mindfulness

  If you click on the picture you will see a review of the book from The Guardian. Daniel Kahneman has written an interesting book about thoughts. He means that our brain more is designed for a life in the jungle, than for a modern life. Our intuition or gut-feeling often leads us in the wrong way - because of that. Because those feelings are programmed in us from long ago... So fast thinking i often not so good. And this fast and impulsive thinking is what we are trying to be aware of with the help of mindfulness. By being aware of them, we don't have to be trapped by them... Kahneman writes that we also have another way of thinking - Kahneman calls it system 2, it's when we concentrate on something and perhaps make an analyse of  it.We often think that this kind of thinking is the I.  But experiments has shown that we often are guided by the gut-feeling and chance. We really don't know who we are. When we concentrate of something we often, misses a lot. So the thi

There are some good meditation exercises out there. If you have a teacher, that is preferable. You do not have to be a Buddhist to practice mindfulness. But I think it´s foolish not to mention where from mindfulness comes. It is not needed to sit in an lotus position. You can, for instance, sit on a chair. But do not lean back, sit straight, but relaxed. In that way, you can also do it on a train or bus.  On this site, there is also a warning included; If you are treated for depression or other mental illness you first should contact your doctor. You should no start to practise regularly and deeply if you have problems like that. But I think it´s okey to give a short exercise like this a try. http://yogayak.com/yoga-classes/vipassana-meditation-explained/     The text over the video says;  "the essential healing of human suffering, is its purpose".This statement belongs to the religion Buddhism, and not to the secular form of mindfulness that I belong to. Even

To be in the here an now, does not mean that you become an animal. Even if you read a book, you have to do it here and now.You have to concentrate. Man are aware of the future and the past, but animals are not. So we are also aware of our death and of the end of our solar system and so on. Perhaps that is too much knowledge. When an animal has died, other animals does not seem to understand what has happened. And perhaps that makes there lives easier. But living a mindful life does not mean that you forget about death, you just stop speculate and worry about it. Instead you try to make every moment meaningful. Even if you just wash the dishes you can do it in a meaningful way, by being aware of every moment... In that way you can never get bored, and you can live a simple life and be pleased anyway. But some animals seem to have crossed the border to abstract thinking - and they show us that, in fact, we all are animals and that the differences between, for instance man and g

 The perspective you have decides what you see...  If you have the perspective of an optimist you will see the good things and vice versa... It´s not necessary to change the thoughts, bit it´s good to be aware of  them - we all have thought patterns that are inherited from long ago. The thoughts come automatic, and the first step is to be aware of them without condemning them - If  the thoughts are making you happy? Then let them be. If you are not pleased with them, give them a smile. You can say to them; "hello thought, I know you, I accept you, but you are not me." And the thought will soon go away... In the long run you can change the thought pattern - but lets take it easy - the first step is awareness... and that you do most easy when you meditate.... It is much snow in Sweden now. If you look at snow from the perspective of a tiny insect, you will have a totally different view - you will see mountains, valleys and shades and if you look carefully and click on t

Trinh Xuan Thuan, a Vietnamese astronomer, writes about interdependence: "Several experiments in physics have no now imposed this global view on us. In the atomic and subatomic world. EPR-type experiments have shown us that reality is inseparable. Two light particles that have interacted continue to act as parts of a single reality. However far apart they are, they behave in an instantaneously correlated way; without any exchange of information occurring. Motion is nothing in itself, it can only be defined in relation to the motion of a second object. The concept of interdependence states that things cannot be defined in absolute terms, but in relation to other things."  So, in some way, you are more relation to, for instance, your father, than a solid thing - and that relation will go on after his death...   Today I was skiing. And you then can say that I was interdependent on the snow, on the skies, on the factory that made them, on the people working there, on

You can call it stretching or yoga or whatever you want. The main thing is to be aware of the movements, to do it slowly and together with your breath. Try to enjoy the movements, it´s not gymnastics, it´s about mind and body coming together. The best movements for me is the ones I have learnt from Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist Zen master from Vietnam, now living in France. I use to do the body scan and this movements each evening. Sometimes my thoughts are far out, but it´s easy to take them back to the movements. You can find them at Youtube: