MINDFULNESS FOR LAWYERS

MINDFULNESS FOR LAWYERS

Dr Ian Ellis-JonesBA, LLB (Syd), LLM, PhD (UTS), DD, Dip Relig Stud (LCIS), Adv Mgmt Cert (STC)

Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Walesand the High Court of AustraliaPrincipal, Ian Ellis-Jones, Lawyer

Director, Ellis-Jones Enterprises Pty LimitedVisiting Associate, NSW Institute of Psychiatry

Former Senior Lecturer-in-Law, University of Technology, SydneyCommissioner of Inquiry under the Local Government Act (NSW)

Retreat Director, Mediator, Facilitator, Trainer and Consultant

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About the Facilitator

Objectives of Training Session


• To assist and empower Legal Practitioners in their practice of law …–to enhance their efficiency and

effectiveness in the workplace and their overall wellbeing

–to better serve their clients–to work more collaboratively with their

colleagues … ... cont’d


… by means of the regular practice and use of certain naturalistic practices, principles, ideas and thought forms

known as Mindfulness … of which Mindfulness Meditation

forms an integral part. ... cont’d


• To present Mindfulness as a coping skill and mode of being which can:–effect improvements in the

physical body–improve one’s ability to cope with

and release stress ... ...

cont’d


- assist in developing the mind’s ability to observe and understand many changing psycho-physiological processes and external surroundings

- assist in “untying” one’s thoughts from their emotional content and reaction, thereby defusing and dissipating the latter.

... cont’d


• To present Mindfulness as a mental skill and cognitive ability which can:– enhance cognitive functioning and

performance– improve concentration, capacity for focus,

memory, learning and consciousness, ability to think laterally and openness to new ideas

– increase verbal creativity and greater attention to detail. ... cont’d


• To present Mindfulness as a means to ...–empty ourselves of self-centredness–foster ethical behaviour–improve skills in mediation,

negotiation and resolution of complex issues. ... cont’d


• To present Mindfulness as a means to ...–see the limitations of

conditioned patterns of thinking–bring self-knowledge–enhance self-esteem.


• To present Mindfulness as a means to ...–lead to greater work

satisfaction–continuously develop

expertise.

Training Methods

Training Methods

• PowerPoint Presentation• Talks, Stories, Sayings and Anecdotes• Self-questioning• Breathing Exercises• Guided Meditations• Supply and Use of Printed Material (copies of

PowerPoint slides and Select Bibliography)• Questions and Answers

Topic Areas

Topic Areas• Introduction to Mindfulness• Introduction to Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation• The “Purposes” of Meditation• “Techniques” and “Methods” of Meditation• Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation … core

values, “tips”, benefits• Mindfulness of Breathing ... and Breathing Exercises• Mindfulness Sitting and Walking Meditations

... cont’d

Topic Areas ... cont’d

• Continuous Mindfulness and Awareness of Reality

• Listening to Clients Mindfully• Mindfulness of Sensations• Mindfulness for Pain Management• Mindfulness, Laughter and Humour• Evening Meditation for Self-Questioning and

Self-Reflection• Questions and Answers

Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated Outcomes• Participants in the training session are

expected to gain a workable understanding of:–the practice and principles of

Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation

–the mindful use of breathing ...

Anticipated Outcomes ... cont’d

–the practice of listening mindfully to others, especially one’s clients

–the use of Mindfulness • for pain relief, and•as a means of personal and professional self-development.

The Practice of Law

The Practice of Law

The statistics regarding lawyer depression,

divorce, suicide, physical and other mental illness,

and alcohol and other substance abuse aresimply staggering ...

The Practice of Law

Over 50% of practising lawyers describe themselves as emotionally dissatisfied

with their work ...and their lives.

The Practice of Law

• Lawyers top the list of professions whose members suffer from a major depressive order–rate of depression

3.6 times higher than employed persons generally.

The Practice of Law

Lawyers also suffer from

alcoholism and illegal drug useat rates far higher than non-lawyers.

The Practice of Law

The divorce rate among lawyers is also higher than the divorce rate

among other professionals.

The Practice of Law

... and the statistics

seem to get worse each

year!

The Practice of Law

MYTHS AND DENIAL IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

1. Stress? Drug problems? Not in our firm!2. Stress? Long hours? It’s par for the

course!3. If you can’t cope with the stress … the

billable hours … the long days … then perhaps you shouldn’t be a lawyer.

The Practice of Law

MYTHS AND DENIAL IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

4.If you’re stressed out, that’s your problem. Solve it yourself, quickly … or else.

5.Your wellbeing is not the firm’s responsibility.

The Practice of Law

• DOING … as opposed to simply BEING –“What must I do today?”

•billable hours•things to do …•people to meet …

The Practice of Law

• SUCCESS is defined by reference to what one has done.. and how others see you–“I want to be remembered for

having done …”

The Practice of Law

The practice of law is injurious to your health

unless ...

The Practice of Law

... you can practise a way of living and approaching life that involves ...

The Practice of Law

• a stable, steady, alert and clear mind, and

• a state of being psychologically present and with whatever happens in and around you

MINDFULNESS... An Introduction

One approach ... MINDFULNESS

One natural means by which to respond to

the stress of law practice ... and

otherwise empower oneself, is ...

MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS

“Mindfulness ... makes us accessible to depths

of awareness and clear seeing into the way

things are.”- Christopher Titmuss.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

“THE TAPE RECORDER”


A STABLE ... STEADY ... CALM ... ALERT ... OBSERVANT ... CLEAR ... DELIBERATE ... PURPOSEFUL ... ACTIVE ... FOCUSED …ENGAGED and yet DETACHED ... SKILLFUL AWARENESS of the present moment ... including one’s ...


• BODY FUNCTIONS & SENSATIONS

• CONTENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS (thoughts, feelings, images, etc)

• CONSCIOUSNESS itself• EXTERNAL SURROUNDINGS


The practice of paying attention •in the present•purposefully and receptively •deeply and openly•non-judgmentally ...


... to whatever arises in the present moment ...

moment to moment … both inside and

outside of us


Mindfulness enables usto move from the level of

conceptual thinking tothe level of direct,

non-judgmental awareness.


“We live in a society that … forgets the present.”

- Albert Einstein


• Keep your eyes open … RIGHT NOW.

• Witness all that is in front of you, above you, and around you … RIGHT NOW.

• What do you see … feel … smell? … RIGHT NOW.


