What do mindful awareness, Velveeta cheese, and saltines have in common? Other than the fact that I like both meditating and eating Velveeta cheese on saltine crackers, the three don't have much in common. At least not yet.
But as mindfulness meditation moves beyond the realm of academics and adepts (those who have developed an impressive degree of aptitude in the practice of Buddhist meditation) into popular culture there's growing pressure to distill mindfulness down to programs that can be articulated in sound-bites -- or what is called in Hollywood an "elevator pitch." Programs that can be described in one or two lines, the amount of time it takes to ride between floors on an elevator. Sometimes I joke about what seems to be a race to create the "Velveeta Cheese" of mindfulness programs--where wide dissemination, sustainability and replication are paramount, even at the expense of the wisdom upon which the classical traditions (and the programs) are based.
This mindless race to the middle is what I refer to in the title of this post and is not unique to the popularization of classical meditation training. Native American elders have long shared a similar view about the popularization of native American culture, as have those who teach Yoga as a spiritual path. These concerns are not limited to people engaged in wisdom traditions but are shared by many in the business world. Seth Godin writes extensively in his new book Linchpin about the lack of wisdom inherent in the race to the middle that pervades corporate America as well as academia.
Is it possible to translate mindfulness into something that can be of benefit to everybody regardless of religion, ethnicity, education, or age without dumbing it down and forfeiting authenticity? I think so. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sylvia Boorstein, Jeffrey Schwartz, Dan Siegel, Richie Davidson, Sharon Salzberg and others have done a pretty good job of beginning to chart that course for us. How? They never forget that there is a "M" in the practice of mindfulness and it stands for meditation. Now there's a strong elevator pitch!
By cultivating, protecting, and prioritizing your own personal meditation practice, your inner compass can act as a reliable guide to bringing authentic mindful awareness into your life and the lives of your kids, families, and friends. If you haven't yet established your own meditation practice I encourage you to give it a try. With a bit of practice meditation can become a pleasure, a comfort, and not a bad stress-reduction technique. For those new to the practice, here's a time-tested place to begin:
Find a relatively quiet and comfortable place where you can relax for awhile with a minimum of disturbance. Maybe at the kitchen table before you wake your kids up and start to get ready for school, or in your bedroom after putting them to sleep. Lie down flat on your back, or sit upright in a chair, and begin the simple process of relaxing your body and calming your mind. Breathe in through your nose and follow the sensation of your breath as it moves from the tip of your nostrils and through your chest. Breathe out and let go of any stress or strain you may be feeling. Repeat and breathe in as you relax your body, then breathe out and let go of any stress or strain you feel right now. Repeat this until your breath awareness is stable and steady - then let your mind and body rest in the feeling of what it's like to be alive right now, in this place, at this time.
Susan Kaiser Greenland is the Author of The Mindful Child: How to Help your Kid Manage Stress and Become Kinder, Happier and More Compassionate. Published by Free Press in May, 2010
Follow Susan Kaiser Greenland on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sKAISERg
Susan Smalley, Ph.D.: Mindfulness Meditation and Carl Jung's Red Book
Right now I think clinicians without personal mindfulness practices teaching it to clients is a big issue, given the trendiness of mindfulness-based treatment in psychotherapy and addictions services.
hat tip to you: http://thinkofnow.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/how-do-we-make-mindfulness-approachable/
http://raisingamazingdaughters.wordpress.com
I need to return to my mindful meditation more often as I have experienced resounding clarity based on deep focus with any challenges I face -even art/design projects! When I don't return to meditate, I almost feel like I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth and shunning gifts that await to be bestowed. I do find a quick session of relaxation techniques can realign my mind & body.
Their practice is so useful that it's unfortunate they are made to seem complicated or esoteric for the sole purpose of making money writing books.
I'm looking forward to reading more of your ideas!
Thanks for your comment! I really appreciate it.
Susan
Mindfulness, on the other hand, can (and should?)be practiced at any time.
Thank you for your comment and I couldn't agree with you more about the importance of community in this practice as well as the benefits of study with a lineage teacher.
With respect to your point about the appropriateness of meditating alone - I appreciate your raising the question and those are exactly the areas of discussion that are extremely important to encourage and respectfully engage in as meditation/mindfulness practice joins secular culture.
Susan
Also, having been born and raised in America, the concepts of Eastern thought were very difficult for me to grasp. When you have access to a community, the membership helps you understand what may initially seem quite foreign.
Susan
Followed by an advice to take a deep breath by the kitchen table.?...
hmmm.....
The breath is where it begins, but why stay in larvae stage and not promote the butterfly one can morph into? Because most people don't want change or to do the heavy lifting required. Parroting fuzzy platitudes and dropping catchphrases during cocktail conversation is as far as some want to go. That's OK, just don't expect anything more from them. Many people don't want to let go of their Velveeta.
Since my own mindfulness teaching work threatens comfort zones it probably won't have bestselling appeal, and that’s the way it is, unfortunately. Not for me, but for what this practice offers when you dive deep.
A colleague in mindfulness education told me about an exchange she had with someone high in the MBSR model (not J-KZ) wherein he told her he was concerned about protecting the MBSR "brand." Mindfulness practice as a BRAND?
This is where trouble begins – when people want to OWN mindfulness.
As far as translating mindfulness to a wider populace: I'm a mainstream, secular mindfulness practitioner and educator. I deeply respect the origins of mindfulness practice and the teachers you list, but one doesn't have to be a Buddhist or possess a PhD or be an MD to be qualified to teach others about living mindfully. They have to live it – authentically, transparently and fearlessly, and not just be capitalizing on what some see as a hot trend. When I tell people I have a secular approach and am not a Buddhist I've received some relieved "thank-you-s"! It's very crucial, again IMO, as this practice reaches the mass public, to be mindful to not cause separation when advocating the beautiful benefits mindful living.
Leading by humble, helpful, contagious example is what's most attractive
living-mindfully.com