Mindfulness Practices for Beginners

Although mindfulness meditation is all the rage these days, most of us have little time for formal practice.

Studies have found mindfulness meditation has many benefits.

• Reducing Depression
• Reducing Pain
• Increasing Creativity
• Accelerating Cognition
• Settling the Mind

Mindfulness meditation doesn't have to be a chore in itself. There are quick and easy ways to add a little mindfulness into your busy everyday life.

1. Walking Meditation - Easiest and best done somewhere with few distractions, but you can try this one anywhere you will be walking for as little as ten to fifteen minutes. As with most forms of mindfulness, it's about focusing your attention. Start with how your feet feel touching the ground with each step, then you can begin focusing on your breath or maybe move your attention around to each part of your body. The key is to develop a relaxed state of attention. When your mind wanders bring it back without judging yourself.
2. Eating Meditation - Practice a little mindfulness meditation while you eat. When you take that first bite, really notice how it tastes. Take notice of how it smells or maybe the textures in your mouth. You don't want to do this the entire meal. But as a tool to focus your attention on the present moment.
3. Small Break - Turn away from the computer, tablet, or smartphone. Just sit for a while noticing the sensations in your mind and body. How do you feel? What can you hear? Just being present in the moment. Let wandering thoughts go, and bring your focus back to the present. Just be.
4. Mindful Listening - We get used to all of the commotion of life that we have a tendency to tune out things in our surroundings. ie; If you live in a city, there might be sirens, trains, and the hustle and bustle of people.  In the country, trees sway about, or maybe birds sing. What can you hear right now? As an exercise, you can put on some music, try to not let your mind wander. It may remind you of something or someone, bringing your mind back to the music. Try not to focus on the lyrics just take notice of the flow of the music.  
5. The Small Things - Even small things we do on a daily basis can become an opportunity to experience this moment. Brushing your teeth, your mind may be thinking of a thousand other things. Instead, try to focus on the task at hand. Take notice of the taste of the toothpaste, and how the bristles feel on your teeth. Showering or bathing is yet another opportunity to focus your mind on your senses instead of worries and useless thoughts.
6. The Breath - One of the most well-known techniques to focus on the moment is paying attention to your breath. Simply experiencing your breath in and out, it's like push-ups for your mind.

Hopefully, these exercises will help you develop a mindfulness practice. By no means is this list all there is.  

A quote from mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn,

"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally."

So don't feel limited to these exercises. Feel free to mix and match, explore the internet, and find the ones that fit you and your life the best.

Almost any activity can be incorporated into your mindfulness practice, and "Practice Makes Perfect."

Your-Thoughts-In-Your-Past-Manifest-Your-Future

10 Guidelines for Meditation Success

10 Guidelines for Meditation Success 

Meditation and mindfulness have been growing in popularity. Even mainstream medicine is touting the virtues of meditation. Meditation is a skill that can be learned by anyone. However, learning a new skill is challenging. Try these helpful tips for greater success in your meditation.

Mindfulness for Parents

A Parents Practical Guidelines for a Mindfulness Practice

Setup Your practice in Plain Sight. If using a meditation cushion, place it in a place in your home where it will be noticed everyday. For example your bedroom floor, as you pass by let it invite you to practice meditation daily. Just five minutes a day could turn your life around.

Live by Routine. Develop a routine for bedtimes, plan meals ahead. A predictable flow of a healthy and secure life will help everyone relax.

Turn Off Distractions. Control TV and computer usage, it will reduce distraction and stimulation. It begins with you the parent.

More Attention. Devote at least one hour a day to giving your undivided attention to your children. Not with your agenda in mind but according to their terms. This is the ultimate expression of love you can give.

Take a Break before you do. Find quiet time for your self. Maybe a walk around the block or a spot in the garden. 

Restore Household Harmony. Be the first to apologize. Your children learn from your actions.

Watch Their Lives Unfold. Refrain from making judgments and coming to rash conclusions about your children. Watch their lives unfold, let them surprise you. You have the best seat in the house.  

Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners

With this Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners, I'm supposed to learn the best Buddhist meditation techniques for quieting my mind, cultivating inner peace, and achieving sustained happiness.

The key to being successful with this meditation plan for beginners is to commit to it. . I need to try and do at least one of the exercises each day. In this set meditation training plan, it is suggested when to do each technique, but feel free to meditate according to your own plan. What matters with meditation is simply that you do it! So let’s get started.

A Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners: Step 1

The first step in our meditation plan for beginners is simply to acquaint yourself with the different types of techniques. Of course before starting something we need to learn a little or as much as we feel comfortable about it. Reading about some of the techniques that we have previously written about here or elsewhere, in books or watching videos on Youtube.com would be a great start. At the same time, it is important not just to read or watch videos but to also practice the techniques. Your meditation training should be broken down into 90% practice with a 10% theory.

