Introduction
Meditation, Mindfulness & Insight
Ancient Wisdom
For the
Modern World
Session 1 The basics of meditation
Instructor - Stanley Merrill
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Foundation for class
Meditation and Psychology
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Academic Background - Math, Physics and Computer Science
Professional Background – Application development consultant
Tibetan Buddhism
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Personally experienced the power of meditation
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Powerful Techniques for coping with stress
Targeted for Tibetan NOT American Culture
Wanted to help others
MBSR
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Accessible to Americans – culture – way of life
Effective teaching methodologies
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Guided meditations, focus on key concepts, reasonable expectations
Jung Center
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Depth psychology
Understanding of why we do the things that we do
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Brief Introductions
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Name
Experience in Meditation
What you wanted from the class
Hobbies or interests
Profession
Any or all of the above!
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Website for handouts
http:www.BeingMindful.com
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Download PowerPoint Presentations
Guided Meditation
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Play MP3 format.
Scripts for each meditation
Reading list
Quotes and Prayers
Must register to access downloads and
mp3’s
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Start with the goal in mind!
Personal
History
Complexes
Expectations
Thoughts
Dramatization
Regrets
Fears
Awareness
Objective
Observer
Understanding
Insight
Woe is Me
Anxiety
Reactivity
Negative
Actions
More
Problems
Negative
Circumstances
Mindfulness
In the moment
Equanimity
The Goal:
Equanimity - Balance, Calmness and Clarity in spite of circumstances.
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Equanimity
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To a sincere student every day is a fortunate
day. Time passes but he never lags behind.
Neither glory nor shame will move him
..Zengetsu (zen master)
Characteristics
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Compassionate
Calm
Open hearted, open minded
Centered
Balanced
Rational – make good decisions
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Analogy
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An adult watching a child throwing a temper
tantrum
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As adults we can watch the “child within us”
go through emotional responses
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The child’s perception is his reality.
Can observe with great compassion.
Our perceptions are our reality
Can observe ourselves with great compassion
With insight we can transcend the emotional
roller coaster ride.
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The path is the Goal
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The Goal
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Moment to moment awareness, mindfulness and equanimity.
When we experience emotional turmoil
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Do not suppress your emotions
Observe with insight
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Your experiences in this moment.
Watch your breath
Enable your body to slow and relax
Gain a sense of calm and then you will be able to respond in a
rational effective manner
Present moment experience can become a habit
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Key Points
Fear and Anxiety and Heart Rate
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We DO NOT have to have negative emotional
and physiological responses to negative
circumstances.
Second Arrow - Sometimes our responses
to negative situations cause greater damage
than the circumstances themselves.
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Physiological damage to our bodies
Depression
Revenge
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Negative Circumstances
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Examples
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Losing at tennis
Bad line call
Red Lights
Bad Grades
Terminal Illness
Loss of love ones
Ever evolving process - Eventually
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Small things trigger little or no response.
More things are put in proper perspective.
Larger Things
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Quicker recovery time
Less likely to react in a self defeating manner
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Maintaining Equanimity
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Easy to understand difficult to implement
Serenity Prayer
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G-d grant me the courage to change the things that I can,
the serenity to accept the things that I can not change and
the wisdom to know the difference.
Skills we need to maintain equanimity
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Meditation – Cultivates the mental discipline to be mindful
Mindfulness – Implementation of awareness in daily life
Insight
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Broad and open perspective
Objective and realistic
Supportive attitudes – letting go - compassion– gratitude Understanding psychological forces of us and others
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Class Philosophy / Approach
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Motivational
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Practical
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Not esoteric or theoretical
How and why meditation accomplishes what it does.
Non Sectarian
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You will be changing the way you perceive and act
Understandable
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Know the benefits so that you will want to meditate
Psychological insights not religious beliefs
Meditation as an exercise that impacts our psychology and
physiology
Set Reasonable Expectations
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Long slow never ending process
Immediate positive changes
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Meditations Taught
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Diaphragmatic Breathing
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Easy, quick, use any time during the day
Before and after stressful situations
Need a quiet secluded place
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Mantras
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Body Scan
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Cultivate deep relaxed state of mind
Compassion
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When you want a good nights sleep
Sitting Meditation
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When you are really stressed and intellectual understanding fails to
alter your emotional state!
Alters perspectives and attitudes
Mindfulness – Equanimity
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Goal – 24 x 7 being in the moment
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Motivation
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Why is it important to meditate.
