Mindfulness is defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, as a particular way of paying attention: On purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmental. With such a simple definition (to pay attention to the present moment intentionally and without judgment), one would think that this practice is open and easy for all to participate.
It is open to all, but it’s called a “practice” for a reason. Like other skills we develop, mindfulness asks us to practice many times a day in both formal and informal settings.
You may be asking, “Jennie, why do you suddenly care about this shit?”
My interest in meditation / mindfulness was born out of an 11th step Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Santa Monica, California. I started attending the meeting, say once a week, and found that my life changed. Not that life immediately got better, but I began to notice things I hadn’t noticed before. I liked the idea of trying to be a “meditator,” and could manage five-to-seven minute silent stretches in the mornings. Eventually I participated in a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention program at University of Washington (ah-mazing!), and developed a formal meditation practice. In both the AA meeting and the MBRP group, I’d sneak looks at other meditators. They were super peaceful. Zenned out. Often, I felt like I was “doing it wrong” because my thoughts were so noisy. But before meditation, I didn’t realize that thoughts were thoughts, no matter how noisy they may be.
Experts estimate that we think between 50,ooo-70,ooo thoughts per day. This article on Huffington breaks it down to 35-48 thoughts per minute. When I first started to sit in formal meditation, all I could hear was the steady stream of thoughts yelling in my brain. I struggled to return to the sound of my breath. I started to hate meditation.
Here are some common misperceptions about Mindfulness and meditation. For ease of reading, I’ll address each one as we go.
“Once I start meditating, I try (or it’s possible) to push all thoughts from my head.”
Like that Huffpo article’s estimate illustrated, we have a shit-ton of thoughts. And as Kabat-Zinn mentions in his super simple definition of mindfulness, the only intention of mindfulness is to pay attention to what’s happening right now, without judgment. Super challenging, I know. However, if what’s happening right now is one of those thousands of thoughts, and you have the ability to say, “oh look, I’m having a thought,” then you’re doin’ it Peter!
“I meditate so that I feel different (better, relaxed, focused, etc.).”
Once again, intention is everything. The intention in practicing mindfulness is to pay attention to right now (without judgment). Yes, it’s true that you might feel different/better/relaxed/focused/etc. once you’ve finished your practice, but that’s an awesome byproduct of the practice. Think of it like eating. The truth is that you eat because you’re required to do it to continue being alive. It’s only a nice byproduct that we’ve figured out how to make food taste great.
“When I see other people meditate, they’re so peaceful!”
Please believe me when I say this. We are not always on the inside what we are on the outside. Like in my yoga class – there are times where I’m holding a Warrior 2 pose, and I know I look fab because those obnoxious mirrors are there for me to double check my fab-ness, but my legs are on fire and my brain is saying, “forget this, straighten your legs, legs are burning, legs will fall off, what are we doing after this? why is that girl’s warrior so much better than mine? how much longer do we have to hold this? I think I forgot to unplug the curling iron. I’m thirsty. I’m uncomfortable. I’m I’m I’m.” And I look at that mirror and see my calm and smiling face, and am reminded of how we’re all carrying so much shit on the inside that we don’t share with anyone.
Every. Fucking. One of us.
“I don’t have time for meditation (or mindfulness).”
If you think of it as “making time” to practice, you’ll inevitably face failures. Time is a made up thing. A social construct. Yes, we have to live by it, but you can create the time/life you want to live. If you build it into your schedule, like you do brushing your teeth and taking a shower, you’ll be successful in developing a regular practice.
“I’m not into mindfulness.”
You are into it, you just don’t know it yet. In the comments portion of this post, I invite you to share about the last moment where you experienced happiness. Pure, unadulterated, joy. Answer these questions:
- What were you doing in the moment?
- What did you notice about that moment?
- Who did you share the moment with?
On a piece of paper, or in an app or whatever technologically savvy thing you want to do, write the answers to these questions now so you can keep reading. I’ll wait. In fact, I’ll put a picture here so you can think through the questions without being influenced by what I’m about to say (I don’t know if that’s possible to keep from scrolling down but lets try it out, right?). Seriously. DO IT NOW!
Okay, done?
Research shows that we are happiest when we are living in the moment. Here are just a few of my happiest moments from 2015.
- Kayaking on the Puget Sound in the middle of a jellyfish party. The water was like tapioca. With people from a MBRP training.