• Look everywhere … RIGHT NOW.• See and experience everything …

RIGHT NOW.• Stay in the NOW.• Sense each part of your body …

hands, legs, chest, head, etc.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is now being taught at– several leading US law

schools• eg Harvard, UC Berkeley,

Stanford

– CLE workshops and seminars across the USA

MINDFULNESS

• Mindfulness has been endorsed by several ...–US Bar Associations,

and– insurance companies

MINDFULNESS

ALL of what follows is …

DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PRACTICE

OF LAW

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness takes meditation … in the form

of deliberate and purposeful awareness

and ...

MINDFULNESS

... applies itto one’s

WHOLE life!

MINDFULNESS

We need to create space for formal meditation

practice within the busy framework of our

daily lives.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation

can both refer to a specific type or practice of

meditation ...

Mindfulness Meditation

... used as a psychological and educational tool in some

naturalistic forms of Buddhism and Buddhist meditation

especially Vipassanā Meditation(also known as Insight[ful], Sensoryor Thought Watching Meditation)

Mindfulness

However, Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation are not restricted to …

• Buddhism• Buddhists• Buddhist meditation

Mindfulness

• You do not have to a Buddhist to practise either Mindfulness or Mindfulness Meditation

• You do not even have to be religious to do so …

Mindfulness

What are presented in this training session are

non-religious, naturalistic, psychological forms of

Mindfulness andMindfulness Meditation.

MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS is ... a way of life, a journey in

self-discovery andan education ...

LIVING DELIBERATELYAND PURPOSEFULLY

IN THE PRESENT MOMENT… AT ALL TIMES.

MINDFULNESS

“To be awake is to be alive.”

Henry David Thoreau.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness ... “a watchful awareness of one’s own

inwardness, nourished by meditation, and appropriate

outward activity ...”- Emeritus Professor Winston L. King.

MINDFULNESS

• Mindfulness means … –no more

“sleepwalking” throughout the day

–focusing only on the here and now …

MINDFULNESS

• Mindfulness means ...– being fully aware of ...

• where you are• what you are doing• who you are with

– being fully aware of ...• your body• your thoughts and feelings• your mind and its contents• your surrounds

“Core Values” ofMindfulness and


“Core Values”

There are certain “core values” of

Mindfulness,among them ...

“Core Values”

• ATTENTION ... being, and living, attentively in the present moment, on purpose …… for moments pass … THIS moment has

already gone forever!• AWARENESS (“mindfulness”) ... mind

free and unattached ... indeed detached but watchful

“Core Values”

• UNDERSTANDING ... to gain self-knowledge insight into ourselves and others

• COMPASSION ... from a sense of ego-self to a sense of Being (non-self/others) ... • loss of all sense of duality and

separateness.• lovingkindness for oneself and all other

beings

Mindfulness of Breathing

MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS is all about ...• AWARENESS ... and CLARITY OF MIND• A MIND that is DETACHED but

OBSERVANT of ..• the thoughts that arise• ongoing events and experience

MINDFULNESS

• MINDFULNESS is …•OPEN, CONSCIOUS and

DEFUSED AWARENESS•of PRESENT EXPERIENCE•with ACCEPTANCE

MINDFULNESS

The OPEN, CONSCIOUS and DEFUSED AWARENESS, and

DETACHED OBSERVATION, has been described as being that

of SEEING CLEARLY but“BARELY KNOWING”

MINDFULNESS

• STOP– Don’t get lost in your own mind!

• LOOK– What is happening now?

• LISTEN … inner and outer sounds• BE PRESENT … in the here and now

MINDFULNESS

Observing the BREATH or the movement of the ABDOMEN is used as

a major focus of AWARENESS

MINDFULNESS• Following either the breath or the movement

of the abdomen is INTEGRATED with MINDFULNESS of: – BREATH SENSATIONS– THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, etc – SENSE OF BODY AS A WHOLE– SENSATIONS WITHIN THE BODY– EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES (sounds, etc)– “BE-ING”

MINDFULNESS

BREATHING ALSO CALMS BOTH

THE BODY ANDTHE MIND

MINDFULNESS

A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE

•Sit up in your chair … straight back … feet flat on the floor

MINDFULNESS

A SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d

• Seated posture ... chair or cushion

–stillness and relaxation–tranquil mind and settled body

• Fold hands in your lap or lay palms up (or down) on your thighs

MINDFULNESS


• Close your eyes • Take a deep cleansing breath• Take a few moments to settle

MINDFULNESS


• Bring your full attention to your body

• Feel yourself in your body• “Let go” all over

MINDFULNESS


•Bring your attention to your breathing

•Start breathing in an even pattern.

MINDFULNESS


• At the start …– Breathing in … count and say

(think) inwardly … 1– Breathing out … count and

say (think) inwardly … 2 …

MINDFULNESS


In-breath … 3Out-breath … 4 …

Count to 10.

MINDFULNESS


Continue to observeyour in-breath and out-breath.

“Taste” the breath.

MINDFULNESS


Breathe in ... Breathe out... just like that!

Just concentrate onbreathing in and out.

MINDFULNESS


Know when the air comesin and goes out.

Take this as your subjectof awareness.

MINDFULNESS


When the air comes in ...you know it.

When the air goes out ...you know it.

MINDFULNESS


Continue this pattern throughout your breathing

meditation ... and your breath will become

refined and softer.

MINDFULNESS


• After a while, no longer say or think the counts ... just follow and be attentive to your breathing.

• Alternatively, follow and be attentive the rise and fall of your lower abdomen.

MINDFULNESS


• Noise or sound? ... Note it, and say, “Hearing, hearing”

• Thought? ... Note it, and say, “Thinking, thinking”

• Feeling? ... Note it, and say, “Feeling, feeling”• Pain? ... Note it, and say, “Burning [or

Throbbing” ... and so forth.

MINDFULNESS


Always return, as mindfully as possible, to observing your

breathing pattern or your abdominal movements.

MINDFULNESS


• Let your awareness gradually fill your body.

• Notice where your breath is most vivid ... - nose? belly? ...

MINDFULNESS


• Return your attention to, and continue to observe, the pattern of your breathing …

• Continue for at least 5 minutes.

MINDFULNESS


Let your mind be peaceful ...

undisturbed ... not restless.

MINDFULNESSA SIMPLE RELAXING BREATHING EXERCISE ... cont’d

•When you are ready ...–open your eyes slowly–take in your surroundings.

MINDFULNESS

REMAIN CALM, POISED AND

RELAXEDAT ALL TIMES.


