#686 On Listening

     “In the city, there are so many loud noises, and here in the country we have church bells. Church bells and this silence. It’s the most important thing: Learn to listen to this silence, because it will tell you many things, unimaginable things, things of great beauty and meaning.”                                 Ambrosio Molinos de las Heras

        Michael Paterniti “The Telling Room. A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese.” The Dial Press, NY, 2013 



     “Nothing has changed the nature of man so much as the loss of silence.”                           Max Picard, Swiss philosopher

       Dana Sawyer “Huston Smith: Wisdomkeeper. Living the World’s Religions. The Authorized Biography of a 21st Century Spiritual Giant.” Fons Vitae, Louisville, KY, 2014.

Public Gardens, Halifax, NS

#682 How Meaningful?

     As we get older, it seems we try to squeeze more & more things from our "bucket list" into a shorter & shorter space of time - like several "trips of a lifetime" each year, year-after-year! We become desperate to keep busy - clearly needing to remain permanently distracted.
     Is this really the best use of the limited time we have left to live?

     What about QUALITY (vs quantity)? What about MEANING (vs distraction)? Shouldn't we inquire deeply "who am I?" "What is this?" "How can I embrace life most authentically?"

     Isn't quantity & busyness inversely related to quality? Shouldn't we carefully choose what we do, prioritizing only those things that have the most meaning for us at this time of life? Isn't it time to quit trying to escape, but to engage life with an open heart-mind?

Monet's garden, Giverny

#680 Give & Take - More or Less?

     After a business transaction that didn't "go your way", or perhaps someone belittled you, you can actually feel diminished in some way - less than your normal sense of self. A surge of anger too often obliterates more subtle feelings. A swell of urgency to quickly repair perceived losses. We instinctively rush to top up life's vitality glass, which like our blood volume, definitely doesn't feel good enough at half-full.
     Conversely, you feel somehow bigger, expanded, "flush" when you unexpectedly or undeservedly come by some extra money, praise, or stuff. Doesn't it feel, if only momentarily, like you've transcended mere human limitations when you win something? Losing something has the opposite effect - makes you feel very vulnerable.

     So it seems that we have a rather solid, physical, materialistic, almost mechanical sense of ourselves, others & our world. Is an 8 foot tall person worth twice that of a 4 footer; a 350 lb person twice that of a 175 pounder? How about net worth, fame, attractiveness, earning potential, health, longevity, etc? Don't we rate everyone, including ourselves, based on a combination of such metrics?
     Isn't each of us far, far more than a handful of such useless measures? Doesn't it take a lifetime of meditation practice to catch ourselves judging - ourselves & others - much like an animal sizes up a potential mate or potential prey? Isn't this where our primitive judgmental attitudes originate? We're "little monkeys" aren't we? We really do need to slowly, patiently, evolve into our pre-frontal cortices, don't we?

Paint & Rust, Agricola Street, Halifax, NS

#674 No Time to BE Mindful ???

     "Definitions of mindfulness ... focus upon a number of qualities

          (a) a deliberate intention to pay attention to momentary experience, 

          (b) a marked distinction from normal, everyday modes of consciousness, 

          (c) a clear focus on aspects of active investigation of moment-to-moment experience, 

          (d) continuity of a precise, dispassionate, non-evaluative, and sustained moment-to-moment awareness of immediate experience, and 

          (e) an attitude of openness, acceptance, kindness, curiosity and patience."

       Hofmann FG, Grossman P, Hinton DE. "Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation: Potential for Psychological Interventions." Clin Psychol Rev. 2011 November ; 31(7): 1126–1132. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.07.003. 

     Since we tend to live "in our heads", theories are important, too important. We don't really consider BEING mindful in our own daily, moment-by-moment life - at least not now, maybe later, when we're not so busy ...... 

     Even sincere young people taking & apparently "enjoying" an 8-week MBSR course typically "don't get the chance" to practice between classes, often "get too busy" & drop out before finishing the course, and "don't get around" to filling out a one-page course evaluation.

     But mindfulness is NOT THEORETICAL, and it's not just another "add-on" to one's overcrowded litany of stuff to get done.  

     Mindfulness is about actually living RIGHT NOW within our most evolved operating system, with an open heart-mind. How can we not have time to live optimally?

How To Enter?

