Does anyone have any questions regarding mindfulness?

[Matt23]

I'm doing Shinzen's unified mindfulness teacher training course (foundations), and an exercise is to ask people, off the cuff, if they have any questions about mindfulness and to answer.

Let me know!

Cheers

[Devin]

@Matt23 can you be mindful and anxious at the same time?

[Matt23]

Absolutely.  As long as you're able to clearly feel the anxiety (noticing where it is in your body, what it feels like, etc.), have equanimity around it (you aren't pushing it away or reacting to it), and are able to concentrate on it, then you are developing the 3 attentional skills in the U.M. system.  

Was that clear or do you have any follow-up questions?

Cheers!

Edited August 16, 2022 by Matt23

[RickyFitts]

How do we benefit from mindfulness practice?

[Matt23]

10 minutes ago, RickyFitts said:

How do we benefit from mindfulness practice?

There are many benefits to mindfulness.  Here's a few.  Firstly, it helps develop your ability to stay focused on things at hand without being pulled away by distractions or positive or negative emotions (like boredom or excitement).  Mindfulness has also been reported to increase empathy towards others.  It can help with sleep, stress reduction, as well as reducing depressive and anxious symptoms.  Finally, it can also help people see reality more clearly, rather than seeing reality through their own filters.  This can help in many aspects of life, including performance, memory, and interpersonal relationships.  

I'll also mention that it can help in giving you more choice in your life. It does this by allowing you to accept and experience anything, be it unpleasant emotions or difficult situations, without being pulled by any reactive emotions or behaviors that arise in you.  This can heighten your ability to think clearly and make more wise decisions.  And remember, acceptance doesn't determine behavior.  So you can simultaneously accept that a loved one is being attacked and accept the fear or rage you feel while also acting in ways that help save the person being attacked.

[Devin]

@Matt23 crystal clear

 

Are there any benefits to not being mindful?

[RickyFitts]

@Matt23 Good answer. ?

[gettoefl]

22 hours ago, RickyFitts said:

How do we benefit from mindfulness practice?

“Ānāpānassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā cattāro satipaṭṭhāne paripūreti. Cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satta bojjhaṅge paripūrenti. Satta bojjhaṅgā bhāvitā bahulīkatā vijjā vimuttiṃ paripūrenti.” (MN 118)

“Monks. If mindfulness of respiration is cultivated and made much of, the four foundations of mindfulness are fulfilled and perfected. If the four foundations of mindfulness are cultivated and made much of, the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga) are fulfilled and perfected. If the seven factors of enlightenment are cultivated and made much of, knowledge (vijjā) and liberation (vimutti) are fulfilled and perfected.”

https://buddho.org/anapana-dipani-manual-of-meditation-on-breathing/

[Matt23]

21 hours ago, Devin said:

@Matt23 crystal clear

 

Are there any benefits to not being mindful?

....

No....

....

Damn you lol.

[RickyFitts]

2 hours ago, gettoefl said:

“Ānāpānassati, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā cattāro satipaṭṭhāne paripūreti. Cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satta bojjhaṅge paripūrenti. Satta bojjhaṅgā bhāvitā bahulīkatā vijjā vimuttiṃ paripūrenti.” (MN 118)

“Monks. If mindfulness of respiration is cultivated and made much of, the four foundations of mindfulness are fulfilled and perfected. If the four foundations of mindfulness are cultivated and made much of, the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga) are fulfilled and perfected. If the seven factors of enlightenment are cultivated and made much of, knowledge (vijjā) and liberation (vimutti) are fulfilled and perfected.”

https://buddho.org/anapana-dipani-manual-of-meditation-on-breathing/

Very interesting link, thanks!