To begin with, acquaint yourself with the following meditation techniques.

In a moment we will look at how to use these techniques for beginners in an ideal meditation plan. First, however, it is important to learn about the techniques themselves. Read through these descriptions and click the link for more detailed information on each technique.

Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners #1: Breathing: The absolute best technique for beginners is a simple breathing meditation. With this technique, you will learn to focus your mind on your breathing. This will teach you the basic process of meditation and is the entry point for more advanced techniques. Learn Breathing Techniques Here.

Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners #2 Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a simple practice that gets you to focus your mind on the present moment. This is important for many different reasons. It is an excellent way of removing stress and learning to relax, but it also makes you more effective at what you are doing because you will learn to focus your mind on your actions. Learn Mindfulness HERE.

Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners #3 Zen Walking:   With Zen Walking you will focus your mind on the process of walking. This is very important for many reasons. To begin with, you will heighten your mind/body connection. This helps to focus your mind on your actions and also makes you more aware of your body. Zen Walking is also a good form of gentle exercise and is one of the most relaxing meditation techniques in the world. Learn Zen Walking HERE.

Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners #4 Vipassana: 

 Vipassana is a specific type of meditation in which we cultivate mindfulness of thoughts. Essentially, with Vipassana meditation we learn to recognize when we are experiencing thoughts, we then learn to see a thought as only a thought and nothing more. This is very important for quieting the mind. Once we become more aware of our thoughts we are able to silence them. Most people think mindlessly. They simply think about things over and over without awareness of the fact that they are thinking and that their thoughts are interfering with the mind. When we practice Vipassana meditation we learn to recognize thoughts, which in turn gives us control over our thoughts and finally allows us to quiet the mind. A very impressive website to learn  Vipassana meditation. But if you are looking for a simpler explanation here you go click here.

 

Buddhist Meditation Techniques for Beginners Step 2:

Now that we are familiar with the different types of Buddhist techniques it is time to put that knowledge into practice by adopting a training plan. Here is the plan that's recommended.

WEEK 1: The most important thing in your first week is simply to commit to practice. In week 1 you want to do only the simplest techniques, which is a breathing meditation. Take twenty minutes each day to sit and focus your mind on your breathing. This will quiet your mind and enhance your focus. Choose a time each day where you can focus on your breath for twenty minutes. Do not focus on results during this time, simply aim to do twenty minutes of breathing meditation each day.

WEEK 2: In week 2 you will want to continue your breathing practice, continuing your commitment to those twenty minutes a day. We now want to advance our progress a little too, though, which is why we will now introduce Zen Walking. In Zen walking, we usually walk on a short and straight path. However, this demands that we put aside another 20 minutes to practice. Many people simply don’t have the time. For this reason, It's recommended practicing Zen walking while on your way somewhere. If you are going to work, for instance, choose a safe path to walk and leave a little earlier than usual. This will give you the time to practice zen walking while you are on your way to work (which saves time compared to having a dedicated schedule for this practice). You may practice Zen walking whenever you are on a safe path, so the next time you are walking somewhere, go a safe route, and while you walk.

WEEK 3: In week 3 we want to begin to use meditation in our everyday living. For this we use mindfulness. It is possible to practice mindfulness meditation while doing anything. Say, for instance, that you are doing the dishes. You can meditate on the process of cleaning, thus practicing while you work. You can equally practice while exercising while showering, and while doing other simple tasks. By practicing mindfulness meditation while you work you are learning to adopt a meditative style of living, rather than simply practicing at specific times.

WEEK 4: In this final week I recommend adding Vipassana to your current meditation training schedule. For this, you will need another time slot of twenty minutes each day to sit and observe your mind. I have added two resources for you to "click" on in the article on Vipassana Meditation. I really do recommend a more detailed website. It has an enormous amount of detailed information that is very useful in this meditation practice.

So there it is the complete schedule for “A Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners”

What I ended up with in week 4 is a complete training plan that looks like this:
Breathing Meditation: Practice 20 minutes of mindful breathing per day
Mindfulness: While doing any simple tasks, do them mindfully
Walking: While en route somewhere, take the safe path and practice Zen Walking
Insight Meditation: Include a second 20 minute period per day when you will practice Vipassana Meditation (Insight Meditation).

The complete Buddhist Meditation Plan for Beginners. With this meditation plan for beginners, I hope to find inner peace and sustained happiness.

Delusions and Illusions

Delusions and Illusions........

Simple things and how they can effect our practice even as a Solitary Buddhist.

       Candles, ooooohhhh...... How a dimly lit room can effect ones mind and imagination. Helping to create a wonderful environment to try and control the Illusions and Delusions controlled by our ego  and out of control minds.

       The permeating smells and smoke of Incense,  

Ringing of The Bell

Buddhist Prayer Flags not everyone goes to this extreme of course as a Solitary Buddhist especially, But

Reciting The Precepts

What or How do you bring yourself to the illusion of bliss?

