mindfulness for lawyers
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PowerPoint presentation on Mindfulness - produced and presented by Ellis-Jones Enterprises Pty Limited - all rights reserved - for information purposes only - not for commercial use except by the copyright holderTRANSCRIPT
MINDFULNESS FOR LAWYERS
Dr Ian Ellis-JonesBA, LLB (Syd), LLM, PhD (UTS), DD, Dip Relig Stud (LCIS), Adv Mgmt Cert (STC)
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Walesand the High Court of AustraliaPrincipal, Ian Ellis-Jones, Lawyer
Director, Ellis-Jones Enterprises Pty LimitedVisiting Associate, NSW Institute of Psychiatry
Former Senior Lecturer-in-Law, University of Technology, SydneyCommissioner of Inquiry under the Local Government Act (NSW)
Retreat Director, Mediator, Facilitator, Trainer and Consultant
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About the Facilitator
Objectives of Training Session
Objectives of Training Session
• To assist and empower Legal Practitioners in their practice of law …–to enhance their efficiency and
effectiveness in the workplace and their overall wellbeing
–to better serve their clients–to work more collaboratively with their
colleagues … ... cont’d
Objectives of Training Session
… by means of the regular practice and use of certain naturalistic practices, principles, ideas and thought forms
known as Mindfulness … of which Mindfulness Meditation
forms an integral part. ... cont’d
Objectives of Training Session
• To present Mindfulness as a coping skill and mode of being which can:–effect improvements in the
physical body–improve one’s ability to cope with
and release stress ... ...
cont’d
Objectives of Training Session
- assist in developing the mind’s ability to observe and understand many changing psycho-physiological processes and external surroundings
- assist in “untying” one’s thoughts from their emotional content and reaction, thereby defusing and dissipating the latter.
... cont’d
Objectives of Training Session
• To present Mindfulness as a mental skill and cognitive ability which can:– enhance cognitive functioning and
performance– improve concentration, capacity for focus,
memory, learning and consciousness, ability to think laterally and openness to new ideas
– increase verbal creativity and greater attention to detail. ... cont’d
Objectives of Training Session
• To present Mindfulness as a means to ...–empty ourselves of self-centredness–foster ethical behaviour–improve skills in mediation,
negotiation and resolution of complex issues. ... cont’d
Objectives of Training Session
• To present Mindfulness as a means to ...–see the limitations of
conditioned patterns of thinking–bring self-knowledge–enhance self-esteem.
Objectives of Training Session
• To present Mindfulness as a means to ...–lead to greater work
satisfaction–continuously develop
expertise.
Training Methods
Training Methods
• PowerPoint Presentation• Talks, Stories, Sayings and Anecdotes• Self-questioning• Breathing Exercises• Guided Meditations• Supply and Use of Printed Material (copies of
PowerPoint slides and Select Bibliography)• Questions and Answers
Topic Areas
Topic Areas• Introduction to Mindfulness• Introduction to Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation• The “Purposes” of Meditation• “Techniques” and “Methods” of Meditation• Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation … core
values, “tips”, benefits• Mindfulness of Breathing ... and Breathing Exercises• Mindfulness Sitting and Walking Meditations
... cont’d
Topic Areas ... cont’d
• Continuous Mindfulness and Awareness of Reality
• Listening to Clients Mindfully• Mindfulness of Sensations• Mindfulness for Pain Management• Mindfulness, Laughter and Humour• Evening Meditation for Self-Questioning and
Self-Reflection• Questions and Answers
Anticipated Outcomes
Anticipated Outcomes• Participants in the training session are
expected to gain a workable understanding of:–the practice and principles of
Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation
–the mindful use of breathing ...
Anticipated Outcomes ... cont’d
–the practice of listening mindfully to others, especially one’s clients
–the use of Mindfulness • for pain relief, and•as a means of personal and professional self-development.
The Practice of Law
The Practice of Law
The statistics regarding lawyer depression,
divorce, suicide, physical and other mental illness,
and alcohol and other substance abuse aresimply staggering ...
The Practice of Law
Over 50% of practising lawyers describe themselves as emotionally dissatisfied
with their work ...and their lives.
The Practice of Law
• Lawyers top the list of professions whose members suffer from a major depressive order–rate of depression
3.6 times higher than employed persons generally.
The Practice of Law
Lawyers also suffer from
alcoholism and illegal drug useat rates far higher than non-lawyers.
The Practice of Law
The divorce rate among lawyers is also higher than the divorce rate
among other professionals.
The Practice of Law
... and the statistics
seem to get worse each
year!
The Practice of Law
MYTHS AND DENIAL IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
1. Stress? Drug problems? Not in our firm!2. Stress? Long hours? It’s par for the
course!3. If you can’t cope with the stress … the
billable hours … the long days … then perhaps you shouldn’t be a lawyer.
The Practice of Law
MYTHS AND DENIAL IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
4.If you’re stressed out, that’s your problem. Solve it yourself, quickly … or else.
5.Your wellbeing is not the firm’s responsibility.
The Practice of Law
• DOING … as opposed to simply BEING –“What must I do today?”
•billable hours•things to do …•people to meet …
The Practice of Law
• SUCCESS is defined by reference to what one has done.. and how others see you–“I want to be remembered for
having done …”
The Practice of Law
The practice of law is injurious to your health
unless ...
The Practice of Law
... you can practise a way of living and approaching life that involves ...
The Practice of Law
• a stable, steady, alert and clear mind, and
• a state of being psychologically present and with whatever happens in and around you
MINDFULNESS... An Introduction
One approach ... MINDFULNESS
One natural means by which to respond to
the stress of law practice ... and
otherwise empower oneself, is ...
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS
“Mindfulness ... makes us accessible to depths
of awareness and clear seeing into the way
things are.”- Christopher Titmuss.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
“THE TAPE RECORDER”
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
A STABLE ... STEADY ... CALM ... ALERT ... OBSERVANT ... CLEAR ... DELIBERATE ... PURPOSEFUL ... ACTIVE ... FOCUSED …ENGAGED and yet DETACHED ... SKILLFUL AWARENESS of the present moment ... including one’s ...
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
• BODY FUNCTIONS & SENSATIONS
• CONTENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS (thoughts, feelings, images, etc)
• CONSCIOUSNESS itself• EXTERNAL SURROUNDINGS
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
The practice of paying attention •in the present•purposefully and receptively •deeply and openly•non-judgmentally ...
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
... to whatever arises in the present moment ...
moment to moment … both inside and
outside of us
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness enables usto move from the level of
conceptual thinking tothe level of direct,
non-judgmental awareness.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
“We live in a society that … forgets the present.”
