The Tao of Goals -- Self Concordant Goals

"If you don't have a plan, plan to fail."

I have become convinced that goals and vision are the keys to success, but in contemporary America, in my opinion we don't see the whole picture when it comes to creating goals and creating a vision. There are missing pieces and in this aspect, I truly believe we can learn a lot from both Eastern culture, and from the wisdom of the ancients.

The fact is merely creating goals is not enough, one needs to strike balance between structure and insight, logic and intuition, mind and heart -- otherwise, goals are going to lack impact. What it means is the most important thing is creating mindful, self-concordant goals. Self-concordant goals are ones that emanate from within, also referred to as 'intrinsic.' The great writer Shakespeare said, "To thine own self be true. And it must follow as the day the night, thou canst not then be false to any other man." When it comes to creating a vision and setting good goals, nothing is truer. The more that our goals reflect our true self, our true inner desires then the more powerful, energizing, and motivating they become, and greater chance we have to realize them.

In Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, one of his top rules is to "begin with the end in mind" and essentially what Covey is referring to is the need to create the goal. I like to think of it as vision. Vision is even greater than goals, because it infers a sense of greater meaning and purpose, something with emotional power that comes from the heart and soul. And, I see the goals and strategies as important steps and elements of the structure of that greater vision.

What it boils down to is that living a life without any destination is merely floating or drifting with no clear sense of purpose. There are times we have all wanted to float a bit; in fact, floating can be a great break from reality. I actually did this for quite some time (too long!) in my twenties, and it was something that I don't regret. However, I got tired of it after a while. I am sure that I learned and gained so much though by living that way. What I came back to was a realization of the need for balance in life. Ultimately it is balancing the inner vision with outer structure and step by step pathway to achievements. The Buddha said we must take the middle path and that is the ultimate path particularly when it comes to vision and goals.

Self Compassion and the Distracted Mind

In our way of life today in the information age, with its frenetic pace and correlated explosion of media and marketing, there are so many ways in which we are pressured to "keep up with the Joneses," at times it feels like it would be great if we could let it all go and simply not worry about any of it. In fact, there actually is something called F-It therapy -- simply saying F-it and letting go when stress gets overwhelming. I agree with F-It's basic premise, learning to say F-it can be quite liberating, though can be highly challenging at times and can take practice as well. Another thing we might do in order to make the ride and journey a little more joy-filled and less stressed is learn to be more compassionate and allowing toward ourselves and others; it really does start with kindness and compassion towards oneself.

In order to be effective we've got to be able to focus and think clearly about what we are doing, but if our minds are filled with chatter especially harsh, self-loathing thoughts, that task becomes very difficult. So, how do we shut off the endless chatter of our distractable, "monkey mind"? Renowned meditation teacher Jack Kornfield says we need to "quiet the mind in any way we can," and I have found what Kornfield says is true. Sometimes saying F-it may not be enough, so we try other ways. Meditation, yoga, breathing, are all great remedies and it is a great idea to develop a daily practice incorporating these types of things. Further, we are all unique, and there may be other activities that help quite the mind as well. They could be dancing, drawing or another form of art, writing, walking or other exercise -- really could be anything but try and focus on calming ones, or what Chinese healing refers to as "yin" activities. Any activity that offers you the opportunity to experience a sense of what Claremont Graduate University professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls "flow" --which is being so engaged in an activity you are enjoying that you lose track of yourself, time, and your surroundings, and one also in in which your skill level is a good match for the difficulty -- will help you learn to better manage your mind, thoughts, and moods.

So, finding activities that give the opportunity to experience flow is important but calming the monkey mind can also take some concerted effort as well. One great technique offered by psychologist Elisha Goldstein is called S.T.O.P. a simple acronym which stands for Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed. Pretty simple, but quite effective. When we notice our mind spinning out of control, away from the task at hand, use these steps to help bring you back to your center. Yet, the key is mindfulness, learning to notice when that is happening. Additionally, research shows that labeling what we are feeling and experiencing is beneficial to gaining more control of our emotions. I use the S.T.O.P. technique very frequently and it works great and can be used with a number of variations as well. One great variation is a to insert a positive affirmation immediately after taking a breath, e.g., a positive statement of self-talk such as, "I am calm and relaxed." Thank you for reading, and I will have more solutions for quieting the monkey mind in upcoming posts…..

