MINDFULNESS
COPING WITH STRESS & ANXIETY :
Due to the demands of modern society, many people are allowing stress, worry and anxiety to get the best of them.
Under duress, people make emotional knee-jerk decisions and sometimes say or do things that they later regret.
Opportunities are often missed, interpersonal relationships become damaged, and in some cases, unchecked stress, worry and anxiety can result in a clinical diagnosis.
Thirty-five years ago a new coping mechanism was introduced, called “Mindfulness”.
Mindfulness is a meditative approach to relieving stress, worry and anxiety based on fostering a moment-by-moment awareness of a person’s thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations.
Mindfulness teaches that when a person is focused on the present, the pressures associated with past worries or future anxieties become mitigated.
BUDDHIST ORIGINS :
The term "mindfulness" is a translation of "sati", a word in the Prakrit language of early Buddhist texts which connotes "awareness".
Achieving a state of "mindfulness" is an essential part of Buddhist practice and is the first factor of the "Seven Factors of Enlightenment". In Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is utilized to develop self-knowledge and wisdom that gradually lead to what is described as "enlightenment", the complete freedom from suffering.
The modern Mindfulness movement has sought to create a secularized version of "sati" for the purpose of promoting mental health.
Click here to understand the difference between Buddhist-inspired mindfulness and the Kabbalah-inspired approach of Mental-imagery Based Stress Management (MiBSM).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sati_(Buddhism)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Enlightenment
MEDICAL STUDIES :
Psychological Studies have shown that Mindfulness is an effective therapeutic tool when treating depression, alcoholism and drug addiction.
Studies have shown that not only can Mindfulness-based therapies prevent relapses of depression akin to some anti-depressant drugs,
but what's more, Mindfulness can even effect significant reductions in physical pain like that of morphine.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mindfulness-therapy-depression-anti-depressants-mental-health-research-meditation-a7003546.html
http://time.com/4108442/mindfulness-meditation-pain-management/
BENEFITS & POPULARITY :
In the last 15 years, Mindfulness has become an accepted part of the U.S. health system.
Almost every major hospital and university counseling and psychological services department (CAPS) in the country has a Mindfulness program.
Some Health Insurance companies have begun to cover patient referrals to Mindfulness programs and many Medical Schools in the country include an introductory to Mindfulness in their curriculum.
Beyond the realm of medicine, Mindfulness has been proven to:
In order to introduce the benefits of Mindfulness to faculty, staff and students, many universities now sponsor a Mindfulness program as part of their Health and Well-being Initiative.
Companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, eBay, Intel, Nike and General Mills are offering Mindfulness classes as a way to increase levels of employee happiness and productivity.
Due to the demands of modern society, many people are allowing stress, worry and anxiety to get the best of them.
Under duress, people make emotional knee-jerk decisions and sometimes say or do things that they later regret.
Opportunities are often missed, interpersonal relationships become damaged, and in some cases, unchecked stress, worry and anxiety can result in a clinical diagnosis.
Thirty-five years ago a new coping mechanism was introduced, called “Mindfulness”.
Mindfulness is a meditative approach to relieving stress, worry and anxiety based on fostering a moment-by-moment awareness of a person’s thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations.
Mindfulness teaches that when a person is focused on the present, the pressures associated with past worries or future anxieties become mitigated.
BUDDHIST ORIGINS :
The term "mindfulness" is a translation of "sati", a word in the Prakrit language of early Buddhist texts which connotes "awareness".
Achieving a state of "mindfulness" is an essential part of Buddhist practice and is the first factor of the "Seven Factors of Enlightenment". In Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is utilized to develop self-knowledge and wisdom that gradually lead to what is described as "enlightenment", the complete freedom from suffering.
The modern Mindfulness movement has sought to create a secularized version of "sati" for the purpose of promoting mental health.
Click here to understand the difference between Buddhist-inspired mindfulness and the Kabbalah-inspired approach of Mental-imagery Based Stress Management (MiBSM).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sati_(Buddhism)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Enlightenment
MEDICAL STUDIES :
Psychological Studies have shown that Mindfulness is an effective therapeutic tool when treating depression, alcoholism and drug addiction.
Studies have shown that not only can Mindfulness-based therapies prevent relapses of depression akin to some anti-depressant drugs,
but what's more, Mindfulness can even effect significant reductions in physical pain like that of morphine.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mindfulness-therapy-depression-anti-depressants-mental-health-research-meditation-a7003546.html
http://time.com/4108442/mindfulness-meditation-pain-management/
BENEFITS & POPULARITY :
In the last 15 years, Mindfulness has become an accepted part of the U.S. health system.
Almost every major hospital and university counseling and psychological services department (CAPS) in the country has a Mindfulness program.
Some Health Insurance companies have begun to cover patient referrals to Mindfulness programs and many Medical Schools in the country include an introductory to Mindfulness in their curriculum.
Beyond the realm of medicine, Mindfulness has been proven to:
- Enhance people’s emotional well-being
- Promote academic and professional success
- Further people’s interpersonal effectiveness
In order to introduce the benefits of Mindfulness to faculty, staff and students, many universities now sponsor a Mindfulness program as part of their Health and Well-being Initiative.
Companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, eBay, Intel, Nike and General Mills are offering Mindfulness classes as a way to increase levels of employee happiness and productivity.
Copyright (c) 2014 by Adam Stein