• Should thoughts arise, just notice them ...–Be aware of them ... with

detachment.–Observe and acknowledge them

gently, dispassionately … without judgment … and let them go.


• OBSERVE … as opposed to IDENTIFY

• ACKNOWLEDGE ... LET BE• RELEASE ... LET GO


NOTE. “Thoughts” include … • feelings and emotions• images, memories and reflections• plans, concepts and commentaries,• sense perceptions• body sensations.


•Don’t try to actively bring thoughts up.

•Wait and see what comes up next.


• Treat any new thought the same way ...–Observe ... Acknowledge ...

Release and Let Go.–Notice any

judging/evaluating ... Let it go.


•Rest in the “blank spaces” between thoughts.

•Don’t try to make sense of any thoughts.


• Continue to follow your breath or abdominal movements.–Feel the breath going in and out or

the rise and fall of your abdomen–Just follow it ... with choiceless

awareness.


• Stay awake and aware ...–It’s not about the breath or the movement of the abdomen ... but the awareness.


Breathing in and out assists in relieving

tension and calmingthe mind.


A deeply relaxed person breathes about 5-8 times

a minute ....at the very most.


Breathe consciously as you go about your daily life.


Let your breath go slow and deep … into the centre of

your being.

MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS

The greatest discovery of my generation is

that people can alter their lives simply by

altering their attitudes of mind.- William James.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness takes you beyond the limitations of

cognition and the analytical mind ... a bit of a challenge at

firstfor most lawyers!

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness

–does not involve notions of the supernatural ...•that is, the notion that there are higher and lower levels or orders of reality ...

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness–is both natural and transnatural ...

• that is, it “grows out of ordinary nature, but transcends it” (Sir Julian Huxley)

• not contrary to reason or irrational

MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS means ...–being alert, curious,

receptive, choicelessly aware of, and present on purpose with, every thought ...

MINDFULNESS

•with detachment•without judgment, condemnation or evaluation

•without trying to control•without resistance, suppression or sublimation

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness helps you to “untie” one’s thoughts from their emotional content

and emotional reaction ...

MINDFULNESS

… thereby defusing, dissipating and short circuiting the “hot stuff” ... especially “stuff” from the subconscious mind that you would otherwise act upon

MINDFULNESS

• Mindfulness lets you ...– see this “stuff” … from a distance– observe and acknowledge it– let it go … before things spiral out of

control– act, rather than habitually react as if

on “auto pilot”

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness “softens”the mind ...

... more “accepting”

of whatever is … Whatever is, is best!

MINDFULNESS

With the regular practice of mindfulness both the

body and the mind become soft(i.e. relaxed).

MINDFULNESS

• MINDFULNESS, as memory, also involves …–present-centred recollection …

•retropective memory of some past event

•prospective remembering to do something in the future.

MINDFULNESS

• The will acts all the time … shifting from one mental image to another ...–each arising within about

one millionth of a second.

MINDFULNESS

•The mind can only focus on one mental image … at any given point in time.

MINDFULNESS

Stay withwhatever arises …

for as long as it lasts.

MINDFULNESS

Notice what is passing through your mind with choiceless awareness …

by getting up close.

MINDFULNESS

... “Awareness-ing” ... Let your awareness take

note of what’s going on ... in and outside

of your mind.

MINDFULNESS

Rest inchoiceless

awareness ... moment by moment

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is ...•a self-liberating experience

•a way to be free

MINDFULNESS

• Live in the mind’s natural state ... mindfulness!– boundless ... spaceless – “be-ing”– presence of mind

MINDFULNESS

CHOICELESS AWARENESS ...

NOT THE SAME THING AS “THOUGHTLESS AWARENESS”

(cf Sahaja Yoga).

MINDFULNESS

• The aim of Mindfulness ...–NOT to eliminate all thought

–Thinking isn’t the problem.

MINDFULNESS

Endless non-purposeful thinking ... especially of

a negative kind ...is the problem.

MINDFULNESS

BE AWARE OF EVERY THOUGHT.PAY ATTENTION!

MINDFULNESS

Watch and movewith EACH thought ...

moment by moment ... choicelessly

... and purposefully.

MINDFULNESS

• Note what the body is experiencing ... when walking, sitting, reading, driving the car ...–Thinking thoughts–Hearing sounds–Having mental images–Feeling pain or bodily discomfort ...

MINDFULNESS

• MINDFULNESS (sati) literally means “memory” ... Remembering ...–Distraction = forgetting–Remember what is present–Remember to stay present at all times.–Recollect in the present what has

happened before.

MINDFULNESS

• MINDFULNESS is NOT the same thing as “consciousness”– Stream of consciousness– “Trains” of awareness– Distraction = forgetting

MINDFULNESS

How many thoughts go through the human mind per minute?

MINDFULNESS

• What is a “thought”?–no easy answer ...

• Thoughts are ...–abstract–not quantitative, as such.

MINDFULNESS

• The mind is incapable of not thinking ... at least on the subconscious level.

MINDFULNESS

How many thoughts per minute?

The question is considered unanswerable ... at present.

MINDFULNESS

Only observeone object per

moment.

MINDFULNESS

• The brain–can only “think” one thought at

any given moment in time–can only handle one cognitive

function at a time

MINDFULNESS

So-called “multitasking” ... ... nothing other than

“switch-tasking” ... toggling between one task and

another ... each time witha “startup cost”

MINDFULNESS

Multitasking ...• makes us feel efficient• slows down our thinking• erodes our attention• makes us more stressed out,

depressed and less able to connect with others

MINDFULNESS

Be present!Be mindful!

MINDFULNESS

• Realize that your thoughts, feelings and memories are not you.

• You are not your thoughts, feelings or memories.

MINDFULNESS

• Watch your thoughts, feelings and memories flow like the waves of the ocean against the sea shore ...

• They come in ... and they go out.

MINDFULNESS

Witness your thoughts, feelings

and memories flowing away intothe great abyss.

MINDFULNESS

Being “constantly aware” is a manner

of speaking.

MINDFULNESS

It is, of course, impracticable to be constantly aware ...

MINDFULNESS

... that is, turning the attention to what passes in our minds, all of the hours and minutes of

the working day.

MINDFULNESS

• Mindfulness involves …–focused attention on the present…

• energy • enough “effort” to remember to focus

attention• momentary but detached

concentration … each moment … whatever arises

MINDFULNESS

• However, be sensitive to what is discordant or negative ... and clear it out ... indirectly.