5 Hindrances To Buddhist Practice

5 Things That Hinder Buddhist Practice and The Antidotes....

In Buddhism, there are five things that hinder our practice and make us more prone to unskilful or unwholesome behaviour.

These 5 hindrances are desire, aversion, sloth, restlessness and doubt

For each of these there are some simple antidotes that are suggested to counter their strength and effects.

Hindrance: Desire/Attraction

is the desire for anything that touches one of our six sense doors (sight, smell, touch, taste, feeling, thought). It usually involves desiring a pleasant experience. It may be food, sleep, a thought, sex, etc. Desire is one of the chief causes of suffering, and is an ever-pervasive hindrance in many people’s practice. It blocks mindfulness as we get carried away by our craving, and creates dukkha in our lives and practice.

Antidotes:

As with all of the hindrances, the Buddha suggested that we know when it is present and know when it is not. We are also to know how it arises, how it ceases, and how to keep it from arising in the future. This goes for all of the hindrances, as the Buddha mentions in the Satipatthana Sutta.

With sensual desire, there are a few other antidotes. First, we can guard the sense doors. This means we don’t go out chasing thoughts, sounds, feelings, etc. Let what comes to you come, but don’t reach out for other experiences. Second, we can do contemplations on death and the repulsiveness of the body. These are mindfulness practices that help us disenchant ourselves with the body, and also may be found in the Satipatthana Sutta.

Finally, practice concentration. Strange to think that concentration can serve as an antidote to something that impeded concentration, but it is true. Through practicing concentration, we focus the mind mind more clearly on one object and the mind doesn’t wander as much.

Hindrance: Aversion/ill-will

The second hindrance, ill-will, is also one of the chief causes of suffering in our lives. It’s a quality of aversiveness, or pushing experience away. Ill-will most often arises in response to unpleasant thoughts or sensations. When something arises that we find unpleasant, the mind responds by trying to distance it from us. This is a major cause of dukkha in our lives, and we should work to bring awareness to this process.

Antidote:

Bringing awareness to it when it arises is really the most important tool we have. You don’t need to suddenly love the unpleasant experiences, but learn to watch for ill-will arising. It’s often such a quick reaction that we don’t even notice it happening. Continue to watch the process unfold.

A great antidote to ill-will is metta or loving-kindness practice. In metta practice, we bring a gentle friendliness to our experience. It helps us with ill-will toward others, ourselves, events, thoughts, and anything toward which we apply it. Loving-kindness really is the most commonly used antidote to ill-will, but you may also reflect on the kamma being created by anger, hatred, etc. What does being angry do to you?

Hindrance: Sloth/Torpor/Dullness

The third hindrance is commonly translated as sloth and torpor. This comes in the form of a drowsiness or dullness in our practice. It may be the result of a lack of sleep, overeating, an uninterested mind, aversiveness, or many other causes. Sleepiness is something many meditators are faced with, especially on retreat. It may be one of the easier hindrances to notice in our practice, yet we struggle with it greatly. Sloth and torpor may be in the mind or in the body, giving the sense of a tired and lazy body or a dull mind.

Antidotes:

The Buddha also gave a few suggestions for moments of sloth and torpor during practice: open your eyes, look toward the light, stand up, or tug on your earlobes. There are people standing during meditation at every retreat I’ve been on. It is a great way to keep the mind alert. The Buddha even recommended standing meditation as a form of practice in the Satipatthana Sutta. You may also switch to a walking meditation practice. Be aware of what leads to this hindrance. Overeating is a common cause of sleepiness, as is over or undersleeping. You may also try bringing some joy and energy into your practice. Many people find it helpful to switch to a mudita practice when experiencing this hindrance.

Hindrance: Restlessness and Worry

The fourth hindrance is restlessness and worry. This is the quality of anxiety, monkey mind, or too much misplaced energy. We may feel the restlessness in the body, often in the chest or limbs. The mental part shows up often as a tense mind,  a rapidly firing mind, or a mind preoccupied with the future. Restlessness and worry prevent the mind and body from settling, and often involves giving unwise attention to thoughts.

Antidotes:

The antidotes offered in the suttas to this hindrance are quite varied. It’s suggested to spend time with who posses dignity, practice concentration, and develop tranquility. Equanimity practice is often helpful to develop this tranquil, concentrated state and no longer succumb to the thinking mind. You may also try walking meditation, this releases some of the extra energy in a skillful way.

Hindrance: Doubt

The fifth hindrance is the hindrance of doubt. Doubt may come up in many different ways. We may doubt the teachings, if we’re practicing correctly, our teachers, or the experience we’re having. It may arise with a disguise that seduces us into believing our thoughts. When the mind is trying to figure out some aspect of our practice, doubt is often present. This is a dangerous hindrance because if unnoticed, it may pull us away from our practice completely.

