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Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

MINDFULNESS

The Practice
Of Being Present
To the
Gift of the PRESENT

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

Awareness - Mindfulness
Being Present to the present

There are two ways to wash the dishes. The first is to wash the dishes in order to have
clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes
Thich Nhat Hanh (Zen Buddhist Master)

Introduction

This is part of a series of brief notes designed to complement presentations to


trainees on a Personal Development Group on a Doctorate in Counselling
Psychology as they journey inward guided by some Trans-Personal and Holistic
ideas and concepts. Previous notes have looked at Buber’s theory of encounter,
Four Essential Truths with Four Choices and three turnings of the Buddhist Wheel of
Dharma, Four Levels of Conscious Being, Breath Awareness – A Secure Base and
the Power of Unconditional Presence.

The note on Unconditional Presence gave two examples of consciousness based on


the ocean. It stressed that our thoughts and emotions are like tiny islands in the vast
ocean of our awareness / consciousness and that we tend to focus too much on the
islands and not on the ocean. These notes will briefly examine the wisdom of
focusing more on the ocean of consciousness; it will look at how the practice of
mindfulness is rooted in many cultures and traditions and its growing impact on
Western Psychology. However, it will focus mainly on its roots in Buddhism and
attempt to provide some useful tips for practicing mindfulness.

The Roots of Being in the Present Moment

The notion that thoughts are like islands on the vast ocean of consciousness is
rooted in Indian philosophical Psychology, but what have other cultures to say about
this idea. Well the ancient sages of Hinduism, the Buddha, the ancient shamans of
the Celtic Tradition, the Desert Fathers of early Christianity, the mystics of the Middle
Ages and the Sufis of Islam have all advised us about the wisdom of focusing on the
present moment. The ‘practice’ of focusing on the ocean of consciousness is
variously called; the practice of awareness (Hinduism), mindfulness (Buddhism) or
the Practice of the Present Moment or Awareness of the Heart (Christianity). For
many in the West, and particularly those who have some knowledge of psychological
practice, the term ‘Mindfulness’ is probably most familiar.

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

Awareness - Mindfulness

One of the most important Eastern contributions, both to the spiritual path and to
psychoanalysis, is that of mindfulness, the word used in Hinduism is ‘awareness’.
This has some association with Gendlin’s concept of focusing. But what is
mindfulness? Mindfulness, or to put it more correctly ‘right mindfulness, is one of the
eight limbs of the right path in Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh (1998 p64) stresses that
this is one of the most important paths and notes that Buddhist psychology stresses
that ‘we are always giving our attention to something’.

In Eastern teachings the mind is likened to a chattering monkey that is always


jumping around and very difficult to control. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that
mindfulness is the practice of giving our attention to the present moment thus giving
us the opportunity to have right thoughts and right actions. In this way we are always
present to what is going on in our body, psyche and spirit. His earlier work (1987) is
devoted entirely to the practice of awareness and is considered by many to be a
classic in this field.

Van Waning (2002, p100) in her contribution to the exploration of Buddhism and
Psychotherapy, examines the concept of mindfulness and concludes that this is a
very important contribution in that it offers the vital practices of ‘ attention,
concentration ,awareness in the challenge of being ‘awake’ and unprejudiced right
‘here’ for both the other and yourself’.

Mindfulness is not only an Eastern concept but one that has always been present
amongst the mystics in western societies. Ishpriya Mataji once shared these words of
Meister Eckhart, a medieval German Pastor, concerning wisdom. They strongly
reflect the ethos and practice of mindfulness spoken of in the East. Eckhart said
‘Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole
heart, and finding delight in doing it’ This advice needs to be based in the
understanding that wisdom is considered to be at the centre of the spiritual quest.
Wisdom is ‘true knowledge and must not be confused with mere academic learning.
Knowledge is deeper and more holistic.

The importance and value of the ‘practice of mindfulness,’ is being increasingly


acknowledged by Western Psychology. Mindfulness is essentially a conscious
awareness and focused attention of the present moment and it provides a wonderful
basis on which to build life and is an excellent aid to good practice and good
reflection. It speaks of that ‘presence to the present’ which is certainly a powerful
component of any therapeutic relationship. At the simple Body-Psyche level, it
encourages and develops our ability to more clearly understand the variety of
thoughts and emotions that can impact and effect our day-to-day emotional and
physical well-being. For many, mindfulness is also a spiritual practice. In any event,
how can mindfulness become part of our daily life and Practice ?

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

‘It is important that we begin to recognise and understand the difference between thoughts and
reflections’. Ishpriya Mataji

One way of beginning this process of developing mindfulness was conveyed to me


during a conference talk in 1995 by Ishpriya Mataji. She reminded all present to
beware of the almost universal tendency to hurry, to get on with the pressures and
endless deadlines of the modern world. These are counter-productive in any attempt
to develop a truly reflective practice. These words of Ishpriya Mataji reflect an
important aspect of the practice of focusing and awareness. ‘It is important to slow
down the physical if one wants the psychological and spiritual to do likewise’
Before examining this statement it is important to note that this doers not contradict
the importance to some of regular and focused exercise, such as running, swimming
and walking. This statement is aimed at the mindless and frantic pace of much of
modern life.

Now, there are many ways of achieving this ‘slowing down’ which is the initial and
important prelude to developing mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh exhorts disciples to
take delight and be mindful in the everyday events such as, drinking a cup of coffee
or peeling an orange. Two common methods of developing the ‘practice’ are the
awareness (the watching) of breathing and the inward repetition a mantra for a
period. Both assist in being present to the present moment. I find breath awareness
and the practice of Zen walking – a form of meditative and very slow walking- to be
most beneficial. All these practices begin to slow down both physical and
psychological and assist us to learn the value and wisdom of being more present

As previously stated, Mindfulness is one of the eight limbs on the Marga or Path that
is the fourth of the Buddha’s Four Essential or Noble Truths. In fact it is the 7th limb
on the Marga but many Teachers, and particularly Thich Nhat Hanh, teach it as the
3rd essential element on the path to realisation. Mindfulness is a practice (Sadhana)
that is at the heart of Buddhist Psychology and philosophy. Thus non-judging mindful
awareness of what ‘floats up’ into the ocean of our awareness is one way of
explaining the Buddhist concept of (Right) Mindfulness. The Sutra of Mindfulness
puts it like this:-

‘When walking, the practitioner must be conscious that he is walking. ‘When sitting,
the practitioner must be conscious that he is sitting. ‘When lying down, the
practitioner must be conscious that he is lying down…….. No matter what position
one’s body is in, the practitioner must be conscious of that position’.

This is a rather long quotation but is essential and one worth both reading and
reflecting upon. However, this is only the beginning of mindfulness. Mindful attention
is the beginning of this Practice. It is the bridge between genuine reflection and real
presence (UP); in fact it can incorporate elements of both. It is important that we
begin to recognise and understand the difference between thoughts and reflections.

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

If the path be beautiful, do not ask where it leads. Anon

Many practitioners confuse these and merely record a stream of thoughts with little or
no reflection. This can be ‘corrected’ by mindful attention. This is because; beginning
to direct mindful attention to (for example) our thinking allows us to begin to really
notice the difference between thoughts and awareness.

Part of our normal human experience is to identify totally with our thoughts, feelings,
memories etc and thus become prisoners of our conditioned mind. This prevents us
from accessing those deeper parts of our consciousness which are often referred to
as our ‘soul’. Remember the Greek for soul is ‘psyche’. This ‘soul’ part is where
thoughts begin to slow down and become a gentle and whispering silence. Here we
can become self-reflective – a gift which (as far as we know) is unique to humans. It
is our reflections that can begin to ‘free’ ourselves from the conditioned mind.

Mindfulness supports and encourages the important practice of living in the present.
Modern psychology confirms and affirms that much of the distress and confusion of
life is caused by living either in the past or the , which cannot be changes, or in a
future, which may never come to fruition. Therefore living in the present is one of the
great fruits of the practice of mindfulness or awareness and this is probably why
Western Psychology has so gratefully and eagerly adopted it.

Some Helpful Hints for Beginners. Mindfulness Practice is extremely difficult.


Understanding the difficulty, accepting it gracefully and with gentleness is the
beginning of the practice of mindfulness. Like all great practices it is best to proceed
slowly, with compassion and understanding of self. Little is accomplished by either
willing the end or trying to ‘force’ our mind to be aware of the present. Previous
notes and exercises in this series have outlined the practice of mindful breathing and
the beginnings of mindful focusing. These are essential foundations on which to
further develop the practice of mindfulness.

Initially, we can easily become distracted and therefore it is important to find a


‘secure base’ from which to travel out from and return to during our practice,
particularly when distracted. Most Teachers recommend the practice of breathe
awareness. With practice we can develop the ability to be both attentive and present
to the coming and going of thoughts, memories, emotions, imaginations, physical
sensations etc. These are the islands on our journey through the ocean of
consciousness. Over time they can lead to insights into emotions and greater
physical awareness. This leads us into the ‘territory’ of felt senses and edge of
awareness and beyond.

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

Some additional helpful points for beginners now follow;

• A first step for beginners is to begin to slow down and develop the practice
and awareness of breathe, leading on to your own pattern of ‘square’
breathing.

• Then (perhaps) a simple 5 minute exercise being aware of the 3 zones –


Outer World, Inner World and World of Imagination and Dreams.

• Then begin merely to practice pure recognition i.e. recognition without


judgement. Feelings whether compassion, irritation (good or bad – our own
labels) need to be acknowledged and welcomed.

