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Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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December 4, 2015 By Admin

Deepak Chopra’s Ideas on “The Future of God” – Part 3 of 3 By Anthony R. Quintiliani, Ph.D.,Ladc

Deepak Chopra’s Ideas on “The Future of God” – Part 3 of

In this third and last post I will discuss Deepak Chopra’s views of the three worlds of human experience: Material, Subtle, and Transcendent.  As usual, I will paraphrase and add my own comments as appropriate.  Belief in god or a higher power has no borders, neither formal national borders nor personal reality borders.  Let’s explore the three human worlds, and how they relate to spiritual development and energies.

  1. The Material World  – This world of human experience is based on pure duality as in happy-sad, good-evil, pleasure-pain, craving-avoidance, light-dark, etc.  This is the world of ego and personality of the self.  This is the conditioned world made up of atomic particles formed into materials and experiences we judge as good and not good.  It all reflects what our brain’s neurons are doing within the experiences of life. It is the world of self-interest, self-aggrandizement, the self of I/Me/Mine.  Even though we humans represent a very, very tiny insignificant speck in the universe, we somehow see ourselves as very important within the overall scheme of existence.  Although we may someday destroy the world as we know it, we are – on the whole – quite unimportant in the infinite system of all things in all ten directions. We are driven by desire, and the basis for positive versus negative evaluations are based on the sense doors of our experience.  If we judge our sensory experiences to be what WE WANT, they are good; if we judge our sensory experiences to be what WE DO NOT WANT, they are bad. We tend to be comfortable, even happy, if personal reality provides more of what we desire.  We tend to be unhappy (even angry and sometimes dangerous) if personal reality fails to provide what we desire.  This is the world of possible entitlement and narcissistic injury. We view and evaluate all worldly happenings as good or bad based on what our inner sensations and emotions (with thoughts and behaviors) “tell” us.  It is an internal, evaluative part of being human. As the ever changing reality of experience continues (impermanence), we track it by how our emotions react to the changes. The world of samsara is a hopeless world, in which we cannot attain lasting satisfactions let alone lasting intrinsic happiness. Unless we grow via spiritual expansion, we remain trapped in day-to-day “I got what I wanted” or “I did not get what I wanted.” The ups and downs of this rollercoaster life tend to end in dissatisfaction (as The Buddha noted). We may learn to self-medicate (see earlier posts on this topic) to experience short-term pleasure or escape from suffering but it always ends with long-term pain.
  2. The Subtle World – If/when we grow spiritually, we may attain access to the subtle world.  In this transitional and energetic space, we experience a bit more intuition, even deep insight about the true nature of things.  Opposites tend to move toward the middle way, and our deep-rooted desires begin to move from material gain to finding more meaning and purpose in life (happiness). We may have more awareness of our own inner changes, enjoy the natural world and its wonders, and begin to think and act (thoughts, emotions, behaviors) in more compassionate ways.  We may even care about the welfare of others more than our own personal self-cherishing.  We encounter the awe and bliss of our “soul.”  We use mindfulness skills to follow where I mind goes, and we may be able to set its direction on our own.  We are far less dominated by automatic negative thinking. We become less fearful, more cooperative, and more hopeful. We recognize the core change rests in our willingness to hold a more flexible view of ourselves, other people, and the world as a whole.  We experience and value inspiration and deeper insight into higher consciousness and the way things are. We have more radical acceptance of whatever comes to us, and find ways to be OK with it all.
  3. The Transcendent World – There are many great steps from material to subtle to transcendent worlds.  They all begin with the first step.  Here we seek the sources of perceived and experienced reality.  We may even be with the ultimate oneness of all things.  We may suffer less; this occurs because we are less conflicted and trapped by the I/Me/Mine expectations of the material world. It is NOT about competition for the good.  Opposites tend to collapse into some form of non-duality and oneness. If we are fortunate, we experience true consciousness and discover the cosmic reality of boundlessness, egolessness and selflessness. We are more open to ultimate possibilities, even ultimate emptiness. We feel more connected to ourselves, other people, greater consciousness – perhaps even to god or some form of higher power.
  4. Creation of The Higher Self – The subtle and transcendent worlds provide us with experiences that open up our higher self.  We may feel lighter, boundless and secure. We may enjoy life just as it is – without ego-based reactivity and aggressiveness. We feel a true calmness in our center. We accept and forgive without heroic effort. We find deep personal happiness in meaning and purpose in life.  We attain  a state of liberation from attachment, desire, craving, avoidance, etc. We thrive on curiosity, and we do seek higher wisdom even if it ends in emptiness (not-nihilism). We recognize that pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are simply the realities of being human. We feel more inspiration and bliss – sometimes even in simple day-to-day things we encounter. As we continue to grow, we realize that the true sources of creation, joy, bliss are within ourselves NOT out there somewhere far away. We seek higher truth.  Vedanta and greater Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ALL TEACH that the ultimate answer to our most meaningful questions and life experiences all are already within us. Now we may have the security, inner peace and deeper wisdom to discover our center and its meaning.

