Mindfulness
Dr Craig Hassed is a Senior Lecturer at Monash University. He is the co-author of Mindfulness for Life with Dr. Stephen McKenzie. He is an expert in the role mindfulness plays with regards to our physical and mental health. Hassed claims that mindfulness reduces the human stress response in a number of positive ways.
Click here to take my mini TED ED lesson on Dr Craig Hassed on Mindfulness and the Stress Response TED talk. |
Mindfulness Defined
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Jon Kabat-Zinn is renowned for his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. In this short video he shares his operational (working) definition of mindfulness:
"Mindfulness is the awareness that arises by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally." |
Mindfulness in Practice
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In this short You Tube video Andy Puddicombe asks us, "When did you last take any time to do nothing?"
Puddicombe is a meditation and mindfulness expert with a background in sports science. He is the voice of Headspace, a free mindfulness app. Puddicombe argues that 10 minutes a day can help us become more mindful. He debunks the myth that meditation is about getting rid of emotions and stopping thoughts. He tells us that instead it is about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly, witnessing thoughts and emotion coming and going without judgment, but with a relaxed, focused mind. |
The Art of Stillness
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Travel writer Pico Iyer talks about the going nowhere. He points out that so much of our lives takes place in our heads, in memory, imagination, interpretation or speculation. He ponders that if he wants to change his life, he might best begin by changing his mind. Iyer reminds us of the stoics and Shakespeare: "There's nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
He states that sociologists say that we are working less hours than we were 50 years ago, but that we feel as though we are working more. Iyer argues that sitting still can lead to emotional intelligence. |