The OneMind Meditation Podcast with Morgan Dix: Meditation | Mindfulness | Health

Photo via Flickr CC: Björn Hermans I have come to feel that nothing is more tonic more urgent, in fact than simply doing nothing. ~Pico Iyer What is the art of doing nothing? Is it just a fancy spin on lazy navel gazing? Or is it, like many suggest, an important refresher for your brain and a profound contemplative practice? These days “doing nothing” is getting some much-needed attention. In the past, you might have been chastised by your parents or your partner for sitting on the couch and staring into space. Maybe it’s just me, but many an adult had to corral my do-nothing dream states into focused and productive attention. The Importance Of Doing Nothing Don't underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering. ~Winnie The Pooh But now, you have distinguished business professors, psychologists, and award-winning authors touting the benefits of spending time focused on nothing in particular. Doing nothing, they say, is important for your brain, and it helps stimulate the creative process. In fact, brain researcher Marcus Raichle from Washington University discovered that idle time was critical for the activation of the brain’s default mode network. The default mode network is the part of your prefrontal cortex responsible for, among other things, forging creative connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. The Sweet Idleness Many of the wisest voices in our tradition, from Whitman to Thoreau, have talked about the virtue of loafing. The less you struggle with a problem, the more it's likely to solve itself. The less time you spend frantically running around, the more productive you are likely to be. ~Pico Iyer Of course the very idea of doing nothing raises red flags for those of us is the West, possessed as we are with our focus on hyper-productivity and rooted in the puritan work ethic. But according to psychologist Dr. Colleen Long, other cultures view this idea more favorably. The Italians, for example, have a word for this called  La Dolce Far Niente, which translates as the sweet idleness. The Sweet Spot Of Meditation Doing nothing has another related value with a rich and ancient heritage. You may not realize it, but doing nothing is what meditation is all about. You could even say that it’s the sweet spot of your practice. In this episode of The OneMind Meditation podcast, we explore the art of doing nothing in meditation and why it’s so important. We explore: How to do nothing The challenge of doing nothing How your mind behaves when you do nothing Why your crazy mind isn’t your fault The value and power of doing nothing The limitless peace you find when you do nothing Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about the Golden Rule in this self-paced course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation and explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM036: Meditation And The Art Of Doing Nothing appeared first on About Meditation.

Photo via Flickr CC: elwillybobby There are a lot of evergreen meditation tips. There are techniques and tricks you can learn along the way. But I’ve found that one lesson stands above the rest. After meditating for more than two decades, I’ve come to call it the Golden Rule of meditation. The Golden Rule is simple. In essence, it tells us to never make a problem during meditation. And the reason I wanted to share this with you is because it’s a cornerstone of any thriving meditation practice. So, why is this so important? There are a lot of reasons. In this episode we touch on just a few of them. My primary goal is to impress upon you the simple fact that if you take the Golden Rule to heart, it will save you trouble, reduce inner friction, and spare you from getting stuck in some perennial meditation pitfalls. In essence, the Golden Rule is about hewing to an inner posture where nothing is ever a problem during meditation. No matter what happens or doesn't happen, it's not a problem. Three Scenarios Where You Can Apply The Golden Rule It’s simple, but it’s hard. Often you can break this rule, and not even know it. Here are a few examples where it can be especially challenging but helpful to practice the Golden Rule. 1. Side-Stepping Stress Scenario one, you sit down to meditate when you're really stressed out. You've got things going on at work, at home, or in your relationship and you're stressed. So you're sitting down in meditation to let go of that stress, calm your nerves, relax your body, and rest your mind. But as you sit there meditating, you're all over the place. Your mind is link a ping pong ball going back and forth on this problem and that issue and on it goes in an endless loop… In the end, you feel like you never really settle down, you never really relax, and you don't feel much relief or release from your mind and your stress. This is exactly when the Golden Rule is so important. In a moment like that, if you can be cool with all of it and not make a problem or feel like a failure then that's a victory. 