For more information refer to Chora, D, (2014). The Future of God: A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times. New York: Harmony Books, pp. 145-215.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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December 3, 2015 By Admin

Deepak Chopra’s Ideas on “The Future of God” – Part 2 of 3-

Review:  Deepak Chopra’s Idea’s on ” The Future of God” Part 2 of 3

In part 2 of this 3-part series, I will discuss the role played by consciousness in various levels of spirituality.  In the beginning, there was the word.  The word is sometimes associated with pure consciousness, since without consciousness there cannot be a word.  And, without consciousness there cannot be a self or a world. Perhaps there is no better example of the power of consciousness than our own DNA; cells split, differentiated body cells grow; body parts are formed; we become human; and, we end up with consciousness in our brain-mind-body-heart systems. Then there is the human immune system – what a wonderful thing! On a larger scale, we behold the universe. How was it made? What caused it to become? The famous quantum physicist Max Planck noted that everything material in the world – all that we become aware of or attached to – is sourced in our consciousness. In some intelligent minds, consciousness and creation are one and the same thing.  So what is it about human consciousness that leads us into becoming highly spiritual creatures? Some may become atheists, while others may become religious extremists. In any event, spiritual consciousness packs great power to move people, groups, and nations. It even directs our not-always positive domination over other species on earth. The absolute answers about the power of consciousness are unknown.  There are some clues!

Human consciousness, from early birth-awareness to blissful experiences, lays down the track on which the train of life rides.  What we experience becomes our basis for learning, and learning is simply the pathway to consciousness.   Personal value systems are built on consciousness.  In Buddhism all experiences are said to be positive/pleasurable or neutral/sometimes boring or negative/suffering.  Such schemas present satisfaction, dissatisfaction and what lies in between the two as the norms of an impermanent system of life. Personal values are based on pleasure vs pain; we seek pleasure, and do almost anything to avoid pain. The power of human consciousness to mold us and direct our thoughts, emotions and behaviors is almost beyond the mind-brain’s ability to understand. The realities of time and space are experienced via our consciousness. All this consciousness-raising about self, others, values, materialism, desires, fears, good, bad – even spiritual consciousness – traps us into belief systems and emotional-behavioral tendencies to seek out the consciousness we desire to be true.  We may place the power of consciousness in others: spiritual or religious leaders, gurus, power-people, etc. Thus the source of our own right consciousness comes often from the outside.  However, in the world’s major spiritual traditions and formal religions, the absolute source of consciousness is within us. Much like the source of happiness lies within us and our responses to whatever we experience in life. There are important leaders in the spiritual/religious worlds, but they are not the true source of your personal consciousness. The great Indian spiritual master, N. Maharaj noted that people need to allow peaceful inner quiet in order to know the self and not just the experiences of the self. This implies that personal desires/cravings and avoidances are simply based on what we want and do not want. To go beyond typical awareness, one needs to be alert but in quiet attention. This process is no simple matter. The great Buddhist master T’song-kha-pa meditated in a cave for five years to get to know and understand his mind.  Mindfulness about consciousness and its experiences lies at the core of many Buddhist practices. Vedanta, perhaps the oldest spiritual tradition in India, noted that true, ultimate reality was located and experienced inside the self. One must move beyond duality and into the transcendent world of subtle energies. The typical “I/ME/MINE” in the West – and its extreme forms of narcissistic entitlement – are light years away from true consciousness of the self. We need calm humility to be with consciousness; Saint Francis of Assisi noted that if god could work though him, god could work through anyone.

