The majority of my clients resist mindfulness meditation at first, although the time commitment is small and the payoff is enormous. One insisted that it wasn't necessary and that she didn't have enough time in her day to devote to a regular practice. Then she went through the loss of a parent, and had such trouble coping that she couldn't even drag herself out of bed. After missing work 10 days straight, she called me for my advice. I told her to mindfully meditate while in bed. Terrified and bewildered, my client did and, in a few days, found that she could face going to work again. After that, whenever she was in an overwhelming state of grief or so distracted that she couldn't focus, she would close her door, tell her assistant to hold all her calls and do a five minute meditation. Slowly, her grief lessened.
Typically, those who resist meditation are buying in to one of the following four common myths from my book, "Wise Mind, Open Mind" that create resistance to regular mindfulness meditation practice.
Myth 1: "I'm too restless and busy to learn to be quiet and practice any form of meditation." Just 20 minutes on a meditation cushion twice each day will cause you to be more productive and less distracted, and make the most of your time during the day. When you first begin to meditate, you're likely to experience many mental distractions. Rather than judge yourself, simply observe any disruptive thoughts, feelings or sensations and set them aside. You'll never have complete freedom from distractions, but with practice, it'll be easier to quickly turn down the volume on them. As your concentration abilities increase, so will your mindstrength. Quickly, you'll discover that you can simply rest and relax into the moment, enjoying the sense of spaciousness and abundance.
Myth 2: "If I practice mindfulness, it will put out the fire of my ambition and creativity." Mindfulness practice seems to ground restless people, transforming their energy from a chaotic, even manic, discharge to a more focused and heightened exuberance that then can be channeled into productivity. If you're uncomfortable with the thought of slowing down your mental output because you think you'll lose something valuable, keep in mind that this is not the goal of mindfulness practice. Instead, this approach will allow you to access some of the vitality and passion you associate with mania.
Myth 3: "If I practice mindfulness, what I'll discover will be so upsetting that I'll become paralyzed with fear." The fear of what will arise from the subconscious isn't entirely irrational, but the chances of experiencing intense discomfort while mindfully meditating are slim. Emotions that remain buried have no chance of dissipating, and will remain as an underlying toxin that affects the functioning of the mind and body. If you've been avoiding painful feelings and thoughts for a long time, you may not be able to handle more than a five-minute-long session of mindfulness meditation initially, and you may need someone with you to support you in your process of uncovering this pain. A skilled psychologist or mindfulness meditation teacher can be enormously helpful in guiding you through these emotions and modulating their intensity.
Myth 4: "Practicing mindfulness meditation will conflict with my religious beliefs." The practice of mindfulness meditation is free of religious and spiritual dogma. In fact, if you believe in turning to God for guidance, you can use mindfulness meditation to set aside distractions and listen to the divine wisdom that can be found only when you tune out the endless chain of thoughts your own mind creates. This form of meditation turns down the volume of the chatter in your mind and allows you to tune in to deeper wisdom and insight. Mindfulness practice is a pathway to discovery that any of us can use, regardless of our religious or spiritual beliefs.
By cultivating mindfulness, you allow yourself to hear even the subtlest messages from the unconscious. You can be awakened with a gentle nudge instead of a splash of icy water. Embracing your circumstances despite the pain, you can craft a fulfilling life that's infused with passion and originality, driven by a sense of purpose, and in sync with your values and priorities.
Follow Ronald Alexander, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ronalexanderphd
mindfulness like relaxation response { Benson } is a western spinoff [ dont want to say secular plagiarism ] from Hinduism and Buddism with some christian meditation also;
new age ,pardon me , arrogance that we can do it as well as the good folks in the east
and indeed we have : mindfullness is not better than placebo; it creates a nice mood, it doesnt bring deep transformation [healing] in human physiology ; mood is not sustainability ; feeling more energetic for instance is nice but what to do with the enrgy ; unless it is grounded in physiology [ actual balanced metabolism supporting higher state of consciousness ] and harnessed to greater EEG coherence in brain functioning
new age [ which was frankly drug infested ] has not exceeded hindu and buddhist society in real peace
Transcendental meditation (TM ) TRANSCENDENTAL meditation is meditation [ DHYANA} all else is contemplation , concentration , prayer , wishfull thinking
Three categories of meditation techniques have been identified by their distinct EEG pattern and type of cognitive processing: 1. Controlled focus or concentration (gamma brain waves). 2. Open monitoring or mindfulness practices (frontal theta, an EEG pattern associated with memory tasks and internal focus). 3. Automatic self-transcending, such as Transcendental Meditation (high alpha coherence and increased connectivity in the prefrontal cortex and throughout the rest of the brain).
These different practices involve very different kinds of mental activity and often have different aims. Meditation experts have always known that there are many different types of practices, with different results, but it's great that now scientific research is verifying the distinctions. The latest issue of the neuroscience journal "Cognitive Processing" features studies on mindfulness, TM, qigong and other practices detailing these findings.
As a divorcee, I wrote an article about the lessons that I learned from her book and mindfulness (prayer, meditation) was one of them. Check it out. http://www.postcardsfromapeacefuldivorce.com/564/eat-pray-love-…erage-divorcee/
You're getting some free info here and if that info is also a lead into more info to be purchased, that's not unconscionable. You don't have to buy that book. You can just take the free info and run with it.
Open debate leeds to poor book sales I guess.
Guess free and open debate ends when it affects book sales.
To see meditation become more accepted due to the clinical evidence supporting its beneficial role in managing stress and a variety physical, mental and emotional health issues (and not just dismissed as "woo-woo self-indulgent navel gazing") is helping to dispel the incorrect myths attached to regular meditation practice. These medical, psychological and scientific researchers are deserving of our utmost gratitude.
Suzanne Matthiessen
Positive Stress Management: A Mindful Approach
http://www.positivestressmanagement.com/
I've also recently imagined myself made of water. As I was very relaxed before I was stunned to feel the release after I envisioned my watery self trying to fall away as water would.
Have no doubt at all, stress will kill you. It will make you ill. Recent science has demonstrated exactly how this works. Trust that you NEED to meditate or take measures to mitigate the stresses in your life. Stress may be THE reason for most diseases. It keeps all of your cells in a contracted position, unable to growth and flourish. Relax...............