Blog - Page 3 of 4 - Wellness Through Mindfulness

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION?

admin blog October 2, 2017October 2, 2017 0 Comment

Mindfulness is mainstream now. It is on the cover of Time magazine and Scientific American. If it is on those journals it must be good. It is reassuring to know that there is scientific evidence to support the value of meditation. Some of the proven benefits of meditation are stress reduction, decreases depression relapses, helps sleep disorders, better coping with cancer, decreases hypertension, helps the irritable bowel syndrome, improves psoriasis, helps cope with pain and promotes loving kindness and compassion.
– Phil Blustein

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is a unique way of how one relates to each moment. Normally we operate like robots controlled by unconscious habitual patterns. These come predominantly from conditioning from our parents and society. We want to feel loved and safe. We primarily function from the drive to grab onto something that we want or push away what we don’t like. Mindfulness cultivates being present in each moment with awareness, acceptance, non-clinging and non-attachment.

Attitude

admin blog September 26, 2017September 26, 2017mindful blog, mindfulness meditation 0 Comment

We are always trying so hard to get it right! We start off meditating with a goal in mind. I am going to maintain a fixed concentration on the breath. I am going to get this right! I will develop a constant awareness of the breath that will never waver. There is such striving in our practice. Meditation is all about making an effort without striving for an outcome. One is just trying to bring awareness to the present moment in a concentrated fashion. It is about ALLOWING what will happen to unfold as a consequence of your practice without expectation of outcome.
– Phil Blustein

WHY IS THE BREATH SUCH A GOOD OBJECT TO LEARN MINDFULNESS?

admin blog September 19, 2017September 15, 2017breathing, mindfulness meditation 0 Comment

The breath is a great object to start to establish mindfulness. No one breath is the same as another breath. Every inhalation and exhalation comes to an end. We don’t tend to personalize a breath and call it our own. In examining the breath we are able to see the true nature of reality. It is always changing and impermanent. Can we also develop the same self-less awareness of the breath for every other object?

– Phil Blustein

WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF MEDITATION?

admin blog September 15, 2017September 15, 2017 0 Comment

There is no best type of meditation. A form of meditation may resonate better with you than another one.

Individual choice is important. Starting off with focused awareness theoretically may be the best way to start as it is an initial way to create stability of the mind. The breath is always available to focus on. In open monitoring the multiple changing objects may be difficult initially to bring awareness and concentration to. For some individuals it may be better to start with focused awareness and create some stability of the mind. Then shift to open monitoring.

– Phil Blustein