- Riding our Ruckus for the first time. Wind on my face. Sunset. Alone.
- Watching the sunrise at a Vipassana Retreat in Onalaska, WA., after a two hour morning meditation. Noticing the sky changing. Noticing the thought, “the only reason the sunrise, or anything, is beautiful is because it changes.” Alone.
- Snowboarding with Hubs. Witnessing him fall and get right back up without missing a beat. Experiencing the emotion of pride and gratitude filling my chest. With Hubs.
- Snowboarding Whistler Mountain. Feeling the powder beneath my board as I bomb down the hill. Listening to Charles Bradley. Alone.
- Laughing. Seriously, any moment where I’m laughing. When I’m laughing, I’m usually with someone, or connected in some way.
We can all work on a mindfulness practice together, and dig deeper into the science and practical experience of meditation. For now, because this post must end, I encourage you to adopt a mindfulness practice for the next two weeks (until my next post!). Here’s all you have to do.
Notice 5 Things
Once or twice a day, notice five things about what’s going on in the present moment. The things you notice can be witnessed through:
- Sight
- Sound
- Sensation (Bodily)
- Hearing
- Taste
Notice one thing with every few breaths until you get to five, noticing all the qualities of that one thing. Do your best. When your mind wanders, thank it for working so diligently for you, and welcome it back to this present moment.
Let me/us know how it goes.
*Also, sorry for the late update. I’m experimenting with auto-update and it was an epic failure. I will be more mindful of it next time 🙂
Becoming Jennie 
martin0451
January 20, 2016
Jenny, Doing nothing is hard, Thinking nothing as you said, pff. I will try!
Bill Murphy
January 20, 2016
Hi Jennie,
Great post. (Of course, you probably knew I’d dig it.)
You write well. And you have a fine grasp of this subject matter.
Mindfulness is hard to achieve because we are all given to possessing a “monkey mind,” which is the Buddhist term for the “shit-ton of thoughts” you mentioned. It’s a mind that jumps from branch to branch, chattering all the way. When monkey mind arises, let the thoughts be. Let them jump and chatter. The more we try to quell the frisky primates, the louder and more obnoxious they get. Part of being in the moment is sitting with a monkey mind. Why? Because that’s what’s in the moment. 🙂
Eventually, the monkeys will quiet themselves. It’s like our cat, Larry. If we pay attention to his naughtiness, he wins. So we ignore him until he stops whatever nefarious thing he is doing to get our attention.
I’m game to answer your questions:
___
I invite you to share about the last moment where you experienced happiness. Pure, unadulterated, joy. Answer these questions:
1, What were you doing in the moment?
In all likelihood, it was a moment that had something to do with music. Perhaps, I was at a concert. When I’m watching a truly great band – especially the guitarist or a killer vocalist – I get this look on my face, like a guitarist makes when he/she is wailing away on the fret board. I sort of just watch, with my mouth forming a smile, and my eyes wide, riveted. Iron Maiden can do that to me. So can Peter Gabriel. Or Alice Cooper. Or Paul McCartney. (Especially Paul McCartney!) When I’m watching those people on stage, I am moved to the point of tears because I know I’m standing in the same room with masters of their craft.
But that totally-in-the-moment feeling can also occur when I’m listening to a CD or watching a music video. Progressive Rock can get me lost in the moment. Stuff like Yes or early Genesis or Dream Theater or ELP or Kansas or early Rush.
But I can also get a riveted-in-the-moment feeling from listening to the Rat Pack, or watching their concert videos. One-of-a-kind talent, never to be seen again. That stops me dead in my tracks. I HAVE TO watch and listen.
Ditto for Adele. When I watch her sing “When We Were Young” or “Hello” I get all choked up. I know I’m hearing/seeing a very rare talent. (Can’t wait to see her in Michigan this fall.)
So when I am most blissed out, it’s likely when I’m standing in the presence of greatness, almost always in a setting that involves music.
2. What did you notice about that moment?
I notice that I can’t take it in fast enough, that I don’t want it to stop, that this particular moment in history will not be repeated – ever.
For example, I saw Thin Lizzy warm up for Journey (with Steve Perry!) in 1979. I saw Queen with Freddie (!) in that same year. I saw Peter Gabriel on his Secret World Live tour. I saw Rush debut A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres.
Not one of those events will never happen again. And I knew it at the time.
