The Science of Conciousness - The New York Academy of Sciences

The science of mindfulness has been gaining wide acceptance over the last 5 years. You might say mindfulness has reached its "tipping point"  where the idea acts on society like a virus would.  Suddenly everybody 'gets it'.

Jon K-Z has spent more than 30 years introducing mindfulness to the medical profession. He encouraged skeptical and reactionary medical practitioners to teach patients to use MBSR (mindfulness based stress relief) for managing chronic pain, stress and negative emotions.  His efforts have gained credibility for MBSR and brought mindfulness into mainstream medicine.  

The wide acceptance of mindfulness is illustrated byCongressman, Tim Ryan joining the effort and writing a book:

"A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit" 

Book Description

"All across America, people are running faster and faster yet falling farther behind. The economy struggles, wars rage on, and every week brings news of another environmental disaster. Despite this bleak outlook, strands of quiet hope and confidence are emerging. 

People are beginning to face challenges in a new way: they are slowing down, paying attention, and becoming aware of their inner resources.

Based on the timeless practice of mindfulness, the natural capabilities of our brains and minds, and the core American values of self-reliance, determination, and getting the job done, 
this new way is affecting every sector of our society. 


In A Mindful Nation, Congressman Tim Ryan connects the dots between what’s happening in the classrooms, hospitals, boardrooms, research labs, and military bases across the country. 

He explores the scientific findings that support the beneficial effects of mindfulness and shares powerful stories from the field, showing how this simple practice is helping schoolchildren improve their ability to learn, veterans heal from trauma, and CEOs become more effective leaders. 

Ryan also provides practical tips for how to incorporate mindfulness into your life today.

A Mindful Nation paints a picture of emerging solutions that benefit both you and society as a whole, showing us that there is something we can do, right here and right now. 

With a hard-nosed understanding of politics, government budgets, and what it takes to get something done,
Ryan combines a practical approach with a hopeful vision for how mindfulness can help reinvigorate the American Dream."

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Nation-Practice-Performance-Recapture/dp/1401939309

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The role of consciousness in mental and physical health

Becoming Conscious: The Science of Mindfulness

Many of us go through daily life on autopilot, without being fully aware of our conscious experience.

Neuroscientists Richard Davidson and Amishi Jha join clinical mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn to:

1 - explore the role of consciousness in mental and physical health, 

2 - how we can train the mind to become more flexible and adaptable, and 

3 - what cutting-edge neuroscience is revealing about the transformation of consciousness through mindfulness and contemplative practice.



Wednesday, February 6, 2013


The New York Academy of Sciences

This event is part of The Emerging Science of Consciousness Series, which brings together leading experts from various fields to discuss how the latest research is challenging our understanding of the very nature and function of consciousness in our daily lives.


http://www.nourfoundation.com/conscio...


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Nour Foundation
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Zorba the Greek and Nikos Kazantzakis quotes

“Every man has his folly, but the greatest folly of all, in my view, is not to have one.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek


“Let your youth have free reign, it won't come again, so be bold and no repenting.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis


“You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint the paradise, then in you go.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis


“For I realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the great laws of nature. We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek



“When everything goes wrong, what a joy to test your soul and see if it has endurance and courage! An invisible and all-powerful enemy—some call him God, others the Devil, seem to rush upon us to destroy us; but we are not destroyed.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

“Life is trouble. Only death is not. To be alive is to undo your belt and *look* for trouble.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 
“You can knock on a deaf man's door forever.” 
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 

 
“This is true happiness: to have no ambition and to work like a horse as if you had every ambition. To live far from men, not to need them and yet to love them. To have the stars above, the land to your left and the sea to your right and to realize of a sudden that in your heart, life has accomplished its final miracle: it has become a fairy tale.” 
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

“God changes his appearance every second. Blessed is the man who can recognize him in all his disguises.” 
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

 

“Free yourself from one passion to be dominated by another and nobler one. But is not that, too, a form of slavery? To sacrifice oneself to an idea, to a race, to God? Or does it mean that the higher the model the longer the longer the tether of our slavery?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek



“Once more there sounded within me the terrible warning that there is only one life for all men, that there is only one life for all men, that there is no other and that all that can be enjoyed must be enjoyed here. In eternity no other chance will be given to us.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek



“All those who actually live the mysteries of life haven't the time to write, and all those who have the time don't live them! D'you see?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek
 
“the highest point a man can attain is not Knowledge, or Virtue, or Goodness, or Victory, but something even greater, more heroic and more despairing: Sacred Awe!”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek
 

“Look, one day I had gone to a little village. An old grandfather of ninety was busy planting an almond tree. ‘What, grandfather!’ I exclaimed. ‘Planting an almond tree?’ And he, bent as he was, turned around and said: ‘My son, I carry on as if I should never die.’ I replied: ‘And I carry on as if I was going to die any minute.’
Which of us was right, boss?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

“I was happy, I knew that. While experiencing happiness, we have difficulty in being conscious of it. Only when the happiness is past and we look back on it do we suddenly realize - sometimes with astonishment - how happy we had been.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek
 
“When shall I at last retire into solitude alone, without companions, without joy and without sorrow, with only the sacred certainty that all is a dream? When, in my rags—without desires—shall I retire contented into the mountains? When, seeing that my body is merely sickness and crime, age and death, shall I—free, fearless, and blissful—retire to the forest? When? When, oh when?”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek
...........................
“Throughout my life my greatest benefactors have been my travels and my dreams. Very few men, living or dead, have helped me in my struggles.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis

“Beauty is merciless. You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis

“Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis

 
 “Freedom was my first great desire. The second, which remains hidden within me to this day, tormenting me, was the desire for sanctity. Hero together with saint: such is mankind's supreme model.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Report to Greco





“Discipline is the highest of all virtues. Only so may strength and desire be counterbalanced and the endeavors of man bear fruit.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, The Rock Garden



“My entire soul is a cry, and all my work is a commentary on that cry.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis

“What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish, and radishes, and out comes sighs, laughter, and dreams.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis

“How simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. . . . All that is required to feel that here and now is happiness, is a simple, frugal heart.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis


“The canary began to sing again. The sun had struck it, and its throat and tiny breast had filled with song. Francis gazed at it for a long time, not speaking, his mouth hanging half opened, his eyes dimmed with tears.
"The canary is like man's soul," he whispered finally. "It sees bars round it, but instead if despairing, it sings. It sings, and wait and see, Brother Leo: one day its song shall break the bars.”
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Saint Francis

Staying in the Now: Mental Health Through Mindfulness presented by Dr. Stuart Eisendrath

Definition of Mindfulness:

i) Mindfulness means paying attention, in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally.

ii) Nonevaluative awareness to one's inner and outer environment.




Uploaded on Jan 21, 2010

 

Dr. Stuart Eisendrath, director of the UCSF Depression Center, explores mindfulness as a technique for maintaining mental health.

Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [2/2010] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 17626]

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Mindful: William James:in Phuket: Mastering mindfulness in students

“The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgement, character, and will. No one is compos sui [master of himself] if he have it not. An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence. But it is easier to define this ideal than to give practical directions for bringing it about.”
 – William James 











LINK: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-mastering-mindfulness-in-students-39766.php











In the 1890s, psychologist William James posed this challenge. Our ability to attend to the moment affects so much of our life: the quality of our work, the health of our relationships – basically, our overall wellbeing.

Phuket International Academy Day School (PIADS) is successfully developing as an International Baccalaureate World School and is equally committed to the principles and practices of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mindfulness, both of which address this particular challenge from William James.

Krysten Fort-Catanese, Director of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mindfulness at Phuket International Academy Day School, says that “PIADS believes that the cultivation of ‘EQ’ (emotional intelligence) is as important as the cultivation of IQ-based learning.

Our evidence based SEL and Mindfulness curricula improve the ability to aim and sustain attention, perform under pressure, maintain emotional resilience in the face of setbacks, and improve immune system functioning, all of which can enhance academic performance. PIADS’ developmentally appropriate resources are built on the latest in cognitive neuroscience, social and emotional skill development, mindful awareness practices, and research on positive emotions.”