- Albert Einstein
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
• Keep your eyes open … RIGHT NOW.
• Witness all that is in front of you, above you, and around you … RIGHT NOW.
• What do you see … feel … smell? … RIGHT NOW.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
• Look everywhere … RIGHT NOW.• See and experience everything …
RIGHT NOW.• Stay in the NOW.• Sense each part of your body …
hands, legs, chest, head, etc.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is now being taught at– several leading US law
schools• eg Harvard, UC Berkeley,
Stanford
– CLE workshops and seminars across the USA
MINDFULNESS
• Mindfulness has been endorsed by several ...–US Bar Associations,
and– insurance companies
MINDFULNESS
ALL of what follows is …
DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PRACTICE
OF LAW
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness takes meditation … in the form
of deliberate and purposeful awareness
and ...
MINDFULNESS
... applies itto one’s
WHOLE life!
MINDFULNESS
We need to create space for formal meditation
practice within the busy framework of our
daily lives.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation
can both refer to a specific type or practice of
meditation ...
Mindfulness Meditation
... used as a psychological and educational tool in some
naturalistic forms of Buddhism and Buddhist meditation
especially Vipassanā Meditation(also known as Insight[ful], Sensoryor Thought Watching Meditation)
Mindfulness
However, Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation are not restricted to …
• Buddhism• Buddhists• Buddhist meditation
Mindfulness
• You do not have to a Buddhist to practise either Mindfulness or Mindfulness Meditation
• You do not even have to be religious to do so …
Mindfulness
What are presented in this training session are
non-religious, naturalistic, psychological forms of
Mindfulness andMindfulness Meditation.
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS is ... a way of life, a journey in
self-discovery andan education ...
LIVING DELIBERATELYAND PURPOSEFULLY
IN THE PRESENT MOMENT… AT ALL TIMES.
MINDFULNESS
“To be awake is to be alive.”
Henry David Thoreau.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness ... “a watchful awareness of one’s own
inwardness, nourished by meditation, and appropriate
outward activity ...”- Emeritus Professor Winston L. King.
MINDFULNESS
• Mindfulness means … –no more
“sleepwalking” throughout the day
–focusing only on the here and now …
MINDFULNESS
• Mindfulness means ...– being fully aware of ...
• where you are• what you are doing• who you are with
– being fully aware of ...• your body• your thoughts and feelings• your mind and its contents• your surrounds
“Core Values” ofMindfulness and
Mindfulness Meditation
“Core Values”
There are certain “core values” of
Mindfulness,among them ...
“Core Values”
• ATTENTION ... being, and living, attentively in the present moment, on purpose …… for moments pass … THIS moment has
already gone forever!• AWARENESS (“mindfulness”) ... mind
free and unattached ... indeed detached but watchful
“Core Values”
• UNDERSTANDING ... to gain self-knowledge insight into ourselves and others
• COMPASSION ... from a sense of ego-self to a sense of Being (non-self/others) ... • loss of all sense of duality and
separateness.• lovingkindness for oneself and all other
beings
Mindfulness of Breathing
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS is all about ...• AWARENESS ... and CLARITY OF MIND• A MIND that is DETACHED but
OBSERVANT of ..• the thoughts that arise• ongoing events and experience
MINDFULNESS
• MINDFULNESS is …•OPEN, CONSCIOUS and
DEFUSED AWARENESS•of PRESENT EXPERIENCE•with ACCEPTANCE
MINDFULNESS
The OPEN, CONSCIOUS and DEFUSED AWARENESS, and
DETACHED OBSERVATION, has been described as being that
of SEEING CLEARLY but“BARELY KNOWING”
MINDFULNESS
• STOP– Don’t get lost in your own mind!
• LOOK– What is happening now?
• LISTEN … inner and outer sounds• BE PRESENT … in the here and now
MINDFULNESS
Observing the BREATH or the movement of the ABDOMEN is used as
a major focus of AWARENESS
MINDFULNESS• Following either the breath or the movement
of the abdomen is INTEGRATED with MINDFULNESS of: – BREATH SENSATIONS– THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, etc – SENSE OF BODY AS A WHOLE– SENSATIONS WITHIN THE BODY– EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES (sounds, etc)– “BE-ING”
MINDFULNESS
BREATHING ALSO CALMS BOTH
THE BODY ANDTHE MIND
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE
•Sit up in your chair … straight back … feet flat on the floor
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• Seated posture ... chair or cushion
–stillness and relaxation–tranquil mind and settled body
• Fold hands in your lap or lay palms up (or down) on your thighs
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• Close your eyes • Take a deep cleansing breath• Take a few moments to settle
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• Bring your full attention to your body
• Feel yourself in your body• “Let go” all over
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
•Bring your attention to your breathing
•Start breathing in an even pattern.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• At the start …– Breathing in … count and say
(think) inwardly … 1– Breathing out … count and
say (think) inwardly … 2 …
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
In-breath … 3Out-breath … 4 …
Count to 10.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
Continue to observeyour in-breath and out-breath.
“Taste” the breath.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
Breathe in ... Breathe out... just like that!
Just concentrate onbreathing in and out.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
Know when the air comesin and goes out.
Take this as your subjectof awareness.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
When the air comes in ...you know it.
When the air goes out ...you know it.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
Continue this pattern throughout your breathing
meditation ... and your breath will become
refined and softer.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• After a while, no longer say or think the counts ... just follow and be attentive to your breathing.
• Alternatively, follow and be attentive the rise and fall of your lower abdomen.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• Noise or sound? ... Note it, and say, “Hearing, hearing”
• Thought? ... Note it, and say, “Thinking, thinking”
• Feeling? ... Note it, and say, “Feeling, feeling”• Pain? ... Note it, and say, “Burning [or
Throbbing” ... and so forth.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
Always return, as mindfully as possible, to observing your
breathing pattern or your abdominal movements.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• Let your awareness gradually fill your body.
• Notice where your breath is most vivid ... - nose? belly? ...
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
• Return your attention to, and continue to observe, the pattern of your breathing …
• Continue for at least 5 minutes.
MINDFULNESS
A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
Let your mind be peaceful ...
undisturbed ... not restless.
MINDFULNESSA SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d
•When you are ready ...–open your eyes slowly–take in your surroundings.
MINDFULNESS
REMAIN CALM, POISED AND
RELAXEDAT ALL TIMES.
Mindfulness of Breathing
• Should thoughts arise, just notice them ...–Be aware of them ... with
detachment.–Observe and acknowledge them
gently, dispassionately … without judgment … and let them go.