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The problem is
Stress
Life becomes a juggling act with work,
family, job. Any change can throw us
off balance.
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The impacts of stress
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Fight or flight response triggered constantly
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Scientific studies show that prolonged stress
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Produces adrenaline
Heart rate and blood pressure increase
Impacts our sleep
Negative impacts to the immune system
Decrease in the ability to concentrate and think clearly
Increases aging
Clogs arteries
Meditation is the “medicine” for stress without side
effects.
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Mindfulness and Meditation Exercises
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Strange Object Exercise
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Look at these objects with new eyes
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Questions
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What was your direct experience?
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What did you see, smell, taste, feel
Were you surprised by anything?
Did the exercise inspire you to want to
do any things differently?
What were the differences between this
and your normal eating experience?
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Common Observations
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Slowing down and paying attention changes
the experience
Unconscious -- We are often lost in thought,
on autopilot most of the time and not really
experiencing what is happening
When you focus, you notice things you
weren’t normally aware of
The mind can easily wander
Mindfulness can have a calming effect
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Mindfulness
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Awareness – Fully Conscious
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Non Judgmental – No Drama!
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Single point of focus
Intentionality
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Continually Bringing the focus back to this moment
Doing one thing at a time
Attention
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Equanimity
In the present moment
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you are conscious of what you are doing
There is an observer that is you seeing yourself
You choose the point of focus
Beginners mind
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Look at everything with fresh eyes
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Mindfulness vs. Meditation
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What they have in common
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Focus, intentionality, awareness, present moment,
concentration, discipline
Differences
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Meditation
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protected environment
Controlled posture
Mindfulness can be done during every waking moment
Mindfulness is the goal, meditation develops the skills
needed
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Being present to each and every moment
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Meditation Postures
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Regardless of whether you are on a
chair or are sitting on a pillow
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Eyes closed
Back Straight
Head slightly down
Mouth slightly open tongue on roof of
mouth
Hands on thighs or may use hand mudras
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Postures continued
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Sitting on a chair
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Use a pillow between your back and the chair to keep your back
straight
Feet flat on the floor
Sitting on the floor
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To increase comfort
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Preferred method BUT -- Don’t do it if you feel pain
Lying Down
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Sit on a pillow
Put pillows between your knees and feet
Take Yoga Training
Good for body scan meditation particularly if you want to lie down.
Whatever is comfortable for you!
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Guided Meditation
Diaphragmatic Breathing
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Close your eyes
Tense and release foot – calves – thighs torso
Bell – Dedication – May all beings have happiness…
posture
Listen first and the do it
Breathing
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Breath in slowly First from the stomach Second from the rib cage
Breath out slowly First from the rib cage Second from the stomach
Focus your attention on the bodily sensations - Stomach and rib cages rising - Notice the skin
stretching
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Body Position Erect and dignified
Notice the air coming through your nostrils
Now begin with your breathing
Quality of awareness open and non judging
Constantly be aware of the body sensations of breathing in and breathing out
Breath naturally - Your mind will wander but gently bring attention back to your breath
Non judgmentally – be kind to yourself – it is a life long process doesn’t expect to be
perfect in a day, week, month or year.
This is it! You are in this moment. No regrets of the pass or fear of the future. You are
here now.
Eyes closed – ring bell – Move your toes, fingers, gently stretch out, open your eyes.
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Diaphragmatic Breathing
Opportunities to practice
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Take advantage of any seconds and minutes you have!
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When get up in the morning or going to sleep
Before or after each activity
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While waiting for anything
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Meals
Tasks
Red lights
Shopping lines
During the commercials when we are watching TV
Most Powerful and Simple and practical of all the meditations
you will learn.
For people who do NOT have time for formal meditation practice
there are always “gaps” in a busy work day that allow for
Diaphragmatic Breathing.
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Questions
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What did you experience?
Anyone able to feel the air coming in through
the nostrils?
How did you feel afterwards?
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More relaxed?
Able to think more clearly?
Did your mind wander?
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Were you aware of wandering while you were
wandering?
If you can’t control the mind who or what is
causing it to wander
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What is awareness?
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There is a doer and an observer
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Non Judgmental
Intentionality
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Not reacting out of instinct and behavior patterns
Conscious
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Observer is a an objective perspective
Gives the time for insight before reaction - Diffuses anger
When you are questioning your own anger it is different
than being driven by it.
Aware of the consequences of what you say and do
It is a discipline that takes time to develop and meditation
cultivates it.