MINDFULNESS

–Watch and move with your thoughts ... with detachment, NOT attachment.

MINDFULNESS

- Be psychologically present on purpose (“up close”) with whatever happens in and around you.

MINDFULNESS

•Deliberately keep the mind at the level of bare attention.

MINDFULNESS

•Remain (“be”) in the present on purpose ... at all times ...

MINDFULNESS

-The “here and now” is all that really “is”

-The past and the future “exist” only in one’s imagination

MINDFULNESS

-The only time we ever have is the present moment

-We can only live in and experience the present

MINDFULNESS

• Live and think only in the present …... the ever-present, ever-vanishing

“eternal now”• Live in and inhabit the reality of the

now–without past or future–with choiceless awareness.

MINDFULNESS

•The past is dead•The future is yet to be born

MINDFULNESS

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that’s why they call it the present.” - Eleanor Roosevelt.

MINDFULNESS

–All that we can know is our present thought

–The only thing we have to “heal” or otherwise “deal with” is the present thought

MINDFULNESS

MINDFULNESS HELPS BRING OUR MINDS

TO THE PRESENT MOMENT.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness …–is active, NOT passive–is experiential, NOT intellectual

MINDFULNESS

•Let your awareness be unconnected to theobjects of its attention.

MINDFULNESS

–Do not try to alter your experience or change your thoughts or sensations.

Meditation

What is Meditation?

• The etymological meaning of the word ...–Latin-derived word

• meditatus, past participle of meditari, frequentative of medēri

–related to “middle”, “mediation”, “medical” and “measure”

–also denotes “reflecting”, “pondering” ...

What is Meditation?

• What is Meditation?... “a medicine for the mind which

does its work by measuring out time, when it can reach a median, a point of equilibrium”.- Robert Ellwood, Finding the Quiet Mind (TPH, 1983).

“Types” of Meditation

• There are 3 main “types” or “schools” of Meditation ...

1. Contemplative Meditation. 2. “Letting Go” or

“Surrender” Meditation.3. Mindfulness Meditation.


Contemplative Meditation involves • fixed concentration of

thought and• contemplation on …

some object (mental or physical) … on one point.


• “Letting Go” or “Surrender Meditation” (eg Centering Prayer) involves:

• the emptying of self, and • the opening of one’s mind and heart to “the

Ultimate” (God/the “Self”/the Ground of Being, InterBeing, the Livingness of your life, etc) ... a state beyond thoughts, emotions and words.


Mindfulness Meditation involves a “clarity of mind” in which you become purposefully alert, aware of, present with, and attentive to ...

- your thoughts, feelings, emotions, bodily sensations, etc, and

- your external surroundings.


Mindfulness Meditation is:• NOT absorption, that is, fixed or deep

concentration on one single object• choiceless awareness … a non-

judgmental observation of all things as they are

• living in the present moment

The Nature of Meditation

What it is Not ...

• Meditation is not “mind control” ...

in the sense of • subjugation,• sublimation• suppression


What it is Not ...• Meditation is a form of escape from life• Meditation must be done in some special posture (eg

the “full lotus position”)• Meditation must be done in some special place (eg

mountain top, cave, monastery)• Meditation is a religious ritual or ceremony• Meditation is trance-like state ...

NOT SO!!!

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

•Mindfulness Meditation –a bit of a misnomer–often misunderstood …


Mindfulness Meditation …• is meditation for daily life … • encompasses mindfulness of one’s

• body• feelings • mental states• mental contents… in ALL situations of everyday life

What is Mindfulness Meditation? What it is Not ...

It is not … • fixed or exclusive

concentration of thought• but momentary concentration …

paying attention to whatever arises … a momentary look at the present moment

• contemplation.


• Focused Attention -NOT fixed concentration

• True “control of mind” … –the giving of constant attention.


• Mindfulness Meditation involves the giving of unwavering attention ... – to ALL things in life – NOT merely particular things or

one’s own thoughts.


Mindfulness Meditation is

literally practice ...


... as in you might go to a golf driving range to practise your golf swing

in order toimprove your golf.


• Mindfulness Meditation involves simply observing whatever mental or physical process is predominant within the present moment … – in order to understand the true

nature of it.


What it is Not ...

• It is not a religion or cult or even inherently religious …• Meditation does not

require you to be religious at all.


What it is Not ...• You don’t need to ...

• find a guru• go to the Himalayas or an

ashram or live in a cave• wear coloured robesin order to meditate and

practise Mindfulness.

Meditation

“The only Zenyou find on tops of mountains is

the Zen you bring there.”

-Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

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Meditation

• Contemplation is different from Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation

• Mindfulness Meditation requires a mind completely denuded of all previous ideas and knowledge


• Whatever then “takes place” in the mind is:–NOT from previous thoughts,

feelings or memories–from an inner initiative ... out of

the depths of one’s very being

Meditation ... and Mindfulness

“THE BABY STOPS

CRYING”


• When the mind is ...–no longer speaking–no longer analysing–no longer caught up in the

process of becoming.


LEARN TO BE SILENT

“LET YOUR QUIET MIND LISTEN

AND ABSORB.” - Pythagoras.


“A single-pointed mind isthe fully trained state of

the meditative mind. It serves as the ground for

cultivating wisdom ...”- Geshe Wangchen.


A QUIET MIND

• “Free Quiet”• “Sitting quietly, doing nothing”• “Not doing”

• “Intentional Quiet”• Purposefully, and progressively, going

deeper and deeper, interiorly.


• A state of “bare attention” and “choiceless awareness”

• A near-automatic habit of self-reflection


• A state of freedom from external and internal obsessiveness

• A means of developing and practising midfulness


• Mindfulness Meditation–is NOT just relaxation–is NOT just stress relief

•but it does involve identifying and recognising stress causing factors ►►► stress reduction


• Mindfulness Meditation–is realization of your body and

mind as they appear to you now•the mind is alert, sharp and mindfully aware

•the body is relaxed and not tense or rigid

Meditation ... Do it!

• Meditation is of little value if practised ...–only occasionally–only at a certain specified time

or times of the day–only in a particular posture.

What is Meant by Practising Meditation?

What is meant by “practice” in the context of Mindfulness and Meditation?

“It does not mean a ‘rehearsal’or a perfecting of some skill so that we can put it to use at some other time. In the meditative context practice means ‘being in the present on purpose.’ The means and the end of meditation are

really the same.”- Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Meditation ... an “All-day Affair”

“If the mind is restless twenty-three and a half hours of the day, it cannot be very quiet and peaceful during the remaining half hour.”

