Summer 2013 Mindfulness Student Wiki


 

 

 

 

Mindfulness

                 By: Peteris Janis Matthews

 

 

 

 

(Peteris Matthews)

 

 

What is Mindfulness? Is it something that gives a person power? Is it observing your surroundings constantly? Or could it be so much more that most people know?  Multiple cultures like the Koreans, the Japanese, and the Chinese have used a form of mindfulness for hundreds of years. They all have the same reasons and results, to lose awareness of one’s self and to become aware of the present world around you. Exercises in mindfulness have been recorded for hundreds of year, and even today the practices are used for psychological treatments for drug addiction, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and severe anxiety.  (Peteris Matthews)

 

Books:

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World

 

Williams, M., & Penman, D. (2012). Mindfulness: An Eight Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World. Rodale Books.

 

This book gives a reader multiple techniques to practice when trying to find a way to be more mindful while working in a stressful world. The techniques taught only take a few minutes a day, and the results are seen within the first two weeks. (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

Mindfulness (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)

 

 

 

Langer, E. J. (1990). A Merloyd Lawrence Book: Mindfulness. De Capo Press.

 

This book was written by Harvard Psychology Professor Ellen J. Langer. Her book shows the repercussions of not practicing mindfulness. One of the main messages from her book is the concern for the elderly who feel helpless in a world constantly moving. Elle Langer gives many great examples of how to live a simple mindful life in order to feel true relief.  (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

 

 

Hanh, T. N. (1999). The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation (1st Edition ed.). Beacon Press.

 

This book shows that everyday events like walking, reading, and even washing the dishes can be used to practice mindfulness. It is quite an amazing read. This world renowned Zen Master shows that anyone anywhere can reach a state of mindfulness. (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

 

Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems (ISBN10: 1606232940; ISBN13: 9781606232941)

 

 

Siegal, R. D. (2009). The Mindfulness Solutions: Everyday Practices for Everyday. The Guilford Press.

 

This book is a great one for people who are skeptical when it comes to practicing mindfulness on a daily basis. It focuses on practicing mindfulness at all times, and that living in the present helps to relieve even the worst kinds of stress. (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

(Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

Websites:

Mindfulness. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mindfulness Meditation website: <span style="text-decoration: underline;" _mce_style="text-decoration: underline;">http://chanliving.org/index.php/authentic-mindfulness-meditation</span>
This website shows where to look for certain classes for practicing meditation and mindfulness and provides many useful diagrams to show what areas of the body are affected by practicing meditation and mindfulness. (Peteris Matthews)

What is Mindfulness. (1991). Retrieved July 4, 2013, from Psychology Today website:

     http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/mindfulness

 

This site gives a quick review of what Mindfulness is and then provides multiple links to learn more about it and where to get started. (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

Benefits of Mindfulness. (n.d.). Retrieved from Helpguide.org website: http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/mindfulness.htm

This sits shows all of the medically proven benefits of practicing mindfulness in you day to day lives. There is a very large list that provides almost all of the medically proven benefits on mindfulness. (Peteris Matthews)

 

Kabat-Zinn, J. (n.d.). What is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Retrieved July 4, 2013, from Mindful Living Programs website: http://www.mindfullivingprograms.com/whatMBSR.php

 

(Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

 

 

(Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

 

 

Articles:

 

Beck, M. (2011). Conquering Fear. The Wall Street Journal.

 

This article written by Melinda Beck gives a brief review of why practicing mindfulness can be beneficial to someone’s life. She mainly focuses on dealing with fear and how facing it can be a huge accomplishment. (Peteris Matthews)

 

Ellison, K. (2006). Mastering Your Own Mind. Psychology Today.

 

This article written by Katherine Ellison focuses on the impact of the practice of mindfulness. She writes about how over ten million Americans practice some form of mindfulness and almost all of them talk about how it has changed their lives for the better. She also gives a nod to neuro scientists who have been studying the effects of practicing mindfulness. (Peteris Matthews)  

 

Chen, P. W., MD. (2009). How Mindfulness can make for better Doctors. The New York Times.