So to be whole in our consciousness, in our transformations, we need to let go of fear and insecurity.  We need to be brave in facing what consciousness brings to us. We need to let go of ego-driven desires to be in pleasure, happiness, and joy forever. We need to act with compassion toward others. We need to inquire deeply: Who am I? Why am I here? How/where do I find the light.  Eventually,we need to move beyond all duality and into oneness – oneness with complete grace. We need to explore what the great Indian poet Tagore noted as one’s heart listening to the whisperings of the world. When we listen and respond to the whisperings, we find ultimate love. Yes, even ultimate love is simply another consciousness.  A consciousness we humans like a lot.

As you read through this information, do your best to find your own personal meanings and paths into improved being at your emotional and spiritual levels. Understanding and using consciousness as a good tool is not so simple.  Have courage to let go of material things as representing your true value. Spirit-consciousness and eventual onenesss are within you – deeper within you.  Enjoy your journey! Be calm and kind.

For more information refer to Chopra, D. (2014). The Future of God: A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times. New York: Harmony Books, pp. 211-282.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

CLICK HERE  or any image below to Order 

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

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Filed Under: ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, Book Review, Deepak Chopra, Featured Tagged With: DEEPAK CHOPRA, DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, REVIEW, THE FUTURE OF GOD

November 28, 2015 By Admin

Deepak Chopra Ideas on “The Future of God”

Deepak Chopra Ideas on “The Future of God” – Part 1

futureofgod_mindful-happiness

Deepak Chopra’s new book, The Future of God… (2014) presents some very challenging perspective on spirituality, atheism, and formal religion.  Here I will simply present some paraphrased details and my own ideas on these topics.

Basic Foundations

Human beings have special talents for searching and finding spiritual systems to become part of. We crave the reality of some higher power to have faith in.  Questions about: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my ultimate purpose in this life? Why do I suffer? Is there a GOD? Even an intelligent view of the tao of the universe suggests that there must be “something” higher out there if not within. Our primary search begins within – the god spot in the brain, the heart, the soul.  We need to find something larger, greater than ourselves to believe in.  We crave a spiritual awakening to find truth – our personal truth and a higher truth.  The peak experience of being in spirit lies only in the present moment experience. Perhaps we are trying to fill a deep hole of inner emptiness, or just trying to make sense of the troubled world and the vast universe of all things in the Ten Directions. Ultimately we HOPE our beliefs and faith will lead to some form of salvation, liberation or true centering inside the core of our self.  Mainly we seek safety, protection, security, inspiration happiness, and success within our own being and within our many groups (family, friends, partner/s, ethnic and racial group, nation, world beings). Ultimate we hope belief in something bigger will lead to less suffering, less boredom, and more happiness. We will stop at nothing – even cruel beheadings and the suffering of The Crusades – to validate that our belief (our god, gods, systems) are the true paths to salvation.  In the end, however, we seek serious and complete transformation – transformation that leads to inner peace, fulfillment, soulful feelings, compassion, higher consciousness, and transcendence beyond the beyond. Beyond any ego-based self.