NOTE: - This is similar to the Humanistic Phenomenological Rules of


Horizontalisation and Description in fact the 3rd rule of Epoche
(bracketing) also applies)

• Remember, when feelings are negative this can be difficult. If so, begin
merely to focus on the ‘current state’ of your mind. Watch it quietly and gently
in a self-transcendent way and under this gentle unconditional presence, it
will reveal its true source and nature. This leads to great insights and healing.

• Being disciplined and regular in some form of mindful attention takes time and
effort.

• Another helpful practice (but not directly related to mindfulness) is to develop


the skill of focusing. Although Gendlin’s focusing strategy is not mindful
meditation, it does have some connections with the practice of mindfulness,
not least its emphasis on the need for attentive, patient compassionate
companionship (a form of Unconditional Presence) and the need to be
mindful of the three Phenomenological Rules.

Deepening the Practice As you progress in your practice you will begin to notice
how much more quietly and quickly you can begin to slow down. To deepen your
practice you may wish to try one or more of the following, these are all well
recognised and recommended practices:

• Take time – out several times a week to practice 5 minutes Zen Walking. This
is often referred to in Zen Buddhism as ‘kinhin’. It involves paying great
attention to the body whilst walking very slowly. If you are interested in this
practice you need to be shown it and then to practice it. Trainees could
contact the author of this note who could either show them and/or give them a
simple handout outlining ‘Kinhin’


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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

• Practice having a ‘mindful’ bath or shower i.e. take about half an hour in a
bath or at least 10 minutes in a shower. Be aware of cleaning each part of the
body.

• Practice making and having a cup of coffee – at least a half hour practice.

• Set aside a half day or (if you can manage it) a full day for mindfulness. If you
like nature, then get out into the countryside.

• Have a set period for silence, be it merely 15 minutes – building up to a day of


silence.

All the above help to ‘train’ the mind into becoming more awake and more aware!

Some Connections with Western Approaches Whilst Mindfulness or


Awareness is a practice rooted mainly in the East and amongst esoteric Western
Spirituality, it has increasingly influenced many psychological and therapeutic
approaches. Some of these are more directly connected than others. The following
(not exhaustive) are some definite examples:

• Gendlin’s Focusing Strategy has some very direct links connection with this
practice. It is used to assist clients to access their felt sense to understand
and deal with anxiety, stress, addictions, interpretations of dreams etc.

• Much of Transpersonal Therapy and particularly Integral Psychology make


use of this practice, as do Jungian psychology.

• Psycho synthesis with its emphasis on the connection of mind – body and
spirit and the importance of being attentive to all these , certainly recognises
its importance

• CBT has (perhaps) made more direct emphasis and claims to its use. This is
particularly true of its use in the ‘treatment’ of stress, anxiety and some
addictions. Some notable applications are Kabat Zinn’s Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction ( MBSR) Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy ( MBCT)
and Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention ( MBRP)

• A less obvious but definite link (used by the author of these notes) is its links
with Solution Focused Brief Therapy. Here it is useful to encourage clients to
slow down and ‘notice’ things – a brief form of mindfulness.

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

You can only change what you understand. What you don’t understand, and are not aware of,
you repress, you don’t change. But when you understand it, it changes’ Tony de Mello

Some Final Notes As noted, the practice of mindfulness/awareness has


connections with Gendlin’s Focusing and has been widely adopted by Western
Therapy, particularly by Jungian Psychology, CBT, and many of the
existential/transpersonal approaches. There is evidence to show its effectiveness in
stress, anxiety and general relaxation (mostly used in CBT) and in deeper self-
transcendent awareness (Integral Psychology a Trans-Personal approach). There is
increasing evidence concerning the therapeutic advantages of mindfulness for a
large spectrum of psychological issues. The website http://www.mindfulnet.org list
over 500 Research Papers that cover issues such as ADHD, Addictions, Blood
Pressure, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Eating Disorders, Stress Reduction and
Visual Sensitivity, to name but a few.

The practice of awareness/mindfulness has many fruits, not least its power to bring
deeply buried things into our awareness where we can then begin to understand
them. This is the point made by the quote above from Tony De Mello. However,
when we approach the whole area of mindfulness, it is important to note the
following.

• The Western ‘addiction’ to achievement and its over-emphasis on theory and


the cognitive are the biggest blocks to the practice of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is more rooted in the humanity’s natural and inherent ability that
has been nourished and kept alive by Eastern and Aboriginal cultures. As
with all practices from the East, whether it be the many forms of Yoga, or
Sadhana (spiritual exercises) or awareness / mindfulness; we do not set out
to achieve anything! This is the challenge and paradox of all Eastern spiritual
practices.

• We are disciplined and regular in our practice

• We are gentle with ourselves and apply Unconditional Presence to our inner
relationship

• Mindfulness / is NOT a guaranteed quick fix.