2. Short Circuiting Self-Criticism Here’s another scenario. We all have that hyper-critical voice in our head that's just waiting for the opportunity to confirm our suspicions that we have failed in today's meditation session. This is moment to invoke the Golden Rule. When you do, that the hyper critical voice doesn't stand a chance. Why? Because you aren't making a problem out of anything, that self-critical voice has no traction. It lives and thrives on problems. However, during your meditation you’re asserting that there aren't any problems. In the process, you short circuit an entire mechanism in your mind that leads many people to give up or feel guilty or feel stressed out. 3. Practicing The Golden Rule Means Letting Go And here's another part of the golden rule. It's a sneaky strategy for letting go. If you can let there be no problem at all, you end up letting go of a lot of the things that undermine your practice. Here are some of the pesky question that tend to send us down the rabbit whole: Am I doing this right? Am i making progress? Am i having the right experience? Am i having the wrong experience? Oh god I haven't meditated in days i'm out of practice… I don't think I meditated long enough… Am I getting any results from this all? While meditating, you want to let all that go, because it focuses your attention on problems. When you follow the Golden Rule, you sidestep that business altogether. So that's a brief lesson on the Golden Rule. I encourage you to make it a cornerstone of your practice. Before you know it, you’ll marvel as you cut through thorny issues that were holding you back. If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about the Golden Rule in this self-paced course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation and explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM035: The Golden Rule of Meditation (Everything You Need To Know) appeared first on About Meditation.

Photo via Flickr CC: David Salafia Be aware of yourself and know yourself. No matter how much you have learned and how much you know, if you don’t know yourself you don’t know anything. ~Zen Master Shosan What does a modern-day warrior look like? Does being a warrior have anything to do with meditation? And when was the last time you heard a professional boxer talking about compassion for his opponent, much less himself? These were some of the questions on my mind when I interviewed a professional boxer and former olympian. Enter Danny O’Connor, an Irishman from Framingham, Massachusetts who is blossoming into a Bodhisattva of professional boxing. Against the odds, Danny discovered meditation. He began practicing it to improve his performance in the ring. However, he quickly realized there was more to this ancient art than he understood. Meditation was changing him on a deeper level. In many ways, the depth of that change is just starting to reveal itself. In this interview, we explore the powerful role that meditation plays in Danny’s professional training and in his life. The Meditative Warrior In the East, there is an ancient and storied tradition where meditation and the ideal of the warrior fit hand in glove. Think of Tai-chi, Kung-fu, Qigong, and other martial arts which include meditation as a baseline of training. To master the body, they suggest, we must first master our own minds. Teachers from the East have long understood that the enemy within is often much more formidable than the enemy standing in front of us. The Buddhist-based Shaolin monks, Bruce Lee, and other popular martial arts icons have helped to popularize that idea in the West. Growing up, I was captivated by movies like Revenge of the Ninja and anything that had to do with martial arts. I even took Taekwondo for a few years. During my time at Yu’s Academy of Taekwondo, Master Yu would wedge an awkward period of silence in the middle of Taekwondo training. He made us sit still in perfect silence for 20 minutes. I was ten years old at the time, so I considered this a uniquely pure and unfair form of torture. I watched every second tick by on the clock. Of course, I had no idea that Master Yu was introducing us to a rudimentary form of meditation. It was my first real exposure to an ancient tradition that valued mastery over self before mastery over others. Meditation & Confrontation Fast forward a few decades. I spent 14 years training in a spiritual ashram where I meditated for hours every day, performed prostrations, chanted mantras, and did extensive spiritual practice. Often we meditated from midnight to 6am to build our stamina and confidence on the meditation cushion. I once sat for 48 hours straight in a “meditation marathon.” Our teacher was famously fierce and exacting. He was a former martial artist himself and was obsessed with groups like the Navy Seals and The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei who seemed to transcend the ordinary through near super-human feats of physical exertion. I was never a real martial artist, but through my contemplative training, I came to understand the power of meditation to sharpen my mind and spirit. Remaining serene and still as you endure the slings and arrows of your own mind is no small feat. Day after day, meditation confronts you with how things are, not how you want them to be. It is a mirror that shows you who you are, not who you want to be. It takes the spirit, will, determination, and energy of a warrior to engage in this kind of “confrontation.” Until we start a discipline like daily meditation, most of us just aren’t aware that our thoughts are like wild stallions galloping over the plains of our minds. In the beginning, most of us are thoroughly outmatched. It takes time, practice, and a lot bruises to harness those wild horses. A Modern Day Warrior Photo via Flickr CC: Tirrnanogirl In this light, I was excited to meet a modern-day warrior like Danny O’Connor. In 2008, Danny won the national golden