Antidotes:

The antidote to doubt is simply to notice it, as with the other hindrances. This breaks it down. We also may cultivate faith or conviction, reflecting on the benefits of practice in ourselves or others around us. Generally with doubt, the most effective thing we can do is just to bring awareness to its arising. When you are caught in thoughts of trying to figure something out or reason with yourself, check if doubt is present. Ask yourself – is it wholesome or unwholesome to be having this doubt? Confirm faith in your practice by having direct experiences that validate the benefits.

This article is merely an overview of the five hindrances and some antidotes. As always I hope this benefits you in someway in your practice.

Related articles

• Buddhist Writing Prompt: Your true Self has the answer
• Stay well, take care of yourself
• 5 Obstacles in Meditation. ~ Seth Segall
• The Five Hindrances of Mind

Everyone You Meet Could Be Your Teacher

Everyone you meet could be your teacher or "Guru". Everyone has their place in this world whether we like them or not. We all belong here and now. Buddhism is all about becoming aware and waking up. Become aware of what life is teaching you.

Awaken to Your Life

I'll go over some "real" life examples for you;    

• Your boss who treats you terribly everyday at work, he is part of your Sangha.... He is teaching you Tolerance.
• The elderly store clerk, you know the one who takes an hour to ring up one customer.... That clerk is a teacher of Patience.  
• Every town has them no matter how hard many people try to pretend they are not there, the beggars that harass everyone passing by for a dime....You guessed it, hello my "Guru" thank you for the lessons in Humility, and Generosity.
•  Ladies I hope you forgive me for this one, but the husband who leaves the toilet seat up. Well please understand he is accidently teaching Tolerance. I know some of you ladies are thinking why can't men just become more AWARE right. LOL.
• Your server in your local restaurant who never gets your order right......Acceptance.
• The neighborhood old lady who has nothing, never complains, is always cheerful, and wanting to feed you. She has two lessons for you.....Selflessness and Gratitude.

This is your life, the world is your "Sangha", and everyone is your teacher. You only have to be aware. I hate to disappoint but there is no great, hidden answer to life's troubles. Instead learn to see the things you have already available to you, Before thinking about all the things you want. Remove the blindfold from your eyes to reveal this life and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Be Alive, Be Aware. 

Your World is Waiting For You

Mindfulness....What, Why, How Part 2

Part 2 of 3

Why Practice It?

Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits. Here are some of these benefits, which extend across many different settings.

• Mindfulness is good for our bodies: A seminal study found that, after just eight weeks of training, practicing mindfulness meditation boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness. Practicing mindfulness may also improve sleep quality.
• Mindfulness is good for our minds: Several studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. Indeed, at least one study suggests it may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depressionand preventing relapse.
• Mindfulness changes our brains: Research has found that it increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
• Mindfulness helps us focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps us tune out distractions and improves our memory, attention skills, and decision-making.
• Mindfulness fosters compassion and altruism: Research suggests mindfulness training makes us more likely to help someone in need and increases activity in neural networks involved in understanding the suffering of others and regulating emotions. Evidence suggests it might boost self-compassion as well.
• Mindfulness enhances relationships: Research suggests mindfulness training makes couples more satisfied with their relationship, makes each partner feel more optimistic and relaxed, and makes them feel more accepting of and closer to one another. Mindful couples may also recover more quickly from conflict.
• Mindfulness affects the way we see ourselves: More mindful people have a stronger sense of self and seem to act more in line with their values. They may also have a healthier body image, more secure self-esteem, and more resilience to negative feedback.
• Mindfulness makes us more resilient: Some evidence suggests that mindfulness training could help veterans facing post-traumatic stress disorder, police officers, women who suffered child abuse, and caregivers.
• Mindfulness can help combat bias: Even a brief mindfulness training can reduce our implicit biases and the biased language we use. One way this works, researchers have found, is by attenuating the cognitive biases that contribute to prejudice.
• Mindfulness is good for business: Mindfulness training could help make leaders more confident, improve creativity, reduce multitasking, and improve client satisfaction.
• Mindfulness is good for parents and parents-to-be: Studies suggest it may reduce pregnancy-related anxiety, stress, and depression in expectant parents, and may even reduce the risk of premature births and developmental issues. Parents who practice mindful parenting report less stress, more positive parenting practices, and better relationships with their kids; their kids, in turn, are less susceptible to depression and anxiety, and have better social skills. Mindfulness training for families may lead to less-stressed parents who pay more attention to their kids.
• Mindfulness may be beneficial to teens: Practicing mindfulness can help teens reduce stress and depression and increase their self-compassion and happiness. Once teens arrive at college, it could also reduce their binge drinking.
• Mindfulness helps schools: There’s scientific evidence that teaching mindfulness in the classroom reduces behavior problems, aggression, and depression among students, and improves their happiness levels, self-regulation, and ability to pay attention. Teachers trained in mindfulness also show lower blood pressure, less negative emotion and symptoms of depression, less distress and urgency, greater compassion and empathy, and more effective teaching.
• Mindfulness helps health care professionals cope with stress, connect with their patients, and improve their general quality of life. It also helps mental health professionals by reducing negative emotions and anxiety, and increasing their positive emotions and feelings of self-compassion.
• Mindfulness helps prisons: Evidence suggests mindfulness reduces anger, hostility, and mood disturbances among prisoners by increasing their awareness of their thoughts and emotions, helping with their rehabilitation and reintegration.
• Mindfulness helps veterans: Studies suggest it can reduce the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of war.
• Mindfulness fights obesity: Practicing “mindful eating” encourages healthier eating habits, helps people lose weight, and helps them savor the food they do eat. Pregnant women who practice mindful eating gain less weight during pregnancy, and have healthier babies.