- N. Sri Ram, Spiritual Leader.

Meditation ... an “All-day Affair”

• Meditation needs to be applied ...–in every moment, and–in every circumstance ... of

our daily lives

Meditation ... an “All-day Affair”• What is our life?

–We only have “moments”–The future is only a concept–Memories of the past are also only

concepts–We can only live in the present moment–We need to inhabit the now more ... with

awareness

Meditation ... “Effort Defeats Itself”

• Meditation is NOT a question of effort.

• Don’t try to relax! • Don’t try not to think!• Don’t try to think of nothing.


“ONE MUST NEVER

THINK OF THE WHTE MONKEY.”


“Hang out in the space betweenyour thoughts.”

- Alan Cohen.

The “Purposes”of Meditation

The “Purposes” of Meditation

• In a sense there are no “purposes” of meditation.

• Meditation is ...• a “thing-in-itself”• a way of life• a journey in self-discovery• a path of well-being• an enriched, expanded experience of

life, personally and professionally• a means of tapping into “resources” of

power and joy contained in the mind.


“We could say that meditation doesn't have a reason or doesn't have a purpose. In this

respect it's unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and

dancing. When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as

the end of the composition.If that were the purpose of music then

obviously the fastest playerswould be the best. ...

... cont’d

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.timboucher.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/hero-15-alan-watts.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2008/03/31/my-heros-list/&usg=__E7YYLeVH-isZ6qJgBAgzJ-2yRlg=&h=254&w=212&sz=16&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Sv9U25WLSUrD5M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=93&prev=/images?q=%22alan+watts%22&hl=en&rlz=1W1ADFA_en&sa=G&um=1


... Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.” - Alan Watts.

“Techniques” and “Methods”of Meditation

“Techniques” and “Methods”

• As there are no “purposes”, as such, of meditation ... and

•As meditation is a “thing-in-itself”...


... no “techniques” or “methods”, as

such, are required.


THE MASTER’S ADVICE

TO HIS PUPILON THE USE OF

TECHNIQUES AND METHODS


The essence of all meditation practices

is this ... Cling to nothing.


There is a danger in clinging to any one “method” that

has worked for you.Always be prepared to ...

let go.


ARE “TECHNIQUES” AND “METHODS”

MERELY A FORM OF PROGRAMMING OF

ONE PERSON BY ANOTHER?


• “Techniques” and “methods”:–establish stereotypes in the mind–dig grooves (neural pathways) out

of which you may be unable to extricate yourself.

DO NOT GET STUCK ANYWHERE!


•“Techniques” and “methods” are all SECONDARY to the CULTIVATION of a “CLEAR MIND”.


Mindfulness has been described as being ...

“the method ofno-method”.


Mindfulness means just being aware ... just being awake...


... all with an“effortless effort” ... resting

in the momentum ofthe continuity of

the present moment


To have “clarity of mind” you must

develop and exhibit ... calmness of mind

and body.

Mindfulness

SITTING MEDITATION

SITTING MEDITATION

• Sit on a chair or cushion … –straight back … –feet flat on the floor (if seated on a

chair) ... • otherwise, use some other accepted

traditional posture (eg Burmese style, half lotus, full lotus)

SITTING MEDITATION

“Sit straight and be straight in the

practice.”- Zen saying.

SITTING MEDITATION

• Gently hold your hands in your lap ...

• Alternatively, lay your palms up (or down) on your thighs.

• Close your eyes

SITTING MEDITATION

• Take a few moments to settle.

• Resolve to sit still for the entire meditation session.

SITTING MEDITATION

•Feel the ground support your feet and bottom

•Feel totally grounded and supported

SITTING MEDITATION

•Bring your attention to your breathing.

•Take a deep cleansing breath.

SITTING MEDITATION

• Start breathing in an even pattern

• Continue this pattern throughout your meditation.

SITTING MEDITATION

• Let your breath go slow and deep … into the centre of your being

• Be mindful of and follow your breathing, that is, your in-breath and your out-breath ... through the nostrils or mouth, into your lungs ...

SITTING MEDITATION

Alternatively, you may wish to be mindful of and follow

your breathing in the form of the rise/expansion and

fall/contractionof your lower abdomen

SITTING MEDITATION

Either of the above is known as your

“anchor” or “primary object of meditation”

SITTING MEDITATION

Your anchor helps you to remain fixed and

focused in, and to be mindful of, the moment

SITTING MEDITATION

WHY USE AN “ANCHOR”?

Because we can’t focus our mindon every changing moment

without a certain degreeof concentration

to keep pace with the moment.

SITTING MEDITATION

Always be prepared to attend to any “secondary objects of

meditation” (eg thoughts, bodily sensations, pain

sensations) if, and as and when, they arise.

SITTING MEDITATION

• Whenever a thought, feeling, bodily sensation, etc, arises ...–Be aware of it as just a thought,

feeling, etc ... Let it go–Do NOT resist it or try to expel

or drive it away ...

SITTING MEDITATION

•Remember the “law of non-resistance” ...–“Whatever you resist, persists”

SITTING MEDITATION

• Simply observe and notice, with detachment, what your body ... including your mind ... is experiencing

• Label what you’re experiencing if necessary ...

SITTING MEDITATION

• Labelling …–Say, interiorly, the word of

that being experienced–Only label objects or

processes if they are predominant … cont’d

SITTING MEDITATION

• Labelling …

–Use only single words (eg “Hearing”, “Thinking”, “Feeling”, “Throbbing”, “Analyzing”) and keep to a minimum

–Drop the labelling … if you can be aware without thinking, analyzing, judging, comparing, etc

… cont’d

SITTING MEDITATION

• Labelling …• No need to keep labelling until object

disappears … it may not!• Don’t concentrate on the labels

• labels only a means to an end …• i.e., to direct your mind to the present

moment without thinking, analyzing, judging, comparing, etc

SITTING MEDITATION

• Labelling …

–a tool to recognise ONLY the bare fact of the perception of ... • the coming and going ... • the arising and passing away … of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, etc

–NOT a tool to interfere, judge, evaluate, analyze, etc

SITTING MEDITATION

Return as soon as possible to your anchor ... that is, return to following either

your breath or your abdominal movements

SITTING MEDITATION

• Rest in choiceless awareness ... moment by moment ... –Keep your mind at the level of bare

attention ... without judgment, evaluation, self-criticism, condemnation, comparison, etc

–Let it be

SITTING MEDITATION

• Continue as above throughout the period of meditation

• Remain poised and relaxed at all times

SITTING MEDITATION

• Don’t rush off immediately at the end of the meditation session

• Evaluate the experience• Resolve to meditation again ...

soon

“Tips” onSitting Meditation

“Tips” on Sitting Meditation

• Sit down ... comfortably.• Sit still and upright ... spine erect ... head straight.