gloves championship and represented his country in the 2008 Olympics as an alternate on the United States boxing team. His current boxing record is 26 wins and 3 losses. When Danny is formally training for a fight, he often meditates for upwards of four hours each day. When he first started meditating, he saw immediate changes through his practice as his awareness sharpened, and he grew calmer and more focused in and out of the ring. But perhaps even more significantly, Danny developed a lens of compassion for himself and his opponent. This is most visible in his changing relationship to the goal of his training and boxing in general. Winning and losing is no longer the main event. After Danny’s first professional loss, he entered into a deep depression. This was before he started a regular meditation practice. These days, his perspective on winning and losing has changed completely. He recognizes both as part of a larger process. Losing is as powerful an opportunity to grow and move forward as winning. And beyond that, Danny says that focusing on this larger process deepens his compassion for both himself and his opponent. He credits the self-knowledge he’s gained from meditation for this change. Watch A Short Video Of Danny In Training In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, Danny O’Connor and I explore: Why Danny started meditating to optimize his brain for competition The experience of freedom he felt when he first started meditating Why that freedom felt like a get out of jail free card Why he considers meditation medicine for his mind A skillful vs unskillful approach to oneself How meditation freed him from anxiety Danny’s advice for new meditators Show Notes Connect with Danny on Twitter Learn about Danny’s Boxing The post OM034: Why This Pro Boxer Meditates Every Single Day appeared first on About Meditation.

Photo via Flickr CC:Freedom House We’re fascinated by the words. But where we meet is in the silence behind them. ~Ram Dass Why do we need silence? That disarming question launched a recent conversation I had with a health reporter. The answer to that question has many parts. Why? Because there’s inner silence and there’s outer silence. They’re related, but they’re not the same. Also, silence isn’t a static thing. It’s dynamic, and it weaves through our lives like an invisible umbilical cord, nourishing our minds and souls and connecting us to a vast inner and outer cosmos. But the truth is, most of us don’t get nearly enough of it. We suffer as a result. A Short History of Silence Riccardo Cuppini Historically, humanity lived with a great measure of silence in our lives. Recorded music was a complete novelty less than one hundred years ago. Heavy machinery, construction, traffic, and the omnipresent drone of the modern age commenced just a few hundred years ago. And still, that only effected the relative few who lived in the cities. Why We Need Silence In contrast, these days most of us live in a buzzing field of ambient noise. TVs, iPhones, booming car stereos, whaling sirens, honking horns, and shouting neighbors are a steady state experience here in the city. If you live in an urban environment like I do, noise pollution is everywhere. What most of us don’t realize is how it slowly erodes our quality of life. Unseen, it seeps into us and disquiets our minds. In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) has started tracking the harmful effects of noise pollution on our health and cognition. According some recent studies, ongoing exposure to noise pollution, “may lead to higher blood pressure and fatal heart attacks.” A Deeper Layer of Silence But what does this have to do with inner silence? So far, we’re just talking about silence at the superficial level. Of course there is a deeper layer of silence inner silence. You see, that kind of silence is an integral part of who we are at our core. You could even say that it’s part of our nature. At the center of you and me there is a reservoir of perfect stillness and silence. Meditation offers reliable passage to that ocean of calm that lies beyond the noise of your mind. And here’s the thing. All of us need regular contact and communion with that part of ourselves. It keeps us sane, centered, and grounded in the best part of ourselves. It’s where we reconnect with the source of who we are. That’s one of the best reasons to make meditation a daily habit. The Benefits of Silence Ard Hesselink The good news is that silence is never far away. If you pay attention, you can notice moments of silence that slice through the noise like shots of sunlight through autumn leaves. In this episode of the podcast, we explore the benefits of silence in meditation and in our lives. We also examine the effects of too little silence and the toll it takes on our physical, emotional, and psychological health. According to Dr Paul Haider, the physiological benefits of silence include: Lowers blood pressure Boosts your immune system Boosts your brain chemistry Reduces stress (lowers blood cortisol levels and adrenaline levels) Allows for good hormone regulation and interaction of all the hormone related systems in your body. Keeps plaques from forming in arteries We explore a number of questions related to silence, for example: what lessons can we learn from silence? How can we get more of it? Can we nurture inner silence even while our minds are distracted? There is so much to glean from this vast topic, but at the very least, silence show us: There is much more to us than what we think. How to pay better attention to the world around us, our relationships, and how we are in the world. How to be open at the level of your being, and not just your mind. How to connect with life more directly, more intimately, and more richly. You become sensitive to the flow of life force in yourself, in others, and in your environment. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we also spend time unpacking the value and benefits of silence in the context of stress, solitude, rejuvenation, creativity, health, noble silence, and presence. Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM033: Why We Need Silence Much More Than We Think appeared first on About Meditation.