To be successful in the pathway we must have strong faith. Our faith is highly personal, often unjustified, and requires our complete attention and participation. Our faith sometimes lands us into spiritual places (inside, outside)  where we hope to find deeper meaning.  It requires NO scientific proof, just strong faith and regular practice. The “Dark Night of the Soul” has something to offer all of us. Perhaps The Bhagavad Gita is correct in noting that faith originates in MINDFULHAPPINESS_TheBhagavadGitaperceptions of the mind – mental objects that place “I/Me” at the center of movement toward a more true and secure identity. Then we must pay attention to Mother Theresa’s questions.  Agnus Bojaxhiu noted that although Jesus has special love for all people, she experienced only “silence and emptiness.” How did she go on and on to help others?  What about wisdom?  Wisdom often supports faith in that we learn knowledge and practice in the hopes of making things better for ourselves and for others. Our acts of goodness and compassion take root in the seeds of deep wisdom – wisdom pushed on through faith. From the Buddhist perspective, it has been noted that The Buddha was the master of afflictive spirituality, general dissatisfaction in life.  Surely, meaningful life goes beyond simple pleasure and pain; surely, meaningful life includes detached attachment, acceptance of impermanence, no-self (aggrandizements), and the compassion of fearlessness in the vast emptiness. Whether it is through the teaching of Jesus or the Eightfold Path of The Buddha or other deeply spiritual teaching, we can achieve some level of spiritual satisfaction even in this materialistic, troubled life we live.  Spiritual belief, faith, wisdom, regular practice, and compassionate actions – all lead us to deeper personal spiritual experience.

In the end of our energetic searching, let’s hope that spiritual faith and wisdom-like actions lead us to patience, kindness, generosity, humility, emotional regulation, sincere truth, and inner peace with joy.  Yes, this would be great outcome for all our efforts.  See part 2 coming soon.

For more information refer to Chopra, D. (2014). The Future of God: A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times. New York: Harmony Books, pp. 1-142.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

CLICK HERE  or any image below to Order 

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

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Filed Under: Book Review, Deepak Chopra, Featured Tagged With: BOOK REVIEW, DEEPAK CHOPRA, DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, THE FUTURE OF GOD

October 24, 2015 By Admin

Mindful Walking Meditation

Mindful Walking Meditation:

How to Walk by Thich Nhat Hanh – A Powerful Short Book of Wisdom

In my opinion, Thich Nhat Hanh and The 14th Dalai Lama are the two most important and wise teachers of mindfulness, meditation, compassion, and Buddhism in the 21st century.  Below I will offer my interpretation of Thich Nhat Hanh’s new book. At the same time, I will attempt to distill thich-nhat-hanh_MindfulHappinesshis wise instructions about how to walk.  The post will end with a short segment on formal walking meditation.  My agenda here, is to write my comments so they may be useful to both lay and Buddhist practitioners.


Part 1: The Basics of Walking with Mindfulness

Here we’ll review instructions on how to make any walk a mindful walk.  Settle in and take a few calmer, slower, deeper breaths.  Use your intention to prepare yourself for walking.  As you lift your foot, inhale; as you place your foot (heal first) on the earth, exhale.  Remain silent – just breathe and walk.  Deeply appreciate the solid mother earth under you.  Focus complete attention on the act of walking, thus relieving your mind of the need to think, evaluate, associate,tell stories, etc.  Concentrate fully on the present moment of touching the earth.  You arrive with each step. Allow mind to follow body with breath – feel your inner peace and joy.  Adding a peaceful smile may improve your Mindful Walking ; Mindful Happinessexperience of “just walking.”  Reflect on your gratitude for your moving legs, beating heart, working lungs and being on solid ground.  Allow your walking body to liberate your mind from the incessant tangles of daily life.  Bring your attention back to focused walking each and every time your mind wonders off into something/somewhere else. Notice your inner peace – feel it gently.  Value and respect it. Give great appreciation for your bodhisattva ways (helping others).  You may want to imagine that you are walking with the Buddha’s fee – being one with the Buddha.  Be one with the peace and joy of walking slowly, effortlessly, lovingly. Walk this way more often at work, at home, outdoors, etc. (See pages 1-50 for more details.)