Click Here for part 3 of 3

Mindfulness....What, Why, How Part 1

What Is Mindfulness?     

Part 1 of 3

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than reliving the past or imagining the future.

Though it has its roots in Buddhist meditation, a secular practice of mindfulness is in the American mainstream in recent years, in part through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which he launched at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979. Since that time, thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general and MBSR in particular, inspiring countless programs to adapt the MBSR model for schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans centers, and many more.

What We Still Don’t Know about Mindfulness Meditation

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During the past three decades, a lot has been discovered about mindfulness—and specifically meditation, which is one of the best ways to cultivate moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment. 

Research has suggested that in a few short weeks, mindfulness meditation practice can bring about physiological, psychological, and social benefits in our lives. From increases in gray matter in the brain to alleviating physical ailments such as migraines and fibromyalgia, the benefits of mindfulness and meditation practice more generally have been touted for everyone ranging from executives to schoolchildren.

While some have been critical of the science behind mindfulness meditation due to poor study designs and small effect sizes, this hasn’t curbed mainstream interest. A recently published study sought to examine the print media coverage of meditation between 1979 and 2014 and discovered that there’s a near inescapable global amount of positive coverage of meditation.

With so many positive claims about mindfulness meditation, it can be difficult to decipher which claims have the most research behind them and which are still preliminary or speculative. In fact, there is a great deal we don’t yet understand about mindfulness and meditation. 

What are the actual benefits of mindfulness meditation?

Just recently, I’ve seen headlines promoting how mindfulness and meditation practices may “decrease your risk of cancer,” “reduce holiday excess,” and help athletes rise to the top. Are these claims true?

A recent analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine caused a bit of a stir in the meditation community. This analysis examined 47 randomized controlled trials of mindfulness meditation programs, which included a total of 3,515 participants. They found that meditation programs resulted only in small to moderate reductions in anxiety, depression, and pain. The authors note that although these effects are small, they are “comparable with what would be expected from the use of an antidepressant in a primary care population but without the associated toxicities.”

Surprisingly, this review showed low evidence of improvements in quality of life. Furthermore, there was also low, insufficient, or no evidence of meditation programs’ effect on positive mood and feelings. According to the authors, meditation programs were not shown to be more beneficial than active treatments—such as exercise, therapy, or taking prescription drugs—on any outcomes of interest. But, Meditation did not seem to be harmful.

While it’s possible that the benefits of mindfulness practice and meditation generally may be more modest than originally assumed, several important barriers to the study of contemplative practices influence the quality of research being conducted. Most notable are the lack of funding (which influences number of participants, study length, and design) and poor measurement tools (which have been limited primarily to questionnaires of varying quality, an issue also likely tied to the lack of funding). While private and federal research grants are indeed awarded to the study of contemplative practices, these grants are typically much smaller than those awarded to more traditional research (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy or pharmacology trials).

Nevertheless, the consensus from this analysis is that while there are some benefits, mindfulness meditation programs are not a cure-all to every modern-day ailment.

How much practice is enough?

“How much meditation practice is enough?” Most people are looking for a CDC type of response(e.g., 3 times a week for 45-60 minutes), There is an old Zen saying: “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day—unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” To date, researchers have yet to arrive at a consensus about how much is “enough.”

Many meditation programs suggest that participants practice formal meditation (the “on the cushion” practice) anywhere from 15-30 minutes per day, 5-7 days per week. Many research studies, including some published research at Stanford University on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Compassion Cultivation Training, have found that some (not all) of the benefits from these programs are “dose dependent”—meaning that the participants who report the greatest amount of meditation practice are the ones who show the greatest gains. This is not universally true; there are some outcomes that do not seem to be influenced by minutes of practice. As is often the case, the research is mixed.

