Mindfulness

[Lotus Flower]

With so much talk regarding "being in the moment", being mindful, etc. I would like to know what everyone's view of this is.

What I mean is your definition of it? Where it fits into your life.

 

I am in grad school right now for mental health counseling and it is a "HOT" topic there. I just wonder what differences there are from what they are "teaching" us about mindfulness and how everyone views it here?

[林愛偉]

With so much talk regarding "being in the moment", being mindful, etc. I would like to know what everyone's view of this is.

What I mean is your definition of it? Where it fits into your life.

 

I am in grad school right now for mental health counseling and it is a "HOT" topic there. I just wonder what differences there are from what they are "teaching" us about mindfulness and how everyone views it here?

 

 

Driving on the highway,

peripheral and frontal vision obscured by forms.

Did you see the bug hitting the windshield?

 

 

 

Peace and Blessings Lian Hua (Lotus Flower)

 

Lin

[mantis]

being mindful is simply paying full attention to whatever it is you're doing

[林愛偉]

I re-posted my first post by accident...twice..

Edited February 23, 2008 by 林愛偉

[Lotus Flower]

being mindful is simply paying full attention to whatever it is you're doing

 

Only of what you are doing? Not of what others are doing around you? Or other things that are happening around you?

[Stigweard]

I believe Freeform gave an excellent description in regards to Cognitive Psychology in Post #5 Etymology thread.

 

I see the Tonal as being the undeveloped 'mind' - its level of awareness is based on its bandwidth - which is 7 (+ or - 2) 'bits' of information... quite simple - but our mind works on between 9 and 5 bits at any one time...

 

So during an average moment in the day if we took a look inside our mind we would have 2 or 3 'bits' having to do with our 'identity' (I'm a salesman, I'm a mother, I'm a friend etc) - 2 or 3 bits to do with where we are (I'm in the office, I'm in the nursery, I'm in the bar etc) - the rest (1 to 3 bits) is used for what's actually going on at the moment (writing an email, feeding a baby, holding a conversation etc)...

 

Of course this is all subject to a lot of flexibility - when people describe what it feels like to be in 'the zone' (or whatever state comes about when we're doing something excellently) - they talk about losing who they are, where they are and any stray thoughts, and all their attention is focused on the task at hand... what happens there (among many other things that I wont bother mentioning now) is the 7 +/- 2 awareness is emptied of useless background noise and is filled with the information required for the task at hand...

[doc benway]

What mindfullness means to me is to pay attention to what is going on. By attention, I mean to really attend deeply in the moment. This is an active thing but very receptive - sort of an active receptivity if you will. It is not easy but can be cultivated over time with practice. It takes enormous energy in the beginning to sustain but gets easier.

 

Think about your normal behavior when someone is talking to you. Don't you start thinking about what you want to reply rather than paying attention to them? Or get distracted by something else? Don't you jockey around for the right opportunity to interject your thoughts and ideas? What if you really paid attention? Looked at them as if you've never seen them before - their eyes, hair, skin, and so forth. Really listen to their words and beyond their words to their meaning. Paid attention to their clothing, their body language, the environment, the feel in your own body, how you are reacting to them. I don't mean to think about these things - open up to experiencing these things, it's very different.

 

What seems to work for me is to completely immerse myself in the senses - pay attention to the sights, sounds, touch, smells, and so on, in whatever situation is present. The more I am paying attention, which is receptivity (yin), the less there is thought distracting me from being present. As soon as I get lazy and ease up on the 'active receptivity' practice, the thoughts flood back in and the moment is a memory.

 

It seems to me that when you are able to completely immerse yourself in the moment, you can approach the point of merging the observer with the observed. As this occurs it is only the process, the observation, the relationship that is present, the person and thing are gone. Well, not really gone but no longer important. The distinction is no longer real. The illusion of separation fades. This is difficult to maintain. It is ellusive and fleeting but it is very real, more real than anything, and it has a quality that is very.... I don't know what to call it. I don't like the normal words - blissful, joyous, transcendant, and so on, it all sounds too analytical, arrogant, self-indulgent. Words don't really work because it's not having to do with thought.

 

Mindfullness is an interesting word - it really should be mind-emptiness. The mind must be empty to receive. On the other hand, it is filled with the moment, the experience, not the thoughts or the analysis. So it starts empty but fills with experience, with reality. Once the moment passes, it fills again with thought.

 

Are you familiar with the ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) method? Mindfullness has a very important role in ACT. I think that many of the Eastern concepts like mindfullness can have a profound effect on mental health although they are not easy practices, particularly for people raised with Western conditioning.

