THEME: GENIUS: 1% INSPIRATION AND 99% PERSPIRATION
(THOMAS EDISON) 1,2,3 @Ralph Richmond 2008
A.
Once a man was referred to me. He had been diagnosed with manic - depression more
than 30 years ago. At times his moods fluctuate and at times he enters a depressed state
in which he does not want to do anything. It is a profound feeling of sadness and
lethargy. He does not sleep well and has trouble focusing. He has not taken any
medication for 10 years.
It may be that his mood swings were exacerbated by a mental attitude of high expectation
and the drive to push himself to do more. When he would meet his high expectations, he
would go on a high. But since he could not regularly live up to them, he necessarily had
to experience a down. This contributed to low self - esteem.
He tended to be a negative and contrary man. If I said the wall was green, he would say
it was blue. If I said George Bush was a warmonger, he would suggest his intention was
to bring world peace. There was precious little I said which he agreed with.
However, early in our work together, in fact, the first day I met him I taught him
mindfulness meditation.
After experiencing the body scan he said, “I seem more calm but of course, that won’t
work for me.’
‘How do you know?’ I asked.
“Nothing ever works for me why would this be different?”
“Are you willing to practice it daily for awhile?”
“What for?”
I replied, “Let’s test your hunch. You say it won’t be helpful. I prefer to be neutral. Will
you make your own experiment and practice daily for a month? At the end of a month, let
me know if you found it helpful or unhelpful or neutral.”
He agreed to do it.
Now the interesting thing about him is that he did what he said he would. He practiced
the body scan two times a day 6 out of 7 days a week for a month. He did not think
anything would happen, but still he practiced.
It is now 15 months later. He no longer experiences much if any mood fluctuations,
lethargy or depression. He still has some struggles with sleep but he is in his fifties. He is
still meditating every day 15 months later. In fact, he actively looks for opportunities to
practice mindfulness in his daily life. For him it is a game he finds fun. He is actively
practicing daily meditation and daily mindfulness. Also, now we agree about George
Bush. His daily practice made his difference.
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B.
You have actively participated in our program. Hopefully you have noticed that the most
significant learning happens as you practice mindfulness in your daily lives. You are your
own best teacher about what is helpful in your own life.
In our first session, we encouraged you to leave your expectations at the door and just
experience what you experience. This is our suggestion as our time together comes to a
close. Continue the practice but leave your expectations aside. Be present to what you
are experiencing without judgment.
The UGFHT offers an ongoing mindfulness group. Alternatively, you could buddy up
and meet with someone on a regular basis and share your experience.
There is a bibliography provided in this week’s handouts. It suggests resources you can
access. Jon Kabat-Zinn originated the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program.
Our program is based on his work.
This mindfulness program has introduced you to Formal and Informal Mindfulness
Practices. As regards Formal Practices, you have been introduced to the Body Scan,
Sitting Meditation, Loving - kindness and Compassion. The Formal practices are
intended to be done at a time of your own scheduling, two times a day if possible. While
you have been introduced to all 4 practices, it may be in your own best interest as you
begin your mindfulness journey to stay with one practice for a time before engaging
another.
When I was learning mindfulness, I liked the body scan. I practiced the body scan 40
minutes per day 6 out of 7 days a week. I decided to practice with the body scan daily
until I had memorized the cd and could do it on my own. This took me 3 months. I then
practiced it without the cd for a month. Then I began to do the sitting meditation with the
cd for my morning meditation. I continued with the body scan in the evening. I practiced
with the sitting meditation until I memorized it and then could do it I on my own. I
continued this method with each Formal Meditation practice so that now I can be present
to myself as I begin to meditate and get a sense of which practice would be helpful before
I engage. Sometimes I practice being mindful and present to what is.
Trust your own inner wisdom about how to proceed. I am only sharing with you a
process I found helpful.
Another way you could proceed is simply to redo the program week by week. You could
continue to take time once per week to reread what we have done and to engage in the
Formal and Informal Practices as the program has outlined them during the week.
You have been practicing Informal Mindfulness in all aspects of daily life. Mindfulness is
paying attention on purpose in the present moment. You have done this standing, sitting,
walking, lying down, seeing and eating.
You stand and know you are standing; you walk and know you are walking. Every
moment of the day is an opportunity to tune into the breath no matter where we are or
what we are doing.
The Formal and Informal Practices work together to cultivate mindfulness. If you are a
football player, you lift weights, run, learn drills, and memorize plays and practice,
practice, practice. All of that work is not the game. I liken that to our Formal practice.
However, the game is how we bring mindfulness to our daily lives, which is our Informal
Practice. As with any game, there will be good days and bad days. However, whether
the game went well or not, it is back to practicing, practicing, practicing the next week.
Here is a story about Pablo Casals. At the age of 93, this world-renowned cellist was still
practicing cello three hours a day. When he was asked why, he replied, “I can hear some
improvement.” 1
If you were to begin to practice the piano daily for 10 weeks, you would experience some
improvement. However, it would be impossible to know what would happen if you
practiced daily for ten years. One thing is certain, you would not get worse.
I taught myself guitar in university. That was a long time ago. About two years after
beginning to practice mindfulness meditation daily, I took up my guitar and surprisingly
played for 6 hours nonstop. All sorts of musical possibilities presented themselves to me.
I had a burst of creativity and learned to play lead and bass. Then I began to write my
own songs and have even recorded 12 of my songs on my home system. My point is that
I did not begin to practice mindfulness in order to play better guitar or learn to write and
record songs. It has been an unexpected outcome. You cannot know how daily practice
may impact your life in the future. To begin to walk the path of mindfulness is to explore
a mystery.
If you found this mindfulness program helpful. it is because you practiced and explored it
for yourself. Unfortunately or fortunately, no one can practice for you. We continue to
practice by making time for non-doing and noticing; ’what am I experiencing in this
moment, with this breath? ‘
Mindfulness is not an intervention. It is not a 10-week program. It is a way of life..
1. ‘A Heart Full of Peace’ by Joseph Goldstein
2. ‘A Path With Heart’ by Jack Kornfield
3. ‘Full Catastrophe Living’ by Jon Kabat-Zinn.