More Reflections on the New Year

I caught a cold shortly after New Year's. Staying indoors, bundled up, I've had plenty of time to read and reflect. My New Year's resolutions boil down to this: "Be kinder to myself." One way I want to do this is to be more present.

By now you know that I'm a huge fan of Jon Kabat-Zinn's. I just finished reading his book, Coming to our senses: Healing ouselves and the world through mindfulness (2005). The book is about " ...the challenge of living [life] as if it really mattered" (p.2) -- because it does matter.

Kabat-Zinn believes that, in this age of information technology with its false sense of urgency and "connectivity," we've lost connection with ourselves. This "dis-connection" can lead to "dis-ease" (p. 120). Club Med used to advertise itself as The antidote for civilization. The antidote for information overload is mindfulness -- being present. The author asserted, "It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself" (p. 86). We are talking about a daily practice of mindfulness-based meditation.

Why Meditate?
Different people meditate for different reasons. Some seek relief from their stress-filled lives. Others seek spiritual enlightenment and growth. The best approach is not to seek anything at all, just to be present with whatever comes up. Over time, wisdom and compassion -- for ourselves and for others -- will emerge.

Mindfulness
It sounds simple: "Make more of your ordinary moments notable and noteworthy by taking note of them" (p. 163). Simple, yes. Easy, no.
Kabat-Zinn described various mindfulness practices, including meditation and yoga, in this book and his earlier works. Many organizations offer instruction in meditation. Guided meditation may help reinforce daily practice, especially in the beginning. I just ordered a series of CDs to help get my New Year off to a good start.

Series of Mindfulness-based Meditation CDs are available from Jon Kabat-Zinn at http://www.mindfulnesscds.com


Reference
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2005). Coming to our senses: Healing ouselves and the world through mindfulness. New York, NY: Hyperion.