Mindfulness

   

  

 

    I first became aware of mindful meditation when I was healing from surgery about 18 years ago.  My awareness has deepened since then, especially after attending a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction workshop at the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine.
     For me, mindfulness is about acceptance and non-judging awareness.  The repetitive practice of mindfulness has enabled me to be free of depression and anxiety, and has sharpened my powers of concentration.
     Mindfulness encourages us to be passive observers of stressors, and not to identify with them.  To think of conditions like fear, panic, pain, unpleasant thoughts,  and discomfort as temporary conditions.  To acknowledge these things, and let them go.
     I highly recommend a collection of CD's called "Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program," produced at Duke.  There are five CD's:  Awareness of Breathing Meditation, Body Scan and Walking Meditation, Loving Kindness Meditation, Mindful Yoga:  Standing Series and Floor Series, and Mindfulness of Sensory Experience and Choiceless Awareness Meditation.
     I loaded the CD's into my iTunes library and iPod, and enjoy listening to them on my walks.  Jeff
Brantley's calming voice and supportive explanations are a joy to listen to.
     The set can be ordered by calling 1-866-313-0959.

To learn more about Duke's Center for Integrative Medicine, click here:   http://www.dukeintegrativemedicine.org/about-us/our-physicians-providers-and-staff#moon_sam

More on Mindfulness

I practiced mindful walking yesterday after I hurt my knee.  Walking slowly and meditating enabled me to relax my mind and body.  Later, I danced that night at a beach music concert.

MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction) is offered in seminars all over the world.  The program I attended at Duke can be accessed at this website:

dukeintegrativemedicine.org

Last year, I attended a lecture with Dr. Jeff Brantley.  One comment of his caught my attention:  "look into rather than at people."  We never know what they may have experienced to cause them to be "difficult people."