a unique way.  I feel like my body, mind, and soul are cooperating for my optimal well-being.

I re-posted an article written in December called, “Get Me Off of This Merry-go-Round.” If you missed it, take a look. Below is a Ted Talk on mindfulness for your viewing. Its well worth the 10 minutes it takes.

At least once a month we will be exploring the topic of mindfulness and it is my hope that you will begin your own practice. 10 minutes a day is all it takes to both open and manage your world.

Shine on 🙂

Barbara

Get Me Off of This Merry-Go-Round; An Introduction to Mindfulness

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Mindfulness

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How many times have you heard the idiom, “ Get me off of this merry-go-round!”?

It’s an expression that conjures up a familiar, commonly shared image of someone “mindlessly” attempting to run faster than their legs can carry them; often but not always, directed by someone other than the person who is doing the real running. Around and around we go, doing, doing, doing; believing we don’t have a choice and resenting the demands placed on our time that keep us from doing what we think we would “rather” be doing.

One mother complains, “I don’t even have time to go to the bathroom.”  A college student says, “It’s like being in prison; my time is not my own; if I’m not studying, I’m working, and if I’m not working, I’m studying.” A grandfather says, “I want to write my family history, but my kids count on me to babysit my grandchildren; by the time they go home I’m too tired to do anything for myself.”  Another woman feels hopeless as she tries to complete her self-imposed checklist that even a super hero would have difficulty with.

To be perfectly honest, when I hear these and similar comments, I always encourage people to take time for themselves.  It’s the best investment that can be made, because the dividends are so high. A person who takes care of his or her needs will be more effective in whatever they pursue. However, having said that, it is true that life demands much of us. There will be times despite our best efforts when we simply cannot eek out any time for ourselves. What is a person to do?

The practice of “Mindfulness” is one solution whose benefits far surpass a momentary ticket off the merry-go-round. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as: “… paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, 
in the present moment, and 
non-judgmentally.” In other words, it may not be what we are doing, but how we are doing it, that determines who is manning the merry-go-round, and if it really is a merry-go-round.

What does Jon Kabat-Zinn mean by a  “particular way?” When I explain mindfulness to my clients I suggest it means to look at something, as if you have never seen anything like it before. Outside of my office window stands a beautiful tree.

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I tell people to “Imagine they are aliens on a ‘Sunday Drive’; destination planet Earth. Upon arrival, they land their vehicle at the foot of the tree.” I tell them they don’t have trees on their planet, so they are viewing a tree for the very first time.”  We talk about the difference between looking at something for the first time, and seeing something they have looked at thousands of times before.

If you have ever seen a baby engrossed in an object, you will recognize what is called, “Beginners Mind.” Have you ever longed to be mesmerized once again by the simple things of life? Mindfulness is just that. It is the practice of leaving the past in the past, and the future to unfold in its’ due time. It is being completely in the here and now, observing “what is,” without judgment, and with an attitude of awe, which allows you to discover the miracles that are only present in the current moment.

The beauty of mindfulness is that you can welcome it in any moment. Even moments with heavy demands, such as: caring for children, doing chores, and yes, even studying, or working. The power in mindfulness lies in its’ ability to release the heaviness of the past, and fears about the future. It allows you to distinguish between what is real and what is not. It is the pathway to wisdom, and enables a person to respond and not react. Being responsible for only “this moment,” is soothing to a burdened mind, and in reality, is the only moment you have any control over. You can’t re-write the past, and the future is only a fantasy. Truthfully, if you live each moment well in the here and now, those moments become your past, and you will be transported into the future with your eyes wide open, making choices based in reality and as a result, in your best interest. Take a minute to consider all the possible ways this kind of attention could improve the quality of your life.

Historically, mindfulness was an Eastern practice, primarily exercised by Buddhists. In the 1960’s it appeared in the United States in the form of “Transcendental Mediation,” and was thought to be practiced only by hippies and the counter-culture. But, in the past thirty years much research has been compiled to prove the benefits of mindfulness meditation; carrying it from mysterious mind-play, to mainstream credible practice endorsed by the National Institute of Health.  Please take a look at this short article : http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Jan2012/Feature2

When you find yourself on the merry-go-round of life, quit chasing your tail and make your exit by bringing your attention into the here and now. Marsha Linehan, LCSW,PH.D has said, “In the present moment, everything is, as it should be.” These are very wise words indeed.