Aside from the raw number of minutes, other factors may interact to influence the benefits of mindfulness practice: the type (e.g., formal sitting meditation practice vs. informal meditation practices, mindfulness vs. compassion, etc.), the frequency (e.g., multiple times a day, multiple times a week), and the quality (e.g., sitting and actually doing the practice vs. doing the practice “on the go”). Using the analogy of going to the gym: It’s not enough to simply think about going to the gym, or talk about going to the gym, or wear gym clothes around town, or only go to the gym for a few weeks after making New Year’s resolutions. In order to gain the most benefits out of going to the gym, one has to really show up and do the exercises on a regular basis.

While it’s possible that in the next 10-15 years we will see a CDC-style recommendation regarding meditation practice, to date, the empirical data on the topic are still inconclusive. So my recommendations (for the time being) are to try out different durations, types, and frequencies of meditation and jot down how you feel before and after the practice. It’s even important to experiment with different times of the day. Making time to intentionally reflect on your experiences with the practice is key. The only way to find out what’s right for you is to experiment. 

Is there a dark side to meditation?

One of the big misconceptions about mindfulness practice and meditation more generally is that they will induce a sense of peace, calm, and stress reduction. While this can be the experience for some, it is not the experience for all. At times, sitting quietly with oneself can be a difficult—even painful—experience. For individuals who have experienced some sort of trauma, sitting and meditating can at times bring up recent or sometimes decades-old painful memories and experiences that they may not be prepared to confront.At times, it may be appropriate to seek outside support when practicing meditation, such as short-term psychotherapy, support groups, or meditation sangha groups. It’s also possible that some practices are more “difficult” than others. For example, practices where you visualize yourself as a small child might be particularly difficult if you experienced some sort of abuse as a young child. Rather than powering through the practices, be willing to gauge whether a particular type of meditation is suitable for you at this time in your life.

Mindfulness..... What, Why, How Part 2 of 3

The Four Stages of Enlightenment

Are you curious how Buddhism may be relevant to your daily life? Buddhist philosophy has become much more popular all around the world in the past few decades.

But you don’t need to be a Buddhist to benefit from the framework of thinking it offers. You simply have to have an open mind and the desire to learn.

Without any of the fluff and obscurity, this article shares with you the four stages of enlightenment according to Buddhist scripture.

Want to know the best part?

If you’re reading this and already are engaging in some simple mindfulness practices, you are probably already on your way to achieving enlightenment.

The Four Stages of Enlightenment

The Buddha recognized four distinct levels of realization, each one characterized by a deep experience of selflessness, followed by certain changes in outlook.

The experience usually involved intensive meditation and follows study of the four basic truths of Buddhism.

If you’re regularly meditating and practicing mindfulness, you’re probably already undertaking many of the practices that is advocated by Buddhism.

Here are the four stages of enlightenment.

Stream-enterer (Sotapanna)

When you become a Stream-enterer, you let go of the belief that you’re really a separate self living inside your head and looking through your eyes. This illusion is eliminated, and when you look within you can’t find a self anywhere.

Stream-enterers have also let go of attachment to rites and rituals and doubts about the teachings.

Once-returner (Sakadagami)

Once-returners have entered a stage where their “no-self” is completely integrated, and they experience a significant reduction in attachment and aversion and the suffering that accompanies these states of mind.

They are much more detached. For example, occasional irritation and preference replace hatred and greed, which no longer have any hold over the once-returner.

Non-returner (Anāgāmi)

The Non-returners are free from feelings of sensual desire and ill will towards others. They are seen to be partially enlightened and on the way to complete enlightenment.

They experience significant levels of compassion as they have lost the sense of separation between themselves and others.

Arahant

The fourth stage is free from having any craving for prosperity in the material world, doesn’t crave existence in the ideal world (which is heaven), doesn’t experience conceit, never feels restlessness and isn’t subject to ignorance.

At this stage, the person is experiencing ultimate nirvana. The feeling has been compared to falling into the depths of a cloud and disappearing. The circumstances of life no longer stir even the slightest craving or dissatisfaction.

Here are some articles I wanted to share with you that may help advance you on your path to enlightenment.

Stages in the bodhisattvas journey

Mindfulness practices for beginners

Buddhist teachings where to start

Bodhisattva Vows

A shared link on the Bodhisattva Vows by; Neroudivergent Rebel

Bodhisattva-vows by Neroudivergent Rebel

Tips For Rural Buddhist Practice

I want to share a great article with you from Buddha Weekly

Empowering the rural buddhist tips for remote practice.

Mindfulness in School Decreases Depression and Anxiety

School Children Meditating

Mindfulness in School

Mindfulness training in schools has been found to reduce and even prevent depression in adolescents.

The finding comes from research of 408 students between the ages of 13 and 20 at five different schools in Belgium. Matched classes were assigned either to mindfulness training or to a control condition who simply continued with their other classes as normal.