 

#576 Practicality of Prioritizing Quality

     When we compare a homeless alcoholic guzzling the handiest liquid intoxicant (including mouthwash, hair tonic, etc), with a sophisticated wine connoisseur, we tend to identify with the latter. 
     For one, it's all about becoming intoxicated as quickly as possible - mindlessly escaping reality.
     For the other, it's all about quality, with little or no intoxication - consciously savouring reality.

     All of us can be connoisseurs of our own life! We can carefully monitor the quality of our current thoughts, speech, and behaviours for lasting, timeless quality by asking:
          • Do these lead to stress and suffering, or to the end of stress and suffering?
          • If these lead to stress, are they necessary?
          • If not necessary, why do these again?
          • If these lead to the end of stress, how can I master these as skills?                                           Thanissaro Bhikkhu

#506 How Accurate is "Self-talk" - the Stuff We Keep Telling Ourselves?

     Many of us, by default, take our self-talk, opinions & perceptions as objective truth - a direct readout on reality. Furthermore, we assume these are stable, unchanging. Interestingly & paradoxically, we also recognize that "who we are" has a major impact on all of these. In other words, we know very well that different people have differing takes on the same experience. We also know very well that we see things very differently now than when we were 2 or 12 or even 22 years old. So the more closely we investigate phenomena, the less puzzling the statement:

     “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.”                 Anais Nin

     In other words, we project our constantly changing inner state of being onto the outer world. When we're down, the world looks like a miserable place, when we're up, the world miraculously transforms into a joyous place.
     So the tone or quality of our self-talk might be more accurately interpreted, not as caused by what's out there right now, but rather as our current mood, which is brought about by many factors (internal, external, past, present and or future).
     Can we simply observe our mood as a transient energy and nothing more? Can we hold it lightly instead of merging with it (cognitive fusion)? What happens to transient states?

Steve McCurry   stevemccurry.com

#394 Biofeedback - Monitoring our Consciousness

     We know how it feels when we're bright and alert - there's a distinct fresh, vibrant physical / mental / emotional feel associated with it. We can therefore recognize when our consciousness is optimal AND ALSO when it's suboptimal eg when we're drowsy, or falling asleep. It's useful to detect a downward fluctuation in consciousness as early as possible eg while driving, performing surgery, landing an airplane, writing an exam, speaking with someone, studying, etc. It's also beneficial to recognize when our level of consciousness is excessive ie after too much caffeine, anxious, stressed, striving, hypervigilant, catastrophizing etc. So we can monitor the level of our consciousness, and with practice, adjust it when need be (like a rheostat) to the optimal level.
     We also know how it feels when we're calm, attentive, wise, kind, behaving in a civilized manner. We feel relaxed, open-minded and open-hearted. We know the feel of the quality of our consciousness. Our prefrontal cortex is fully functioning, and our judgments and behaviour are congruent with our core values, long-term goals, and in concert with the best interests of humanity & nature. This feels good and profoundly right.
     And we can all, more frequently & easily than we realize, lapse into fear-based reactivity, into autopilot (brain stem takes over from the prefrontal cortex). We know we're on autopilot, because "the lights are on, but nobody's home." We feel "driven" - as if we're running after or away from something, there may be lots of adrenalin or a trance-like dullness - we feel closed-minded and closed-hearted. It's all about short-term gain for "me, myself & I" - no consideration for others or even our own long-term interests. This quality of consciousness feels all wrong. We've experienced this many times before & know that it causes only suffering. We can let this go, open our minds & hearts, re-engage our prefrontal cortex, and get back on track.
     So we can & should monitor both the level and the quality of our consciousness. We alone can, and must, manage our own consciousness for the benefit of all.

In Kentville, Nova Scotia

 

#364 Being your own Trainer, Sports Psychologist & Life Coach

     The will to repeatedly put a little bit more quality, a little bit more intelligence - the "right effort" into each activity - to behave mindfully - comes from deep within us. This will is referred to as "heart", "spirit", "character", "intestinal fortitude" or "show us 'what you're made of'". If we learn to consistently dig down deep to manifest that "little extra", we are training ourselves to become progressively stronger, more competent, and more resilient. We transform ourselves into an elite individual, a champion in our chosen field of interest. In other words we intentionally remodel "what we're made of" - our mind, body & emotions - physically & functionally, for the better. Also, we become a fine personal trainer, sports psychologist & life coach to ourselves.