Mindfulness of Breathing
• OBSERVE … as opposed to IDENTIFY
• ACKNOWLEDGE ... LET BE• RELEASE ... LET GO
Mindfulness of Breathing
NOTE. “Thoughts” include … • feelings and emotions• images, memories and reflections• plans, concepts and commentaries,• sense perceptions• body sensations.
Mindfulness of Breathing
•Don’t try to actively bring thoughts up.
•Wait and see what comes up next.
Mindfulness of Breathing
• Treat any new thought the same way ...–Observe ... Acknowledge ...
Release and Let Go.–Notice any
judging/evaluating ... Let it go.
Mindfulness of Breathing
•Rest in the “blank spaces” between thoughts.
•Don’t try to make sense of any thoughts.
Mindfulness of Breathing
• Continue to follow your breath or abdominal movements.–Feel the breath going in and out or
the rise and fall of your abdomen–Just follow it ... with choiceless
awareness.
Mindfulness of Breathing
• Stay awake and aware ...–It’s not about the breath or the movement of the abdomen ... but the awareness.
Mindfulness of Breathing
Breathing in and out assists in relieving
tension and calmingthe mind.
Mindfulness of Breathing
A deeply relaxed person breathes about 5-8 times
a minute ....at the very most.
Mindfulness of Breathing
Breathe consciously as you go about your daily life.
Mindfulness of Breathing
Let your breath go slow and deep … into the centre of
your being.
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS
The greatest discovery of my generation is
that people can alter their lives simply by
altering their attitudes of mind.- William James.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness takes you beyond the limitations of
cognition and the analytical mind ... a bit of a challenge at
firstfor most lawyers!
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness
–does not involve notions of the supernatural ...•that is, the notion that there are higher and lower levels or orders of reality ...
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness–is both natural and transnatural ...
• that is, it “grows out of ordinary nature, but transcends it” (Sir Julian Huxley)
• not contrary to reason or irrational
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS means ...–being alert, curious,
receptive, choicelessly aware of, and present on purpose with, every thought ...
MINDFULNESS
•with detachment•without judgment, condemnation or evaluation
•without trying to control•without resistance, suppression or sublimation
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness helps you to “untie” one’s thoughts from their emotional content
and emotional reaction ...
MINDFULNESS
… thereby defusing, dissipating and short circuiting the “hot stuff” ... especially “stuff” from the subconscious mind that you would otherwise act upon
MINDFULNESS
• Mindfulness lets you ...– see this “stuff” … from a distance– observe and acknowledge it– let it go … before things spiral out of
control– act, rather than habitually react as if
on “auto pilot”
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness “softens”the mind ...
... more “accepting”
of whatever is … Whatever is, is best!
MINDFULNESS
With the regular practice of mindfulness both the
body and the mind become soft(i.e. relaxed).
MINDFULNESS
• MINDFULNESS, as memory, also involves …–present-centred recollection …
•retropective memory of some past event
•prospective remembering to do something in the future.
MINDFULNESS
• The will acts all the time … shifting from one mental image to another ...–each arising within about
one millionth of a second.
MINDFULNESS
•The mind can only focus on one mental image … at any given point in time.
MINDFULNESS
Stay withwhatever arises …
for as long as it lasts.
MINDFULNESS
Notice what is passing through your mind with choiceless awareness …
by getting up close.
MINDFULNESS
... “Awareness-ing” ... Let your awareness take
note of what’s going on ... in and outside
of your mind.
MINDFULNESS
Rest inchoiceless
awareness ... moment by moment
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is ...•a self-liberating experience
•a way to be free
MINDFULNESS
• Live in the mind’s natural state ... mindfulness!– boundless ... spaceless – “be-ing”– presence of mind
MINDFULNESS
CHOICELESS AWARENESS ...
NOT THE SAME THING AS “THOUGHTLESS AWARENESS”
(cf Sahaja Yoga).
MINDFULNESS
• The aim of Mindfulness ...–NOT to eliminate all thought
–Thinking isn’t the problem.
MINDFULNESS
Endless non-purposeful thinking ... especially of
a negative kind ...is the problem.
MINDFULNESS
BE AWARE OF EVERY THOUGHT.PAY ATTENTION!
MINDFULNESS
Watch and movewith EACH thought ...
moment by moment ... choicelessly
... and purposefully.
MINDFULNESS
• Note what the body is experiencing ... when walking, sitting, reading, driving the car ...–Thinking thoughts–Hearing sounds–Having mental images–Feeling pain or bodily discomfort ...
MINDFULNESS
• MINDFULNESS (sati) literally means “memory” ... Remembering ...–Distraction = forgetting–Remember what is present–Remember to stay present at all times.–Recollect in the present what has
happened before.
MINDFULNESS
• MINDFULNESS is NOT the same thing as “consciousness”– Stream of consciousness– “Trains” of awareness– Distraction = forgetting
MINDFULNESS
How many thoughts go through the human mind per minute?
MINDFULNESS
• What is a “thought”?–no easy answer ...
• Thoughts are ...–abstract–not quantitative, as such.
MINDFULNESS
• The mind is incapable of not thinking ... at least on the subconscious level.
MINDFULNESS
How many thoughts per minute?
The question is considered unanswerable ... at present.
MINDFULNESS
Only observeone object per
moment.
MINDFULNESS
• The brain–can only “think” one thought at
any given moment in time–can only handle one cognitive
function at a time
MINDFULNESS
So-called “multitasking” ... ... nothing other than
“switch-tasking” ... toggling between one task and
another ... each time witha “startup cost”
MINDFULNESS
Multitasking ...• makes us feel efficient• slows down our thinking• erodes our attention• makes us more stressed out,
depressed and less able to connect with others
MINDFULNESS
Be present!Be mindful!
MINDFULNESS
• Realize that your thoughts, feelings and memories are not you.
• You are not your thoughts, feelings or memories.
MINDFULNESS
• Watch your thoughts, feelings and memories flow like the waves of the ocean against the sea shore ...
• They come in ... and they go out.
MINDFULNESS
Witness your thoughts, feelings
and memories flowing away intothe great abyss.
MINDFULNESS
Being “constantly aware” is a manner
of speaking.
MINDFULNESS
It is, of course, impracticable to be constantly aware ...
MINDFULNESS
... that is, turning the attention to what passes in our minds, all of the hours and minutes of
the working day.
MINDFULNESS
• Mindfulness involves …–focused attention on the present…
• energy • enough “effort” to remember to focus
attention• momentary but detached
concentration … each moment … whatever arises
MINDFULNESS
• However, be sensitive to what is discordant or negative ... and clear it out ... indirectly.
