mindfulness meditation

There has been a lot said recently, on other threads, concerning mindfulness training and it's use to help with anxiety and associated stress issues for us PCa guys and their friends and family.

I have taken part in some of those threads but as one thread in particular seemed to degenerate moving well away from the real issues of "mindfulness" I thought I might just set down some of my thoughts concerning this very important and powerful concept.

I am NOT a meditation teacher, although I have access to several of the best in the world, nor do I profess to any great proficiency in my meditation. Also, so as to answer several statements made in other threads, I follow a method of meditation and use the "mental tools" developed by great Buddhist monks of the past and present to get to where I am now.

For those who may feel doubt about using "Buddhist" type ideas???? I will ask a single question. If you are repairing an engine and need a very specialized tool does it make any difference who invented, designed and manufactured the tool? You can put that tool to use without having to take on the life or thoughts of the person who made it.

There are many "mindfulness" systems available. Books, tapes and apps for your phone. I have looked at a few over the years but never found any that are clear and concise enough to get you to where you want to be.

Mindfulness is not a matter of being able to ignore your thoughts. Mindfulness is not just the ability to see a thought, label it and throw it away. True mindfulness allows you to see the thought arise, analyze it and then put it away. This can occur multiple times until your mind fully understands all of the ramifications of that thought or emotion. When you finally fully understand and have dealt with that thought, be it anger, desire, irritation or craving it will not come back again. This is where the meditation comes in.

Meditation and in my case "breath meditation" can bring the mind to a point of stillness where it becomes possible to see these thoughts arise. As it was explained to me..........An acorn drops from an oak tree, it sprouts, it is 1 inch high and you step on it, you kill it and it does not return. The acorn sprouts and grows into a full sized oak, it is now VERY difficult to kill, even if you cut it down with a chainsaw it is most likely going to sprout multiple new shouts from the root system. So............the point being that through meditation it becomes possible to see these emotions and thoughts when they first arise, when they are only 1 inch tall, which makes it easier to thoroughly inspect them and eventually to let them go.

Mindfulness is a goal oriented endeavor. It is not an end point but a stepping off point.

There are actually three types/steps in breath meditation. Concentration leading to Insight leading to Mindfulness which then equals the stilling of the mind which then allows for really useful analysis of one's emotions and feelings.

Breath meditation does not bring anything external with it. I mean, there is only what is inside your mind. You are only dealing with what you have inside of you right now. All beings have everything they need to be completely and totally happy, they just need to find it. Complete, total and non changing happiness lies within and no where else.

NOTE# There are no studies showing the effectiveness of meditation on mindfulness. There are studies showing positive effects on Blood Pressure but that is about it. There have been studies that claim other beneficial effects but these are all very subjective.

Benefits from meditation can truly only be seen and validated by the practitioner.

May all beings be well always free from animosity and oppression.

Roger

as always feel free to email directly if you wish. My address is in my profile.

Here are the clinical studies I have in my files. These studies suggest it is helpful for a variety of reasons:

/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102949/

/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1456957

/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22442202

/link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00520-011-1195-8

www.sophro-axe.fr/fs/Articles_scientifiques_Mindfulness/6lw96-Carlson_sleep_IJBM_Impact_of_Mindfulness_Based_Stress_Reduction_MBSR_on_Sleep_2005.pdf

This study showed no effect:

ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2016.68.8788

All this mindfulness is starting to bend my mind. I do like Shop’s simple approach.

For me, when my head is swimming, I just lay down and let my thoughts flow for 20 or 30 minutes. I usually feel a lot better after that.

3 Jacks, thanks for getting the conversation back on track to being useful. Your explanation is great, and probably worth reading more than once.
How did you actually go about learning it from a practical perspective? Classes? books? (which ones if so) Google?

The other thread made me curious about mindfulness. I now think the reason why mindfulness works is you learn to control your breathing. It can actually be explained on a bio-chemical level how it works (as if someone would care).

Brain and breathing are mutually affecting each other. If you become stressed your brain makes you to breath fast but it also works the other way, if you force yourself to breath slower, the stress reactions in your brain are reduced.

In a paper published in March 2017 in Science, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine describe a small cluster of neurons that links breathing pattern to relaxation, attention, excitement and anxiety. Their findings provide, for the first time, a cellular and molecular understanding of the mechanisms by which breathing-control exercises can relieve stress disorders and through which the practice of pranayama can achieve a meditative state.

science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/1370

3 Jacks,

Thank you. Top notch explanation and very helpful

Andrew: I fully agree and will say that this can and should apply to actions as well. Just add to your two questions a third "is it the right time".

Mindfulness is not meant to just be used when meditating. The meditation which brings mindfulness is designed to then take this new mental state and carry it with you wherever you go thus transforming your life and those around you. That is why it is "breath" meditation. The breath is always with you so once developed you can always go to it in times of stress and pain. That's when you ask those questions. That is when something comes at you and tries to knock you down you ask "Is it true, is it helpful and is it the right time"?

As always Andrew you seem to be spot on.'
'
Roger

Roger - I like your addition.

Thanks,
Andrew

I edited out a bit of stuff that seemed to be near the line for explicit religion. I'm not mad at anybody. Nobody did anything wrong. I'm just trying to drive a few crampons up-hill on the slippery slope, because if we slide down to the slippery-slidey part it can get unpleasant.

Roger: Thanks for being understanding.