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Art of Mindfulness Main

Mindfulness Of Mind [Audio]

Guided Mindfulness Of Mind by Steve Armstrong:Taking the first few moments of the sitting to settling to your sitting posture at ...
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Open Awareness

Open Awareness

Sean Fargo invites us to do open awareness meditation practice. This meditation is suitable for beginners, as it teaches the ...
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Mindfulness for holiday stress

Investigating Aversion and Anger

We don't need to judge ourselves for being angry. In meditation practice, we see it and investigate it aversion or ...
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Dealing With Anger, Resistance And Pessimism

Dealing With Anger, Resistance And Pessimism

How do we deal with anger, resistance and pessimism? Eckhart Tolle says the key is to catch what he calls ...
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Mindfulness exercise

Study Aid (Binaural Beat)

Binaural Beat to Aid Study. Binaural beats are auditory illusion perceived by the brain when two different tones are played ...
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Happiness & Self Healing Through Mindfulness By Ajahn Brahmavamso

Happiness & Self Healing Through Mindfulness

Happiness & Self Healing Through Mindfulness. Ajahn Brahmavamsa speaks about how mindfulness leads us to relax to combat anxiety that ...
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Merit

Merit: The Buddha’s Strategies for Happiness

Here Is Your Free Ebook:https://mindfulnessexercises.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Merit_The_Buddhas_Strategies_for_Happiness_I.pdf OF ALL THE CONCEPTS central to Buddhism, merit (puñña) is one of the least known ...
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Creating a Personal Intention Statement

Creating a Personal Intention Statement

Very few people consciously think about what values matter most & how this could change their lives. A personal intention ...
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Redemption

Redemption

Jack Kornfield talks about the topic of Redemption. In the practice of loving awareness and compassion, redemption is bestowed by ...
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Mindful of the body

Mindful of the Body: A Guide

Here Is Your Free Ebook:https://mindfulnessexercises.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Mindful_of_the_Body_A_Study_Guide.pdf “Monks, I lived in refinement, utmost refinement, total refinement. My father even had lotus ponds ...
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Guided Spoken Visualization

You Are Magnificent: Guided Spoken Visualization

You Are Magnificent: Guided Spoken Visualization is a piece of music and guided meditations to help you live in the ...
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Wisdom Of The Witness [Video]

Wisdom Of The Witness [Video]

The Fourth perspective is all about seeing clearly, thinking logically, and acting effectively. Learn to achieve this level of scientific ...
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Ayya Anandabodhi

The Knower of the World [Audio]

The Knower of the World by Ayya Anandabodhi:Some people, struggling with burden and doubt, and restlessness. Some, working to an intense ...
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Ken Wilber Big Mind Meditation

Ken Wilber – Big Mind Meditation

The simple recognition of I-Amness is an infallible recognition of ever-present awareness, of ever-present Big Mind. I-Amness is your authentic ...
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Jack Kornfield: 12 Principles of Forgiveness

Jack Kornfield: 12 Principles of Forgiveness

Uploaded on Aug 23, 2011The acclaimed author and teacher explains the principles that are integral to the process of forgiving, ...
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Mindfulness meditation

Walking Meditation

Matthew Brensilver leads a guided Walking Meditation. Walking meditation gives a different experience of awareness with visual feelings and movement ...
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How Do We Break The Habit Of Excessive Thinking Eckhart Tolle

How Do We Stop Excessive Thinking?

Eckhart Tolle explores the powerful addiction to thinking, offering a handful of ways to put a stop to thoughts and ...
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Sharon Salzberg Kindness is Great

Kindness is Great

We tend to see kindness as a sort of weakness but in reality, kindness is great. It’s great to feel ...
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Miranda July & The Dharma

Miranda July & The Dharma

Matthew Brensilver reflects on the movie where Miranda July was an actress, playing the role of receiving emails from the ...
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Hang Together or Hang Separately

Hang Together or Hang Separately!

An organization can lead self-interested agents to give their best to the team. A soft solution that involves eliciting each ...
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knowing the consequences of your behavior

Knowing the Consequences of Your Behavior

To begin this Mindfulness Exercise on Consequences, please bring kind awareness to- why you chose this topic- how your belly, chest, ...
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Mindfulness exercise

Build a Happier Brain

Rick Hanson talks about Building a Happier Brain. Happiness is more than a feel-good moment. It's the foundation of physical ...
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The 10 Recollections A Study Guide

A Meditator’s Tools: A Guide on the 10 Recollections

The Ten Recollections (A Study Guide) are a set of meditation themes that highlight the positive role that memory and ...
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13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises and Activities

13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises and Activities

These are 13 popular exercises and activities to help you develop the practice of gratitude, such as journaling, gratitude garden, ...
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7 Mindfulness Exercises for Relaxation

7 Mindfulness Exercises for Relaxation

7 Mindfulness Exercises for Relaxation. Exploring a variety of mindfulness exercises for relaxation can help us to truly feel what ...
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mindfulness exercises guided meditation 13

