Category Archives: What is mindfulness?
← Older postsPulling Taffy
When emotions are in control there is a tendency to get caught up, sort of speak, in the waves of turmoil. I have the image of taffy being pulled in a candy shop- going this way and that way without … Continue reading
Living in fast forward
Unnecessary, restless, and agitated energy; difficulty sitting still, feeling a constant need to be “on the go”, fixing things, running around and trying to keep everyone happy- anxiety sometimes gets us to act in a way that perpetuates more distress. … Continue reading
Mindfulness as expanded awareness
Recently I watched the movie 500 Days of Summer. (PS Don’t read this if you haven’t seen it and you don’t want me to spoil the ending). I thought the movie was not only cleverly made, but it really captured … Continue reading
Victoria Crane on Mindfulness
Victoria Cane’s powerpoint on mindfulness: From Western Michigan University What is mindfulness? ® mindfulness is awareness, without judgment, of life as it is, yourself as you are, other people as they are, in the here and now, via direct and … Continue reading
Using mindfulness to regulate attention
One of applications of mindfulness has to do with focusing attention. When people are emotionally aroused, they become guarded and go into “fight of flight” mode. Their attention becomes pre-occupied with saving face, getting out of a threatening situation, or … Continue reading
Eugene Gendlin: Focusing
Here is another way of thinking about mindfulness: “You don’t want to fall into your problems, sink in them, become them. Conversely, you don’t want to run away from them, ignore them, or repress them. Those approaches are usually not … Continue reading
More on mindfulness: Quotes
Here is a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, in The Miracle of Mindfulness, page 49: “We are life, and life is limitless. Perhaps one can say that we are only alive when we live the life of the world, and … Continue reading
Looking with your eyes open
Looking at a painful situation with open eyes isn’t easy. Radically accepting something includes accepting pain, loss, death, or even one’s own intense emotional response. Times when I’ve had the most difficulty accepting is when I didn’t want something to … Continue reading
Another perspective: What is mindfulness?
As always, I’m looking for answers to the question “What is mindfulness?” so that my readers can understand. Here is a truly lovely quote about mindfulness that I discovered recently. The author is MJ and you can visit her at … Continue reading
What is mindfulness?
I have a plan. I want to find out the answer to the question “What is mindfulness?” There is a type of research called phenomenological research that is done by asking the same question to multiple persons. If the phenomenon in … Continue reading
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