Part 2: More Details and Depth on How to Walk

Notice great ease as you allow your breath to lead your walking body.  Continue to concentrate of how the moving body/legs feel; this will reduce distractions in the mind. You may walk alone, with others, or imagining others are with you (ancestors, friends, people you love, the Buddhas, etc.).  Feel their wonderful energies. Walk in honor of them and mother earth, and all those who have walked here before you.  Since enlightenment and nirvana cannot be understood as mental concepts or perceptions, just allow the body to walk in mutuality with the breath, the mind, the earth. Bring full mindful attention to the feelings of walking; be the awareness – stay present and return your mindful awareness if/when it moves away.  No past, and no future – just the present moment “here now.” Notice internally – there may be subtle or strong feelings of deep peace, compassion, and wisdom – even possibly love.  As you walk, observe, feel, and appreciate everything that appears in the present moment of movement. Allow yourself to forget the past and the future – the past cannot be changed, and the future gives you little control over it.  While walking adopt the Buddha’s view that practice is non-practice and attainment is non-attainment. Be effortless! Just walk – BE the moving body, the quiet mind, the inner peace, the silent joy.  (See pages 51-97 for more details.)

Part 3: More Formal Walking Meditation

Building from the earlier parts of this post, prepare your intention for formal walking meditation practice. Complete a few calm, slow, deep breaths. Place hand/arms in front, behind, or by your sides. Hold your head level and allow a gentle gaze 2-3 feet in front of you. Pay close attention to walkingmeditaion_mindfulhappinessthe feelings in the body – lifting the leg inhale then placing the leg on solid earth exhale. Breathe the movement, peace, and joy – all in unison. If/when your mind distracts or goes elsewhere, gently and lovingly bring your focus back to just walking. No self-criticism. Be silent! Smile! Count your breaths if it helps.  It will be more relaxing if you extend the exhalations slightly longer than the inhalations. This will activate your vagal nerve network and bring more calmness. You may want to add a brief mantra to your walking: “May I breathe and walk in peace.”  Other phrases may help:  “in and out,” “deep and silent,” “I smile and let go,” or “my wonderful present moment.”  Make up what you want to say if helpful, or say nothing.  Just concentrate on feelings of movement and touching the earth. Slow down; speed up.  Walk at the pace you desire. Do what work best for you.  Bring breath, mind, body, joy and self together – fully integrated in the act of walking meditation.  Take personal refuge in your walking.  Attend to the outside, but feel the inside. Be the walking; be the peace; be the joy! Hold strong gratitude for your walk, and appreciate all aspects of this meditation practice.

For best experiences, consider walking meditation outside in the natural environment.

Be like the Taoists; be in nature’s beauty.  Enjoy! (See pages 99 – 117) for more details.)

Nhat Hanh, Thich (2015). How to Walk. Berkeley,CA: Parallax Press.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

CLICK HERE  or any image blow to Order 

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Filed Under: Book Review, Featured, Nhat Hanh Thich, People, Walking Meditation Tagged With: BOOK REVIEW, DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, HOW TO WALK, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, MINDFUL WALKING, NHAT HANH THICH, WALKING MEDITATION

September 26, 2015 By Admin

The Awakened Introvert: Practical Mindfulness

Mindful Happiness Book Review

The Awakened Introvert: Practical Mindfulness skills…  By Arnie, Kozak, Ph.D.

Dr. Kozak begins his book noting the processes of mind that often cause people to suffer.  Critical judging, unhelpful story telling, over-attending to past suffering or losses and angst about possible future realities (the brain’s default mode), and the-Awakened-Introvert_Mindful-Happinessauto-pilot inattention to important often positive present moment experiences, etc. Readers are then lead gently into the many documented benefits of regular mindfulness practices/skills, and the differences between emotional reaction (limbic brain) versus emotional response – a Jon Kabat-Zinn concept about balancing executive controls and mind-body homeostasis.  Soon we are taught how to invite peaceful quiet into our busy, stressful, hurried, introverted lives.  Although Kozak’s emphasis here is on mindfulness interventions for introversion, virtually all the mindfulness-based skills and practices noted in this helpful book apply to all people.