 

This was a very interesting article. This article does not focus on why the general public should practice mindfulness but why physicians should practice it on a daily basis in order to provide better patient care. It gives a good view of what an average physician goes through on any given day and how it can lead to physician burnout. She provides evidence to support her claim that practicing mindfulness will actually make them a better physicians and that their patient care techniques will improve. (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

 

(Peteris Matthews) 

 

 

 

 

 

 Informational Videos on Mindfulness:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmEo6RI4Wvs

 

This is a quick five minute video about the definition of mindfulness by Dr. John Kabat-Zinn. You may already know this gentleman from some of our readings in class. He is one of the men who helped show the medical benefits on Mindfulness.  (Peteris Matthews)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9-6qQ9tyI

 

This video is a bit long but I guarantee that you'll feel better after watching it with an open mind. The lecturer is Ajahn  Brahm who is the Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society in Western Australia. (Peteris Matthews)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PCXeHNL3s8

 

This video is one of my favorites. It is an interview of Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the greatest teachers on mindfulness in the entire world. His teachings have inspired thousands to take the step towards practicing mindfulness. I highly recommend watching it. (Peteris Matthews)

 

An Interesting Powerpoint

 

http://www.slideshare.net/gueste19b03/mindfulness-acceptance-powerpoint

 

This powerpoint by Dr. Kevin J. Drab gives a user a quick guide to the therapeutic uses of mindfulness in medicine and everyday life.  (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

A Great Art Piece about Practicing Mindfulness

 

 

 

 

 

(Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

Summary of Mindfulness

 

I am very happy that I was assigned Mindfulness as my Wiki Project. I started to become very interested in it while I was working as a Paramedic in Queen Creek Arizona. The job can be incredibly rewarding but at the same time it can be very disturbing. Sadly there were days were I would turn to alcohol as an escape from some of the things I have seen. At first I thought that it was a good idea, I thought that since it wasn’t illegal it wouldn’t cause any issues for me. I always thought that I could be under control. But after a while I could see that this could very well turn into a big issue. So I turned to a cousin of mine who worked at a rehab clinic for narcotic users. He told me that the practice of mindfulness can really make a difference in one’s life. I was very skeptical at first, but after a few weeks of practicing it I started to notice the changes. Having the sense of being self-aware and in the moment made a huge difference in my mood. I no longer saw myself panicking about being the only Paramedic on scene; I would just take a few controlled breaths and just be in the moment. I became much more aware about the world around me. If I was given something to do I would concentrate on it and do it without any distractions. It is very true what they say about how mindfulness can be practiced everywhere. One of the books I read talked about how you can practice mindfulness while cleaning the dishes after supper. Practicing mindfulness has made a huge impact on my life and my work. I really recommend that everyone just at least try it once, I guarantee that if you really work at it you’ll see the benefits come alive in front of you. (Peteris Matthews)

 

 

 

(Peteris Matthews)

 

My Practice summary- My second transformational change application was Mindfulness and this was my favorite of both I tried (Meditation/Mindfulness). I liked this application because I am still able to do things around me but just became more aware and mindful about it. I took walks, cleaned and packed and still was able to notice and reflect on what I sensed rather than being in a quiet place and not being able to move about. While I cleaned or folded laundry I was able to feel the warmth of the clothes and the suds of the bubbles while cleaning and the smell of the lemon scent of the cleansers. During the first few times I applied this practice I was being mindful of how I was talking and walking and doing activities but also I noticed during one of my last entries that I had an extremely bad headache and I normally do not get headaches on a normal basis and have to take medication for it, but after using this technique about 15 minutes later my headache was gone, without having to use medication!  More individuals should use this application because I think people can sometimes go through life on ‘auto pilot’ without noticing, feeling or becoming aware and mindful of the way we are presenting ourselves in life. I see myself doing this sometimes at work; I may not say the correct thing or could have fixed something easily by the way I presented myself. With mindfulness at work, I have seen an improvement in the way I communicate with mindfulness. This is such a beneficial application because I tend to always focus on the past and the core beliefs of mindfulness is focusing on the present time, which I need to remember for the future! I will be using this technique on a weekly basis and it was my favorite transformational change that I reflected on! (Brittany Kendig)

 

