Finding the Center Within: The Healing Way of Mindfulness Meditation

EEn......Page 0
Finding the Center Within - The Healing Way of Mindfulness Meditation......Page 1
Copyright Info......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
TOC......Page 9
Preface - Calm in the Storm......Page 11
Integrating The Spiritual And The Psychological......Page 12
Which Spirituality? Which Psychology?......Page 15
Our Journeys......Page 17
A Retreat In Daily Life......Page 18
How This Book Is Organized......Page 19
How To Use This Book......Page 20
Language And Anonymity......Page 21
Part I - The Key......Page 23
Pushing The Stone Uphill......Page 25
Look At Life’s Curveballs......Page 27
Open To Abundance......Page 28
Escape From The Future......Page 29
Become Aware Of Fragmentation......Page 31
Recognize Disconnection......Page 33
Recognize Disconnection In Time......Page 34
Sometimes We Need Separation: Jerry’s Story......Page 35
Find Your Roots......Page 36
Negative Emotions And Low Self-esteem......Page 38
Relationships: Great Expectations......Page 39
See Yourself As A Flower......Page 42
Practice For Week One......Page 43
2 - Week Two - Find A Path To The Center......Page 45
Mindfulness......Page 46
Work With Three Kinds Of Experiences......Page 47
Killing The Buddha......Page 50
Accept Your True Face: John’s Story......Page 51
Acknowledge All Your Experience: Joe’s Story......Page 52
Reclaim Your Authority......Page 53
Release The Illusion Of Control......Page 55
See That The Island Is Beautiful......Page 56
Practice Radical Acceptance......Page 57
Discover No Self......Page 59
The Purpose Is To Be Fully Alive......Page 61
Abandon The Chase......Page 62
Practice For Week Two......Page 64
Part II - The Door......Page 65
Befriend Your Inner Life: Kate’s Story......Page 67
The Meditative Attitude......Page 68
Meditation Is A Natural State......Page 69
Remember Who You Are......Page 70
Peace Is The River......Page 71
Coffee-break Attitude......Page 72
Finding The Discipline......Page 73
Practice Meditation As Self-love......Page 74
Refuse To Compare: Betty And George......Page 75
Find A Comfortable Position......Page 76
Set The Stage......Page 77
Use A Timer......Page 78
Move Mindfully During Meditation......Page 79
I’m Sitting: Now What?......Page 80
So Here’s What To Do......Page 81
Common Problems In Getting Started......Page 82
Encourage Yourself......Page 87
Use Gathas......Page 88
Breath, Body, Thoughts, And Feelings......Page 89
Practice The Four Immeasurable Minds (brahma-viharas)......Page 91
Inner Light Meditation......Page 93
Practice Walking Meditation......Page 94
Take Refuge......Page 95
Start An Inspirational Bookshelf......Page 96
How Do I Know Which Approach To Follow?......Page 97
Enjoy Your Practice......Page 98
Practice For Weeks Three And Four......Page 99
4 - Week Five - Bring Meditation Into Your Life......Page 101
Change The Channel......Page 102
Saturate Your Life......Page 103
Slow It Down A Notch......Page 104
Learn The Art Of Wu-wei......Page 107
Begin And End The Day Intentionally......Page 109
Find Bells Of Mindfulness......Page 110
Allocate Attention To Centering......Page 112
Examine Your Environment......Page 114
Let Your Peace Return To You......Page 115
Stay In Charge Of The Task......Page 116
Devote A Day To Mindfulness Practice......Page 118
Connect With Your Tradition......Page 121
Practice For Week Five......Page 122
Appreciate What Is......Page 125
Practice Nonattachment......Page 128
Follow The Eightfold Path......Page 130
Practice Right Action......Page 133
Be Aware Of What You Take In......Page 134
Lower Your Threshold Of Pleasure......Page 136
Give Up The Struggle......Page 137
Protect Yourself......Page 139
Be Free To Be Yourself......Page 140
