Post by pointwithinacircle on Jul 28, 2017 9:39:21 GMT 9.5
Mindfulness. Just staying present. What is it all about? Does it mean to focus your mind just on the information that your physical senses are delivering at the moment. Is there some other way to conceptualize mindfulness? I feel that if I had a better understanding on the concept I would have a better chance to actualize it. (Even if only briefly)
Post by pointwithinacircle on Jul 28, 2017 12:17:50 GMT 9.5
Ah, so maybe it doesn't mean not thinking (a process I seem helpless to stop) but to be aware of my thoughts and feelings but not having them be in control of my actions. That seems much more doable than stopping my thinking.
Additionally I am entering a new phase of life as I have signed up for three college classes. (I can get the tuition waived because of my age). I want to work hard at not setting up bad thinking and acting habits in my new environment.
So mindfulness is like the filter between my thoughts & feelings and my actions. I like that.
Academic study is a good as it encourages control of the mind and using it more productively and on more subtle levels (higher subplanes). If the subjects studied are useful then that is a bonus.
Post by pointwithinacircle on Jul 30, 2017 5:52:23 GMT 9.5
I just finished reading what I thought was a very good article in the Wall Street Journal on mindfulness. It is in the Review section of the weekend edition labeled "Saturday/Sunday, July 29 - 30. I admit the articles title is corny. It's called "The Meditation Cure" by Robert Wright.
The article offers what might be called scientific validation for the practice of mindfulness. It also offers some practical applications which some might find useful.
I have a subscription to the WSJ so I can get the article online. I don't know if it is available online without a subscription. Anyway, I thought the information might be helpful to this thread.
Post by pointwithinacircle on Jul 30, 2017 14:30:17 GMT 9.5
Thanks for finding the link. I wish that I could approach the world through faith, but for me understanding is my path. This is what makes sense to me.
>Mindfulness, does it differ in any significant way from what we started practicing via yoga
Yoga means union but with what?
As you may know there are various forms of yoga directed at integration of the human system on various planes including physical, emotional, mental and higher.
On each plane the human has a chakra (the core of that energy body). The chakra is usually operated by an intelligence that needs to be nourished by the human and brought into coordinated activity.
Mindfulness is one approach to control the mental level of the human system. There are other means available including positive thinking, hypnosis and transcending thought.
The human needs to learn to control each of the levels of its manifested forms. A brief account is here