MINDFULNESS
–Watch and move with your thoughts ... with detachment, NOT attachment.
MINDFULNESS
- Be psychologically present on purpose (“up close”) with whatever happens in and around you.
MINDFULNESS
•Deliberately keep the mind at the level of bare attention.
MINDFULNESS
•Remain (“be”) in the present on purpose ... at all times ...
MINDFULNESS
-The “here and now” is all that really “is”
-The past and the future “exist” only in one’s imagination
MINDFULNESS
-The only time we ever have is the present moment
-We can only live in and experience the present
MINDFULNESS
• Live and think only in the present …... the ever-present, ever-vanishing
“eternal now”• Live in and inhabit the reality of the
now–without past or future–with choiceless awareness.
MINDFULNESS
•The past is dead•The future is yet to be born
MINDFULNESS
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that’s why they call it the present.” - Eleanor Roosevelt.
MINDFULNESS
–All that we can know is our present thought
–The only thing we have to “heal” or otherwise “deal with” is the present thought
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS HELPS BRING OUR MINDS
TO THE PRESENT MOMENT.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness …–is active, NOT passive–is experiential, NOT intellectual
MINDFULNESS
•Let your awareness be unconnected to theobjects of its attention.
MINDFULNESS
–Do not try to alter your experience or change your thoughts or sensations.
Meditation
What is Meditation?
• The etymological meaning of the word ...–Latin-derived word
• meditatus, past participle of meditari, frequentative of medēri
–related to “middle”, “mediation”, “medical” and “measure”
–also denotes “reflecting”, “pondering” ...
What is Meditation?
• What is Meditation?... “a medicine for the mind which
does its work by measuring out time, when it can reach a median, a point of equilibrium”.- Robert Ellwood, Finding the Quiet Mind (TPH, 1983).
“Types” of Meditation
• There are 3 main “types” or “schools” of Meditation ...
1. Contemplative Meditation. 2. “Letting Go” or
“Surrender” Meditation.3. Mindfulness Meditation.
“Types” of Meditation
Contemplative Meditation involves • fixed concentration of
thought and• contemplation on …
some object (mental or physical) … on one point.
“Types” of Meditation
• “Letting Go” or “Surrender Meditation” (eg Centering Prayer) involves:
• the emptying of self, and • the opening of one’s mind and heart to “the
Ultimate” (God/the “Self”/the Ground of Being, InterBeing, the Livingness of your life, etc) ... a state beyond thoughts, emotions and words.
“Types” of Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation involves a “clarity of mind” in which you become purposefully alert, aware of, present with, and attentive to ...
- your thoughts, feelings, emotions, bodily sensations, etc, and
- your external surroundings.
“Types” of Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation is:• NOT absorption, that is, fixed or deep
concentration on one single object• choiceless awareness … a non-
judgmental observation of all things as they are
• living in the present moment
The Nature of Meditation
What it is Not ...
• Meditation is not “mind control” ...
in the sense of • subjugation,• sublimation• suppression
The Nature of Meditation
What it is Not ...• Meditation is a form of escape from life• Meditation must be done in some special posture (eg
the “full lotus position”)• Meditation must be done in some special place (eg
mountain top, cave, monastery)• Meditation is a religious ritual or ceremony• Meditation is trance-like state ...
NOT SO!!!
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
•Mindfulness Meditation –a bit of a misnomer–often misunderstood …
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness Meditation …• is meditation for daily life … • encompasses mindfulness of one’s
• body• feelings • mental states• mental contents… in ALL situations of everyday life
What is Mindfulness Meditation? What it is Not ...
It is not … • fixed or exclusive
concentration of thought• but momentary concentration …
paying attention to whatever arises … a momentary look at the present moment
• contemplation.
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
• Focused Attention -NOT fixed concentration
• True “control of mind” … –the giving of constant attention.
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
• Mindfulness Meditation involves the giving of unwavering attention ... – to ALL things in life – NOT merely particular things or
one’s own thoughts.
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness Meditation is
literally practice ...
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
... as in you might go to a golf driving range to practise your golf swing
in order toimprove your golf.
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
• Mindfulness Meditation involves simply observing whatever mental or physical process is predominant within the present moment … – in order to understand the true
nature of it.
What is Mindfulness Meditation?
What it is Not ...
• It is not a religion or cult or even inherently religious …• Meditation does not
require you to be religious at all.
Mindfulness Meditation
What it is Not ...• You don’t need to ...
• find a guru• go to the Himalayas or an
ashram or live in a cave• wear coloured robesin order to meditate and
practise Mindfulness.
Meditation
“The only Zenyou find on tops of mountains is
the Zen you bring there.”
-Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Meditation
• Contemplation is different from Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation
• Mindfulness Meditation requires a mind completely denuded of all previous ideas and knowledge
Mindfulness Meditation
• Whatever then “takes place” in the mind is:–NOT from previous thoughts,
feelings or memories–from an inner initiative ... out of
the depths of one’s very being
Meditation ... and Mindfulness
“THE BABY STOPS
CRYING”
Mindfulness Meditation
• When the mind is ...–no longer speaking–no longer analysing–no longer caught up in the
process of becoming.
Mindfulness Meditation
LEARN TO BE SILENT
“LET YOUR QUIET MIND LISTEN
AND ABSORB.” - Pythagoras.
Mindfulness Meditation
“A single-pointed mind isthe fully trained state of
the meditative mind. It serves as the ground for
cultivating wisdom ...”- Geshe Wangchen.
Mindfulness Meditation
A QUIET MIND
• “Free Quiet”• “Sitting quietly, doing nothing”• “Not doing”
• “Intentional Quiet”• Purposefully, and progressively, going
deeper and deeper, interiorly.
Mindfulness Meditation
• A state of “bare attention” and “choiceless awareness”
• A near-automatic habit of self-reflection
Mindfulness Meditation
• A state of freedom from external and internal obsessiveness
• A means of developing and practising midfulness
Mindfulness Meditation
• Mindfulness Meditation–is NOT just relaxation–is NOT just stress relief
•but it does involve identifying and recognising stress causing factors ►►► stress reduction
Mindfulness Meditation
• Mindfulness Meditation–is realization of your body and
mind as they appear to you now•the mind is alert, sharp and mindfully aware
•the body is relaxed and not tense or rigid
Meditation ... Do it!
• Meditation is of little value if practised ...–only occasionally–only at a certain specified time
or times of the day–only in a particular posture.
What is Meant by Practising Meditation?
What is meant by “practice” in the context of Mindfulness and Meditation?
“It does not mean a ‘rehearsal’or a perfecting of some skill so that we can put it to use at some other time. In the meditative context practice means ‘being in the present on purpose.’ The means and the end of meditation are
really the same.”- Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Meditation ... an “All-day Affair”
“If the mind is restless twenty-three and a half hours of the day, it cannot be very quiet and peaceful during the remaining half hour.”
- N. Sri Ram, Spiritual Leader.
Meditation ... an “All-day Affair”
• Meditation needs to be applied ...–in every moment, and–in every circumstance ... of
our daily lives
Meditation ... an “All-day Affair”• What is our life?
–We only have “moments”–The future is only a concept–Memories of the past are also only
concepts–We can only live in the present moment–We need to inhabit the now more ... with
awareness
Meditation ... “Effort Defeats Itself”
• Meditation is NOT a question of effort.
• Don’t try to relax! • Don’t try not to think!• Don’t try to think of nothing.
The Nature of Meditation
“ONE MUST NEVER
THINK OF THE WHTE MONKEY.”
The Nature of Meditation
“Hang out in the space betweenyour thoughts.”
- Alan Cohen.
The “Purposes”of Meditation
The “Purposes” of Meditation
• In a sense there are no “purposes” of meditation.
• Meditation is ...• a “thing-in-itself”• a way of life• a journey in self-discovery• a path of well-being• an enriched, expanded experience of
life, personally and professionally• a means of tapping into “resources” of
power and joy contained in the mind.
The “Purposes” of Meditation
“We could say that meditation doesn't have a reason or doesn't have a purpose. In this
respect it's unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and
dancing. When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as
the end of the composition.If that were the purpose of music then
obviously the fastest playerswould be the best. ...
... cont’d
The “Purposes” of Meditation
... Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.” - Alan Watts.
“Techniques” and “Methods”of Meditation
“Techniques” and “Methods”
• As there are no “purposes”, as such, of meditation ... and
•As meditation is a “thing-in-itself”...
“Techniques” and “Methods”
... no “techniques” or “methods”, as
such, are required.
“Techniques” and “Methods”
THE MASTER’S ADVICE
TO HIS PUPILON THE USE OF
TECHNIQUES AND METHODS
“Techniques” and “Methods”
The essence of all meditation practices
is this ... Cling to nothing.
“Techniques” and “Methods”
There is a danger in clinging to any one “method” that
has worked for you.Always be prepared to ...
let go.
“Techniques” and “Methods”
ARE “TECHNIQUES” AND “METHODS”
MERELY A FORM OF PROGRAMMING OF
ONE PERSON BY ANOTHER?
“Techniques” and “Methods”
• “Techniques” and “methods”:–establish stereotypes in the mind–dig grooves (neural pathways) out
of which you may be unable to extricate yourself.
DO NOT GET STUCK ANYWHERE!
“Techniques” and “Methods”
•“Techniques” and “methods” are all SECONDARY to the CULTIVATION of a “CLEAR MIND”.
“Techniques” and “Methods”
Mindfulness has been described as being ...
“the method ofno-method”.
“Techniques” and “Methods”
Mindfulness means just being aware ... just being awake...
“Techniques” and “Methods”
... all with an“effortless effort” ... resting
in the momentum ofthe continuity of
the present moment
“Techniques” and “Methods”
To have “clarity of mind” you must
develop and exhibit ... calmness of mind
and body.
Mindfulness
SITTING MEDITATION
SITTING MEDITATION
• Sit on a chair or cushion … –straight back … –feet flat on the floor (if seated on a
chair) ... • otherwise, use some other accepted
traditional posture (eg Burmese style, half lotus, full lotus)
SITTING MEDITATION
“Sit straight and be straight in the
practice.”- Zen saying.
SITTING MEDITATION
• Gently hold your hands in your lap ...
• Alternatively, lay your palms up (or down) on your thighs.
• Close your eyes
SITTING MEDITATION
• Take a few moments to settle.
• Resolve to sit still for the entire meditation session.
SITTING MEDITATION
•Feel the ground support your feet and bottom
•Feel totally grounded and supported
SITTING MEDITATION
•Bring your attention to your breathing.
•Take a deep cleansing breath.
SITTING MEDITATION
• Start breathing in an even pattern
• Continue this pattern throughout your meditation.
SITTING MEDITATION
• Let your breath go slow and deep … into the centre of your being
• Be mindful of and follow your breathing, that is, your in-breath and your out-breath ... through the nostrils or mouth, into your lungs ...
SITTING MEDITATION
Alternatively, you may wish to be mindful of and follow
your breathing in the form of the rise/expansion and
fall/contractionof your lower abdomen
SITTING MEDITATION
Either of the above is known as your
“anchor” or “primary object of meditation”
SITTING MEDITATION
Your anchor helps you to remain fixed and
focused in, and to be mindful of, the moment
SITTING MEDITATION
WHY USE AN “ANCHOR”?
Because we can’t focus our mindon every changing moment
without a certain degreeof concentration
to keep pace with the moment.
SITTING MEDITATION
Always be prepared to attend to any “secondary objects of
meditation” (eg thoughts, bodily sensations, pain
sensations) if, and as and when, they arise.
SITTING MEDITATION
• Whenever a thought, feeling, bodily sensation, etc, arises ...–Be aware of it as just a thought,
feeling, etc ... Let it go–Do NOT resist it or try to expel
or drive it away ...
SITTING MEDITATION
•Remember the “law of non-resistance” ...–“Whatever you resist, persists”
SITTING MEDITATION
• Simply observe and notice, with detachment, what your body ... including your mind ... is experiencing
• Label what you’re experiencing if necessary ...
SITTING MEDITATION
• Labelling …–Say, interiorly, the word of
that being experienced–Only label objects or
processes if they are predominant … cont’d
SITTING MEDITATION
• Labelling …
–Use only single words (eg “Hearing”, “Thinking”, “Feeling”, “Throbbing”, “Analyzing”) and keep to a minimum
–Drop the labelling … if you can be aware without thinking, analyzing, judging, comparing, etc
… cont’d
SITTING MEDITATION
• Labelling …• No need to keep labelling until object
disappears … it may not!• Don’t concentrate on the labels
• labels only a means to an end …• i.e., to direct your mind to the present
moment without thinking, analyzing, judging, comparing, etc
SITTING MEDITATION
• Labelling …
–a tool to recognise ONLY the bare fact of the perception of ... • the coming and going ... • the arising and passing away … of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, etc
–NOT a tool to interfere, judge, evaluate, analyze, etc
SITTING MEDITATION
Return as soon as possible to your anchor ... that is, return to following either
your breath or your abdominal movements
SITTING MEDITATION
• Rest in choiceless awareness ... moment by moment ... –Keep your mind at the level of bare
attention ... without judgment, evaluation, self-criticism, condemnation, comparison, etc
–Let it be
SITTING MEDITATION
• Continue as above throughout the period of meditation
• Remain poised and relaxed at all times
SITTING MEDITATION
• Don’t rush off immediately at the end of the meditation session
• Evaluate the experience• Resolve to meditation again ...
soon
“Tips” onSitting Meditation
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Sit down ... comfortably.• Sit still and upright ... spine erect ... head straight.
• Sit relaxed but alert.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
Lay your hands in your lap ... palms cupped
upward ... either separately or one
palm resting gentlyon top of the other.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
Remember ... you cannot meditate
unless the mind is collected and quiet
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Avoid uncomfortable, unnatural positions
• Don’t submit yourself to physical strain or pain ... or injure your body in any way
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Keep the body still ... but if you need to change your position, do so
• Don’t try too hard ... indeed, don’t try at all.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Mindfulness is bare knowing ... knowing things as they really are
• Mindfulness is seeing things clearly ... as they really are
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
•Use “effortless effort”•Observe ... directly, objectively
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Don’t try to meditate or relax.
• Just be ... and be aware.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Close your eyes lightly.• Turn your mind “inwardly” and
silently.• Commence deep mindful
breathing ... paying attention to your breathing.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
•Practise meditation gently ... but steadily.
•Practise the “Law of Indirectness” …
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• The LAW OF INDIRECTNESS ...–DON’T resist thoughts and other
distractions–DON’T fight against them–DON’T try to drive them out or away–DON’T dwell upon them …
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• The LAW OF INDIRECTNESS (cont’d) ...
–DON’T hang on to them … or even think about them!
–DON’T fuel their story–DON’T judge, analyze, evaluate,
categorize or compare them –DON’T attempt to put them out of your
mind
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• The LAW OF INDIRECTNESS (cont’d) ...– LOOK upon your thoughts as if they were on a TV
or movie screen– GENTLY OBSERVE and, if necessary, LABEL your
thoughts ... • Say, simply, “Thinking” or “Feeling”, etc• By so doing, you can untie them from their
emotional content• They will pass and disappear in time
... All things pass
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• TURN YOUR MIND INWARDS• OBSERVE the moment• BE with the moment ... be
“embodied” in the moment
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• BE PRESENT with all that happens
• STAY with the moment• “REMEMBER” the moment
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Note any thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations
• Pause briefly• Note the “tone” of any noting• Return to observing your breath or
following the rise and fall of your abdomen
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Careful, mindful observation …– Don’t interfere– Don’t “feed” your thoughts,
feelings, mental movies, etc …
IN TIME, THEY WILL … LOSE THEIR POWER!
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Mindfulness Meditation is ...–NOT about stopping the mind–NOT about stopping thoughts
• Mindfulness Meditation is ...–about allowing thoughts to be
present ... • but NOT letting them run you!
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
Remember ...
WHAT YOU RESIST,
PERSISTS.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Don’t try to experience “the silence”
• If you do, you only become aware of ...–a past silence ... –a self-projected mental repetition
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
True silence and quietude occur when the mind is utterly still.
That requires …
“bare attention” and “choiceless awareness”.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
True Silence ... Emptiness
“Silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of self.”
- Anthony de Mello.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
If the mind wanders,be mindful of the
wandering and your thinking and imagining
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
• Say inwardly, “Wandering, Wandering” or “Thinking,
Thinking” … until the intrusive thoughts, etc,
disappear.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
When thoughts, etc, are too dominant,
intrusive or painful to let go by labelling …
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
… observe your breathing pattern
or abdominal movements
(“Rising … Falling”).
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
When the mind wanders, simply
observe itas it is
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
Expand the feeling of awareness of and around the breath to include a sense of the body as a whole ... “re-
bodying” yourself ...resting in awareness.
“Tips” on Sitting Meditation
Meditate, mindfully,preferably twice daily …for about 15 minutes on
each occasion.
Mindfulness Meditation
•In addition, at least ONCE per day,
practice “walking meditation”
Mindfulness Meditation
• Also, practise “continuous mindfulness” all throughout the day.
• Remember to listen to others mindfully ... being in the present on purpose.
Mindfulness Meditation
Remember ... any activity done
mindfully is a form of meditation.
Mindfulness
Walking Meditation
Walking Meditation
“Walking meditation is an art! You are not going anywhere,
you are walking justfor the sake of walking.”
– Martine Batchelor.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking Meditation helps to foster:–calmness–relaxation–awareness ...
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
... Yes, the “key” is to be aware as
you walk
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation–is meditation in action
•using the natural movement of walking to foster mindfulness
–the bare experience of walking
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation–can be the preferred form of
Mindfulness Meditation–ordinarily precedes a sitting
meditation … centres the mind
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation–similar to normal walking but slower
–deliberate, intentional and mindful
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
•Walking meditation–not physical exercise–but wakeful presence
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation– choose a quiet place … without distractions
• indoors or outdoors• short path ...
– some 3-10 (preferably around 6) metres in length– the path must have a definite “start” and “end”
• flat, even surface ...– backwards and forwards or circular
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation– “walking with presence
and mindfulness”– a means to connect mind
and body with the here and now• keeps one centered in
the present moment
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation–Begin by standing at the beginning
of your path–Start with a “standing meditation”
(“Standing, standing”)• for a minute or 2 ... watch the breath
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation–Focus on your body
• Feel the sensation of your feet “pressing” against the floor/earth
–Feel the whole body standing … and later turning (“Turning, turning”) ... with awareness ...
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walking meditation–Focus your attention minutely
and purposefully on each action.
–You are not going anywhere ... You are just walking.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
In sitting meditationthe focus of attention is
the breath.
In walking meditationthe focus of attention is
the moving body.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Walk barefooted or with socks only … preferably.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Begin to walk slowly.• Focus on each step.• Feel each step as it comes.• Be fully present with each step.• Notice every sensation of the
walking process.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Walk “flat-footed”. Place the foot down flat … heal first … toes later.
• “Left, right, left, right …” Steps short … about 15- 20 cm apart.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Maintain correct posture in the standing position.
Walk mindfully … • eyes half-open• looking straight ahead (not around)• pace ... very slow to brisk.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Note (and mentally note or label, at least at the beginning) ...
• the lifting of the heel (“lifting”),• the forward movement (“moving”
or “pushing”), and• the placing of the foot down
(“putting” or “dropping”) …
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Over time, you can build up to noting all 6 component parts of each step ... concurrent with the actual experience of the various movements ...