Avoid Roadblocks......Page 141
See Everything As Alive......Page 143
Practice For Week Six......Page 144
Part III - The Path......Page 145
6 - Week Seven - Work With Dreams......Page 147
Spiritual Bypassing: Tim’s Story......Page 148
Look To Your Dreams......Page 149
Respect Your Dreams......Page 150
Remember Your Dreams......Page 151
Understand The Alternative View......Page 152
Become Aware Of The Symbols......Page 154
How To Work With Dreams......Page 156
Identify The Archetypes......Page 161
Encounter The Characters Of Your Dreams......Page 162
Anima And Animus......Page 163
Become Acquainted With Your Shadow......Page 164
Contact Your Wise Old Man/wise Old Woman......Page 165
Look Beyond The Personal......Page 166
Explore The Transformation Of Dream Characters......Page 167
Explore Water As The Boundary Of The Unconscious......Page 168
Trees As A Symbol......Page 169
Value Synchronicity......Page 170
Know Yourself......Page 171
Practice For Week Seven......Page 172
Sadness And Worry: Barbara’s Story......Page 173
Learn The Lessons......Page 174
Recognize The Need For Self-care......Page 175
Calm The Feelings......Page 176
Look Deeply At The Root Of The Problem......Page 178
Look Deeply At Your Thoughts......Page 179
Don’t Make It Worse......Page 180
Barbara’s Story Continued......Page 182
Understand Schemas And Complexes......Page 184
See The World Afresh......Page 185
Eleven Schemas......Page 186
Bring Mindfulness To Your Schemas......Page 188
Nurture Yourself......Page 190
Look Deeply At Your Behavior......Page 191
Send Yourself A Love Letter......Page 194
Take Care Of Your Anger......Page 195
Care Now: Decide Later......Page 197
Identify Anger Thoughts......Page 199
Transform Anxiety......Page 200
Practice “maybe It Will Be Okay”......Page 202
When Do I Need More Help?......Page 203
Practice For Week Eight......Page 205
8 - Week Nine - Cultivate Healthy Relationships......Page 207
Invite A Change Of Heart......Page 208
Open Your Heart......Page 209
Metta Meditation......Page 210
Develop True Self-love......Page 211
Love Yourself And Then Others......Page 213
Pinpoint Your Resistance......Page 215
Examine Your Relationship Skills......Page 216
Listen Deeply......Page 218
Put Beliefs And Attitudes Aside......Page 219
Become An Active Listener......Page 220
Reflect Before Dispensing Advice......Page 222
Cultivate Loving Speech......Page 223
Develop Skillful Speech......Page 224
Sometimes You Have To Hiss......Page 229
Encourage Loving Action......Page 230
Identify What Loved Ones Truly Want......Page 231
Express Appreciation......Page 232
Learn To Let Go......Page 233
Open To A Different Reality......Page 234
Practice For Week Nine......Page 235
Create A Vessel......Page 237
Create The Time......Page 239
Examine Your Busyness......Page 240
Keep It Constructive......Page 241
Keep It Private......Page 242
Make A Quiet Space......Page 243
The Felt Sense......Page 244
Build A Memory Bridge......Page 245
Use Stream-of-consciousness Journaling......Page 246
Inner Guide Journaling......Page 247
Listen To Your Wise Inner Self......Page 248
Patiently Untie The Knots......Page 250
Dialogue With Significant People......Page 251
The Other Person Is You......Page 252
Find Your Creativity......Page 255
In Essence......Page 256
Practice For Week Ten......Page 257
Part IV - Arriving Home......Page 259
A Western Buddha-Dharma......Page 261
Wholeness Rather Than Holiness......Page 264
The Prime Directive......Page 266
Practice For Weeks Three And Four......Page 269
Practice For Week Five......Page 270
Practice For Week Seven......Page 271
Practice For Week Nine......Page 272
Practice For Week Ten......Page 273
Sources and Readings......Page 275
Index......Page 279