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Being Critical is Not the Same as Being Aware - Mindful
Self-awareness and Observation
The practice of mindfulness meditation promotes self-awareness. It starts with concentration and observation. Observation is to notice without judgment or interpretation. It demands a form of objectivity without regard to emotions and moods.
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Self-awareness and Observation
The practice of mindfulness meditation promotes self-awareness. It starts with concentration and observation. Observation is to notice without judgment or interpretation. It demands a form of objectivity without regard to emotions and moods.
Detachment
Detachment is the key to effective observation. In mindfulness practice, it requires that you become an observer of yourself. In order to do that, you have to learn to split your attention.
Great leaders are great observers
Modern leadership depends on relationships. Meaningful relationships emerge when you know and understand each other. Observing others is essential for effective communication, interpersonal skills, influencing people, managing group dynamics, and getting buy-in.
Develop your observer skills
Developing your observer-self starts with your choice to pay attention in an unemotional way. Gather information about yourself - how you move, how you feel, the effect you're having on others.
The observer doesn't interpret
The observer is an objective witness that takes in data without making interpretations, judgments or changes. It is not a critic.
The benefit of observing is that you can engage in an emotionally charged debate at work while remaining intellectually engaged, also accessing an emotionally neutral part. You can analyze a situation without getting frustrated.
An observer-self is not robotic
Being an observer-self is not to be emotionally flat or robotic, but a path that leads to better decisions and leadership results. Observation allows you to refrain from getting caught up and lost in stimuli.
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Mindfulness in major religions
Instructions for mindfulness meditations have been found in ancient texts of nearly every major religion, but it's Buddhism that exemplifies best mindfulness meditation: it...
Meditation and healthcare
Meditation has drifted from its religious connections and has been adopted by psychologists, healthcare professionals and other secular organizations as an effective way to deal with the stress and illnesses of the modern world.
3 core components of meditation:
- Awareness: Focus on developing awareness.
- Non-Judgement: Witnessing an experience or sensation without attachment or criticism.
- Peace: Though your feelings are valuable, mindfulness teaches you how to find serenity despite them.
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What mindfulness is
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
What meditation is
Meditation is exploring. When we meditate we venture into the workings of our minds: sensations, emotions and thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation asks us to suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness, to ourselves and others.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
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Reducing Stress
Many styles of meditation can help reduce stress.
- In an eight-week study, a meditation style called "mindfulness meditation" reduced the inflammation response caused by stres...
Controlling Anxiety
Less stress leads to less anxiety.
Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety and anxiety-related mental health issues like social anxiety, phobias and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
Promoting Emotional Health
Some types of meditation can improve depression and help you maintain these benefits.
- Two studies of mindfulness meditation found decreased depression in over 4,600 adults.
- One study found that participants experienced a long-term decrease in depression.
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Essential skills for filtering information
- Mindfulness: the awareness of context and of changes within that context.
- Discernment: the ability to recognize and anticipate the consequences of the patterns around you...
Expectancy Theory of Motivation
3 things must occur for a person to have high motivation for achieving their goals:
- You must believe you can do what it takes to achieve your goal.
- You must believe that you know how to achieve it (you have the proper methods).
- You must believe that the rewards of a particular goal are personally meaningful.
Keystone skills
Those half dozen skills which facilitate the development of other skills. They are foundational to living a life in alignment, to having confidence and clarity, and to becoming a powerful learner and leader.
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Mindfulness
... is a conscious state of calm that evokes an awareness of the present moment.
When you are mindful, you are able to objectively gauge your own thoughts and feelings at a glanc...
Mindfulness alternatives to meditation
- Cleaning
- Walking
- Listening to Music
- Dance
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Coloring
- Conscious Breathing
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Mindfulness meditation
It is based on Buddhist traditions and it's described as "the non-judgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment."
Sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed, focusing on yo...
How meditation works
- Attention regulation. Focused attention for an extended period of time.
- Body awareness. Paying attention to surroundings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
- Emotion regulation. Learning to observe your thoughts and accept them without reactive judgment while refraining from the habitual response.
- Change in perspective on the self.
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Self-Reflection
It's the ability to pay attention to your own thoughts, emotions, decisions, and behaviors.
There are three skills that can be practiced and will lead to better self-reflection:
Openness
It means seeing things for what they are, not what we think they should be.
To cultivate openness, we have to become aware of our misconceptions, default beliefs, biases, expectations and stereotypes about the world and actively try to overcome them. Keeping a Decision Journal is a good way to start.
Observation
It means being able to look at yourself with perspective and distance.
Real-time self-reflection requires us to shift our attention away from what’s happening outside and instead observe what’s happening inside. Mindfulness meditation practice is the best way to cultivate this ability.
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Meditation
Concentration meditation
Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point.
In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind.
Through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns.
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Mindfulness Meditation
It is the process of being fully present with your thoughts, being aware of your surroundings and not reactive to what is going on around you.
Although some prefer to sit in a quiet place...
Transcendental Meditation
The goal of this technique is to achieve inner peace without concentration or effort.
A person is assigned a mantra to repeat in a specific way. It is practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with eyes closed.
Guided Meditation
It is also called visualization or guided imagery, where you form mental pictures or situations that you find relaxing.
It is commonly led by a guide, and practitioners are encouraged to use as many senses as possible to evoke calmness.
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