The book also includes various helpful quotations from many famous people (Gibran, Eliot, Emerson, Rilke, etc.). These quotations help to set up foundations for mindful learning and practices.  In one place we are asked to create personal quietude via using information about who, what, where, when and how.  What helps, and what does not help? Among it’s many practical skills and tips, the book presents practical wise-mind means to improve mindfulness and happiness: the social decision calculator (To go? To stay home? To go for a short time?); the personal pitch – a brief way to “pitch” yourself to strangers; and, helpful information about various communication styles. And, yes, it is just fine to practice the peace and quiet of solitude when you are not up for social engagement.

Kozak’s book presents many mindfulness-based energy-related practices that support both personal solitude and social interaction: walking meditation, yoga, even reading about mindfulness.  A very creative technique – mind screening – is outlined here.  This creative addition to the body scan, allows you to categorize your thoughts (mental objects) into subjective and objective mind-experiences.  Subjective, internal processes include thoughts, visual images, bodily sensations, and emotional experiences; objective, external processes include seeing, hearing, and noticing things outside of the body and mind.  Mind scanning instructions are quite helpful. You may be sitting, standing or lying on a comfortable surface. First make a formal intention to remain present while you

Dr Arnie Kozak

Dr Arnie Kozak

breathe in a deeper and slower manner – continue until you realize you are now more calm.  Do a quick body scan to dissolve any existing tensions and remain in the present moment – no past or future orientations.  Notice what you see; notice what you hear; notice images; check into the mind; and, allow emotions – BUT simply notice and identify present experiences in a neutral manner. No evaluations or stories or associations, or time-travel to past or future. Simply perceive your present experience in a neutral manner.  Since this ability is often an emotional self-regulation goal of regular mindfulness practice, starting your practice early is powerful and wise advice.

Among other helpful skill-based interventions, the book ends with a brief and clear exploration of Buddhism (The Four Noble Truths and The Eight Fold Path). This section helps readers to become more motivated to pursue mind-training with goals of more calmness, more living with ease, and more happiness.  Since  the noted skills and practices are mindfully-authoritative and practical, this is a highly recommended book.

CLICK HERE to head to Amazon for your copy!

Mindfulness Author, Teacher and Therapist – Dr. Arnie Kozak


By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

CLICK HERE  or any image blow to Order 

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Filed Under: Book Review, Featured, MIndfulness, Mindfulness Training Tagged With: DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, DR ARNIE KOZAK, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, THE AWAKENED INTROVERT

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Mindful Happiness Posts

Stress in America – On the Rise – The American Psychological Association recently completed its national survey on stress in America.  Stress in America for adults is on the rise! I will review below a selection of reported percentages from the 2015 survey (published in 2016). 1)  Younger people are more stressed; Xers and Millennials […]

Happiness Path  – The 14th Dalai Lama His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama has suggested, among many other important things, that humans may experience true inner happiness by regular practice on the path to enlightenment. In his 2012 book, From Here to Enlightenment, he noted that personal happiness may be attained via specific behaviors and ways of […]

Mindfulness Defined… There are many definitions of mindfulness.  Here I have combined several popular views into one.  This definition and process may be helpful to readers who cannot quite grasp what it is, what it feels like, and what steps can make it happen.   Good luck in your regular practices!   Mindfulness is: Paying […]

Mindful Solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux Earth Protectors The Standing Rock Sioux earth protectors are fighting earth destruction, environmental degradation, oil profiteering, and corporate greed.  Yes, I suppose finding huge reserves of crude helps many people become employed in the Dakotas. This is important. But other earth-wise activity (more solar for example) would be far […]

Mindfulness and Concentration –  Experience Differences In this post I will explain some basic differences between mindfulness and concentration, both of which are required for effective meditation practice.  This will be the first of three posts dealing with what mindfulness and concentration are, how to experience them briefly in a body-based activity, and how to […]

Making the Best of the Holidays Thanks to Sounds True, we have many good suggestions for making the most of the holidays.  It is a norm for the holidays to be happy and joyous, and it is a norm for many people for the holidays to be filled with emotional and behavioral challenges.  To reduce […]