Breaking Free From The Mundane

When it is presented to people, many “get” the idea of mindfulness and its practice, but others frequently resist the idea. Why is it?.... We are all seeking similar things in life – we want happiness in so many varied ways, by seeking fulfillment, joy, love, satisfaction, creativity, connection, spontaneity, stimulation, novelty, stability, consistency, etc. - overall I think in these things we are seeking some measure of sweetness in our lives, we want to be uplifted from the boring, drab, gross elements of life that drag us into the mental/physical muck or mundane. Those and other things are what we all constantly seek over and over and over and over and over again. If you notice your life, it is a constant game of seeking such things repetitively without cessation. Have you questioned the purpose of it?

But doesn’t it also occur that we cannot ONLY seek these things endlessly? There has got to be a break. There has got to be some refuge from the same old, same old, same old stuff that we do over and over and over. There has got to some mechanism, perhaps built into our lives by nature that allows us to break free from this repetitive treadmill of seeking. That is what mindfulness is. When one empties the mind and focuses on an internal event (e.g., the breath, or bodily sensations) or something external (e.g., a flickering candle, or our feet walking as they repetitively touch the ground) they are consciously taking a break from life, even if only for a few minutes. One is also taking a break from themselves, breaking free from the treadmill of desires that ensnare them. We do not do this because those desires are bad, evil, sinful, or shameful (well, maybe sometimes...)

No, practicing this is to help make those things more beautiful and enrapturing. When we take even a short break (or perhaps even a longer one) from the desiring or wanting mind or the "chasing" lifestyle, it is actually a way to enhance the pleasure and beauty and joyfulness that we return to when we are done. Without some vacation from the repetitive, it can be all too much to handle. Going to Bermuda or the Bahamas or Cancun are great, and that is recommended too, the problem is unless we are millionaires we can't do that everyday, and the other problem is that even in Cancun we won't be de-stressed if our mind is chattering and agitated. Try calming and centering in the here and now and you might find an amazing experience right within.

Expanding Happiness

One of the biggest mistakes I think people make in attempting to be happy is that they become what I (and others) call, MYOPIC. What the word means in this context is they lose sight of the big picture and get hyperfocused on the notion that one particular thing will bring them happiness. Don't mistake what I am saying - it's not that being focused on one thing is bad; no, because being focused on a pursuit or goal is a good idea and will pay dividends. But, ultimately one must STRIKE A BALANCE between expanded awareness and focusing on one specific goal.

These two sides of the balance pie - focus, and big picture vision - are both critically important. However, in my view, seeing and having a grasp for the larger perspective of one's life is critically important to being happy. A great example of this would be the commonly seen saga of rock stars or celebrities. They spend much of their lives hyperfocused on perfecting their skill and craft, attaining success, reaching their goals, and as has been well documented, often ultimately fail to find happiness but rather end up with drug, gambling, other forms of addiction, or depression. Their lives become uni-dimensional because they've lost sight of the forest for the trees. Real happiness comes not from one thing or another, and not from a quick high, but rather from a sense of meaning and fulfillment. It is difficult to find meaning unless we grasp an expanded view of how all the parts and dimensions (e.g., the recipe) of our life can fit together. These parts include spirituality, career, health and wellness, and relationships. Don’t miss the point, be mindful of the potential for beauty of the wholeness of life.

Positive Affirmations for Reducing Stress

It is our negative thinking/negative thought patterns that cause a huge amount of stress and drain one's vital life force (energy) -- Negative thoughts creative negative emotions and feelings. One of the best ways to get rid of such negative, draining thoughts and consequent feelings is by replacing them with positive ones. Here is a really good list of 20 positive thoughts (also called affirmations) to replace negative thought patterns. Quite often negative thought patterns are rooted in low feelings about oneself, negative self-worth, hopelessness, lack of focus or direction.

We may not even be aware of how much we are doing this self sabotage to ourselves. For those who are spiritually inclined, combining affirmations with scriptural and inspirational references may be even more potent. Another one of my favorite positive affirmations is, "Every day in every way, I get better and better." This was given by the famous French psychologist Emile Coue sometimes considered the father of auto suggestion. He was highly successful healing all kinds of physical and emotional maladies through only the use of the mind.