• Sit relaxed but alert.


Lay your hands in your lap ... palms cupped

upward ... either separately or one

palm resting gentlyon top of the other.


Remember ... you cannot meditate

unless the mind is collected and quiet


• Avoid uncomfortable, unnatural positions

• Don’t submit yourself to physical strain or pain ... or injure your body in any way


• Keep the body still ... but if you need to change your position, do so

• Don’t try too hard ... indeed, don’t try at all.


• Mindfulness is bare knowing ... knowing things as they really are

• Mindfulness is seeing things clearly ... as they really are


•Use “effortless effort”•Observe ... directly, objectively


• Don’t try to meditate or relax.

• Just be ... and be aware.


• Close your eyes lightly.• Turn your mind “inwardly” and

silently.• Commence deep mindful

breathing ... paying attention to your breathing.


•Practise meditation gently ... but steadily.

•Practise the “Law of Indirectness” …


• The LAW OF INDIRECTNESS ...–DON’T resist thoughts and other

distractions–DON’T fight against them–DON’T try to drive them out or away–DON’T dwell upon them …


• The LAW OF INDIRECTNESS (cont’d) ...

–DON’T hang on to them … or even think about them!

–DON’T fuel their story–DON’T judge, analyze, evaluate,

categorize or compare them –DON’T attempt to put them out of your

mind


• The LAW OF INDIRECTNESS (cont’d) ...– LOOK upon your thoughts as if they were on a TV

or movie screen– GENTLY OBSERVE and, if necessary, LABEL your

thoughts ... • Say, simply, “Thinking” or “Feeling”, etc• By so doing, you can untie them from their

emotional content• They will pass and disappear in time

... All things pass


• TURN YOUR MIND INWARDS• OBSERVE the moment• BE with the moment ... be

“embodied” in the moment


• BE PRESENT with all that happens

• STAY with the moment• “REMEMBER” the moment


• Note any thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations

• Pause briefly• Note the “tone” of any noting• Return to observing your breath or

following the rise and fall of your abdomen


• Careful, mindful observation …– Don’t interfere– Don’t “feed” your thoughts,

feelings, mental movies, etc …

IN TIME, THEY WILL … LOSE THEIR POWER!


• Mindfulness Meditation is ...–NOT about stopping the mind–NOT about stopping thoughts

• Mindfulness Meditation is ...–about allowing thoughts to be

present ... • but NOT letting them run you!


Remember ...

WHAT YOU RESIST,

PERSISTS.


• Don’t try to experience “the silence”

• If you do, you only become aware of ...–a past silence ... –a self-projected mental repetition


True silence and quietude occur when the mind is utterly still.

That requires …

“bare attention” and “choiceless awareness”.


True Silence ... Emptiness

“Silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of self.”

- Anthony de Mello.


If the mind wanders,be mindful of the

wandering and your thinking and imagining


• Say inwardly, “Wandering, Wandering” or “Thinking,

Thinking” … until the intrusive thoughts, etc,

disappear.


When thoughts, etc, are too dominant,

intrusive or painful to let go by labelling …


… observe your breathing pattern

or abdominal movements

(“Rising … Falling”).


When the mind wanders, simply

observe itas it is


Expand the feeling of awareness of and around the breath to include a sense of the body as a whole ... “re-

bodying” yourself ...resting in awareness.


Meditate, mindfully,preferably twice daily …for about 15 minutes on

each occasion.


•In addition, at least ONCE per day,

practice “walking meditation”


• Also, practise “continuous mindfulness” all throughout the day.

• Remember to listen to others mindfully ... being in the present on purpose.


Remember ... any activity done

mindfully is a form of meditation.

Mindfulness

Walking Meditation

Walking Meditation

“Walking meditation is an art! You are not going anywhere,

you are walking justfor the sake of walking.”

– Martine Batchelor.

Walking Meditation ... cont’d

• Walking Meditation helps to foster:–calmness–relaxation–awareness ...


... Yes, the “key” is to be aware as

you walk


• Walking meditation–is meditation in action

•using the natural movement of walking to foster mindfulness

–the bare experience of walking


• Walking meditation–can be the preferred form of

Mindfulness Meditation–ordinarily precedes a sitting

meditation … centres the mind


• Walking meditation–similar to normal walking but slower

–deliberate, intentional and mindful


•Walking meditation–not physical exercise–but wakeful presence


• Walking meditation– choose a quiet place … without distractions

• indoors or outdoors• short path ...

– some 3-10 (preferably around 6) metres in length– the path must have a definite “start” and “end”

• flat, even surface ...– backwards and forwards or circular


• Walking meditation– “walking with presence

and mindfulness”– a means to connect mind

and body with the here and now• keeps one centered in

the present moment


• Walking meditation–Begin by standing at the beginning

of your path–Start with a “standing meditation”

(“Standing, standing”)• for a minute or 2 ... watch the breath


• Walking meditation–Focus on your body

• Feel the sensation of your feet “pressing” against the floor/earth

–Feel the whole body standing … and later turning (“Turning, turning”) ... with awareness ...


• Walking meditation–Focus your attention minutely

and purposefully on each action.

–You are not going anywhere ... You are just walking.


In sitting meditationthe focus of attention is

the breath.

In walking meditationthe focus of attention is

the moving body.


Walk barefooted or with socks only … preferably.


• Begin to walk slowly.• Focus on each step.• Feel each step as it comes.• Be fully present with each step.• Notice every sensation of the

walking process.


• Walk “flat-footed”. Place the foot down flat … heal first … toes later.

• “Left, right, left, right …” Steps short … about 15- 20 cm apart.


Maintain correct posture in the standing position.

Walk mindfully … • eyes half-open• looking straight ahead (not around)• pace ... very slow to brisk.


Note (and mentally note or label, at least at the beginning) ...

• the lifting of the heel (“lifting”),• the forward movement (“moving”

or “pushing”), and• the placing of the foot down

(“putting” or “dropping”) …


• Over time, you can build up to noting all 6 component parts of each step ... concurrent with the actual experience of the various movements ...