By this definition most people are unaware for most of their
lives.
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Guided Meditations
Options
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HAPS CD’s
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Jon Kabat-Zinn
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Guided meditation for each week.
Guided Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn
(Audio CD - Sep 1, 2005) – Audiobook - $20 on
Amazon
Option
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Download scripts
Modify to your values
Develop your own guided meditation
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Homework Guidelines
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They are designed to help you
Find balance
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Challenge and stretch yourself
Don’t stress yourself and hate the practice.
Choose what you can do and do it
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This develops self discipline.
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Homework
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10 minute guided diaphragmatic
breathing meditation
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Before going to sleep, After waking up
Extra Credit
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Slowly build up this week from 10 minutes to
40 minutes
MBSR program at UMASS Medical school starts
out with 40 minutes once a day.
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Homework (contd)
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Become aware of the times that you become
have emotional suffering. You may feel
agitated, frustrated, annoyed, inadequate etc.
Evaluate what is happening and answer these
questions to yourself:
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Are my thoughts exaggerating the impact of the
situation?
Are the thoughts that I have helpful in solving the
problem or are thoughts only perpetuating the
emotional suffering.
Are the actions that I want to take self enhancing
or self defeating?
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Extra Credit
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During the day, between activities or when
you are waiting try to take several
diaphragmatic breaths as many times as you
can
Take one activity each day and do it mindfully
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Be aware of what you are doing
Observe if your mind wanders
Observe what emotions arise if any
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History
Meditation was not taken seriously
Naval Gazing – Dropping out
Your father and I want you to know that we are
behind you 100% should you decide to go back
to being a dope addict.
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Meditation is a science!
Meditation - New age mumbo jumbo?
Not for millions of Americans who meditate for
health and well being
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Scientific approach to stress reduction
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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction MBSR
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University of Massachusetts Medical School
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Physicians referred patients
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When modern medicine failed
The pain and stress from the physical ailments
Significant and measured results
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Jon Kabat-Zinn Program started 27 years ago
Based on ancient meditation techniques
Modified for Americans - Non Sectarian
Improved sleep, calmness, clarity and physiological
changes and sense of well being
MBSR is the foundation used for this class
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Scientific approach to depression
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Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
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Depression is an epidemic
Cognitive Therapy – standard treatment
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Questioning our own thoughts.
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Segal, Williams, Teasdale leaders in Cognitive Theory
Needed a group treatment approaches
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Are the valid? Are they helpful?
Rumination key indicator of recurring depression
Merged MBSR approach with Cognitive Therapy
Scientifically shown to be helpful in decreasing the
reoccurrence of depression
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The trend
Merging Psychology and Meditation
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Psychologists using Meditation techniques
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Segal et al Mindfulness Based Cognitive Theory
Psychologists using breathing techniques to calm
patients
Meditation experts using Psychological
frameworks
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Cheri Huber – Living Compassion
Namkai Norbu – describing socialization process
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Competing Forces Within
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Conditioned Self
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Instinctual
Reactive
Ego Center
Wounded
Observer / Wise old man
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Non Judgmental
Spiritual Perspective – broader view of life
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Conditioned Self - Symptoms
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Judgmental of self and others
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Condemning
Over Simplifying complex issues
Black and white world
Hatred and Anger
Blames self and others
Self righteous
Gets tired and bored
Meditation will make you much more aware of
this part of yourself!
Learning to own and accept this aspect
without judgment is the hardest task!
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Condemning this part of your self is training
yourself in condemnation
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Observer / wise old man
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Non Judgmental
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Does not condemn, blame,
demonize or diminish self or others
Compassionate
Forgiving
Thoughtful
Patient
Calm
Full of Insight
Strategic decisions
Internal gyroscope
Voice of Conscious
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Why Postures are important
an experiment
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Posture 1
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Posture 2
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Back straight, feet on floor, gyan mudra, relax head, chest,
feet, legs
Just sitting up straight can increase your ability to
focus and change your state of mind
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Slouched in chair, fist clenched, scowl on face, all muscles
tightened
Maintaining that posture takes discipline and awareness
Mind body connection
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Breathing slowly changes attitude
Attitude can change your postures
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Sitting Meditation
Postures
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Hand posture - Gyan Mudra
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Fingers of thumb and index finger
touch
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Receptive to external energy
Wholeness of a circle
Circle of life
Imparts happiness, the intellect
develops, memory is sharpened.
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