I am beautiful (or handsome) inside and out
I am worth it
I am worthy of _____
I am proud of my accomplishments
I am intelligent, caring, and dependable
I am loved
I am successful
I am talented
I am my best self
I am strong
I am the master of my own destiny
I am capable of overcoming my fears
I am thankful for _____
I have the right to speak my mind
I love who I am
I love my _____
I can achieve any goal I set my mind to
I accept myself for who I am
I choose to live my life to the fullest
I deserve to be happy

Source - Be Positive: Twenty Positive Mantras for Positivity http://www.themindfulword.org/2015/positive-personal-mantras-for-positivity/

Healthy Anger and 3rd Wave Cognitive Therapies

I have been working with anger (myself or others) for many years now and I find this to be very gratifying and quite fascinating work. One of the truly interesting things and great misconceptions is that so many people think anger is "wrong." What's great is that when I explain to a new client that anger is not really "wrong" per se they usually look at me with a joyful sense of relief, sort of like finding out, "Oh you mean there's nothing wrong with me?" or "Really? I don't need to be sent to the land of unwanted toys because I have anger?" (e.g., guilt, shame) The limiting belief and notion that anger is wrong could be nothing further from the truth. Anger is a healthy emotion and perhaps one of the most useful emotions that humans have. Yes it is true that when anger is not controlled well, it can be deadly, to both oneself and others. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it is OK to go around spewing anger all over everyone in close proximity or who is irritating. But the real growth occurs when learning that there is a very fine line between healthy expression of anger, and unhealthy expression or what is often called "toxic" anger.

Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence

Please imagine with me for a moment, if you will. Let's imagine together that if we - all of humanity - stopped focusing so intensively on what is wrong with one another and with ourselves, and rather began focusing more intensively on what is good, positive, and beneficial about one another, then our lives may just change dramatically for the better. I wonder, is this possible?

Well, Martin Seligman created something called the "Values in Action" assessment at the University of Pennsylvania based on his extensive research. Seligman is typically considered the father of strengths-based psychology. Strengths psychology, or Positive Psychology, is concerned with focusing on what is good, healthy, and well with people rather than on what is wrong with them, as unfortunately the field of mental health has tended to do over the past 100 years. Seligman and his team have performed this research on strengths since the 1990’s; over two million people have taken this assessment and it has proven accurate with high validity.

The VIA Survey of Character Strengths is an assessment that offers twenty-four character strengths in six categories which include Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence, and can help one understand him or herself better and help one learn to springboard off their innate strengths. Research shows doing this will improve happiness and the overall quality of life. A partial sample of these twenty-four strengths are creativity, curiosity, honesty, zest, kindness, fairness, humility, hope, humor, and so on. The VIA assessment is free to anyone and can be taken online at www.viacharacter.org.

One way to springboard off your strengths using the VIA is to use your favorite character strength in a unique or new way each day. One of my top strengths, or one of my “signature strengths” is Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Wow! Think about it, there are so many interesting and creative ways to bring this strength to life. Following are merely a few examples:

1. Gratitude -- Each time you see something of great beauty – STOP! – take a few long, deep breaths and feel a sense of thankfulness. Connect this feeling to a Universal power great than yourself.

2. Visualization – Relax, close your eyes, and allow yourself to go into a brief and simple meditation. Envision past moments of experiencing awe, wonder, or elevation in your life. Maybe it was the birth of your child, or your sibling’s wedding day. Perhaps it was seeing a breathtaking work of art like Pieta by Michelangelo or Water Lillies by Monet. Or, it could have been the internal feeling you had when you met your first love, or the day you graduated college. Go back in your mind to these experiences. Savor them. Make them a part of who you are.

3. Take a few hours on a free day and make a date or appointment with yourself to find and appreciate some beauty and excellence that you would not usually do, something out of ordinary. It could be a walk in nature in a unique place, or observing nature in some new way. Possibly try spending an hour with your child or friend noticing and observing something special or beautiful in them and letting them know about it.

These activities I’ve mentioned are only a few ideas, be creative! Go ahead and take the VIA and have fun playing with your unique gifts!

Compassionate Heart

Current research in science shows how powerful kindness and compassion are. Obviously the actions of kindness are beneficial, that’s always been known – we have always been able to see clearly how acts of generosity benefit the lives of those we help. For example, if you help a senior citizen neighbor carry the groceries, you can readily observe how it eases the burden on her back and disposition. Or, if a traveler is lost, providing directions to help find the way to a loved one’s home, for example, a smile spreads across her face and you can see how she is immediately relieved of her anxiety. But what science also now shows is that even simply thinking about or envisioning kindness is extremely powerful to well-being, which can also bring benefits to those around us, because we know intuitively that our moods, feeling, and mind states are contagious and can shift the consciousness of any group of people we are with. So, when you are less stressed and feel happy, you tend to convey fewer tense or stressed feelings to those around you.

