MINDFULNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Text of a talk given at the Beaconsfield Public Library on Tuesday May 18, 2021 at 2 pm Today’s topic is Mindfulness in Everyday Life, but what is mindfulness exactly? It’s good to be clear on what we are talking about. Let’s compare mindfulness to a mango! You can look up Mango on Google, read about it in the dictionary, etc. but does this really give you an idea of the taste of a mango? But that’s what you really want to know when you ask the question ‘What is a mango.’ If I define mindfulness using other words, you don’t get a taste of it. So I want to define it within a context rather...
Read MoreWHY PRACTICE MINDFULNESS?
Richard J. Davidson is professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as well as founder and chair of the Center for Healthy Minds. He is also part of a select circle of scientists who are personally inspired and guided by the Dalai Lama. In this video titled How Mindfulness Changes the Emotional Life of our Brains, he reveals how he himself has changed course, and how mindfulness can help all of us to flourish. He also offers a revealing suggestion that mindfulness can be seen as Meta Cognition. Takeaway quote: ‘A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy...
Read MoreLEARNING FROM DREAMS
Dr. Deirdre Barrett is a Harvard University professor and a dream researcher. In this video, she gives examples of scientific discoveries prompted by dreams. They include the structure of benzene, and the final form of the periodic table of the elements. In other fields, musicians from Beethoven to Billy Joel and the Beatles have dreamed their tunes. The takeaway messages? 1. If there is a problem in your life, formulate it clearly as you go to sleep. It also helps to wish for suggestions for a solution in a dream. 2. When you wake up, take a moment to actively remember any dreams you had....
Read MorePressure is inevitable but stress is optional
This short talk explores the difference between pressure and stress. We all have lots of things to do, and some of them have to be done within a time frame. Even the dog knows how to put pressure on us when it wants to go! By being mindful and centred we can avoid turning pressure into stress.
Read MoreTHE GREAT COMPASSION MANTRA
Em D Bm Em Bm
Compassion’s a flower, the loveliest flower, in the heart’s garden.
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