“Ignorance” of Requirements Could End Your Clinical Career Recently various insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare fraud cases have been in the national headlines. Although these fraud cases grab headlines, the truth is that many clinically licensed helpers still do not understand clinical/legal documentation requirements.  In Buddhism, “ignorance” gets in our way; we never approach true liberation […]

Use of Breathing Techniques – Do a Polyvagal Test First Polyvagal Test The polyvagal theory (S.Porges) and polyvagal functions are complex, highly important, evolutional processes with powerful influences on human survival, overall physical health, and emotion regulation.  The tenth cranial nerve (from scull base to anus) functions in various ways, the most important of which […]

An Advanced View on Meditations on Emptiness An earlier post on the Dalai Lama’s book, Meditations on the Nature of Mind, ended with suggested meditations (my own personal contemplation’s) about emptiness.  I will first review those contemplations.  Contemplate deeply on what emptiness means personally to you.  Contemplate about a time when you received a glimpse of personal emptiness. […]

Tips for Improving Your Mindfulness Practices The following practices may improve your mindfulness skills.  It all depends – it all depends on whether or not you will do regular, daily practices.  If you desire to improve your mindfulness skills, consider following the tips noted below.  Most of the practices below involve sitting meditation.  Likewise, regular […]

Using Your Compassionate Mind in Psychotherapy For you to become a more compassionate therapist, follow the details noted below. These preconditions, skills, and practices are required as a baseline for  compassionate practice. You need the ability to access calmness in an environment of emotional suffering, chaos, or conflict.  Most people do this by breathing in […]

Human Needs and Spiritual Experience and the Need for Supportive Rituals From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont Recently the Human Givens Blog in the United Kingdom presented a post about human needs.  I will paraphrase their information as well as information from other sources for Mindful Happiness.  Having such […]

What is Mindfulness  – The Nature of Mindfulness This is an expanded second post on the nature of mindfulness.  This post will begin with secular understandings, and end with basic spiritual path information.  Generally mindfulness is a wide-ranging process with a special noticing quality.  It focuses the power of attention leading to improved concentration.  Mindfulness […]

Mindful Loving Can Improve Relationships The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), Pema Chodron, David Richo and many others have provided us with helpful advice about improving the quality of our significant relationships.  The Dalai Lama in various writings reminds us that to have true compassion for others – including those we love – we must […]

Brain Habits –  Helpful Vs Unhelpful Nora Volkow, MD, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse ( video below)  has noted that people suffering from addictions may experience some dysfunction in in brain areas related to personal motivation, reward recognition, and inhibitory controls.  Neuroscientists have utilized various brain imaging techniques to document this possibility in addicted individuals.  These […]

Human Beings Have Trouble BEING Human – Some Sound Advice from Dr Anthony Quintiliani The world today appears to be even more destructive than ever before in human history.  However, historians and violence researchers inform us that we as average persons are safer today than we were in the past.  Finger-tip access to world-wide media […]

Psychodynamics of Alliance – Therapeutic Relationship Enhancement This post includes basic considerations, processes, and clinical skills necessary for developing a strongly positive clinical alliance and therapeutic relationship in therapy.  Here the alliance is required for any substantial change in psychotherapy, and the therapeutic relationship rides the quality of the initial alliance to expand and inter-penetrate […]

From The Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation We humans have a unique way of perceiving and processing emotional experiences.  Years ago I developed a formula to understand the perception and  process of emotional experiences: CABS-VAKGO-IS/Rels.  The C stands for cognition; we spend a great deal of time thinking about pretty much everything we […]

In Times of Uncertainty; Clinical Practice H. Colodro and J. Oliver provide sound advice in their new book, A Guide to Self-Care for Practitioners in Times of Uncertainty. This 2020 New Harbinger publication is loaded with helpful suggestions on surviving, even thriving, in our time of struggle. Their core questions include: What do my clients need most […]

How to Offer Personal Tribute to Those Who Have Died The Four Noble Truths tell us sobering news. There is suffering, and impermanence of all things including us and our loved ones. Below I have listed several thing you can do to HONOR a person you have lost.  Here is the list. Recall a special […]

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