1. “Raising”2. “Lifting”3. “Pushing”4. “Dropping”5. “Touching”6. “Pressing”
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Be aware of the contact between
your foot andthe ground.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Allow some 60% of your “tension” to dissipate through
your feet ...
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
... with the remaining 40% dissipating in the non-
resistant “zone of airspace” in front of you, into which you
are constantly entering.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Feel the airspace in front of you as yours to feel, enter and embrace ...–feel its non-resistance,
emptiness and friendliness
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Be gentle with yourself.• Say to yourself, interiorly,
“Be well” ... sending out loving kindness to others and yourself.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Walk through this airspace mindfully but gracefully, effortlessly
and without resistance ... for such is its nature.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
OBSERVE the movement of your feet whilst engaged in your walking meditation ... but don’t look at your feet.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Feel each step mindfully as you lift each foot off the floor/ground.
• Feel the sensations in each foot, ankle, leg, knee, the hips, the back, the neck, the head, the face, etc.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
•Look at a place about 2 metres ahead.
•Don’t gaze about here and there.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Maintain good posture … straight back.
• Hands by side, in pockets or clasped in front or at rear ...– resting easily ... wherever they’re comfortable.
• Breathe normally.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
If background thoughts, etc, arise ... simply KEEP
FOCUSED on NOTING your steps.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• Pay no attention to your breath or abdominal movements.
• Be aware of ...–the movements with your mind–the sensations throughout your
body.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
• If you become distracted, and focusing on noting your steps doesn’t help ... –STAND for a few moments–WATCH your breathuntil the mind calms.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
•Be fully mindful with an alert, relaxed attention to the present moment.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
Continue to walk mindfully for 10 to
20 minutes ...or longer.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
At end of walk, stand (“standing, standing”) for a short while, observing your
posture and breathing … mindfully and attentively.
Walking Meditation ... cont’d
After standing mindfully for a few moments,
gently return to your “daily life”.
The Results ofMindfulness and
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness
NEUROPLASTICITYJust as physical exercise is good for
the body, and can make positive changes to the body ...
so MEDITATION and MINDFULNESS can make positive neuro-physio-
psychological changes to the mind
Mindfulness
Mindfulness makes us more aware of ...
- our thoughts, feelings, emotions and bodily sensations
- our external surroundings ...
Mindfulness
... As a result, we develop a heightened sense of sensitivity ... and begin
to perceive things differently …
Mindfulness
We then perceive each moment
as it actually is.
Mindfulness
We come toaccept
what cannotbe changed
Mindfulness
We are empowered to change what can
be changed ... HOW?
Mindfulness
• HOW? ... “Just do it!” ...–OBSERVE ... BE AWARE ... with DETACHMENT
–ACKNOWLEDGE–RELEASE ... LET GO
Mindfulness
Before we can “let go” we must first “let be”.
Mindfulness
We become more able to accept stress, pain and other
difficultiesthan before ...
without resistanceor avoidance.
Mindfulness
• Don’t focus on the past.• Don’t analyse the past.• Don’t attempt to change other people.• Focus your attention on your own
inner states, thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations ... non-judgmentally.
Mindfulness Meditation
Most importantly ...
Always meditate with complete
attention
The Benefits ofMindfulness Meditation
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
• Mindfulness meditation produces psycho-
physical changes in the body and the mind ...
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Changes in the Body include ...
– reduced heart rate and blood pressure– increased cardiovascular efficiency– reduced cholesterol– reduced muscle tension– improved gastrointestinal functioning– reduced sensitivity to pain– improved circulation of blood and lymph– enhanced immune system– improved posture, overall relaxation of the
body and sleep.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Changes in the Mind include ...
– increased cortical thickness ... in the grey matter of the brain
– a calmer, more patient, stable and steady mind
– overall relaxation of the mind and feeling of wellbeing
– improved ability to cope with and release stress
– enhanced cognitive functioning and performance.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Changes in the Mind also include
– improved concentration and attention to detail, faster sensory processing, increased capacity for focus, memory, learning and consciousness, openness to new ideas
– greater responsiveness in the moment
– reduced mental distractiveness– increased verbal creativity and
greater attention to detail– delayed ageing of the brain.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Mindfulness meditation as a
way of being also ...– fosters ethical behaviour
and empathy toward others– improves skills in mediation
and negotiation– enhances self-esteem– leads to greater work
satisfaction.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (“PNI”)
The study of the complexfunctional relationships
between the nervous system,the neuroendocrine system,
and the immune system.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (“PNI”)
Our thoughts, emotions and beliefs govern our susceptibility
to illnesses of various kinds.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (“PNI”)
Altering our mentaland emotional state
can boost our immune system ... and thus our overall
health and wellbeing.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (“PNI”)
Mindfulness Meditation is “medicine for the mind” which
deals effectively withnegative thoughts and emotions, pain, suffering and stress ... and
thus “dis-ease”.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
• THIS IS NOT MERE OPINION ... • IT IS MEDICAL FACT!! ... attested to by ...
– INNUMERABLE NEUROSCIENTIFIC FINDINGS ... reported in REPUTABLE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ARTICLES ...
– NUMEROUS SCHOLARLY LAW JOURNAL ARTICLES on the beneficial results of MINDFULNESS IN LEGAL PRACTICE.
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
• ALL of this is GOOD for:– the individual lawyer ...
personally and professionally
– the law firm as a whole– clients of the firm– the local community
and the wider public– the world at large.
Mindfulness Meditation
ALL of this is … DIRECTLY AND FULLY RELATED
TO THE PRACTICEOF LAW.
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality
• Breathe consciously … slowly … and deeply as you go about your daily life.
• Observe everything inside and outside of you.
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality
• Feel the “life” all around you.
• Be fully present ... here and now ... in the present moment.
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality ... cont’d
• Disidentify with:• the ego-self• the various “me’s” within your
mind ... your “mental noise” and chatter.
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality ... cont’d
• Watch ... almost with disinterest • as if it were happening to
someone else ... • with no comment, judgment or
attempt to change anything.
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality ... cont’d
• Note the presence of any unhealthy, painful thoughts or emotions …–Don’t suppress or deny them
• Step back with dissociation from the “activating event” ...–“See” and feel the emotion instead
• Practise willingness … and acceptance.
Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality ... cont’d
Observe ...and be constantly aware
... only to understand.
AWARENESSis INSIGHT
Listening to Clients Mindfully
Listening to Clients Mindfully
• Mindfulness has been shown to assist lawyers to provide a better service that:–suits their clients’ needs–delivers desired outcomes.