The students depression and anxiety levels were measured before the intervention, after the intervention,  and six months after.

The results showed all of the students had similar levels of depression when the study was started: 21% of those in the mindfulness group were depressed, and 24% in the control group were classified as depressed.

After the mindfulness study, the number of students who were clinically depressed had dropped to 15% and after six months it remained lower at 16%. In the control group, levels of depression had increased, up to 27% and after six months 31%. Therefore the study suggest that mindfulness training can lead to a reduction in depression. Also it showed that after six months these were lasting results.

The mindfulness training used in the study was tailored for younger people but the principle is the same. 

Mindfulness is about learning to pay attention to what is going on in this moment right now, in this present moment.  In the first session students were encouraged to focus their attention to their breath. The second session, their attention was expanded to becoming aware of the body and pleasant moments. In the third session they were instructed to become aware of their inner boundaries and to unpleasant moments. In session four the focus was on stress and space. Session five was attention to thoughts and emotions. Attention to interpretations and communication for session six. Their attitudes and moods for session seven. The final session was bringing attention to self and heartfulness.

Once the sessions were completed students were encouraged to continue these practices on their own in the hopes of a lifetime of benefits from the practice.

The 5 Remembrances of Buddha

Top 10 Buddhist Books for Children

Top 10 Buddhist Books For Children – And The Benefits Of Buddhism For Children

Buddhist books for children are a great way to introduce Buddha's teachings.

Starting to teach a child about Buddhism at a young age can be very beneficial.

The benefits of Buddhist books for children

Buddhism can teach children to think for themselves, teach them about empathy and compassion. Which is needed since we, as a society, have failed in teaching these values to our children.

Serious flaws in our education system result in basic skills not being learned. Society cries out for change, and attempts are made, but are we making any progress?

Also parenting and human interaction could be improved upon. Centuries of the principle that humans are innately evil, of penance, of shame and guilt induction, of duty and obligations are hard to shake off. We imprint bad habits on our children and start cycles all over again. The suffering does not end.

Buddhist stories can help shift towards a more healthy, less violent culture. Maybe you do not realize our culture is completely permeated with violence (a striking example is our language).

Some more benefits:

• Buddhism can help develop compassion in a culture where violence is made enjoyable. Just think about the majority of movies and children’s cartoons in which the hero kills or beats someone up.

• A developed introspective look helps banish neuroticism and superstition. If you are able to feel what’s going on inside and outside, you are better capable of empathy.

•  Empathy breaks down hierarchic structures and, more importantly, imagination requires empathy.

In his book The Empathic Civilization bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin points out that global empathy is essential in being able to cope with the great challenges of our time. A drastic change in human consciousness, are needed. Empathy will be needed for our survival as a species.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” –Albert Einstein

Buddhism can be fun too

Enlightenment doesn’t require sitting under a tree for days. Nor does it call for being taught about or believing in Buddhism.

Just by amusing yourself and your child with the often both entertaining and meaningful Buddhist stories you may give them an edge in becoming generous, compassionate, virtuous, responsible, and self-reflecting beings.

These books may provide them with tools for learning what is really important in life and equip them with some basic skills needed to find happiness.

The top 10 books on Buddhism for children

This list contains the most popular, highest rated, best selling books. It also explains why these books are so great.

Through these books children will learn the basics of Buddhism. The beautiful colorful illustrations, and vivid metaphors will also teach children about relaxation, happiness, breathing, and even meditation.

Buddhism made accessible and enjoyable for children. This book covers a broad range of Buddha's basic teachings. It includes 20, both short and long, stories about how to be wise and thoughtful. These stories are modern retellings of ancient Buddhist tales.

They have shown to be entertaining for children and adult parents alike. In fact they contain wonderful lessons for grown-ups as well. So beware, as a parent or grandparent you might learn something new and educational along the way.

Buddha at Bedtime

#1 Buddha at Bedtime 

Buddha at Bedtime offers an introduction to basic meditation and relaxation techniques, and demonstrates how to discuss the stories with your child. Furthermore there’s an overview of The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, and The Five Precepts.Recommended for children of ages 4-10.

Buddha at Bedtime: Tales of Love and Wisdom for You to Read with Your Child to Enchant, Enlighten and Inspire by Dharmachari Nagaraja.

#2 The Three Questions

Based on the short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy, 

The Three Questions

The Three Questions is such a book that’s highly valued by both children and parents as well. This story concerns a king who wants to find the answers to what he considers the three most important questions in life.

Jon J Muth’s The Three Questions teaches children about compassion and living in the moment. The beautiful water-colored illustrations and the charming narrating style make this one of the best Buddhist books for children.

Focused on children aged 5 to 9 but readers from all ages might be able to satisfy their basic spiritual needs with it too.

This author’s children’s books have received numerous awards.