Since those days, I have honed my ability to pay attention to each moment. (I was about to write, “special, precious moment,” but I deleted those words…they’re judgments. In Zen terms, I “made something.”)
Now, when I go to a concert (the last big one was Paul McCartney at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan), I watch everything – the band, the audience…everything. I take it all in.
I noticed that the more I allow each moment to flood over me, the more I become one with what’s happening. The dualism of I and you fades. All previous thoughts and worries disappear. It’s just me and the moment.
3. Who did you share the moment with?
For the last 13 years, my wife.
Prior to that, most likely friends and/or girlfriends.
___
Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn was once asked, “What is correct Zen meditation?” His answer was something like this, “Correct Zen meditation is how do you keep your mind moment after moment after moment.” In other words, being seated on a cushion is one thing. But when you get up and walk into the next room, is your mind focused? Is it clear? Can you maintain that clarity even when you’re standing in a line at the DMV? Or waiting to get a hot dog and a beer at the ball field?
Zen Master Seung Sahn taught “Don’t-know Mind.” Which is asking, “What is it? Don’t know” moment after moment after moment. That helps us maintain anew the clarity of each moment, and every one that arises in turn, allowing each to just be.
There’s one thing your post didn’t mention: What is the purpose of mindfulness? Why bother paying attention to each moment?
But this is your gig. I’ll let you share your talent, training, and passion with us in subsequent posts.
Thank you for writing about this subject. It’s a rare person who gets it…and even rarer who can explain it so simply.
Cheers,
Bill
P.S. I apologize for writing so much in reply. I won’t want to take up your time, or your readers’ time like this in future posts. I guess I just got caught up in – you guessed it – the moment. 🙂
becomingjennie
January 20, 2016
Bill – I so appreciate your sharing in such detail – no post script apology necessary. I found myself wrapped up in the moments you described, thinking about Peter Gabriel and Rush and the joy of witnessing music.
I also appreciate your noting that I didn’t mention the purpose of mindfulness. Great note. It’ll make a wonderful update!
Of your entire post, I think this was most striking to me:
“I noticed that the more I allow each moment to flood over me, the more I become one with what’s happening. The dualism of I and you fades. All previous thoughts and worries disappear. It’s just me and the moment.”
Brilliant (judgment of mine, but a thought I’d like to share).
runningwithturtles
January 20, 2016
Warning: Meditation can have negative side effects for some
In meditation you connect to your internal space and depending on what you stored in your internal space meditation may release emotional and mental blockages, from abuse and traumatic images to unprocessed anxiety, grief or anger. Several researchers described this side-effect of meditation:
1. Kutz et al. (1985a,b) described meditation side-effects such as sobbing and release of hidden memories and themes from the past: incest, rejection, and abandonment.
2. Other adverse effects described (Craven, 1989) are uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations, mild dissociation, feelings of guilt and, via anxiety-provoking phenomena, psychosis-like symptoms, grandiosity, elation, destructive behaviour and suicidal feelings.
3. Shapiro (1992) found that 62.9% of the subjects reported adverse effects during and after meditation and 7.4% experienced profoundly adverse effects. The length of practice (from 16 to 105 months) did not make any difference to the quality and frequency of adverse effects. These adverse effects were relaxation-induced anxiety and panic; paradoxical increases in tension; less motivation in life; boredom; pain; impaired reality testing; confusion and disorientation; feeling ‘spaced out’; depression; increased negativity; being more judgmental; and, ironically, feeling addicted to meditation.
References
KUTZ, I., BURYSENKO, J.K. & BENSON, H. (1985a). Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response and mindfulness meditation, American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, pp. 1-8.
KUTZ, I., LESERMAN, J., DORRINGTON, C., MORRISON, C.H., BORYSENKO, J. & BENSON, H. (1985b). Meditation as an adjunct to psychotherapy, an outcome study, Psychotherapy Psychosomatics, 43, pp. 209-218.
SHAPIRO, D.H. (1982). Overview: clinical and physiological comparison of meditation with other self-control strategies, American Journal of Psychiatry, 139, pp. 267-274. SHAPIRO, D.H. (1992). Adverse effects of meditation: a preliminary investigation of long-term meditators, International Journal of Psychosomatics, 39, pp. 62-67.
From:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Can_meditation_have_negative_side_effects
becomingjennie
January 20, 2016
Thank you for bringing up a very good point. Again, meditation is not meant to make someone “feel better” – as detailed in my post. Meditation and mindfulness is the act of paying attention to what is happening in the present moment. If an individual is dealing with uncomfortable emotions, then meditation will help them to notice those emotions. That is not to say that meditation “caused” these uncomfortable emotions. Kristen Neff talks about emotional backdraft – the challenging complications that might occur when we first begin meditating. When we first begin to let our emotional experience exist without suppression or judgment, it might feel like opening the door to a room filled with fire. Fortunately, that fire won’t kill you.
Thankfully, there has been a bounty of research over the last 20 years (these studies listed here are all 30+ years old) detailing the benefits of meditation and mindfulness that outweigh the downfalls. But I appreciate your thoughtfulness around alerting readers that mindfulness has the potential to allow meditators to notice uncomfortable feelings.
Out of my Comfort Zone
January 21, 2016
Recently I found Dr. Wayne Dyer, I have been dealing with some of the same issues you’ve delt with and have been dealing with in your life (just in different circumstances; obviously).
One night, when I was dealing with some of my issues, I was looking at random crap on YouTube, I think I was watching some clips of the games Jimmy Fallon plays on the Tonight Show to cheer me up and try to cloud out my reality.
I don’t really remember how I found one of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s videos, but I think it came up on the right side of YouTube, you know – one of the many choices that YouTube throughs up at you to draw your attention away from what you are watching.
Dr. Dyer wrote “Your Erronous Zones” and other books, he’s actually a motivational speaker, but he’s nothing like Tony Robbins or other motivational Speakers. He doesn’t yell at you and make you walk on hot coals, so you can prove to yourself that you are special.
Dr. Dyer was spiritual without pinning himself to one religion. Although, after reading and listening to more of his works I think he leaned towards Christianity, even though he also spent many years devoted to the ‘Tao’ a Chinese Religion / Philosophy. He often speaks about the Tao.
The Tao has a lot to do with Meditation and Spirituality and how meditation can assist you in bringing peace within yourself.
IF you want to look him up, all you have to do is Google – ‘Dr. Wayne Dyer’. I will offer you a YouTube Link that I often listen to, it’s basically full of simple truths that are often right in front of us, but we don’t see.
Take Care,
Jennie
becomingjennie
January 24, 2016
Love this… thank you for sharing!
Stefan Ulrich
February 3, 2016
hi Jennie. love this man and its lifeworks too, there is a film-this movie2c (youtube.com/watch?v=Yo_UA2l9ZkY) and reflect about .nikkinova shared quite recently after Wayne’s r.i.p.! death in a time, i was/am still coping with my grief about losses of family (myDad) and a friend(artgalleryBoss i had when i lived not in germany.- counting 2 this..please forgive my sometimes confuzius-written thoughts, thinking in german and trying 2 write down proper english words ). let me say something 2 your written words in here about meditation (4now MED.!). when i was around 15 years of age, i had my experiences in practising 4 myself all different kind of styles about getting myself 2 a state of trance. like in the zen MED. i experienced after giving myself a mantra (equal what 1, what everybody who does it has another 1). I was trying it with music. in this time i was hearing a lot of calm sounds from the artist ‘Kitaro’. Once i was so deep inside my state, time was irrelevant. i couldn’t say, if it was half an hour, or from the feeling 3 hours(somehow drugs can simulate this kind of feeling, too-but 2 handle its not easy-better not 2 handle this with addy-substances-just the natural reached state is the best!) actually i remember that it was just an hour of deep relaxation, i was feeling very fine afterwards.. the experience was going so far, that when i came out, i was having this feeling that my left hand was thumb, or even like cut off, without any pain… in this times i was curious about the world and was reading a lot of books about psychology and yoga(i cannot do my Lotus-sitting!) and MED.. This kind of time, i stayed about 2 years in…and then with nearly 18, came times 4 me, living a bit like a rebel 4my next 3 years( somehow my info and read input i had, i was too much 4 myself and i wanted 2 go out and feel more of the world!)…But even in this times, i always had a crush on keeping it simple and normal. let me say- i got so strong about all(aries calling!)- in times 2 day, i have friends who drink quite a lot, but it isn’t reflecting on me even if it could because of happenings worlwide and familywise. Yesterday 4 example, was at a friend(warm home!!)