Playing With Mindfulness: Sneaking In The Back Door Self Help Articles | January 21 Wholesale Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey , 2005 I often meet people who say things like, "I've been working with ... for over twenty years." My response is always this: "Oh, you poor thing! Have you tried ... with ... It's ve
I often meet people who say things like, "I've been working with mindfulness for over twenty years."
My response is always this: "Oh, you poor thing! Have you tried *playing* with mindfulness? It's very effective, and much more fun!"
They tend to look at me like I'm some kind of kook Wholesale Michael Gallup Jersey , and then ask the million-dollar question: "How can you play with mindfulness?" Glad you asked....
We tend to think of mindfulness as something that develops only after years of dedicated meditation. We must sit for hours, contemplate in silence for days, go on retreats for weeks, practice daily for years. Okay, that can work.
The unfortunate thing is that it IS work, and consequently Wholesale Connor Williams Jersey , it's about as appealing to most folks as lying on a bed of nails. Sure, they want to develop a clearer perspective on life. Yes, they want to become calm and contemplative. Of course they want to live more meaningfully and with greater joy. But does it have to be so hard?
Absolutely not. You see, while most people knock politely on that front door of meditation in order to get inside the House of Mindfulness, I like to sneak people in the back door to steal a few cookies. Why can't we play with mindfulness, dance with it Wholesale Leighton Vander Esch Jersey , treat it like our favorite goofy cousin who happens to be brilliant instead of our strict uncle who happens to have a Ph.D?
Why can't we tiptoe toward mindfulness through eyes-wide-open exercises that are engaging, uplifting, informative, and--dare I say it--fun?
Mindfulness should be like a big game of mental hide-and-seek: "Where am I now? Gotcha!"
As a student of Buddhism for nearly 30 years, I have the greatest respect for the Buddha and the philosophy that developed around his teachings. I have tremendous admiration for those who have dedicated themselves to a regular meditation practice.
But it's disturbing to me that mindfulness is seen as "belonging" to Buddhism and that meditation is seen as the only vehicle that will take us there. This sounds a bit like, oh Wholesale Xavier Woods Jersey , attachment? Clinging, perhaps?
I just can't find it in my heart to believe that the Buddha would be ticked off about the idea of developing mindfulness in whatever way works best.
Not everyone likes the idea of meditation, but here's the cool part: those who start off with easy, enjoyable exercises often find themselves seeing the value in sitting still. In fact, many clients say they'd never have started with meditation, but they so enjoyed "playing" with mindfulness that they have begun a regular sitting practice!
Sneaky? Sure Wholesale Jourdan Lewis Jersey , but that's part of playing. Fun--in whatever form that takes--is what keeps us going back for more. If you're not grinning, you're not winning in this big ol' game of life.
If "working" on mindfulness isn't working for you, try playing instead.
Throw open the doors. Let your inner monk go out and play. It's recess! Article Tags: Back Door
My sister is a woman now beginning her thirties. She has had few friends and her boyfriends have never been good for her. Now she has finally found a man who adores her.
They had an affair nine years back, when he was twice her age and still married. My sister ended the affair, and he separated from his wife. When my sister contacted him this spring, he finalized the divorce and they became a couple. His marriage Wholesale Byron Jones Jersey , which was arranged by his church, was never happy.
His parents and his children are upset he divorced. His children don't want to meet his new girlfriend, and he hasn't dared to tell his parents about her. The other issue is children. She wants; he doesn't. I tell my sister they both know each other's stand on this and neither has the right to impose on the other, but neither of them wants to leave.
My whole family visited them on my sister's last birthday. It felt so nice to see them together and to see my sister get love and warmth at last. But to know at some point they will have a crash landing feels awful. She has a man who loves her, but he is entangled in a constricting family and church. Besides, there is a conflict of dreams between them.
What should I say to my sister? We try to get an equal relationship Wholesale Maliek Collins Jersey , but we are in such different circumstances. I am married with two children, a professional with friends and all things that she wants. I cannot possibly tell her, after seeing their cozy home and how they care for each other, that this is another no-go.
Who am I to know? Maybe he will come around, or maybe she will think he is more important than fulfilling her dream of children. Maybe I should just keep my "superior knowledge" to myself.
Noel
Noel, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is one of our favorite stories Wholesale Jaylon Smith Jersey , but this tale is so familiar most of us forget the moral. Even in our old age it is not too late to change. Even in our old age it is not too late to live the life which is our birthright. But we must want to change and then follow through.
In Dickens' tale Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old business partner Jacob Marley. Marley warns Scrooge where the patterns of his life are taking him, and even though Marley wants Scrooge to change, he is powerless to make him change. Scrooge must go through a journey of discovery before he is ready.