     "Water boils at 100°C, not at 99°C. That 1° of intensity makes all the difference. Workouts are similar ... If you aren't getting results, up the intensity!"               encouragement handwritten on Dalplex exercise room board

     “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results. That’s why I approach practices the same way I approached games. You can’t turn it on and off like a faucet. I couldn’t dog it during practice and then, when I need that extra push late in the game, expect it to be there.”         Michael Jordan, NBA MVP 1988, 1991, 1993, 1996, & 1998.
     See also: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/06/348-heart-of-mindfulness-practice.html
     and: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/06/basic-essential-life-skills-need-to-be.html

alan-tunnicliffe   www.dpreview.com

#328 Enhancing Quality of Care, Quality of Caring & Resilience - Workshops for Clinicians & Educators

Mindful Practice: Enhancing Quality of Care, Quality of Caring & Resilience

Two separate 4-day workshops designed to improve the quality of care that clinicians provide while improving their own resilience and well-being. These retreat-like workshops offer an experiential learning environment, with a focus on developing the capacity for mindful practice – attentiveness, situational awareness, self-awareness, teamwork and self-monitoring in stressful and demanding situations. Session themes include communication with patients/families, difficult decisions, errors, professionalism, medical education, self-care and burnout.

Designed for medical practitioners (physicians, NPs, PAs) and others involved in medical practice and education.

Session I is designed for those who have not previously attended a mindful practice workshop.
Session II will offer advanced mindful communication skills, hands-on experience in facilitation, and attention to promoting mindful practice activities at participants’ home institutions.

Course directors: Ronald Epstein MD and Mick Krasner MD

Location/Accommodations: Chapin Mill Retreat Center, Batavia, NY

Information & Registration: Please call 585-275-4392 or visit the session sites below:
Session 1: October 9-12, 2013 - http://www.cvent.com/d/1cqbt1
Session 2: May 7-10, 2014 - http://www.cvent.com/d/tcqbgb

Dale Chihuly   http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/

#119 Trust (Quality 5)

     "Trust = Trusting both oneself, one’s body, intuition, emotions, as well as trusting that life is unfolding as it is supposed to."

       Cardaciotto L. Assessing Mindfulness: The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Awareness and Acceptance. PhD Thesis, Drexel University, 2005.

dspace.library.drexel.edu/retrieve/4264/Cardaciotto_LeeAnn.pdf

     We put a huge amount of unwarranted trust, time and energy into, and stake our happiness on, spinning stories about our past and future. Mindfulness practice suggests we reallocate these precious resources - this trust - to engaging directly with reality - right here, right now.

#117 Acceptance (Quality 3)

     "Acceptance = Open to seeing and acknowledging things as they are in the present moment; acceptance does not mean passivity or resignation, rather a clearer understanding of the present so one can more effectively respond."

       Cardaciotto L. Assessing Mindfulness: The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Awareness and Acceptance. PhD Thesis, Drexel University, 2005.

dspace.library.drexel.edu/retrieve/4264/Cardaciotto_LeeAnn.pdf

     This is it. As Jon Kabat-Zinn says, "wherever you go, there you are"! Acceptance works; all the variants of avoidance simply do not work in the long run. The scientific literature solidly supports this.
     Life is workable - we are up to the task - and we can learn to do it wisely.

Excellent guided mindfulness meditation - focusing on Acceptance - Part 1 (~8min)

Part 2 (~9min)

#46 Non-doing

     “Do not confuse motion and progress. 
     A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”                   Alfred A. Montapert
 
     “Effortless activity happens at moments in dance and in sports at the highest levels of performance; when it does, it takes everyone’s breath away. But it also happens in every area of human activity, from painting to car repair to parenting. Years of practice and experience combine on some occasions, giving rise to a new capacity to let execution unfold beyond technique, beyond exertion, beyond thinking. Action then becomes a pure expression of art, of being, of letting go of all doing – a merging of mind and body in motion. … magic of true mastery … moments of grace and harmony.
 
     Thoreau said, ‘To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.’”
 
       Kabat-Zinn J. “Wherever you go, there you are. Mindfulness meditation in everyday life.” Hyperion, NY, 1994.

photodottom   www.dpreview.com