Photo via Flickr CC: David Gabriel Fischer Where do meditation and psychology intersect? For several decades, these two models of self-understanding one based in religion and the other in science have started to mingle and merge. As mindfulness steadily develops a body of research to support it’s efficacy in treating stress, depression, anxiety, and emotional trauma, we’ve seen the simultaneous rise of mindfulness-based psychotherapy. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we explore mindfulness-based psychotherapy with Ava Pommerenk (M.A. In Clinical Psychology), and the role of meditation in her own journey of healing and thriving. The Union Of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy According to the World Health Organization, over 350 million people globally suffer from depression. Over 40 million people in the US 18 years and older have some form of anxiety disorder. That number translates to a staggering cost of more than $42 billion a year in treatment. Fortunately, we live in a unique moment when traditional psychotherapeutic modes of treating mental illness are co-mingling with new (old) forms like mindfulness and meditation to produce compelling hybrids. At the same time, it seems the basic thrust of many therapy models is evolving from treating mental illness and emotional health as a static problem that needs to be fixed to a dynamic process of healing, growth, and thriving. Signs of this evolution abound in the media. Phychology Today has a section of it’s website devoted to meditation, mindfulness, mindful eating, and a mindful life. The American Psychological Association (APA) cites extensive research that outlines the benefits of using mindfulness in the context of psychotherapy. Popular self-help books like Radical Acceptance, from psychotherapist and Buddhist teacher Tara Brach, have further blended these two models while providing enormous support to countless people. Understanding Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy But what is mindfulness-based psychotherapy? The Therapy Center for Embodied Transformation offers this definition: Mindfulness-based psychotherapy teaches one to learn to relate to their self, others, and environment in a more mindful way, and to practice greater self-acceptance and self-compassion in the process of continued healing and growth. In Ava’s own work, she has seen her clients heal anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, chronic relational issues, and more. And yet, meditation-based psychological models have a long history that predate the recent intersection with Western psychotherapy. Buddhist psychology, for example, has steadily evolved over the last two and a half thousand years from the moment when the Buddha first identified the essential source of human suffering as fear and desire. Ava Pommerenk A Mindful Approach To Life If you remember that awareness of whatever occurs is meditation, then meditation becomes much easier than you think. ~Mingyur Rinpoche It’s also important to remember, you don’t need to suffer from anxiety or depression to benefit from meditation and mindfulness. Just as exercise keeps our bodies in shape, so can meditation keep our minds balanced and healthy. Of course, it can also lead us on a deeper journey of learning, growth, and insight. And as Ava likes to remind us, just because you aren't sitting on the cushion that doesn't mean you aren't practicing mindfulness. Once you understand the basics of mindfulness and meditation, you start to see that all of your life is an opportunity to practice mindful presence. Ava practices as a Psychological Assistant (PSB: 37799) under Dr. Miguel Hidalgo-Barnes (PSY: 24974) In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, Ava and I explore: How Ava realized that she was enacting self-aggression in meditation How ego can manifest in your practice and why it's not always a bad thing The difference between the psychological and spiritual ego The layers of insight and understanding that occur through the meditative process Why and how self-deception happens in meditation and how to deal with it Why meditation is a process of developing compassion, love, humility, empathy, and greater self awareness. How Ava’s meditation supports her practice as a psychological assistant How she helps clients become more mindful of the present moment in order to track painful emotions in their bodies and minds How to bring your mindfulness practice with you throughout the day Ava's advice for new meditators SHOW NOTES Get in touch with Ava at the Therapy Center for Embodied Wisdom Buy The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer The post OM032: Growth & Insight Through Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy appeared first on About Meditation.