Listening to Clients Mindfully
• Lawyers are notoriously bad listeners!!!
• Watch yourself carefully.
• Listen attentively at all times.
Listening to Clients Mindfully ... cont’d
• Be mindful of what is being said• “Am I fully aware of what is
being said?”• Don’t simply identify with what
is being said.
Listening to Clients Mindfully ... cont’d
• If negative thoughts or emotions arise:–Don’t identify with them–Ask yourself ...
“What is happening here? What brought this on?”
–Don’t judge or condemn yourself.–Simply observe, note ... and understand.
Mindfulness of Sensations
Mindfulness of Sensations
• Sit comfortably in a meditation posture.• Observe and follow the breath ...
mindfully.• Bring the attention back to the breath
each time the mind wanders.• Continue this for about 5-10 minutes.
Mindfulness of Sensations ... cont’d
• Now, start “scanning” your body and its sensations– Scan from the top of your head, to your neck,
shoulders, chest, arms, etc, ... to your feet– Observe all sensations ... as they arise and
pass ... WITHOUT judging them– If the mind wanders, return your attention to
the last part of the body in which you remember observing sensations
Mindfulness of Sensations ... cont’d
• The regular practice of this method of mindfulness meditation helps you develop emotional equanimity ...• You cease to judge sensations• You learn to accept discomfort ... knowing that,
like all things, it will pass• You learn that pain may be inevitable, but
suffering is optional• Suffering comes from one’s reaction to sensations
Mindfulnessfor Pain Management
Mindfulness for Pain Management
“Awarenessin itself is healing.”
- Fritz Pearls.
Mindfulness for Pain Management
Your emotional and mental state can – and
will – affect your experience of
pain sensation.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
Mindfulness and Meditation have been proven to assist in the management of both
acuteand chronic
pain conditions.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Nerve fibres all through your body are constantly monitoring, and reporting back to the brain, on pain ...... whether or not you
are even aware of the pain.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
Exercise Let yourself become aware of some pain in your body or brain
... of which you were not otherwise aware ...
e.g. pain sensation in bottom when sitting on your chair,
or itch sensation from socksor underwear.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
Ordinarily, we pay no attention to pain or discomfort
sensations ... because most of the messages from the nerve
fibres are at asubconscious level.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If you experience painful bodily sensations during an ordinary
mindfulness meditation session,deal with them as you would with
any other secondary object of meditation (eg thoughts, feelings)
... as and when they arise.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
However, what can we do when
the pain sensations are more severe ...
and occurat any time? ...
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Sit or lie in a comfortable position.• Close your eyes … gently.• Turn your mind “inwardly” and
silently.• Commence mindful breathing or
following the “rising-falling” abdominal movements.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Go to the point of pain (eg neck, shoulders) ...–say interiorly “stiffening,
stiffening”, “throbbing”, etc, ... as opposed to just “pain”
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Observe the actual sensation of pain. • Stay with the sensation of pain …
– with full attention (as a “secondary object of meditation”) until:• the pain disappears, subsides or lessens in
intensity• the sensation changes from moment to
moment ...
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
Return to your “anchor” (“primary object of
meditation”)as soon as possible.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If the sensation of pain becomes too
severe ...change your
position(e.g. stand if necessary) ...
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If you decide to change your position …
• Observe the sensation of pain for a few moments.
• Note your desire to be free of the pain.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If you decide to change your position … cont’d
• Try to let go of that desire ... –Wait, if possible, until your
mind is no longer struggling against the sensation of pain ... before proceeding any further.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If you decide to change your position … cont’d
• Say the mental note “intending to move”.• Slowly move the body into the new position,
noting “moving”. – Break the entire action into several
separate movements.– Stop for a moment between each
movement.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If you decide to change your position … cont’d
Resume following your breath or watching the rise and fall of your abdomen.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Stay in the present moment as much as you can.
• If the mind wanders off, gently bring it back to the present.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Investigate the process of the “pain” ... a mass of sensations ... not a “thing-in-itself”.
• Discern between "pain" and "suffering”.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Stop identifying yourself (the “I” of you) with each bodily or mental symptom or sensation.
• Do not say, “I have a headache” or “I have a sore arm”.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Instead, say, “The body is headaching”, “The arm is throbbing”, etc.
• The headache or pain is an unfolding “process” ... that is
not “yours”– This process is simply something you
are presently experiencing …
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
•Experience the pain as actual, felt experience
•Don’t analyse or think about the pain.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Simply observe ... with choiceless awareness.
• Stay in the present on purpose.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Notice how the pain is always changing from one sensation to another ... ... no matter how “real” and
“solid” it may feel.
• Move towards the pain.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Use “soft focus”.... “Soften” any resistance you feel towards the sensation of pain.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Don’t try to ignore the pain or push it away ... –The pain will simply
“scream louder”. • “What you resist,
persists”.• Use Mindfulness
Breathing.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If the pain sensations become all too severe,
practiseWalking Meditation
instead.
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
If symptoms persist kill see
your health care professional!
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
• Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD• founding Executive Director, Center
for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society, University of Massachusetts Medical School
• author of numerous scientific papers on the clinical applications of Mindfulness in medicine and health care, and numerous books including …
Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d
– Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (Delta, 1991)
– Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994)
– Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2005)
– Arriving at Your Own Door: 108 Lessons in Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2007).
• co-author ...– with wife Myla, of Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work
of Mindful Parenting (Hyperion, 1997)– with Williams, Teasdale, and Segal, of The Mindful Way
Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (Guilford, 2007).
Mindfulness,Laughter and Humour
Mindfulness, Laughter and Humour
• Laughter is good for your health ...– relaxes the whole body– boosts the immune system– triggers the release of endorphins– protects the heart– helps you breathe easier– increases mental alertness– eases anxiety and fear– is a powerful antidote for anger and other
negative emotions.
Mindfulness, Laughter and Humour
• It takes 15 facial muscles to laugh ... but twice that many to frown.
• Mindfully smile ... and laugh … and let go!
• Don’t take yourself too seriously ... – All things pass ...– Think of the Laughing (Happy)
Buddha ... a symbol of a certain state of mind
AN EVENING MEDITATION
A SUGGESTED EVENING MEDITATIONFOR SELF-QUESTIOING AND SELF-REFLECTION
1. In what have I failed?
2. What good have I done?
3. What have I not done that I ought to have done?
- As practised by the Ancient Pythagoreans.
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS FOR LAWYERS
“BE STILL AND KNOW…”
THANK YOU
MINDFULNESS FOR LAWYERS
ANY QUESTIONS?