Week 3

(Video 1) What is Mindfulness - Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

1.              How does Dr. Kabat-Zinn define mindfulness?

1. Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally.

2.              Why, according to Dr. Kabat-Zinn, does our "life depend" upon mindfulness?

1. When we don’t practice mindfulness, we miss out on the present moment. The present moment is all we have. The past is gone, the future isn’t here yet, but we spend so much time thinking about those things. When we do this, we lose time in our lives.

3.              Does it matter what thing or things you pay attention to?

1. It doesn’t, as long as you are paying attention.

4.              Is Mindfulness a technique? 

1. No, it’s a state of being. It’s training ourselves to be more connected to our minds, bodies and hearts, in the present moment.

(Video 2) All it Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes - Andy Puddicombe

1.              What does Andy suggest we "do" for at least 10 minutes each day?

1. He wants us to stop doing, and just breathe. Take some time to not think about the past or future and just be. Observe our brains.

2.              According to the Harvard study cited by Andy, what % of time are our minds lost in thought?

1. 47% of the time

3.              Is Mindfulness about controlling our thoughts and feelings? If yes, explain. If not, explain.

1. I don’t think so. I think mindfulness is letting our brains take a break from whatever they are doing. Perhaps that gives one more control of their thoughts. For me, I have hard time sitting still because my favorite type of “meditation” is exercise. That’s what really clears my head. But practicing mindfulness is kind of like an exercise. It exercises my brain the opposite way I would exercise your body. By doing nothing, my brain can reassess where I am, but not in life, just where I am right now, in the present moment. It doesn’t really give me more control, it just lets me take a break to clear my head of any negative emotions.

4.              How does Andy's juggling with the three red balls relate to our activity of balancing sticks?

1. Trying to concentrate on one-thing helps to center our minds. It lets us be present in the moment, because we don’t want the stick or ball to fall, so we have to clear our heads of everything.