#210 Why mindfulness meditation?

     "Kabat-Zinn writes, 'Your intentions set the stage for what is possible. They remind you from moment to moment of why you are practicing in the first place. I used to think that meditation practice was so powerful . . . that as long as you did it at all, you would see growth and change. But time has taught me that some kind of personal vision is also necessary.' This personal vision, or intention, is often dynamic and evolving. For example, a highly stressed businessman may begin a mindfulness practice to reduce hypertension. As his mindfulness practice continues, he may develop an additional intention of relating more kindly to his wife.

      as meditators continue to practice, their intentions shift along a continuum from self-regulation, to self-exploration, and finally to self-liberation. *** Further, the study found that outcomes correlated with intentions. Those whose goal was self-regulation and stress management attained self-regulation, those whose goal was self-exploration attained self-exploration, and those whose goal was self-liberation moved toward self-liberation and compassionate service. These findings correspond with our definition of intentions as dynamic and evolving, which allows them to change and develop with deepening practice, awareness, and insight. The inclusion of intention (i.e., why one is practicing) as a central component of mindfulness is crucial to understanding the process as a whole, and often overlooked in other contemporary definitions." 

     *** Self-liberation refers to the experience of transcending (i.e., becoming free of or dis-identifying from) the sense of being a separate self."

         Shapiro SL, Carlson LE, Astin JA, Freedman B. Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006; 62: 373–386.

Related concepts: hypoegoic vs noisy ego, allocentric & ecocentric vs egocentric, and nondualism vs dualism.
See: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/search?q=agency

“We are so lightly here” - Leonard Cohen