Meditation presentatiion
Meditation: Surprisingly Easy and Good for You
Meditation: Surprisingly Easy and Good for You
(Free, too!)
(Free, too!)
How I got into meditation
How I got into meditation
• Relaxation????
• Relaxation????
– “The Relaxation Response” - Benson (1¢)
– “The Relaxation Response” - Benson (1¢)
– Better performance of all muscles if not tense
– Better performance of all muscles if not tense
– Superlearning $1.99
– Superlearning $1.99
• Superlearning by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder
– The Inner Game of Tennis by Gallwey
– The Inner Game of Tennis by Gallwey
Other influences
Other influences
• Students practicing Transcendental Meditation in 1974
• Students practicing Transcendental Meditation in 1974
• Prof. Arthur Herman of UWSP
• Prof. Arthur Herman of UWSP
• Higher Self by Chopra (1¢)
• Higher Self by Chopra (1¢)
We need a new word
We need a new word
• We are borrowing practices from
• We are borrowing practices from
– Hinduism
– Hinduism
– Buddhism
– Buddhism
– Christian contemplation
– Christian contemplation
• The approach here is secular, non-religious
• The approach here is secular, non-religious
Much of the West uses “zen”
Much of the West uses “zen”
• But that refers to a Japanese practice
• But that refers to a Japanese practice
– It’s mostly non-religious in Western terms
– It’s mostly non-religious in Western terms
• Let’s reserve “spen”
• Let’s reserve “spen”
– [secular practice]
– [secular practice]
– [Stevens Point]
– [Stevens Point]
What do you do? - I
What do you do? - I
• Sit comfortably but still and alert
• Sit comfortably but still and alert
• Relax tense muscles
• Relax tense muscles
• Stay that way for 10 minutes
• Stay that way for 10 minutes
• Keep your eyes on a single spot
• Keep your eyes on a single spot
II - While meditating
II - While meditating
• Put thoughts gently out of mind repeatedly
• Put thoughts gently out of mind repeatedly
• They will keep returning
• They will keep returning
• Keep gently putting them aside
• Keep gently putting them aside
III - Keep attending to your breath
III - Keep attending to your breath
• You may try putting your attention on your breath
• You may try putting your attention on your breath
• You may wish to mentally repeat “In” and “Out” with your breaths
• You may wish to mentally repeat “In” and “Out” with your breaths
• Stop after 10 or 20 minutes
• Stop after 10 or 20 minutes
– I like to set a timer
– I like to set a timer
• That’s all there is to it!
• That’s all there is to it!
Clue 1 of 5 -Just sit still and OBSERVE internally
Clue 1 of 5 -Just sit still and OBSERVE internally
• Avoid any sort of striving, self-judgment if you can
• Avoid any sort of striving, self-judgment if you can
• Put aside aiming for perfection or enlightenment
• Put aside aiming for perfection or enlightenment
Clue 2 of 5 - When you catch yourself participating in your thoughts, gently stop and put them aside
Clue 2 of 5 - When you catch yourself participating in your thoughts, gently stop and put them aside
• Return to quiet, stillness, merely paying attention
• Return to quiet, stillness, merely paying attention
The magic moment
The magic moment
Kornfield: “What matters is the magic moment when you wake up and realize “Oh, I have been thinking”. Whether it happens five seconds or five minutes later, that is the moment that makes a difference.”
Kornfield: “What matters is the magic moment when you wake up and realize “Oh, I have been thinking”. Whether it happens five seconds or five minutes later, that is the moment that makes a difference.”
That is the moment you are training yourself in awareness of your own mind.
That is the moment you are training yourself in awareness of your own mind.
Clue 3 of 5- Looking for what’s next
Clue 3 of 5- Looking for what’s next
• It helps to just wait to see what the next thought will be
• It helps to just wait to see what the next thought will be
• You can silently and in stillness scan each part of your body internally
• You can silently and in stillness scan each part of your body internally
Clue 4 of 5 - Look for the spaces
Clue 4 of 5 - Look for the spaces
• Between breaths
• Between breaths
• Between thoughts
• Between thoughts
• In those, you are alive and aware but not engrossed
• In those, you are alive and aware but not engrossed
Clue 5 - Whenever you desire, go back to putting your attention on your breathing in and out
Clue 5 - Whenever you desire, go back to putting your attention on your breathing in and out
At first, you might try short periods
At first, you might try short periods
• Try one minute
• Try one minute
• In a week or month or year, you may want a little more longer session
• In a week or month or year, you may want a little more longer session
• Any length is ok
• Any length is ok
Why meditate?
Why meditate?
• You become aware of your mind over time
• You become aware of your mind over time
• The awareness stays with you even when you aren’t meditating
• The awareness stays with you even when you aren’t meditating
• You become better acquainted with your actual thoughts and feelings
• You become better acquainted with your actual thoughts and feelings
• You learn to see the world afresh, without accumulated baggage from the years
• You learn to see the world afresh, without accumulated baggage from the years
What are the benefits?
What are the benefits?
• Jon Kabat-Zinn, MD works to give patients a mediation practice
• Jon Kabat-Zinn, MD works to give patients a mediation practice
• Results in less stress, less depression, “much healthier physically, emotionally and spiritually”
• Results in less stress, less depression, “much healthier physically, emotionally and spiritually”
• “Many thousands of people have already embarked on this practice and report remarkable benefits for themselves and others”
• “Many thousands of people have already embarked on this practice and report remarkable benefits for themselves and others”
“Meditation” in Google gives more than 39 million results
“Meditation” in Google gives more than 39 million results
Daniel Siegel
Daniel Siegel
• Brain scientist
• Brain scientist
• Meditation practitioner
• Meditation practitioner
• Hypothesizes that meditation produces an “attunement” or internal congruence with oneself.
• Hypothesizes that meditation produces an “attunement” or internal congruence with oneself.
• The attunement results in better internal harmony between mind, feelings and body
• The attunement results in better internal harmony between mind, feelings and body
=========================================================================================
Flower meditation
Next – Graham Wilson cartoon
Nothing on – David Sipress cartoon
Nothing on – David Sipress cartoon
Zen dinner – Bannerman cartoon
Two meditators sitting together. One asks, “Are you not thinking what I’m not thinking?”
Two meditators sitting together. One asks, “Are you not thinking what I’m not thinking?”
================================================================================
Some good sources
Some good sources
Jack Kornfield, PhD – “The Wise Heart” and others
Jon Kabat-Zinn, MD – “Coming to Our Senses” and others
Daniel Siegel, MD – “The Mindful Brain”
Mark G. Williams, PhD, & others – “Mindful Way Through Depression” – excellent for everyone
Susan Piver – “Quiet Mind” – great little summary
Eckhart Tolle – “Stillness Speaks”