• In many clients, the practice of awareness initially heightens anxiety, agitation


and even despair. This can be due to the dissonance between the self-
concept and the real self. For many the long held ‘false beliefs’ are being
questioned and challenged by the mindful attention to the present, thus the
‘falsehoods’ of the past and the fears of the future are being pushed away.
However, we humans are prone to hang on the our ‘habits and sometimes we
resist change and hold on to the familiar. Thus our decision can be summed
up in the familiar expression ‘ better the devil you know’

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

‘ Sitting still, doing nothing, Spring comes and the grass grows’ Thich Nhat Hanh

• Several years of Practice may be required to achieve life-long insights and


benefits – a concept that is ‘foreign’ to our quick fix society with its
predilection to fast fixes, fast food and demanding quick and easy solutions to
complex issues.

• Practitioners need to be fully aware of, and have some experience of, the
above before they embark on guiding clients in mindful practice. For real
understanding it is important that practitioners have some training or better
still a Teacher/ Guide.

It is hoped that these notes provide a useful background and introduction to the
practice of awareness/mindfulness. Finally, Mindful Practice when developed is one
method of Meditation. The following is a quote that describes the state of
consciousness that is meditation – referred to as Dyana in Sanskrit.

‘Return within to the place where there is nothing


And make sure that nothing comes in with you.
Penetrate to the depths of your self.
To the place where thoughts no longer exist
And make sure that no thought raises its head
For there where there is nothing is fullness
There where nothing is seen is the vision of being
There where nothing appears any longer
Is the sudden appearance of the self (the spirit)
Dyan (meditation) it is this’
From Ishpriya Mataji ( Return to the Source)

For it is in that ‘place where there is nothing’ that true awareness, true mindfulness
can emerge. Although ‘this place’ is the ultimate fruits of mindful practice we can
find that , in our journey towards this place, lesser, but extremely helpful, fruits
emerge into our consciousness and positively impact on all aspects of our life.
Because awareness rises up from our basic level, through our felt senses and thus
deeper understanding of our real self begins to emerge.

Peter Creagh (Jan 2011)

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© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness
Personal Development:- The Practice of Mindfulness

Bibliography
Gendlin,E ( 2003). Focusing , London, Rider

Ishpriya Mataji (various). Private Audio Tapes of various Conference ( Pravachans) talks 1995 to 2010 at Die
Quelle ( The Source House and Sadhana Ashram ) Decantskirchen, Austria

Ishpriya Mataji and Peter Creagh : - private correspondence and meetings between 1992 and 2010.

Ishpriya Mataji Return to the Source – An Introduction to Meditation – Double CD available from ISA
Communications www.international-satsang.org ( under Media)

Kabat-Zinn , J ( 2001) Full Catastrophe Living: How to Cope with Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness
Meditation , Piatikus Books

Kabat-Zinn , J ( 2004) Wherever You Go, There You are: Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life, Piatikus
Books

Mearns, D and Thorne , B ( 2000). Person Centred Therapy Today. London, Sage

Merry, T ( 2003). The Actualisation Conundrum – Person Centred Practice Vol 11 No 2


(p85) Ross-on-Wye. PCCS

Pas, J. F (2000). The Wisdom of the Tao – Oxford, Oneworld

Thich Nhat Hanh (1987). The Miracle of Mindfulness . London. Rider

Thich Nhat Hanh (1998). The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching. London. Rider

Van Waning,A.( 2002) A mindful self and beyond: sharing in the ongoing dialogue of Buddhism and
psychoanalysis in Young- Eisentrath,P and Muramoto, S ( eds) ( 2002). Awakening and Insight – Zen
Buddhism and Psychotherapy. Hove, England , Brunner-Routledge.

Young- Eisentrath,P and Muramoto, S ( eds) ( 2002). Awakening and Insight – Zen Buddhism and
Psychotherapy. Hove, England , Brunner-Routledge.

Welwood, J ( Ed) (1983) Awakening the Heart East/West Approaches to Psychotherapy and the Healing
Relationship Shambala ,Boston

Wilber, K ( 2001) No Boundary - Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth Shambala, Boston

Acknowledgements

My gratitude to the many people I have met on this journey into that ‘inner place’ . Fellow -
travellers, trainees, clients and friends who have shared , both their stories and ,their journey
with me. To my wife Angela, who is one of the most reflective practitioners I have ever met.
Last, but not least, to Ishpriya Mataji a true guide and mentor who has taught me so much that
is of benefit and whose example and teachings permeate my practice. All of these in sharing
their stories have touched and informed my story.

Heartsease Training, Shifnal Shropshire email : - petercreagh43@virginmedia.com 10

© 2011 - Peter Creagh, Trainer, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor UKRC
mindfulness

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