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that simply meditating on thoughts of kindness and compassion is beneficial to both physical and mental health. Research performed at University of Wisconsin by a team led by Richard Davidson, and research led by Barbara Frederickson at University of North Carolina, as well as research at Duke University show that cultivating thoughts of kindness can help to reduce anxiety, negative emotions and moods, minimize physical pain, lessen anger and psychological stress, and at the same time increases feelings of hopefulness and optimism.

This author is not saying that actions of kindness aren’t extremely important, because of course they are. But the point is that action with spirit and thoughtfulness can even go to a deeper and more profound level, penetrating to the level of the human spirit. When we offer an act of kindness it is truly the spirit with which we perform it that makes it profound. If you give a very generous tip to a waiter at dinner yet snarl, moan, and berate them the whole time they have served you, surely they appreciate the extra pocket change but are probably thinking to themselves (in a cynical, sarcastic manner), “Hey, I can do without the tip, I think I’ll survive this week without your generous help.” But if you do it with a smile and warm heart, they’ll very likely accept it with gratitude and excitement.

So, the message here is not, “Don’t give.” By all means do give --Yes, give! But when you give, give with all your heart, soul, and mind. Also, even when you aren’t giving, you can actually do stuff to help make your heart more pure, so that giving has more meaning. When you’re not able to give in a physical way, you can think about giving, you can meditate on kindness, and contemplate compassion --your heart will change for the better, and others will surely feel it. Doing this, you are cultivating positive emotions and well-being in your own life, which also spreads to those all around you.

Integrating Mindfulness in Mental Health Recovery

In the recovery community, there is a growing awareness that the conventional system and the "disease" model of care has let us down; at times, it has chronically disempowered mental health clients, many of whom end up in the peer community seeking answers and help. At the same time however, perhaps paradoxically, it should also be acknowledged that the mental health system does many good things for people in recovery; tremendous things actually, in many ways. In learning to self-advocate and become more self-directed, people in recovery must work harmoniously and cooperatively with the conventional system to optimize recovery. I personally try to see that although the system is broken (and is changing, albeit slowly), there are nonetheless good people doing great things, it is important to focus on utilizing existing resources that are helpful, and learn to trust its helpers as much as possible.

Many criticisms of the conventional system do exist, and disempowerment unfortunately still does occur at times, and peers must be aware of it when it does. There are a number of reasons: documented instances of traumatic dehumanization; a lack of empathy and sociocultural awareness among some (but not all) conventional helpers; a systemic focus on deficits and weaknesses instead of on strengths or on amplifying wellness; an approach of "fixing" problems instead of healing or facilitating change; non holistic approaches to mental health; an over reliance upon psychiatric drugs and on pathological labeling; and finally, a hierarchical, and at times even authoritarian approach. It is clear how all of this can surely contribute to substantial feelings of disempowerment. It is also clear that these influences have helped birth the recovery movement.

With that said, one may ask, what can peers in recovery do to become more self-empowered and independent, rather than dependent, or disempowered? The first principle of recovery, as defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is that recovery is self-directed. The peer community and the Recovery Learning Communities (RLC's) are designed to help those in recovery become more self-directed, and to develop self-help skills for recovery. One simple yet profound self-help skill is the practice of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a holistic, non-drug, self-directed, strengths-based approach that can be done by anyone, no matter what stage of recovery he or she is in. Mindfulness is a practice of paying attention, being in the moment in a special way, with nonjudgmental awareness. It is about minimizing – even if only for a few minutes at a time -- the distractions of modern living, including the sensory stimulation, technology and information overload, the excessive and at times unrealistic expectations and constant pulls from all directions perpetually experienced in modern life. Sitting in meditation is merely one (though very important) aspect of mindfulness, however, the practice of mindfulness is actually about learning to embrace life each moment more fully in a centered way in body, mind, and spirit. Mindfulness has been practiced in various ways for thousands of years in global cultures, and is now expanding rapidly in the Western mental health field, regarding both practice as a self-help tool and in terms of scientific research.

How does being present and paying attention more deeply aid in recovery? Very simply -- life is happening now, and opening up and experiencing it, awakening to the precious present, is potentially very healing. For example, coinciding with recovery are often feelings of low self-esteem that are connected with guilt and shame, rumination, constant feelings of angst, and worry about how things could or should be, e.g., "If only I had done this..." or "What if things were like this...? or "What if I had become like this...?". This type of thinking is rooted in attachments to a past which cannot be changed or to a future which does not yet exist, or rooted in an inability to embrace the now. A key is relaxing into one's own being, trusting self and others, and learning to embrace positive emotions and positive interpersonal connections. It encompasses learning unconditional self-compassion, e.g., no matter what one has accomplished, how much stuff one owns, how attractive or slim the body is, or anything else – in the here and now.