Flickr CC: Chris Goldberg Meditation can be challenging. That’s especially true when you’re starting out. It’s easy to get lost, confused, frustrated, or just bored. As you wade into the deeper waters of contemplative arts like meditation, it’s important to understand the terrain. For example, it’s helpful to know where you can expect challenges. Where (and when) are you going to have trouble meditating? That kind of information is invaluable for any skill you’re trying to learn or master. But meditation has an added bonus. It’s a keystone habit, which means that it often triggers a cascade of other positive and transforming effects in your life. Do You Have Trouble Meditating? That’s why I devote this episode of the the OneMind Meditation Podcast to breaking down five of the biggest challenges that every meditator is probably going to face in her practice. What about you? Can you say what your top challenge is in meditation? It’s good to know your pain points so you don’t get stuck there. If you don’t pinpoint those challenging aspects of your practice, and make them explicit, you might find yourself treading water. With meditation, like most other skills or practices that you’re trying to master, it’s essential that you keep moving forward. Progress can look different for each one of us. But the important point is that you continue to grow and learn. Self-Knowledge Is Hard Work  Recently I discovered a startling piece of data. Researchers found that many people would rather electrocute themselves than spend time alone with their own thoughts. Can you believe that? It reminds me of the oft-cited quote from mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal who once said that, “All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.” As a race, we humans have not yet demonstrated that we are well-acquainted with the deeper currents of our own being. It seems we’re often estranged from the core drivers of our behavior and choices. This helps to explain why meditation can be challenging. If anything, meditation allows you to bear witness to the movement of your own mind. In the process, you start to see what makes you tick. Depending on how you look at it, that can be exciting, scary, or painful. Often it’s all three. Either way, it takes time and patience to get used to being alone with yourself. Eventually, insight will dawn and so will understanding two great treasures that allow you to sit with quiet contentment in a room on your own. And you probably already know this, but there are so many more benefits to meditation. Here’s one benefit I just learned about. According to Dr. Kelly McGonigal, author of The Willpower Instinct, neuroscientists discovered that meditation is one of the best things you can do to cultivate your capacity for self-control. People who meditate regularly, she says, have brains that are finely tuned willpower machines. Regular meditators, it turns out, have improved focus, attention, stress management, impulse control, and self-awareness. 5 Meditation Pain Points To gain these benefits and persevere in meditation, it’s good to know the territory and avoid some of the common pitfalls. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we discuss these five meditation challenges: You aren’t sure what to expect Meditation isn’t an experience You think your mind should be quiet Your mind keeps wandering You will lose inspiration Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM031: Having Trouble Meditating? 5 Common Challenges Every Meditator Needs To Understand appeared first on About Meditation.