-quite a beer drinker… he has had 10 half liters, i had 1 and switched 2 colaMix..maybe its why i honor mobility over drunkenness- i live in the german countryside-hard 2 cope with just a bicycle..( in spain, when i lived there, it was fine with a bike, but there happened a crazy accident @goldenmile marbella which changed things 4 me- too much 2 say about me and more accidents, -maybe another time i write!) lets go again onto the topic meditation. 4 me, even with or without a mantra, the goal 2 reach is nothingless, means if you meditate- a mantra is fine, but the mantra should lead the way into the full soul meditation(2 let the inner chakra pulsate inbetween a high and low frequency), which i think is a state of an orgasm of nothing, its like 0 degrees celsius inbetween the 2 different states of hot’nCold.. That state i have right now, writing these lines 2 you.. sitting in mi casa, the heating in the house gets repaired, outside is 0 degrees(with bit of powderSnow just came down) my fingers are freezing and typing ,in the background is Mr. Dr. Wayne Dyer talking…funny how writing is relaxing..- i wait 4 the repairs on my heating will be done.. ok, hope you’re fine.. now a written word of my soul!! dancing might be a proper MED. if there would be a time , where all humans join 4 a dance, it would be the dance against wars. 4 the worldpeace! a happy time PL from me: https://youtu.be/k_5DuWqp0iY?list=PLxSbtxpIzv9afd6pXYQG8HMmw7RuTnfU7 a nice moment out of last summer, after a night through @gardenfire, i couldn’t see this sunrise without filming( i am a photographer and creative!) normally the best moments always are nearby and just 2 see –not 2 record, but i often have the urge, 2 record&archive things, 4 others 2 c how beautiful things can be!https://youtu.be/fEhbcXb4Mpw! lets close this lots of words with this vid, and the saying–would be fine and very nice 2 read more from you Jennie–equal in what ways your blog will go for 2016..always a pleasure 2 get updates of well being from you and others, even if not known yet personally. a creative imaginary friend from middle-europe, stef
becomingjennie
February 3, 2016
It brings me a tremendous amount of joy to imagine you sitting in your home in the German countryside, sharing with me thoughts and contemplations on meditation. I love that we’ve been connected throughout the globe and that we can sit together in living rooms.
Thanks for the continued support Stef. xo
foofoo5
January 24, 2016
Pardon me, runningwithturtles, but you need to step into the new world of biogenetic & epigentic psychiatry, where identified & unidentified (i.e. yet to be specifically determined sources, though we have determined their influence) factors are being discovered as essential factors in processes we believed were purely “volitional,” but are, in fact, biologically mediated as well. Case in point, from the Annals of the NY Academy of Science, January 21, 2016, “Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.” Black, DS & Slavich, DM. The abstract reads:
“Mindfulness meditation represents a mental training framework for cultivating the state of mindful awareness in daily life. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in how mindfulness meditation improves human health and well-being. Although studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can improve self-reported measures of disease symptomatology, the effect that mindfulness meditation has on biological mechanisms underlying human aging and disease is less clear. To address this issue, we conducted the first comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials examining the effects of mindfulness meditation on immune system parameters, with a specific focus on five outcomes: (1) circulating and stimulated inflammatory proteins, (2) cellular transcription factors and gene expression, (3) immune cell count, (4) immune cell aging, and (5) antibody response. This analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity across studies with respect to patient population, study design, and assay procedures. The findings suggest possible effects of mindfulness meditation on specific markers of inflammation, cell-mediated immunity, and biological aging, but these results are tentative and require further replication. On the basis of this analysis, we describe the limitations of existing work and suggest possible avenues for future research. Mindfulness meditation may be salutogenic for immune system dynamics, but additional work is needed to examine these effects.”
Finally, it seems to me ironic that that the “dangers” and concerns thirty years past are the goals and, in effect, “journey” of focused self-introspection today: to identify the issues that prevent us from planning, implementing, and achieving the goals to better ourselves & seeking the help necessary to do so. For the record, my intention is to educate and not belittle; the “brave new world” is upon us, for the good!
becomingjennie
January 27, 2016
This. Thank you foofoo!
Mr. Math
January 29, 2016
1. What were you doing in the moment?
I was at a math conference at Towson University north of Baltimore to present my paper. I was walking the campus which was almost empty because it was the middle of summer.