Some people see this as a defeatist attitude, as though it is resignation about things that cannot be changed, which is simply not true. We are constantly in a state of both being and becoming, but unless we learn “being,” then becoming -- envisioning and creating a new future -- remains perpetually difficult. There are many things we can change about ourselves, some more difficult than others; yet discriminating between the two, what can and cannot be changed, is critical. Constantly challenging oneself with realistic and hardy goals is unquestionably important, yet simultaneously living in the present and learning the art of relaxing into and accepting "what is" is crucial to happiness. This is much different than helpless resignation. The process is not about fixing, fixing is what the conventional system seems bent on doing. We may need to fix some aspects of our situation, yet the whole of who we are does not need fixing, we are complete. This is a foundation of the practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness’ use in mental health is built upon a foundation of brief tools for managing stress more effectively, self-awareness, and handling difficult emotions. A central idea is the utilization of brief practices, not necessarily long, advanced meditations. It is increasingly being used in the conventional mental health field as well. Current burgeoning therapies include Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention Therapy (MBRP), and Mindfulness Based Stress Management (MBSR) among others. Many new self-help skills are being introduced all the time, juxtaposed with ancient time-tested practices. The good news is you don't have to wait for a therapist or other professional to teach you mindfulness. Although there are many involved techniques and practices, at its essence, it’s truly simple. You can begin with simple practices now, and use them any time during your day.

A Guided Mindful Journey Let’s begin together on a guided mindfulness experience: Close your eyes, sit comfortably in your chair but also be straight and align your body. Take a few moments to relax and quiet body, mind, and spirit. Turn your attention let go of all the external stimuli. Take a deep breath and release it slowly. Now, take another deep breath, release slowly, and sigh as you release. Next, allow the breath to breathe itself, recognizing there is no right or wrong way to breathe, breathing is truly organic. Although you can consciously intervene in the process, the breath is primarily controlled by your body’s innate wisdom, associated with the autonomic nervous system.

Once again, simply notice the breath breathing itself. Feel your breath like the ocean, envision you and your awareness resting like a leaf on top of the water. Gently allow the breath to move in an out with the ebb and flow of the water; simply notice as it moves, again, a leaf floating atop the gentle, moving water. Now, become aware of your inner reality -- tune in to feelings, thoughts, sensations happening inside of you, any thoughts or feelings from your day. Just let them be, let go, no need for struggle. Allow difficult feelings to move on by, release feelings of tension or anxiety, fear, or pain. Notice any difficult feelings toward self, let them be; let go. Peace and tranquility are now permeating your being. Allow everything to be as it is, with no need to resist. And, as you let go, amazingly, paradoxically, you also become increasingly centered and more in control of your own vital energy. You are in the present, you are living mindfully, you are whole and complete as you are.

It is very empowering to take time each day to do this, to nurture your spirit, and to make a regular commitment for self-care practice. The art of self-compassion, in a sense, self-parenting, is an important step to healing emotional trauma and wounds. So, whether or not the “system” has let us down, we each can, little by little, begin taking back control of our own minds, and our well-being. The reason that such practices have been used for thousands of years, and now like wild-fire in the mental health community is because they work. A few minutes of inward attention practiced consistently can do wonders for self-esteem, an overall state of calmness, and self-efficacy.

New Perspectives On Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a hot topic; and, my personal experience is that many are intrigued -- those who do not know much about it are attracted, and need to know more. They are captivated by the fascinating subject that has made a trans-continental journey to the Western world from the Far East. Yet, I have also found there is quite a bit of confusion about what mindfulness is. And, there seems to be a lack of agreement about its meaning, with unclear, and perhaps even many erroneous views (at least in this author's humble viewpoint).

Sufficient reasons exist for both the interest and confusion; and, the spawning of a healthy debate on mindfulness is ultimately a positive thing. Mindfulness is a monumentally vast subject, it concerns the mind and consciousness, which are not study topics for the timid or faint of heart. Mindfulness practice (including meditation) is thousands of years old, with a massive amount of history, study, and practice accruing during that time. The English word mindfulness tends to be associated with the Buddhist Vipassana meditation which, again, is thousands of years old and quite extensive and detailed in scope. One brief article such as this one cannot do justice to the magnitude of Buddhist meditative practices and Buddhist spirituality.