1. “Raising”2. “Lifting”3. “Pushing”4. “Dropping”5. “Touching”6. “Pressing”


Be aware of the contact between

your foot andthe ground.


Allow some 60% of your “tension” to dissipate through

your feet ...


... with the remaining 40% dissipating in the non-

resistant “zone of airspace” in front of you, into which you

are constantly entering.


• Feel the airspace in front of you as yours to feel, enter and embrace ...–feel its non-resistance,

emptiness and friendliness


• Be gentle with yourself.• Say to yourself, interiorly,

“Be well” ... sending out loving kindness to others and yourself.


Walk through this airspace mindfully but gracefully, effortlessly

and without resistance ... for such is its nature.


OBSERVE the movement of your feet whilst engaged in your walking meditation ... but don’t look at your feet.


• Feel each step mindfully as you lift each foot off the floor/ground.

• Feel the sensations in each foot, ankle, leg, knee, the hips, the back, the neck, the head, the face, etc.


•Look at a place about 2 metres ahead.

•Don’t gaze about here and there.


• Maintain good posture … straight back.

• Hands by side, in pockets or clasped in front or at rear ...– resting easily ... wherever they’re comfortable.

• Breathe normally.


If background thoughts, etc, arise ... simply KEEP

FOCUSED on NOTING your steps.


• Pay no attention to your breath or abdominal movements.

• Be aware of ...–the movements with your mind–the sensations throughout your

body.


• If you become distracted, and focusing on noting your steps doesn’t help ... –STAND for a few moments–WATCH your breathuntil the mind calms.


•Be fully mindful with an alert, relaxed attention to the present moment.


Continue to walk mindfully for 10 to

20 minutes ...or longer.


At end of walk, stand (“standing, standing”) for a short while, observing your

posture and breathing … mindfully and attentively.


After standing mindfully for a few moments,

gently return to your “daily life”.

The Results ofMindfulness and


Mindfulness

NEUROPLASTICITYJust as physical exercise is good for

the body, and can make positive changes to the body ...

so MEDITATION and MINDFULNESS can make positive neuro-physio-

psychological changes to the mind

Mindfulness

Mindfulness makes us more aware of ...

- our thoughts, feelings, emotions and bodily sensations

- our external surroundings ...

Mindfulness

... As a result, we develop a heightened sense of sensitivity ... and begin

to perceive things differently …

Mindfulness

We then perceive each moment

as it actually is.

Mindfulness

We come toaccept

what cannotbe changed

Mindfulness

We are empowered to change what can

be changed ... HOW?

Mindfulness

• HOW? ... “Just do it!” ...–OBSERVE ... BE AWARE ... with DETACHMENT

–ACKNOWLEDGE–RELEASE ... LET GO

Mindfulness

Before we can “let go” we must first “let be”.

Mindfulness

We become more able to accept stress, pain and other

difficultiesthan before ...

without resistanceor avoidance.

Mindfulness

• Don’t focus on the past.• Don’t analyse the past.• Don’t attempt to change other people.• Focus your attention on your own

inner states, thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations ... non-judgmentally.


Most importantly ...

Always meditate with complete

attention

The Benefits ofMindfulness Meditation

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

• Mindfulness meditation produces psycho-

physical changes in the body and the mind ...

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Changes in the Body include ...

– reduced heart rate and blood pressure– increased cardiovascular efficiency– reduced cholesterol– reduced muscle tension– improved gastrointestinal functioning– reduced sensitivity to pain– improved circulation of blood and lymph– enhanced immune system– improved posture, overall relaxation of the

body and sleep.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Changes in the Mind include ...

– increased cortical thickness ... in the grey matter of the brain

– a calmer, more patient, stable and steady mind

– overall relaxation of the mind and feeling of wellbeing

– improved ability to cope with and release stress

– enhanced cognitive functioning and performance.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Changes in the Mind also include

– improved concentration and attention to detail, faster sensory processing, increased capacity for focus, memory, learning and consciousness, openness to new ideas

– greater responsiveness in the moment

– reduced mental distractiveness– increased verbal creativity and

greater attention to detail– delayed ageing of the brain.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation• Mindfulness meditation as a

way of being also ...– fosters ethical behaviour

and empathy toward others– improves skills in mediation

and negotiation– enhances self-esteem– leads to greater work

satisfaction.


PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (“PNI”)

The study of the complexfunctional relationships

between the nervous system,the neuroendocrine system,

and the immune system.



Our thoughts, emotions and beliefs govern our susceptibility

to illnesses of various kinds.



Altering our mentaland emotional state

can boost our immune system ... and thus our overall

health and wellbeing.



Mindfulness Meditation is “medicine for the mind” which

deals effectively withnegative thoughts and emotions, pain, suffering and stress ... and

thus “dis-ease”.


• THIS IS NOT MERE OPINION ... • IT IS MEDICAL FACT!! ... attested to by ...

– INNUMERABLE NEUROSCIENTIFIC FINDINGS ... reported in REPUTABLE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ARTICLES ...

– NUMEROUS SCHOLARLY LAW JOURNAL ARTICLES on the beneficial results of MINDFULNESS IN LEGAL PRACTICE.


• ALL of this is GOOD for:– the individual lawyer ...

personally and professionally

– the law firm as a whole– clients of the firm– the local community

and the wider public– the world at large.


ALL of this is … DIRECTLY AND FULLY RELATED

TO THE PRACTICEOF LAW.

Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality


• Breathe consciously … slowly … and deeply as you go about your daily life.

• Observe everything inside and outside of you.


• Feel the “life” all around you.

• Be fully present ... here and now ... in the present moment.

Continuous Mindfulnessand Awareness of Reality ... cont’d

• Disidentify with:• the ego-self• the various “me’s” within your

mind ... your “mental noise” and chatter.


• Watch ... almost with disinterest • as if it were happening to

someone else ... • with no comment, judgment or

attempt to change anything.


• Note the presence of any unhealthy, painful thoughts or emotions …–Don’t suppress or deny them

• Step back with dissociation from the “activating event” ...–“See” and feel the emotion instead

• Practise willingness … and acceptance.


Observe ...and be constantly aware

... only to understand.

AWARENESSis INSIGHT

Listening to Clients Mindfully


• Mindfulness has been shown to assist lawyers to provide a better service that:–suits their clients’ needs–delivers desired outcomes.


• Lawyers are notoriously bad listeners!!!

• Watch yourself carefully.