Edited February 23, 2008 by xuesheng

[Lotus Flower]

What mindfullness means to me is to pay attention to what is going on. By attention, I mean to really attend deeply in the moment. This is an active thing but very receptive - sort of an active receptivity if you will. It is not easy but can be cultivated over time with practice. It takes enormous energy in the beginning to sustain but gets easier.

 

Think about your normal behavior when someone is talking to you. Don't you start thinking about what you want to reply rather than paying attention to them? Or get distracted by something else? Don't you jockey around for the right opportunity to interject your thoughts and ideas? What if you really paid attention? Looked at them as if you've never seen them before - their eyes, hair, skin, and so forth. Really listen to their words and beyond their words to their meaning. Paid attention to their clothing, their body language, the environment, the feel in your own body, how you are reacting to them. I don't mean to think about these things - open up to experiencing these things, it's very different.

 

What seems to work for me is to completely immerse myself in the senses - pay attention to the sights, sounds, touch, smells, and so on, in whatever situation is present. The more I am paying attention, which is receptivity (yin), the less there is thought distracting me from being present. As soon as I get lazy and ease up on the 'active receptivity' practice, the thoughts flood back in and the moment is a memory.

 

Mindfullness is an interesting word - it really should be mind-emptiness. The mind must be empty to receive. On the other hand, it is filled with the moment, the experience, not the thoughts or the analysis. So it starts empty but fills with experience, with reality. Once the moment passes, it fills again with thought.

 

Are you familiar with the ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) method? Mindfullness has a very important role in ACT. I think that many of the Eastern concepts like mindfullness can have a profound effect on mental health although they are not easy practices, particularly for people raised with Western conditioning.

 

 

You certainly have touched upon a lot of the views that I have been exposed to in my classes. The fact that you mention how one should pay attention to what others are saying, etc. We have to do that as counselors. We have to give our full attention to our client at the time they are speaking for we, without a doubt, will miss some key point/piece if we do not. This is one thing they try to teach us.

I have not heard of ACT although, now that you have brought it to my attention, I will want to research it. The more knowledge I have, the better.

I believe mental health in its entirety is not easy, but to give tools to clients it makes it that much easier.

[doc benway]

You certainly have touched upon a lot of the views that I have been exposed to in my classes. The fact that you mention how one should pay attention to what others are saying, etc. We have to do that as counselors. We have to give our full attention to our client at the time they are speaking for we, without a doubt, will miss some key point/piece if we do not. This is one thing they try to teach us.

I have not heard of ACT although, now that you have brought it to my attention, I will want to research it. The more knowledge I have, the better.

I believe mental health in its entirety is not easy, but to give tools to clients it makes it that much easier.

Check out the book "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life" by Stephen Hayes.

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Mind-Into-L...2094&sr=8-1

Sorry for the long winded post above (in fact, I just added to it! ) but this is an area that I think is critical, at least to me, for where I'm at right now.

Edited February 23, 2008 by xuesheng

[Lotus Flower]

Check out the book "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life" by Stephen Hayes.

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Mind-Into-L...2094&sr=8-1

Sorry for the long winded post above (in fact, I just added to it! ) but this is an area that I think is critical, at least to me, for where I'm at right now.

 

Thank you for the suggested reading. I will be sure to check that out.

 

Actually, I am glad that you did expand on your post.

 

Care to elaborate on why you believe it is critical for you right now?

[forestofsouls]

I would say mindfulness is paying attention to whatever is relevant in the present moment. Mindfulness of driving would be different than mindfulness of mind if you're engaging in a particular form of meditation. Personally, I also believe that it involves an awareness of being aware as well--- intentional awareness.

[Lotus Flower]

I would say mindfulness is paying attention to whatever is relevant in the present moment. Mindfulness of driving would be different than mindfulness of mind if you're engaging in a particular form of meditation. Personally, I also believe that it involves an awareness of being aware as well--- intentional awareness.

 

I think the question to ask is, how do we determine what is relevant in the present moment?

[forestofsouls]

What seems to work for me is to completely immerse myself in the senses - pay attention to the sights, sounds, touch, smells, and so on, in whatever situation is present. The more I am paying attention, which is receptivity (yin), the less there is thought distracting me from being present. As soon as I get lazy and ease up on the 'active receptivity' practice, the thoughts flood back in and the moment is a memory.

 

This is a practice that is sometimes taught in zendos and is indeed one of my personal practices. I've noticed for instance that when I run, if I focus on external stimuli (sight, sound, touch) then I no longer suffer (just for the record, I hate running!).