2. What did you notice about that moment?
The architecture and lay out of the campus was incredible. It seemed perfectly planned out to maximize both the aesthetics and ease of movement. There was a cohesiveness and unity about every structure from the buildings to the brick steps, as if one mind had conceived of it and built it within an instant. There was no one else around like it was all there just for me. I had a feeling of absolute contentment.
3. Who did you share the moment with?
My brother and two friends (and you).
Charlie Fuhro
February 1, 2016
Hi Jennie. As a part of my Eleventh Step work, I got involved with something called Contemplative Outreach (www.contemplativeoutreach.org). The group is headed by a Father Thomas Keating, a Roman Catholic priest and deals with something they call “Centering Prayer”. It sounds a lot like mindfulness to me, except that it’s concerned with spiritual principles and prayer. They have centering prayer groups all over the country, and the program has spread from the Catholic churches to the Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Baptist churches, at least in my area. The program is non-denominational, and they even have programs that go along with the Twelve Steps. I just though I’d mention it in case you’d like to check it out. If you do have a chance to look at what they offer, I’d be interested to hear what you think about it.
becomingjennie
February 1, 2016
Thanks for the suggestion Charlie! I’ll check it out for sure!
Bill Murphy
February 2, 2016
Good Morning Jennie,
Charlie opened up a wonderful topic.
While researching my book on love I discovered the delightful, energizing world of mysticism and contemplation and their importance to love. (Fr. Thomas Keating is one of the proponents of contemplation; only Keating calls it Centering Prayer.)
My most exciting discovery was the late Catholic Contemplative Thomas Merton, who is the link between religions traditions (primarily Protestant, Catholic, and Buddhist). If you want to read about a guy who seems to be the key to all sorts of interfaith/inter-spiritual dialogue, seek out Merton. He was a monk who lived in the monastery of Our Lady of Gethsemani near Louisville until his death in 1968. He was nuts about Zen (see his comments regarding D.T. Suzuki, for example) and was friends with the Dalai Lama. Despite being a cloistered monk in a silent monastery, he wrote dozens and dozens of books, corresponded with people all over the world, and left behind a legacy that influences people to this day.
If you want to read Merton’s story, in his own words, try The Seven Storey Mountain. It’s one of the biggest-selling autobiographies ever written. He was a fascinating guy.
If you’d like to read Merton’s thoughts on contemplation or inter-faith dialogue, try these books:
– New Seeds of Contemplation
– Contemplation in a World of Action
– The Hidden Ground of Love: The Letters of Thomas Merton on Religious Experience and Social Concerns
– Signs of Peace: The Interfaith Letters of Thomas Merton
– The Wisdom of the Desert
Centering Prayer and Contemplation are both akin to mindfulness and Zen meditation because they all have to do with sitting still in a room, alone or with others, and being quiet.
NOTE: Merton is a rabbit hole down which you may find yourself tumbling. He was a devout Catholic, and made no bones about it. Yet, he was also a bridge builder who – as I wrote – embraced Zen in a big way. In fact, Merton wrote this to D. T. Suzuki on March 12, 1959 (quoted in The Hidden Ground of Love.):
“I have my own way to walk, and for some reason or other Zen is right in the middle of it wherever I go. So there it is, with all its beautiful purposelessness, and it has become very familiar to me though I do not know ‘what it is.’ Or even if it is an it.’ Not to be foolish and multiply words, I’ll say simply that it seems to me that Zen is the very atmosphere of the Gospels, and the Gospels are bursting with it. It is the proper climate for any monk, no matter what kind of monk he may be. If I could not breathe Zen I would probably die of spiritual asphyxiation.”
Read that a few times and let its import sink in. It’s huge.
Anyway, I just thought I’d share a little Merton with you. Blame Charlie. He opened the door. 🙂
Cheers,
Bill
becomingjennie
February 3, 2016
Bill, thank you for the book recommendations, making a new friend (Charlie!), and the beautiful quote from Merton. Something about “If I could not breathe Zen I would probably die of spiritual asphyxiation,” so moves me. More to chew on.
Charles Fuhro
February 3, 2016
Hey Bill, you can blame me anytime you want, my friend. Happy I was able to open the door to Merton for Jennie. I’ve read a bunch of his Merton’s and the guy is AWESOME!! Centering prayer fits in very comfortably with mindfulness. And it works particularly well for me when I do a walking meditation in nature (I consider myself to be a nature mystic. I can always find my God or Higher Power in the beauty of nature). Thanks for sharing a bit more on the subject. I really appreciate your input.