Mindfulness as a Daily Practice Mindfulness is a constant canon for me and has been so for over two decades. I am repeatedly drawn to the wise words of Buddhist teachers like Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama. In this essay, I will address mindfulness as a daily practice and discuss the integration of the course required reading as it has influenced my thoughts and awareness. 10-Minute Mindfulness Given a selection of two readings, one addressing wellness as it relates to evolutionary processes and the other addressing conscious living, I chose the latter: 10-Minute Mindfulness by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport. My choice was driven from curiosity about publications of “Buddhism-lite” (as we who follow the Buddhist path …show more content…
Sadly, in completing the book I realized that not once did the authors include this most fundamental truth. As a practicing Buddhist, I am dismayed and concerned that mindfulness taken out of context becomes merely a series of steps to complete, another task on the checklist. “Ignoring context means that we end up with a blind approach to mindfulness that lacks the sensitivity to context that is the mark of wisdom” (Kirmayer, 2015, p. …show more content…
“The distinction is not moralistic: the issue is whether the quality of awareness is characterized by wholesome intentions and positive mental qualities that lead to human flourishing and optimal well-being for others as well as oneself” (Purser & Loy, 2013). The book is, for me, a classic example of wrong mindfulness. I shall continue choosing the right path instead. References Farias, M., & Wikholm, C. (2015, June 5). Mindfulness has lost its Buddhist roots, and it may not be doing you good. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/mindfulness-has- lost-its-buddhist-roots-and-it-may-not-be-doing-you-good-4526 Goldstein, J. (2007, November 1). Here, now, aware: The power of mindfulness. Lion’s Roar: Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time. Retrieved from https://www.lionsroar.com/here-now-aware-the-power-of-mindfulness/ Kirmayer, L. J. (2015). Mindfulness in cultural context. Journal of Transcultural Psychiatry, 52(4), 447-469. doi: 10.1177/1363461515598949 Purser, R., & Loy, D. (2013, July 1). Beyond McMindfulness. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
Hạnh, Nhất, and Arnold Kotler. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.
This is noted because the words for “mindfulness” themselves are varied and textured and come in many different definitions, as well as narratives. Having noted that, it is interesting to see that the same thing can be found in the Western tradition of understanding mindfulness in the third-wave psychotherapies.
Americans have created their own vision of Buddhism with the unique understandings of the United States, its objectives and potential. Their idea of what a good or “mindful” society should be like is influenced by their beliefs. Such beliefs include: the specific qualities that Americans should have, the practices they should engage in, their participation in politics, law, education, legal and medical systems, the military, and so on. The adoption of mindfulness to all these important aspects that are highly valued by Americans is how the believe they create a good, mindful
However, meditation is not as common within Buddhism as most believe. There is a large assumption “that Buddhism and meditation go hand in hand”, but the majority of Buddhists have focused on “cultivating moral behavior, preserving the Buddha’s teachings (dharma), and acquiring good karma”(Braun 2014, p.1). Meditation and Buddhism are often assumed to be one and same, but this is also not true. As Buddhism has gained popularity among lay people it’s practices have changed Buddha’s teaching of the middle path has adapted to meditation being “possible in the city” rather than with monks in jungles and caves (p.4). As seen in Burma, in less than 75 years Buddhism and meditation were able to grow “from a pursuit of the barest sliver of the population to a duty of the ideal citizen” (p.5). While meditation is not the core of Buddhism it has encouraged the growth of Buddhism as it’s practice of mindfulness has been inspiring an approachable model (p.6). Meditation and mindfulness are easily manipulated to secularization, but still have significance in Buddhism and following the patterns of your
Armstrong, Karen. Buddha. New York: Lipper/Penguin, 2004. 66-98. Print.
Mindfulness is a concept or practice that was founded nearly 2600 years ago. It is a very integral component of the Buddhist faith and is believed to be associated with many benefits including self-control, tolerance, flexibility, objectivity, concentration, mental clarity, emotional intelligence, kindness, compassion, acceptance, and equanimity.
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
05 May 2014. Barbor, Cary. " The Science of Meditation.
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
The book Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve Hagen, caught my attention and became more interesting to me than I thought. I have always heard of the religion Buddhism, but I never knew what it was all about. I never thought that Buddhism was as huge as it is. I knew that it existed in other countries, but I never knew what exact countries. Many of the views in this book surprised me and the book taught me a lot about morals and better ways to live your life. The word “ Awareness” is talked heavily all through this book. For Buddhists, this is probably the most important aspect in their religion.
Wallace, B. L., & Shapiro, S. L. (2006). Mental balance and well-being. Building bridges between buddhism and western psychology, 61(7), 690-699.
To begin with, mindfulness is when someone can pay attention to the present moment “without being devoted to different points of view” (Martin, 1997). Along with staying focused on the present moment, mindfulness is when the particular person does not judge the current experience as the person tries to comprehend the present situation. Mindfulness makes a person reflect on one’s self by not only figuring out one’s thoughts, but also the feelings that go along with it. The complex nature of mindfulness demonstrates that it has multiple purposes that cultivates a person into realizing the potential of the brain (Davis & Hayes,
Practicing mindfulness is something that most people probably have on their daily to-do list, but never getting around to it because they either don’t believe it’ll work or feel too busy with their lives to stop for literally just a minute to breathe. When going into this activity, my to-do is exactly what was in mind. It’s the list that is never completed. So, having this as an actual assignment was exactly what I needed to get a jumpstart on my mindfulness techniques in my daily life.
Story, Francis. "Buddhist Meditation." Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
At the beginning of my mindfulness journey, I felt frustrated as I began to realize how much I struggled with being in the present. I could not focus and I struggled to make it five minutes of practice. In the first two weeks, mindfulness felt like a chore. As I sat down to practice I would feel defeated each time. I did not really understand the point of mindfulness as focusing on breathing felt meaningless to me. My mind would wander each time I tried to focus on breathing and I began to realize how hard it was to still and control my mind. I knew that I was supposed to feel more relaxed and connected with my mind and body, but after each practice I felt more frustrated with myself. In the beginning I began to realize