The fact remains, nevertheless, that the term mindfulness is also used in a universal way in English. Although Easterners such as Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, and Sufis have made meditation a fundamental part of their lifestyle, people have practiced mindfulness in cultures across the globe throughout history; it is not solely Eastern or Buddhist. There is no monopoly on mindfulness or on being mindful! One does one need to be part of any particular faith, group, or social club to increase mindfulness. Being mindful is an action, a way of being, a state of consciousness, which is fundamentally part of the human condition. Improving attention and happiness, becoming more self-aware and balanced, actualizing greater virtue, attuning to one's inner states, and developing greater awareness of one's own mind, e.g., greater "mindsight," a term coined by neurobiologist Dr. Dan Siegel, are qualities and characteristics that are available to anyone who desires to put mind and spirit to use through applied effort.

A good definition of mindfulness has been provided by premier teacher, Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is highly influential in bringing mindfulness to popularity in the West. Kabat Zinn says that "mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness. It is cultivated by purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment's notice to. It is a systematic approach to developing new kinds of control and wisdom in our lives, based on our inner capacities for relaxation, paying attention, awareness, and insight." This has become a commonly accepted definition in the West.

Mindfulness practice typically concerns learning to become attentive to external experience, and becoming aware of one's internal experience through the practice of meditation, and other meditative and contemplative arts such as breathing, sitting, lying, walking, chanting, and so on. It is frequently described by practitioners as becoming the "observer" or witness to one's experiences including thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and sensations, in a non-judgmental way. There is an art to dealing with life's difficulties, similar to navigating a sailboat. In a sense, it is about wisdom and balance -- learning to control the things one is able to control, and conversely letting go of those one cannot. The foundation though is mindfulness, for without awareness and quieting of the mind, one cannot distinguish between what is controllable in life, and what is not.

One fundamental paradox, however, is that the practices serve to bring one to a deeper and richer experience of moment by moment reality, e.g., truth "as it is." Therefore, in a sense, the practices are like training wheels - although the path of practicing mindfulness may never end, eventually one must be able to let go of techniques and learn to dive into the experience of being alive, vital, open and receptive in each moment, which is perhaps the true aim of all mindfulness practice.

It's very possible that the explosion in mindfulness in the West is due, in part, because we are actually coming to an expanded viewpoint of mindfulness. The Buddhists may have had an extensive system of practice historically, but with mindfulness's migration to the West has come some interesting twists in perspective. One main influence is the work of Kabat-Zinn. One of Kabat-Zinn's aims is to distill the powerful benefits of mindfulness practices by removing the associated religious connotations.

I do not believe that Kabat-Zinn is against the practice of Buddhism or Eastern religion, yet his desire is to make available the advantages of mindfulness and meditation - physically, emotionally, and perhaps spiritually as well - to those who are not necessarily Buddhist and may not be open to meditation because of its Buddhist or Eastern roots. Kabat-Zinn recognized that the Buddhist and Yogic texts often referred to meditation as a science, and so he likely considered, why not also treat it as a science, a form of wellness or healthcare treatment in the West? Of course some purists may have trouble with such an approach, but the ultimate results have been difficult to argue with. Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center which has proven excellent to help people manage many types of previously resistant physical, mental, and stress-related conditions. His program is currently used in over 250 hospitals across the country, and countless other wellness and treatment centers.

Many other conventional and holistic health practitioners, researchers and writers are following Kabat-Zinn's lead, taking the ball and running with it, so to speak. They are integrating and creating new approaches to mindfulness. For example, Dr. Ellen Langer at Harvard University has performed research on mindfulness and creativity. Others have also integrated mindfulness in unique ways: mindfulness and psychotherapy, mindfulness and healing, mindful career exploration, mindful parenting, mindful education, mindful communication and relationships, mindful business practices -- we truly are, as the authors of the magazine Shambala Sun have put forth, experiencing a "mindfulness revolution."

Mindful Journaling

I cannot think of a better way to improve mindfulness e.g., learning to live each moment with presence, attentiveness, self-awareness, and heart-centered compassion for self and others – than through the regular practice of writing expressively from one’s heart and mind, in a journal. I am not merely referring to what used to be called, “diary writing,” but rather progressive, cutting-edge writing techniques for self-growth and creative expression.

Through evidence based research, our understanding of personal writing and mindfulness and their effects on mental and physical well-being have expanded dramatically. Prominent research by Dr. James Pennebaker at the University of Texas on therapeutic writing, and Dr. Richard Davidson’s on meditation and attention at the University of Wisconsin have broken ground for a huge wave of follow-up research about these, and related research topics.