Photo via Flickr CC: Roberto Trombetta Do you have a clear way to manage your stress? When your stomach drops out and your adrenaline kicks in, what do you do? According to a mountain of scientific evidence, stress erodes nearly every significant system in our body. That’s why it’s important to develop some conscious tools to help you mitigate the effects of stress on your mind and your body. Fortunately, it’s abundantly clear that stimulating your relaxation response is one of the best ways to combat, and even reverse, the negative effects of chronic stress. Can you guess one of the best ways to trigger your relaxation response? Exactly, it’s meditation. These days, we are used to living with stress, but let’s break it down for a second. What’s actually happening when our stress response kicks in? And why does chronic stress lead to hypertension, headaches, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic low back pain, as well as heart disease, stroke and cancer? Fight Or Flight First, stress is built on the idea, real or imagined, of scarcity. You don’t have enough time. You don’t have enough money. You don’t have the resources you need to get the job done. Stress has the effect of shrinking your world down to the size of a pea. In essence, once your stress response has kicked in, it’s easy to feel like everything is a problem. And it feels bad, like you’ve got acid running through your veins. You’re nervous system is racing and red-lining like a high-performance sports car with smoke spilling out from the hood. There’s a good reason for that. In response to a perceived threat, your biological system has kicked into primitive survival mode and flooded your body with the kind of stimulants epinephrine and norepinephrine that give you the strength to fend off enraged gorillas. Consequently, your ability to concentrate is impaired. Your breathing is shallow, your heart beat surges, and your blood pressure spikes. At the same time, your immune system is severely compromised. At the biological level, the executive function in your brain is shutting down and your primitive amygdala brain the one designed to deal with lions and tigers and bears has seized the steering wheel. Tranlation? Say good bye to short-term memory, concentration, inhibition, and rational thought. So long to your social coordination too. Oh, and I forgot to mention, your brain has also released an array of hormones and proteins that modulate stress by decreasing sleep and increasing alertness and anxiety. Now here’s the problem. Most of us live with a measure of stress which is ok. But a lot of us live with chronic stress, and that’s not ok. In that case, the above scenario is happening as a baseline response to non life-threatening events, like criticism from your boss, bad traffic, or from watching the news. See the problem? The Relaxation Response Now think of your relaxation response. It’s the opposite. Your mind is clear, calm, and centered. Your body is supple and relaxed. You’re grounded in the present moment and you feel a sense of abundance and expansiveness. The world around you is a creative and dynamic space of relationship and ideas. You’re happy to be alive and you feel that life is good. Physically, your blood pressure normalizes along with your heart beat and breathing. Your body returns to a homeostatic state. Since 1971, when Herbert Benson released the landmark book, The Relaxation Response, there have been numerous studies on the relaxation response which have highlighted the following short-term benefits to the nervous system: lower blood pressure improved blood circulation lower heart rate less perspiration slower respiratory rate less anxiety lower blood cortisol levels more feelings of well-being less stress deeper relaxation How To Manage Stress With Meditation For those of us who live in the West, stress is a normal part of our achievement-oriented culture. But is chronic stress an acceptable cost of our success? In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we discuss physical, emotional, and psychological costs of stress and some of the science around stress. Then we examine four mindful steps you can take to manage stress through meditation. We explore stress in the context of: Burnout Stress Addiction Lack Of Focus Spreading Yourself Too Thin Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM030: 4 Mindful Steps To Manage Stress With Meditation appeared first on About Meditation.