Secular mindfulness has found its way into education in large part due to the contributions of Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, who has made it his life’s work to bring these practices to increasingly broader audiences.

It has been over 30 years since Jon Kabat-Zinn began his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Since then, a growing body of research has documented the physical and psychological health benefits of practising mindfulness, even for just a few weeks.

According to the Oxford Mindfulness Centre in the UK, mindfulness is: the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, with compassion, and openhearted curiosity.

At its root, mindfulness means “to remember” so ultimately, this is what it is about – to remember our core values and our motivations, bringing all of these into our awareness in order to approach situations, whether they be good or bad, in a more constructive and healthy way. It brings us out of automatic pilot and sets us up to approach life with a spirit of inquiry, equanimity and compassion.

According to Krysten Fort-Catanese, “PIADS is a unique and forward-thinking school. To give a snapshot of what some of this looks like in practice at PIADS: the teachers and students have a daily “Time-In”, that focuses on a movement, stillness, and reflection practice in order to help students make transitions and be ready to learn.

They also have a shared approach to conflict resolution that includes students’ learning the steps of effectively and proactively solving interpersonal problems themselves, which strengthens their sense of self-efficacy and emotional literacy.

Additionally, the teachers and students take part in a weekly Council, which is a structured speaking and listening practice facilitated by teachers, which fosters community building and support. Currently, PIADS is also working with the Mindfulness in Schools Project as they bring the .b programme to their middle school.

PIADS will be hosting two Mindfulness-based events for educators in October 2013:

 MindWell’s Mindfulness in Education Workshop 19-20 October

 Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP), Teach .b Certification Course 21-24 October




For more information email Krysten.fort-catanese@pia.ac.th or go to PIADS’ website: www.phuketinternationalacademy.com






LINK: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-mastering-mindfulness-in-students-39766.php

   

Jon Kabat-Zinn - The Healing Power of Mindfulness

 Uploaded on Apr 13, 2011

The Tucker Foundation and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
present
Jon Kabat-Zinn
"The Healing Power of Mindfulness"

April 7, 2011
Spaulding Auditorium
Dartmouth College

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What is Mindfulness?

       

         

              Published on Jan  3, 2013           

           

Mindfulness expert Dr. Jon  Kabat-Zinn defines "What is mindfulness?" and discusses the hard work  and rewards of practicing mindfulness.
Visit PsychAlive.org for more from this exclusive interview with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn: http://www.psychalive.org/2013/01/exc.... Mindfulness for Life a full length interview with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn is available for purchase: http://www.glendon.org/product-post/m....

        

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Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World

 MINDFULNESS reveals a set of simple yet powerful practices that you can incorporate into daily life to help you break the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappiness and exhaustion. It promotes genuine joie de vivre; the kind of happiness that gets into your bones and seeps into everything you do. 

The book is based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). MBCT revolves around a straightforward form of mindfulness meditation which takes just a few minutes a day for the full benefits to be revealed. 

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and it is recommended by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence – in other words, it works. But more importantly, it also works for the rest of us who aren’t depressed but who are struggling to keep up with the relentless demands of the modern world. 

In short, Mindfulness helps you meet the worst that life throws at you with renewed courage.
Mindfulness is co-authored by Professor Mark Williams of Oxford University, co-developer of MBCT and inspiring meditation teacher.

Mindfulness An Eight-week Plan for Finding Peace in A Frantic World 
  (Book - 2011) 

 by Mark Williams (Author) , Danny Penman (Author) , Jon Kabat-Zinn (Foreword)  

book on Sobriety and attracting the positive..

The Law of Sobriety Attracting Positive Energy for A Powerful Recovery By Gaba, Sherry (Book - 2010) ANF 616.86106 GAB All copies in use. 