So, how can a journal be used to improve mindfulness? Initial ideas or concepts that come to mind are the enhancement of clarity and creativity through writing. If we live our lives as though we’re in a “haze,” and are mentally fuzzy about our personal values, needs, and wants; if we are out of touch with our innate, inbred creative capacities – well, to me that’s not very mindful. Creative applications of journaling allow us to sift through the excess stimuli streaming at us from things like information and technology overload, excessive work and family responsibilities, as well as unrealistic social and cultural expectations, among other influences. Such chronic overload contributes to the collective, growing feelings and symptoms of distractedness, angst, anxiety, depression, and general mental fog or “brain lock.”

There are numerous journal techniques to help move through or beyond these problems (the extent of which cannot be elucidated upon in this article). However, a great example of one basic technique or practice to improve mindfulness through journaling is stream of consciousness writing combined with a simple mindful check-in.

Stream of consciousness writing has been used for a long time to improve well-being. In fact, the legendary psychologist Sigmund Freud had his clients either write or talk in a stream without censoring or filtering thoughts in order to bypass their “inner critic,” the self-critical voice that often hinders positive personal development. Writing in this way allows access to a hidden reservoir of wisdom, knowledge, and creativity beyond the conscious part of the mind, called the subconscious. More recently, author Julia Cameron popularized the practice with her “morning pages” journaling technique.

A mindful check-in is simply moving one’s attention inwardly, listening contemplatively to what’s going on inside including thoughts, feelings, bodily perceptions, and emotions – tuning in to to the movements of the spirit. At any moment during the day, one can open a journal, turn the attention inward for a few moments or a few minutes, and write in stream of consciousness fashion about what he or she is experiencing by asking the simple question: “What am I feeling right now?”

Journaling pioneer Lucia Cappacione claims that the mere use of this single practice can be life-changing. Practicing regularly can increase mindfulness, self-awareness, deepen one’s sense of mental and emotional clarity, and generally improve one’s sense of self, and self-efficacy.

What is Mindfulness Coaching?

Mindfulness coaching is a solutions oriented approach that teaches people how to cope effectively with stress in daily life. The main technique is mindfulness based stress management, a relaxation method that focuses on present moment awareness. It is very powerful for helping to manage distressing thoughts and difficult emotions.

Mindfulness coaching also has been influenced by, and integrates aspects of other related therapies such as mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT), acceptance and comitmment therapy (ACT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Although mindfulness itself is a universal concept and has been used historically in different cultures around the world, mindfulness based stress management particularly blends eastern approaches including meditative practices. Mindfulness coaching is used successfully to help various mental and physical conditions including compulsive and addictive behaviors, attention and mood problems, anger-management, headaches, and pain, as well as other problems.

Mindfulness: The First Step Is Deep

In developing a mindfulness practice, I am convinced that the 1st step is the most significant. The 1st step in mindfulness (after making the choice to practice, of course) is internalization or self-awareness. We take a giant leap by learning to tune into the messages the body provides, moment by moment. Frankly, it is a meditative art in itself. It is about learning to manage one's own energy, and manage what mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn calls, "the full catastrophe" of modern living.

For example, if you are sitting at your desk juggling emails and simultaneously finishing a weekly report; your work tempo is hectic but you are feeling pretty good about staying on pace. Well, suddenly the phone rings, it is a well-meaning friend who wants to gab away precipitously without considering your time. You fail to set a good boundary, and suddenly you have gone from being, "in a groove" to being swamped trying to do 3 or 4 things at once! It is the final straw - subtly, ever so slightly, the jaw begins tightening, and a faint,throbbing, pulsing feeling awakens in the temple area. The problem though, at this beginning stage of the mind-body stress response, is that many people would not awaken and take notice.

This is where a significant difference exists between one who practices mindfulness and one who does not. At this moment, the body's wisdom shouts: "Red flag! Red flag! Heed; stop; and, take action." If one intervenes, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system e.g., the relaxation response, she has the opportunity to avert a forest fire (such as for example a potentially severe migraine). Of course additional biopsychosocial factors come into play concerning migraines, such as allergies, genetics, environment, among others; all things being equal, however, learning to relax will help minimize fallout from the stress response.

In this brief article, I have outlined merely one possible example but our body is providing signals constantly during the day, directed by the subconscious mind. The more we practice mindfulness, the more it becomes natural to "tune in" to the subtle wisdom the body provides, to be proactive with our health and wellness, and to avert more serious problems.