Can meditation make you 10% happier than you already are? According to Dan Harris, the co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline” and the weekend edition of “Good Morning America, the answer is unequivocally “Yes.” After covering the religion beat for ABC News, Dan discovered meditation and wrote the bestselling book 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story. He’s been evangelizing to skeptical, scientifically-minded folks ever since. In this episode of The OneMind Meditation Podcast, we interview Dan Harris about his book, 10% Happier. How To Be 10 Percent Happier Although Dan's book targets newer meditators, I loved it. I think you will too. This is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Here's the basic plot. Dan turns to meditation after having a panic attack on air while anchoring the news on ABC. What ensues is a skeptic's quest to discover whether or not this ancient esoteric practice can really help him tame the voices in his head. With self-deprecating and ironic humor, Dan takes you behind the scenes of ABC News as he wrestles with a culture (and an inner dialogue) that’s fueled by relentless ambition, competition, and self-conscious anxiety. Dan's disarming and unabashed transparency makes him a deeply relatable character and his journalistic crusade to sort through the self-help hype and get to the root of meditation's value is captivating. For anyone who wants to convince a friend or family member about meditation, or if you need more convincing yourself, this is the book to read. A Skeptical Champion For Meditation Dan wrote 10% Happier because he saw an opening in the marketplace of ideas and recognized that meditation has a PR problem. After cutting through all the new-age and religious trappings, he realized that meditation is a simple, secular, and scientifically validated exercise for the brain. He also saw that very few people who had a platform were talking about meditation in this way. Dan wanted to take advantage of his influence and public profile to convince people to meditate. Like a trojan horse, 10% Happier is an argument for the benefits of meditation dressed up as a personal memoir. And it worked. Just as meditation’s cultural moment started to peak, Dan ushered it even further into the mainstream. Now, after writing a bestselling book, Dan has turned his attention to launching a new meditation app which was recently featured on ABC’s Good Morning America. In this interview, Dan and I discuss: How meditation influenced Dan’s journalism and TV anchoring How having a panic attack on national television compelled him to start meditating The breakthrough he experienced on a Vipassana meditation retreat How meditation helped him be more spontaneous as a television anchor How mindfulness has helped him deal with personal loss in his family How Dan uses a memoir to deconstruct popular misunderstandings around meditation Why ABC News started offering meditation classes Why writing 10% Happier was the most significant development in Dan’s professional career Dan's advice for new meditators The new 10% Happier meditation app   Show Notes Get a 20% discount on Dan’s new meditation app (Use promo code ONEMIND) Watch the ABC news segment on Dan’s new meditation app Buy the book 10% Happier The post OM029: How To Be 10% Happier with Bestselling Author Dan Harris appeared first on About Meditation.

(Photo via Flickr CC:Justin Kern) What can you learn from the practice of mindfulness? Why has this ancient practice exploded into the mainstream? You may have noticed the long-time meditators among us looking bewildered but happy about this geek-to-chic transition. One definition of mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with nonjudgmental awareness. That sounds simple, but it’s endlessly subtle. The truth is, mindfulness can alter your relationship to your self, others, and the world around you in dramatic fashion. And now, as you’ve probably heard, there are a host of scientific studies confirming the benefits of this practice. What Can Mindfulness Do For You? If you spend consistent time practicing mindful awareness, you start to notice things that you missed before. At first, you become aware of what you think and feel. But then how you think and feel starts to become apparent. You notice how your relationship to your mental and physical state affects you moods, feelings, and emotions. In turn, you realize how much your choices are guided by habitual thought patterns. Slowly but surely, mindfulness yields to insight, empowering you to respond to life in new ways. Situations that felt stagnant become fluid again. Your relationships evolve because you are changing. In the end, mindfulness is training for your attention. Because awareness is the backdrop for all of our experience, refining your attention through meditative practices can lead to breathtaking transformation. Exploring Basic Mindfulness with Julianna Raye In this episode of The OneMind Meditation Podcast, we explore Basic Mindfulness training with meditation teacher Julianna Raye. For Julianna, mindfulness is more than a practice, it’s a way of life. Julianna has an amazing story. She’s a long-time singer songwriter, and in her early career she received critical acclaim for her first album on Warner Bros Records. Then her life took some unexpected turns, and she found herself waiting tables just two years later. She was drawn to mindfulness to manage debilitating anxiety. Today, having attended over 70 retreats and racked up 12,000 