When we practice attention-focused meditation, we choose an object to focus on, like the breath, and place our attention there. We may follow a few breaths, then the attention wanders, often to thoughts and we get caught up in thinking. Eventually we will notice the thinking, and we can choose to return the attention back to focusing on breathing again. We do this over and over again. With time, the period of time between thoughts might begin to increase, and we become aware of awareness, of paying attention without thoughts arising. In this space without thoughts, we can just be aware of our present moment experience. At first we may only be aware of wherever we have chosen to place our attention, perhaps noticing the sensations of breathing or the points of contact from sitting. We can also pay attention to the mind, noticing the absence of thoughts. How is this absence of thought experienced? With no thoughts there is no judging, no worrying, no wanting things to be different than they are. There are no thoughts of the future or of the past, there is only the present moment. In the space between thoughts, everything is just as it is.
Mindful Eating Class to be Offered Again this Fall Along with a Range of Other Courses The Mindful Eating Class is designed to help people alter their behavior and improve…
Mindfulness Meditation and Self-Monitoring Can Reduce Maladaptive Daydreaming Symptoms Maladaptive daydreaming is a type of compulsive daydreaming that causes distress and can interfere with functioning. These investigators studied the impact…
Thinking is obviously necessary to accomplish many tasks- around the house, at work, for hobbies and leisure activities. Yet our minds continue to generate thoughts at other times, thoughts that often distract us from our present moment experience, and often increase our stress as negative thoughts or worries arise. We live our lives in the present moment, and if we are caught up in thinking about the past or the future, we may miss what is unfolding right now. Humans have an innate negativity bias, so the thoughts that arise are often worries about what has happened in the past or what might happen in the future. When thoughts arise, recognizing whether they are about something over which we have some control or whether they are focused on something beyond our sphere of influence is important. If the thoughts are about something we have control over, we can focus on how to address the issue. For instance, if we are worried about money, we can look at our budget and see where we might spend less or earn more. If the thoughts are about something over which we have no control, perhaps an event in the past that had a negative outcome that is still bothering us, we can first recognize this.
The Second Annual Nancy McDaniel Lectureship on Women in Leadership to Be Given by Dorrie Fontaine Ph.D., RN, FAAN on April 17 at 4 pm Dorothy “Dorrie” Fontaine is the…
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Treating Hypertension These authors reviewed studies of the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure among individuals with prehypertension or hypertension.…