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Playing With Mindfulness: Sneaking In The Back Door
I often meet people who say things like, "I've been working on mindfulness for over twenty years." My response is always this: "Oh, you poor thing! Have you tried *playing* with mindfulness? It's very effective, and much more fun!" They tend to look at me like I'm some kind of kook, and then ask the million-dollar question: "How can you play with mindfulness?" Glad you asked.... We tend to think of mindfulness as something that develops only after years of dedicated meditation. We must sit for hours, contemplate in silence for days, go on retreats for weeks, practice daily for years. Okay, that can work. The unfortunate thing is that it IS work, and consequently, it's about as appealing to most folks as lying on a bed of nails. Sure, they want to develop a clearer perspective on life. Yes, they want to become calm and contemplative. Of course they want to live more meaningfully and with greater joy. But does it have to be so hard? Absolutely not. You see, while most people knock politely on that front door of meditation in order to get inside the House of Mindfulness, I like to sneak people in the back door to steal a few cookies. Why can't we play with mindfulness, dance with it, treat it like our favorite goofy cousin who happens to be brilliant instead of our strict uncle who happens to have a Ph.D? Why can't we tiptoe toward mindfulness through eyes-wide-open exercises that are engaging, uplifting, informative, and--dare I say it--fun? Mindfulness should be like a big game of mental hide-and-seek: "Where am I now? Gotcha!" As a student of Buddhism for nearly 30 years, I have the greatest respect for the Buddha and the philosophy that developed around his teachings. I have tremendous admiration for those who have dedicated themselves to a regular meditation practice. But it's disturbing to me that mindfulness is seen as "belonging" to Buddhism and that meditation is seen as the only vehicle that will take us there. This sounds a bit like, oh, attachment? Clinging, perhaps? I just can't find it in my heart to believe that the Buddha would be ticked off about the idea of developing mindfulness in whatever way works best. Not everyone likes the idea of meditation, but here's the cool part: those who start off with easy, enjoyable exercises often find themselves seeing the value in sitting still. In fact, many clients say they'd never have started with meditation, but they so enjoyed "playing" with mindfulness that they have begun a regular sitting practice! Sneaky? Sure, but that's part of playing. Fun--in whatever form that takes--is what keeps us going back for more. If you are not grinning, you are not winning in this big ol' game of life. If "working" on mindfulness isn't working for you, try playing instead. Throw open the doors. Let your inner monk go out and play. It's recess! Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training in Portland, Oregon. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 100 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.massageyourmind.com
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Business Management Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist? I have been giving some thought lately to optimism and pessimism. Basically, these are attitudes. Attitudes that shape and formulate our entire existence. I mean, have you ever met a happy pessimist? Of course not. What Makes You Special? Many people are too busy today trying to fit themselves into the image of other people. This ranges from physical appearance to dressing mannerism right to extreme character imitations. Wealth Building: Let The Wealth Building Secrets Of J. Paul Getty Inspire You To Great Achievement One of the shortcuts to creating wealth is to learn from those who have achieved great wealth. Elements of Change The key to achieving more than you currently are, no matter which area of your life or work you are focusing in on now, is change. The old saying rings true: If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you've already got. If you keep eating and exercising the way you currently are, you will weigh the same a year from now. If you continue to sell to the same people on the same schedule, you will make the same amount of money next year. Why Idle Hands Create Stagnation in Our Lives You've probably heard the phrase, "Idle hands are the devil's tools" -- meaning if you don't have something to keep you busy, you are likely to get into trouble. That can be argued of course, since the intent to cause trouble probably has to be present also. How to Become an Effective Self-Help User "Know Yourself" That's what the big guy said way back when? Was it Aristotle, Plato or Socrates? Anyhow, that's the essence of what this article is about. You are the Master of Your Destiny Every thought of a human being is transformed as picture in everybody's mind. Do You Know Which Door To Open? 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You consider it, but just then, the reddest hummingbird you've ever seen flies near and seems to whisper in your ear, "You can do it. I'm telling you, you can do it!" Motivating Yourself To Take Action Daily Daily action towards a goal is the fastest way to achieve your goal. As you take daily action you see the results of that action fairly quickly if not immediately. Visible results which are clear and undeniable are huge motivators. STOP! Reading the Headlines and Live Your Own Life First Imagine! 40 is old. The California State Supreme Court has said that when are you are 40, employers can discriminate against employees using this age as the excuse. A Dollar and Some Ambition (Excerpted from "Building Your Network Marketing Business" CD) Is Failure the End of Everything? "The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose." --John McEnroe Wake Up to the Life You Love While speaking at a San Diego university recently, I was fortunate that I was not asked to leave the stage. You see, I chose to share with the students in my audience some frightening statistics. I announced that, while many would receive their degrees, few very few would end up pursuing careers in their chosen field. At this point, the faculty began giving me dirty looks. Get Things Done: Take 21! Ever begin doing something that you do for a few days, and then simply stop doing it? Glass Half Full YES MY GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL AND YOURS CAN BE TOO! A Surfing Lesson I've never surfed in my life. Sometimes people tell me I look like a surfer, but never once have I been on a board out in the water. It fascinates me though. It was about a year ago that I was standing at the water's edge with a good friend. She was a surfer who had competed professionally and had hosted a surfing show on TV. We were watching surfers and I was asking questions about waves, boards, techniques, etc. Be Action-Oriented Are you a melancholic online business owner by nature? I have something to tell you. Rut Busting Introduction The Benefits of Keeping A Journal Keeping a journal has many advantages and benefits. Whether you write a few lines or pages, through journaling, you can record and track a lot of information that can be easily retained for future reference. You can actually see what you were thinking because your thoughts and experiences are in a journal. When you commit to writing them down, you have put your thoughts and experiences into a solid form. Below are some examples of the benefits of keeping a journal.
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