 

There is a flip side in which one is mindful of inner states. Again, while running (on track of course) I can focus on the inner sensations of pain, the inner feeling of discomfort, the inner complaining and wishing to stop, the images and fantasies, etc.

[doc benway]

Thank you for the suggested reading. I will be sure to check that out.

 

Actually, I am glad that you did expand on your post.

 

Care to elaborate on why you believe it is critical for you right now?

The practice has really been an important part of my spiritual and psychological development in terms of enhancing and putting into perspective my Daoist practices, my work, my family responsibilities and so on.

Edited February 23, 2008 by xuesheng

[xenolith]

By means of breathing in and out while contemplating impermanence the mind reveals the meaning of being.

 

Within cultivation of this space is the mindfulness of being.

[thelerner]

Does mindfulness have a flavor? Do moods intrude upon it? Or if it has one then you're not truly mindful?

 

There are times taking long walks where its beautiful and everything around me seems special. But during the daily grind, say doing laundry, it seems like I'm mindful, keeping my attention within my body, concentrating on what I'm doing and its lacking that sense of -this is wonderful-.

 

Is the walk more mindful then the laundry? Is either true mindfullness. Is caring about such things mindless? Chop Wood, Carry Water and let the mind take care of itself.?

 

Michael

[mYTHmAKER]

I think the question to ask is, how do we determine what is relevant in the present moment?

 

Awareness - paying attention - being present - being open - allowing.

No filtering.

If we determine what is relevant we are thinking and are no longer in the moment.

If we are fully present we know what to do. We know what is relevant. We are in harmony

with others and we act accordingly.

[seadog]

If you want to know what true mindfulness is- do something that threatens your life! Then you will know what true mindfulness is. If you are successfull at applying that same degree of awarness through out your daily life,you will either exhaust your endocrine system or fly like a dragon.

Everything else is just air passing through lips

[voidisyinyang]

Just sit in full-lotus all night long.

[Lotus Flower]

Does mindfulness have a flavor? Do moods intrude upon it? Or if it has one then you're not truly mindful?

 

There are times taking long walks where its beautiful and everything around me seems special. But during the daily grind, say doing laundry, it seems like I'm mindful, keeping my attention within my body, concentrating on what I'm doing and its lacking that sense of -this is wonderful-.

 

Is the walk more mindful then the laundry? Is either true mindfullness. Is caring about such things mindless? Chop Wood, Carry Water and let the mind take care of itself.?

 

Michael

 

I believe that if your emotions "intrude" upon your mindfulness and you recognize it then you are being mindful of the mood itself. It is not to say that all we do in life will be pleasant for that will never be the case. If you are looking for that wonderful feeling in everything then you are not being mindful of what is happening at the moment. You are then having that mood intrude, but I feel that can go the other way too. If you are looking outside and see that there is a beautiful landscape in front of you and are not just absorbing it for what it is, but are looking more at how it feels and describing it then you are taking it one step further beyond mindfulness.

Mindfulness seems to being aware of all around you but not to let anything pervade you...anything being emotions or other thoughts, etc.

Hope this makes sense. I just woke up and have not had my coffee yet

[林愛偉]

Just sit in full-lotus all night long.

 

 

[Lotus Flower]

Awareness - paying attention - being present - being open - allowing.

No filtering.

If we determine what is relevant we are thinking and are no longer in the moment.

If we are fully present we know what to do. We know what is relevant. We are in harmony

with others and we act accordingly.

 

VERY well put. I really like how you have communicated this. Thank you!

 

Just sit in full-lotus all night long.

 

Well, I am a beginner at that, so I can only do it for a little while before it hurts WAY TOO MUCH! I am doing some stretches though, so I am sure I will be able to sit for extended periods of time soon...all night, well, maybe not just yet

[joeblast]

[Lotus Flower]

 

 

ha ha ha Good Point!

[voidisyinyang]

Ok so sure I was in hella pain last night but I got a ton of work done. You have to leverage the need for extreme mind focus as a means to distract you from your body.

 

So I bike home -- sit in more full-lotus. Fall asleep. Wake up with this insane amount of bliss in the nether regions -- like the deepest amazing orgasm. It was awesome. So did more full-lotus, more sleep. Read Ramana Maharshi and Gurdjieff.

 

All I'm saying is that as Gurdjieff states the biggest problem in the West is the lower energy centers remain undeveloped. Read "In Search of the Miraculous" and ignore Ouspensky.