 

  Holds: 1 on 1 copy Average Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

The Present: Be Here Now

 

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a GIFT. That's why 

it’s called the present." —Bil Keane

 

The Practice of Mindfulness - Diana Winston

Published on Jul 4, 2012

Former Buddhist nun Diana Winston is the director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA Mindful Awareness Center, and the author of several books on mindfulness and meditation. With more than 20 years in the study and practice of mindfulness, Diana explains how routinely taking the time to be in the moment can have a profound impact on our everyday lives and relationships. About TEDx, x = independently organized event





 Link: http://youtu.be/oMlaSCxZPN4






 

‘the thinker’

 

“The moment you start watching ‘the thinker’, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. 

Eckhart Tolle

Silent Panorama

Be in the moment

“Mindfulness is the spiritual nourishment we need to awaken our higher consciousness.” http://www.MindfulnessMeditationInstitute.org/ 


“Mindful breathing brings us back to the present moment, which is where reality is always taking place.”

Mindfulness

In Asian languages, the word for ‘mind’ and the word for
‘heart’ are the same word.   So when we hear the word ‘mindfulness’, we have to
inwardly also hear ‘heartfulness’  in order to grasp it even as a concept, and
especially as a way of being.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness is the root of Dharma
Mindfulness is the body of
practice
Mindfulness is the fortress of the mind
Mindfulness is the aid to
the wisdom of innate wakefulness

Lack of Mindfulness will allow the negative forces to overcome
you
Without Mindfulness you will be swept away by laziness
Lack of
Mindfulness is the creator of evil deeds
Without Mindfulness and presence of
mind, nothing can be accomplished
Lack of Mindfulness piles up lots of
shit
Without Mindfulness you sleep in an ocean of piss

Without Mindfulness you are a heartless zombie, a walking
corpse
Dear Dharma friends, please be mindful!
By the aspiration of the
holy lamas, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and lineage masters,
May all Dharma friends
attain stable Mindfulness and ascend the throne of perfect
Awakening.

Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche

Embrace Change

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress
– Charles F. Kettering



The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.
- Socrates



"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step."
- C. S. Lewis



An investment in life is an investment in change... When you are changing all the time, you've got to continue to keep adjusting to change, which means that you are going to be constantly facing new obstacles. That's the joy of living. And once you're involved in the process of becoming, there is no stopping.
- Leo F. Buscaglia



"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another."
- Anatole France




"Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant."
- Anthony D'Angelo

Guiding principles:

• Change is a constant
• adapt to survive and thrive
• flexibility is the master skill
• habits are the key to lifestyle and accomplishment
• we can change current habits and form new habits
• a simpler life is a more satisfying life.
• Cherish every moment

Applying Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Treating Depression

Published on May 31, 2012

(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Dr. Stuart Eisendrath, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of the UCSF Depression Center, explores alternatives to treating depression that include cognitive therapy and cognitive mindfulness-based therapy, a new technique that blends mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy techniques to lessen depression, particularly in individuals with recurrent episodes. Series: "UCSF Osher Mini Medical School for the Public" [6/2012] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23799]

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Staying in the Now: Mental Health Through Mindfulness

Uploaded on Jan 21, 2010
 

Dr. Stuart Eisendrath, director of the UCSF Depression Center, explores mindfulness as a technique for maintaining mental health. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [2/2010] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 17626]

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  Education

• License

  Standard YouTube License
  
  

Link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdZwybJF8Uc

Becoming Conscious: The Science of Mindfulness

Published on Feb 12, 2013

 

Many of us go through daily life on autopilot, without being fully aware of our conscious experience.

Neuroscientists Richard Davidson and Amishi Jha join clinical mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn to explore the role of consciousness in mental and physical health, how we can train the mind to become more flexible and adaptable, and what cutting-edge neuroscience is revealing about the transformation of consciousness through mindfulness and contemplative practice.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The New York Academy of Sciences

This event is part of The Emerging Science of Consciousness Series, which brings together leading experts from various fields to discuss how the latest research is challenging our understanding of the very nature and function of consciousness in our daily lives.

http://www.nourfoundation.com/conscio...

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Link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeWvf-nfpA


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Wise Canary

"The starting point of all achievement is desire. "