Mindfulness and Detachment: Creating Mental Space

In sharing and teaching mindfulness practice, I find the need to explain that although daily seated meditation is the heart of practice, I like to urge that "life is meditation; and, mindfulness is far more than sitting" - yet, for some reason people have difficulty grasping the concept! I am not sure why since it is rather simple: the peace and mental space gained in meditation can permeate every aspect of one's daily life. I find this a great goal; and truly, the practice of meditation has the capacity to enrich life in so many ways beyond sitting. One of the foremost qualities meditation helps cultivate is detachment. Detachment overlaps the quality of non-striving, which is one of the eight attitudes of mindfulness according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, the originator of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Truly, detachment - in our stress-filled, needs-based culture - may in fact be the most important spiritual quality of all to master.

Throughout history, the various wisdom traditions have embraced the notion of detachment. In Buddhism, the concept of Nibbana (many Westerners know it as Nirvana), literally means "no burn." In the Christian tradition, Jesus, in the Gospel of John referred to the quality of detachment by urging us to, "be in the world, but not of the world." In the Hindu faith, throughout virtually the whole Bhagavad Gita (part of the sacred Mahabarata associated with the ancient Vedic scriptures), a thread of detachment is ubiquitous throughout the work. For example, chapter sixteen in the Bhagavad Gita, the central topic is the three gunas: rajas, tamas, and sattva. The quality of sattva is goodness, purity, energy, and detachment; the quality of rajas represents lust and passion; and tamas, inactivity and sloth. By cultivating sattva, one becomes free from anger, jealousy, and selfishness, and develops wisdom and clarity of mind.

So, what does it truly mean to be in the world but not of the world? It means developing a center, a place of inner wisdom; it means having the ability to not allow worldly occurances distract us from what we know is true, from our core values and life purpose. We can be involved in activities with others but not so influenced that we have lost our own center.

For example, people often ask me if I drink beer or alcohol; I usually tell them I may have a few beers but don't really "drink" per se. Yet still,I do like to go out sometimes and have fun (though not often enough!!). The key is I am able to maintain a sense of detachment when I do go to a restaurant or a bar, and not necessarily get drunk or even have one beer. Still, my intention is to have a blast! In doing this, I am living detached, staying centered, and remaining true to my personal value of sobriety. This is merely one example of so many ways we can remain detached.

The reason meditation helps is because it is a practice in returning to our sacred center. The more we return to this sacred center, we automatically find less and less need to strive for validation, acknowledgment, and direction from others.

Does Mindfulness Actually Increase Stereotyping in the Workplace?

I found the following quite fascinating. Many who study and practice mindfulness are of course inspired by the wondrous lifestyle changes they experience through regular mindfulness practices; which I would add, often includes the development of cultural awareness. On the flip side, listening to a recent radio broadcast about the pros and cons of diversity training in the workplace on Talk of The Nation (National Public Radio) I found comments made by Elizabeth Levy Paluck, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Princeton University, extremely interesting and cause for further inquiry.

Paluck put forth that becoming more mindful and conscious of diversity actually may increase stereotyping in the workplace! According to Paluck, "One topic that's been brought up is that when training and education may activate bias rather than reduce it, and so this is something that psychologists study quite a bit. So when you make these explicit and conscious attempts to regulate your thoughts - and that's not necessarily what all the diversity training does, but we do know that this can sometimes exaggerate stereotyping and raise issues that might otherwise not come up in the workplace. And oftentimes, women and minorities are, you know justifiably upset when this happens."

In light of this, should we thus make attempts to become less mindful? If we know that our attempts to become less judgmental, less biased, and more humane and more civil only serve to make the workplace situation worse, should we therefore curtail attempts to educate workers about diversity? Should we discourage workers to practice enlightened thinking around issues of diversity? My own inclination is to say absolutely "no"; yet based on the above, an important question is raised: is it even possible to consciously increase our emotional intelligence quotient (EQ)? Or, are we merely opening a new can of worms - in the form of increased judgments and critical thoughts - when we attempt to do so?

What Paluk identifies is a fascinating occurance: when we practice conscious thinking, we also paradoxically somehow send off more harmful vibes - the exact opposite of positive EQ.

What she describes may actually make some sense. We all know iritating people who seem to do and say all the right things, yet underneath, (their sometimes facades) seem full of moralistic judgments and toxic thinking. I would like to believe, though, it may only be a temporary phenomenon. That over time any person's diligent, authentic efforts to shape EQ and character eventually pay off for the best, and, ultimately can serve to contribute to a more compassionate and socially conscious workplace.

Audio link to broadcast
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=124495770&m=124495767