
A panel on mindfulness, meditation, self-care and mental health - pmcpinto
https://medium.com/thelist/how-not-to-have-a-meltdown-in-2015-mindfulness-meditation-mental-health-9dd4c83f3747
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someone28373
I just got done meditating for an hour and 10 minutes, 50 then an alarm on my
phone and then another 20. I don't need the alarm but it's nice to do timed
meditations to get a sense for how long I've been spending on this. I have
really been putting in the effort over the past week and have noticed a
general improvement in my concentration and ability to avoid distracting
thoughts. I originally tried to do this a few years ago off and on to reduce
work related stress.

But this is not what I came to say. If you're the type that is compulsively
looking at your phone checking websites and generally worrying about where
your skills are at this is not conducted to being present in the here and now.
You are worried about keeping up appearances being connected with others and
generally looking to future oriented goals. I've gradually given most of these
less and less emphasis due to a natural inclination towards being alone which
suits my personality fine. For reducing stress, sure, anyone can benefit from
meditation.

There is a further level of insight meditation, which is what I've been
practicing and mindfulness is one of the foundations that leads to insights of
value. Without mindfulness one will not know where they have been and what
intentions lead to where they are now over the moment to moment progression
through their day. This is the skillful goal; not bliss and not simply
reducing stress.

Also you don't have to even sit to meditate. I was reclining, which made it
much easier to discern my heartbeat. Next up walking meditation for about
forty minutes. Left right left right...

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drcomputer
I like to listen to my thoughts sometimes. I'm used to watching them flow with
neutrality.

I play the piano for meditation.

A barrier can often come from asking the question "am I doing it right?"

Sometimes existing out of the moment is just as important as existing in it.

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dinarebecca
Love. Thank you for sharing this.

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drcomputer
Thank you for appreciating it. :)

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tunesmith
I feel like I haven't heard the word "mindfulness" (outside of the context of
a schoolmarm telling a 19th-century child to be mindful of her work) until
recently, but now it seems to be everywhere. Is this a clinical term or a new-
age term?

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diydsp
One can probably credit a subset of hippies in the 1960s in the U.S. for
traveling to India and bringing "Eastern" practices here to the (more or less)
mainstream, including Buddhism and "Sati," which is the basis of mindfulness.
I don't know enough about other countries to comment on how popular it may be
in other places and how it go to be that way.

In their shotgun approach, some New Age practioners may incorporate
mindfulness, but they haven't invented it...

In their urge to explain everything with the left brain :) academics and
clinicians strive to explain mindfulness...

Anyway if you get the urge, it's a fun thing to learn and study. You'd
probably find it beneficial/profitable, too.

It's delightful to me to learn how much of our behavior is stimulus-response
and how much is choice. The concept of free will much more than a yes/no
question--- it's much more like oil and water. it becomes binary if you never
shake up the container, but once you do, you realize our choices and thoughts
are a complex mixture of free will and reactionary behaviors :)

The habits are usually beneficial b/c they save time, but when they get in the
way they can be reversed, by first becoming aware of them through mindfulness.

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dinarebecca
Yes! Mental agility. A gorgeous thing.

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dgelles
Hi all. David Gelles here, I was delighted to moderate this panel with such
lively, intelligent and Zen women. Happy to keep spreading the message in
whatever way is helpful to people.

My book, Mindful Work, is coming out next month. More details here:
www.davidgelles.com

You can preorder it here: [http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Work-Meditation-
Changing-Busin...](http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Work-Meditation-Changing-
Business/dp/0544227220)

All best,

David