• Listen attentively at all times.

Listening to Clients Mindfully ... cont’d

• Be mindful of what is being said• “Am I fully aware of what is

being said?”• Don’t simply identify with what

is being said.

Listening to Clients Mindfully ... cont’d

• If negative thoughts or emotions arise:–Don’t identify with them–Ask yourself ...

“What is happening here? What brought this on?”

–Don’t judge or condemn yourself.–Simply observe, note ... and understand.

Mindfulness of Sensations

Mindfulness of Sensations

• Sit comfortably in a meditation posture.• Observe and follow the breath ...

mindfully.• Bring the attention back to the breath

each time the mind wanders.• Continue this for about 5-10 minutes.

Mindfulness of Sensations ... cont’d

• Now, start “scanning” your body and its sensations– Scan from the top of your head, to your neck,

shoulders, chest, arms, etc, ... to your feet– Observe all sensations ... as they arise and

pass ... WITHOUT judging them– If the mind wanders, return your attention to

the last part of the body in which you remember observing sensations

Mindfulness of Sensations ... cont’d

• The regular practice of this method of mindfulness meditation helps you develop emotional equanimity ...• You cease to judge sensations• You learn to accept discomfort ... knowing that,

like all things, it will pass• You learn that pain may be inevitable, but

suffering is optional• Suffering comes from one’s reaction to sensations

Mindfulnessfor Pain Management

Mindfulness for Pain Management

“Awarenessin itself is healing.”

- Fritz Pearls.

Mindfulness for Pain Management

Your emotional and mental state can – and

will – affect your experience of

pain sensation.

Mindfulness for Pain Management ... cont’d

Mindfulness and Meditation have been proven to assist in the management of both

acuteand chronic

pain conditions.


• Nerve fibres all through your body are constantly monitoring, and reporting back to the brain, on pain ...... whether or not you

are even aware of the pain.


Exercise Let yourself become aware of some pain in your body or brain

... of which you were not otherwise aware ...

e.g. pain sensation in bottom when sitting on your chair,

or itch sensation from socksor underwear.


Ordinarily, we pay no attention to pain or discomfort

sensations ... because most of the messages from the nerve

fibres are at asubconscious level.


If you experience painful bodily sensations during an ordinary

mindfulness meditation session,deal with them as you would with

any other secondary object of meditation (eg thoughts, feelings)

... as and when they arise.


However, what can we do when

the pain sensations are more severe ...

and occurat any time? ...


• Sit or lie in a comfortable position.• Close your eyes … gently.• Turn your mind “inwardly” and

silently.• Commence mindful breathing or

following the “rising-falling” abdominal movements.


• Go to the point of pain (eg neck, shoulders) ...–say interiorly “stiffening,

stiffening”, “throbbing”, etc, ... as opposed to just “pain”


• Observe the actual sensation of pain. • Stay with the sensation of pain …

– with full attention (as a “secondary object of meditation”) until:• the pain disappears, subsides or lessens in

intensity• the sensation changes from moment to

moment ...


Return to your “anchor” (“primary object of

meditation”)as soon as possible.


If the sensation of pain becomes too

severe ...change your

position(e.g. stand if necessary) ...


If you decide to change your position …

• Observe the sensation of pain for a few moments.

• Note your desire to be free of the pain.


If you decide to change your position … cont’d

• Try to let go of that desire ... –Wait, if possible, until your

mind is no longer struggling against the sensation of pain ... before proceeding any further.



• Say the mental note “intending to move”.• Slowly move the body into the new position,

noting “moving”. – Break the entire action into several

separate movements.– Stop for a moment between each

movement.



Resume following your breath or watching the rise and fall of your abdomen.


• Stay in the present moment as much as you can.

• If the mind wanders off, gently bring it back to the present.


• Investigate the process of the “pain” ... a mass of sensations ... not a “thing-in-itself”.

• Discern between "pain" and "suffering”.


• Stop identifying yourself (the “I” of you) with each bodily or mental symptom or sensation.

• Do not say, “I have a headache” or “I have a sore arm”.


• Instead, say, “The body is headaching”, “The arm is throbbing”, etc.

• The headache or pain is an unfolding “process” ... that is

not “yours”– This process is simply something you

are presently experiencing …


•Experience the pain as actual, felt experience

•Don’t analyse or think about the pain.


• Simply observe ... with choiceless awareness.

• Stay in the present on purpose.


• Notice how the pain is always changing from one sensation to another ... ... no matter how “real” and

“solid” it may feel.

• Move towards the pain.


• Use “soft focus”.... “Soften” any resistance you feel towards the sensation of pain.


• Don’t try to ignore the pain or push it away ... –The pain will simply

“scream louder”. • “What you resist,

persists”.• Use Mindfulness

Breathing.


If the pain sensations become all too severe,

practiseWalking Meditation

instead.

http://www.qualitynaturalmedicine.com/img/pain.jpg


If symptoms persist kill see

your health care professional!


• Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD• founding Executive Director, Center

for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society, University of Massachusetts Medical School

• author of numerous scientific papers on the clinical applications of Mindfulness in medicine and health care, and numerous books including …


– Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (Delta, 1991)

– Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994)

– Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2005)

– Arriving at Your Own Door: 108 Lessons in Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2007).

• co-author ...– with wife Myla, of Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work

of Mindful Parenting (Hyperion, 1997)– with Williams, Teasdale, and Segal, of The Mindful Way

Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (Guilford, 2007).

Mindfulness,Laughter and Humour

Mindfulness, Laughter and Humour

• Laughter is good for your health ...– relaxes the whole body– boosts the immune system– triggers the release of endorphins– protects the heart– helps you breathe easier– increases mental alertness– eases anxiety and fear– is a powerful antidote for anger and other

negative emotions.

Mindfulness, Laughter and Humour

• It takes 15 facial muscles to laugh ... but twice that many to frown.

• Mindfully smile ... and laugh … and let go!

• Don’t take yourself too seriously ... – All things pass ...– Think of the Laughing (Happy)

Buddha ... a symbol of a certain state of mind

AN EVENING MEDITATION

A SUGGESTED EVENING MEDITATIONFOR SELF-QUESTIOING AND SELF-REFLECTION

1. In what have I failed?

2. What good have I done?

3. What have I not done that I ought to have done?

- As practised by the Ancient Pythagoreans.

MINDFULNESS


“BE STILL AND KNOW…”

THANK YOU


ANY QUESTIONS?

Education

MINDFULNESS FOR LAWYERS