“The Three Questions is quietly life-changing” according to The New York Times Book Review. Here’s the praiseful NY Times article.

”The Three Questions” presents a world of moral consequence and choice, where questions of right and wrong must be puzzled out and where each person’s actions really do make a difference. Young and old readers alike will take heart from that.”

#3 Peaceful Piggy Meditation

Peaceful Piggy Meditation

Simple meditation techniques for children. Peaceful
Piggy Meditation is a great book in itself but is also very useful as a tool to help restless, hyperactive children find some inner peace.

This book deserves to be in the top 10 because it is one of the few children’s books on Buddhism that explains and teaches age-appropriate meditation techniques.

Despite it’s core topic being meditation the book has a down-to-earth, modern narrative style (e.g. there are video-game playing pigs). Reading this book at bedtime might help create an oasis of calmness and relaxation in a childs (and their parents) life.

“The book guides children through the reasons why meditation is necessary, and believe me when I say it is the best book on the market for doing so (I looked around extensively). Especially good is the “mind-in-a-jar” experiment at the end of the book which gives a concrete, hands-on demonstration of why meditation is necessary.” Amazon reviewer

Peaceful Piggy Meditation (Albert Whitman Prairie Books)

#4 Zen Ties

Zen Ties

Probably the best child book on Zen. Zen Ties is another book of the hand of author and illustrator Jon Muth. In this particular book, Muth has done a great job in making Zen ideas and practices accessible to children.     

Themes of this book are; non-judgment, acceptance, friendship, forgiveness, connections, and community.
This is another example of a book written for children that is capable of teaching adults some valuable life lessons too.

“He lovingly distills the wisdom of ancient Zen teachings into the most touching and practical stories about the things we all come up against in life and frequently do not, despite our best intentions, know how to handle.”

#5 Each Breath a Smile

Each Breath a Smile

Great book on mindful breathing and a wonderful

children's book written by Sister Thuc Nghiem (Susan Swan), a grandmother, former teacher, and a nun in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Each Breath a Smile shows children how to relax and enjoy happiness through mindful breathing. This way they learn about Buddhism and how breathing the right way can help them experience calmness and joyfulness.

For preschool-aged children.

Each Breath a Smile by Sister Susan. Plum Blossom Books.

#6 I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told

I Once Was a Monkey

An introduction to Buddhism for children. Another example of a book that does a great job at offering children an introduction to Buddhism. The key themes of this book are; trust, telling the truth, friendship and kindness

I Once Was a Monkey: consists of short stories addressing universal values. These stories are based on jakatas.

Jakatas are tales that Buddha told. They are based on the experiences, and lessons that Buddha learned through his past lives as different animals. Buddha has been a monkey, dove, lion, jackal, and dove.

#7 Anh’s Anger

Anh's Anger

Anh’s Anger The author of this book is Thich Nhat Hanh , one of the most renowned Buddhist authors, Zen master, and Buddhist teachers. His typical sensitive and caring approach make this book about anger a true gem.

It teaches both children and parents about the value of acknowledging and resolving complex emotions such as anger.

“A really simple and yet profound story of a grandfather teaching a young boy how to sit with the difficult emotion of anger. A lesson not just for children but grown ups as well.”

#8 A Pebble for Your Pocket

A Pebble for Your Pocket

Another children's book by Thich Nat Hahn. It covers core topics like living in the now, awareness, and spirituality in general.

A Pebble for Your Pocket isn’t a picture book, so it’s probably best suitable for 8-12 year olds and children that read independently.

“A Pebble for Your Pocket is a gem from a true spiritual master.” Parenting with Spirit magazine

#9 Parrot and the Fig Tree

The Parrot and The Fig Tree

The Jataka Tales are a group of folk stories that
originated in India, each of which relays an ethical teaching. Animals and magical beings, representing Buddha’s former lives, play an essential role in these tales.

The tale of Parrot and the Fig Tree introduces seasons, the interdependency of all beings, and the value of loyalty.

A parrot refuses to abandon his good friend, a fig tree, even during winter when the tree has no figs, and eventually even when it is destroyed by a storm. For his loyalty to the tree, the parrot is rewarded by the god Shakra, with the rebirth of the tree.

#10 Magic of Patience (A Jataka Tale)

The Magic of Patience

Buffalo persists in being kind and patient with the
mischievous Monkey, despite all his annoying tricks.

Core topic of this book is how to show patience, instead of anger, and how this behavior can yield goodwill and harmony.

*Includes coloring pages.

Buddhist stories can open the hearts and minds of people but don't take my word for it. If you investigate it as the Buddha said you should you’ll know it’s true.

Buddhism, offering its insightful look into human nature and motivations and all life around us is a great way for your child or grandchild to inspire them to read and think deeper, search further, and explore their own as well as feelings of other living beings on our planet.

Golden Lotus