hours of formal practice time, Julianna has rewired her brain. In fact, in a recent study at UCLA comparing long-term meditators' brains with non-meditators, the results of Julianna's MRI led to interviews on media outlets like ABC and GLOBO news. Julianna currently teaches a form of mindfulness called Basic Mindfulness to executives, performance professionals, TV personalities, entrepreneurs, executives, and corporate groups. Basic Mindfulness was developed by meditation teacher and scholar Shinzen Young, and it is the subject of studies at Harvard University, the University of Vermont, and other research institutions. In this episode, we explore Julianna's journey from musician to meditation teacher and then we delve into the nuts and bolts of how to practice Basic Mindfulness. In this interview with Julianna Raye, we discuss: How meditation helps you lift your center of gravity How an intimate encounter with a radish changed her life Why your body and mind are more resilient than you think The value of hard work vs peak experiences in meditation How meditation helped her overcome anxiety and depression What is basic mindfulness How running an ironman marathon can be a great exposure to mindfulness How mindfulness can help you locate where emotions manifest in your body How to develop a mindful relationship to your emotional life What Julianna finds to be the biggest challenge of meditation for her clients Julianna’s advice for new meditators Show Notes Try a free guided meditation with Julianna Visit Julianna’s website PopGoZen.com Listen to Julianna's Music (highly recommended) Learn more about Basic Mindfulness Learn about Shinzen Young’s Harvard Study Get Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno Read 4 Mindfulness Tips To Reclaim Your Center & Ground Your Being Leave a rating & review on iTunes The post OM028: How To Practice Basic Mindfulness with Julianna Raye appeared first on About Meditation.

Awakening self compassion is often the greatest challenge people face on the spiritual path. ~Tara Brach What's the right way to deal with emotional pain during meditation? Often, difficult emotions arise in meditation when we least expect it. We don't tend to welcome those feelings with open arms. For most of us, the natural response to any sort of uncomfortable feelings is to tuck tail and move swiftly in the opposite direction. But like your physical body, which uses pain to alert you when your body is injured or compromised, strong feelings and emotions are often signals. Your emotional body is traumatized or injured, and it needs your attention. Of course, it isn't easy to stay open in those moments. There are a lot of reasons for this. First, our culture is addicted to distraction and stimulation. There are more ways than ever to distract ourselves from our pain. Second, it’s not very sexy to experience vulnerability, confusion, and discomfort. In the West, we promote happiness, achievement, and a paradigm of success that tends to exclude the messy business of tending to our emotional and mental health. Ironically, this very attitude prevents a lot of us from healing and thriving. Third, I don't know anyone who really likes to sit with their emotional pain, stop struggling, and just feel it. That's where meditation can help you deal with painful emotions in a healthy way. It can help you cultivate a non-judgmental space of awareness in response to challenging emotions. Instead of labeling these feeling as bad or wrong, you can learn how to be with them just as they are. That’s a solid first step towards healing. Meditation can also help you identify the thoughts that trigger painful emotions or memories. Often we unconsciously ruminate on the thoughts that re-trigger painful memories and feelings again and again. Making this process conscious helps you feel less helpless and gives you a sense of control. In time, you can better understand the source of these triggers and stop running from them. Managing Grief and Emotional Pain During Meditation In this episode of The OneMind Meditation Podcast, I interview licensed acupuncturist and meditation teacher Dave Eyerman. Dave has been a student of meditation for nearly twenty years and he currently leads weekly meditation groups at his holistic healing center. In this interview, Dave and I explore what it really means to have a healthy relationship to the grief and emotional pain that can naturally arise in our experience when we meditate. Struggling with challenging emotions is so human. All of us deal with it in one manner or another, and there are definitely more healthy ways to deal with it than other. Dave and I explore what it means to stop running from those feelings. In this interview Dave Eyerman and I discuss: Why it's fine to fall asleep in meditation Why there's no such thing as a meditation master What it really means to let yourself be a human being when you meditate How Dave works with students who can't quiet their minds Why it's so hard to let yourself feel uncomfortable emotions How meditation can help you accept uncomfortable and painful feelings like grief How our culture trains us to think that we should always feel happy Dave’s advice for new meditators Show Notes Clear And Now Healing Dave’s Meditation and Dharma talk recordings Dave’s Awareness School Dave’s Blog If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the How To Meditate Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM027: How To Manage Grief And Emotional Pain During Meditation appeared first on About Meditation.