"The main cause of a happy life is within you" Dalai Lama
Mental fitness is different for all of us. To be mentally fit is not just about having a well operating mind. To me it's about being in possession of a resilient and adaptable mind that can also be still and silently attentive, wildly creative, challenged and challenging.
Where do we go to get such a mind and how do we harness it's capacity once purchased?
The following is provocation around the practice of mindfulness............
What's on his mind?
Mindfulness.... not mindfulness
Mindfulness: A quality of consciousness; a connection of purpose, a connection with the present, a non-judgmental connection |
Whether the attention come by grace of genius or dint of will, the longer one does attend to a topic the more mastery of it one has. And the faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention over and over again is the very root of judgment, character, and will. […] And education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence.” (William James : Writings 1878-1899)
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Mindfulness
Why do we need to be mindful?
Training attention, engaging focus and perseverance
Why do we need to be mindful?
Training attention, engaging focus and perseverance
Attention
Autopilot
Creativity
Exercises 1:
Try to empty your mind for 30 seconds (Not easy. in fact if you can clear your mind of all thoughts you may not be having any) Exercise 3:
Listen to the singing bowl. (Attention to sound) Exercise 5:
Body Scan (see web sight) (Attention to self) |
Exercise 2:
Place a pencil dot on a piece of paper. Focus for 30 seconds (Attention of sight) Exercise 4:
Clap your hands to together 3 times (Attention to feeling / body) Exercise 6:
7/11 punctuated by normal breath (Attention to breath) |
Exercise 7:
4 pebbles
For the first pebble, the image is a flower and the quality is freshness.
Thich Nhat Hanh often talks about how we are all beautiful flowers in a garden of humanity.
For the second pebble, the image is a mountain and the quality we are exploring is solidity. The mountain knows it’s solid no matter what is going on around it.
For the third pebble, the image we are working with is still water in a lake, and the quality we are focusing on is clarity. When we are calm, we can make better decisions.
The image for the fourth pebble is the spacious blue sky, and the quality is freedom, feeling free from worry or anxiety.
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students practical strategies to help them cultivate peacefulness within so they can be peaceful in the world
http://www.mindfulteachers.org/2015/11/how-teachers-can-share-mindfulness.html
4 pebbles
For the first pebble, the image is a flower and the quality is freshness.
Thich Nhat Hanh often talks about how we are all beautiful flowers in a garden of humanity.
For the second pebble, the image is a mountain and the quality we are exploring is solidity. The mountain knows it’s solid no matter what is going on around it.
For the third pebble, the image we are working with is still water in a lake, and the quality we are focusing on is clarity. When we are calm, we can make better decisions.
The image for the fourth pebble is the spacious blue sky, and the quality is freedom, feeling free from worry or anxiety.
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students practical strategies to help them cultivate peacefulness within so they can be peaceful in the world
http://www.mindfulteachers.org/2015/11/how-teachers-can-share-mindfulness.html
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