Mindfulness was my second transformational change practice. When I started, this practice was a challenge for me to get results from. I discovered a resource that listed several different types of mindfulness exercises which included conscious observation, a ten second count, smiling, one minute mindfulness sessions, body scans and mindfulness cues. I starting practicing each new exercise on a weekly basis, this way I was given the entire week to modify and learn about what worked for me and what didn’t, and how to improve it. Over the past few weeks I have gained a lot of insight into the practice of mindfulness. These exercises have improved my personal and professional life. I have incorporated mindfulness exercises into my personal life by practicing at home several times a week. I often choose to focus my awareness on objects, with the conscious observation and the one minute mindfulness sessions but also like to just focus on the present moment while quieting my inner thoughts and feelings. I understand that mindfulness exercises can help with anxiety, stress management, sleep disorders, all of which I hope that my continued usage of mindfulness exercises help with at home. In the workplace, my mindfulness exercises have helped with my stress level and decreased panic at work during busy times. When I am at work I practice mindfulness with a conscious ten second count. This lets me step back from the present (stressful) moment take time to recollect my thoughts and focus on my breathing. This refocus of my attention and awareness has a calming effect. The benefits of concentrated mindfulness are slowing the heart rate and breathing down, normalizing blood pressure, and using oxygen more efficiently. Professionally, I also practice a smiling exercise in which I smile even when things are overwhelming or I am not feeling happy. It is amazing how your body will react to a smile even when your heart or head is not feeling the same way. Even though my patients are not always in a good mood or willing to smile themselves, a smile from their technologist can usually put a smile on their face. I have had amazing results from this exercise. (Shelbi Arnold). 

 

 

The first practice I participated in was mindfulness. I chose this practice because in the past I have not done a very good job of paying attention. I am pretty sure that I set a record for the number of items I have accidently broken in the grocery store. I am glad to say that I have not broken anything in a long time due to being more mindful! I have also had two minor car accidents that were my fault and they were not a result of being distracted (cell phone, food, CD player, etc.) but rather a result of “zoning out” and not being aware of what I was doing. I used the 3 components intention, attention, and attitude that was mentioned in the journal article Cultivating Mindfulness: Effects on Well-being to help me practice mindfulness.

I experienced positive effects of being mindful when talking to people and actually listening to what they were saying, as opposed to either not listening or focusing on what I was going to say in return. I practiced being mindful during my runs as well. I do not usually listen to music when I run; I either space out or I think about school, what I need to do for the day, bills, etc. I enjoyed being mindful of my running to include my surroundings, my form, breathing, and effort. Focusing on these tasks resulted in me not only appreciating the mountains and the trails more but I was able to conserve energy and be more efficient while running. Being mindful has taught me to be aware, to focus, and to not do tasks subconsciously. Being “in the moment” gave me a greater appreciation for each day and has allowed me to experience life and the little moments that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Using the components to help aid in one’s practice of mindfulness – intention, attention, and attitude is a good starting place for people to use when practicing mindfulness personally or even in the professional environment. “Knowing why one is paying attention, what is happening as it is actually happening, and how one is paying attention” addresses the roles intention, attention, and attitude play when practicing mindfulness. (Shapiro et al., 2008) Another personal application of mindfulness could be mindful eating. Eating meals away from the computer or TV and actually tasting and chewing your food are important when being mindful of your meals and can help to avoid overeating as well. Using the Mindful Awareness Attention Scale is another personal application to determine your level of mindfulness and help you to make improvements in areas where you lack attentiveness. This can be retrieved from: http://www.mindfulnessandacceptance.vcu.edu/documents/MAAS.pdf

If a person has trouble staying on task in the workplace, he or she can set time aside each day while working on specific projects to be mindful. Perhaps setting distractions aside such as cell phones and email can help the person to focus specifically on that task.

Companies can also incorporate mindfulness in the professional environment by allowing a set time for the employees to practice mindfulness meditation as a method to help reduce stress. This could be done mid-afternoon where many people become tired and allow for people to reenergize for the remaining work day. (Siouxsie Owen)

References (Siouxsie Owen)

Shapiro, S. L., Oman, D., Thoresen, C. E., Plante, T. G., & Flinders, T. (2008). Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well-being. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 64(7), 840-862. doi:10.1002/jclp.20491