Building Joy

Joseph Goldstein talks about "Mudita" as the life in the happiness of others; building joy if you will. To be ...
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mindfulness of negativity

Mindfulness of Negativity

To begin this Mindfulness Exercise on Negativity, please bring kind awareness to- why you chose this topic- how your belly, chest, ...
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Relieving stress

Spirituality and Politics

Jack Kornfield leads a guided meditation about Spirituality and Politics. It's a lengthy broadcast starting with a beautiful song you ...
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how to make important career changes

How to Make Important Career Changes

To begin this Mindfulness Exercise on Career Changes, please bring kind awareness to- why you chose this topic- how your ...
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How To Feel Safe, Content & Connected

How To Feel Safe, Content & Connected

We have 3 overarching needs. Needs that help us be safe by avoiding harms, help us be content by rewards ...
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Transforming the Judgmental Mind [Audio]

Transforming the Judgmental Mind [Audio]

Donald Rothberg talks about the nature of the judgment on the mind, what it looks like, why it’s important to ...
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Looking for Happiness- Try These Proven Forms of Alternative Therapy

Looking for Happiness? Try These Proven Forms of Alternative Therapy

While some are joyfully planning holiday menus and getting ready to toast to a new year, others are struggling to ...
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Russell Brand - Time for a Spiritual Revolution

Russell Brand – Time for a Spiritual Revolution

Russell Brand criticizes the current cultural narrative that supports elitism and exploits people and argues that a spiritual revolution will ...
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Meditations 6 by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Meditations 6

Meditations 6. The Buddha's own search was a search for true happiness, a happiness that doesn't age, grow ill, or ...
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Noting Your Emotions

Noting Your Emotions

Kristin Neff leads a guided meditation Noting Your Emotions. It's a practice of noting whatever arises in the experience. First, ...
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Mindfulness of knowing

Mindfulness Of Knowing

Joseph Goldstein talks about Mindfulness of Knowing. To gain mindfulness of knowing,1st is becoming mindful of the breath in the ...
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closing down in relationships

Closing Down in Relationships

To begin this Mindfulness Exercise on Closing Down, please bring kind awareness to- why you chose this topic- how your belly, ...
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Solar Plexus Activation

Solar Plexus Activation & Healing, Kundalini Sleep Music

The 6th Ray of "Devotion" governs this chakra. This chakra symbol connects us with the energy to "act" and is ...
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Waking Up in Every World by Anushka Fernandopulle

Waking Up in Every World [Audio]

Breathing in and out as part of mindfulness or meditation can change the internal dialogue to a supportive dialogue that ...
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432 Hz Frequency Music for Sleeping

432 Hz Frequency Music for Sleeping and Deep Relaxation

We are devoted to create a new collection of LONG MEDITATION MUSIC videos for you to relax and enjoy in ...
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A Guide To Spirituality Without Religion

A Guide To Spirituality Without Religion

How can we achieve spirituality without religion? Try reading Sam Harris’s book- Waking Up: A Guide To Spirituality Without Religion ...
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Meditations 2 by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Meditations 2

Meditations 2. The Dhamma talks included in this volume were given during the evening meditation sessions, and in many cases ...
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The Secrets of Productive Conversations

The Secret of Productive Conversations

Fred Kofman shares his knowledge about the application of mindfulness at work to bring about efficiency & better results in ...
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Big Mind

Big Mind [Audio]

Your mind has limitless space and capacity to accommodate virtually everything. It’s open like the sky, but it’s imbued, it’s ...
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Understanding Neuroplasticity by Rick Hanson

Understanding Neuroplasticity

Rick Hanson discusses neuroplasticity and 3 facts about the brain. One is that we can use our mind to change ...
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The Power of Mindfulness Exercises

Though the term mindfulness might sometimes feel to be a relatively new term to arrive in collective consciousness, it is a practice that has been understood for centuries in other countries and communities of the world. While Western society as a collective is only just beginning to scratch the surface of what mindfulness really is and the widespread implications it has, Buddhists and Hindus have understood its powers for thousands of years, seeing mindfulness as a potent tool for transformation and deeper life understanding. For reasons that are quite understandable, more and more people are starting to explore this powerful practice as the fast-paced and highly interconnected world is leaving us feeling more disconnected from ourselves and from the world around us. As we begin to tap into our own personal mindfulness practice, we begin to intuitively understand how and why this teaching has held strong throughout millennia.

Observing the Nature of Reality

Mindfulness calls us to take a closer look at the present moment – exactly as it is. Through our direct experience, with preconditioned beliefs and ideas set aside, we expand our field of awareness by observing whatever we can sense in this very moment. Some of the ways we can tune into the present moment mindfully include basic techniques such as:

  • Drawing awareness to the breath
  • Witnessing thoughts and emotions without attachment
  • Observing bodily sensations, both surface and visceral
  • Tuning into each of our five senses without judgment and without seeking anything in particular
  • Compassionately and non-judgmentally interacting with whatever is present in the moment

Though it might at first seem simple, the truth is that it is and it isn’t. Much of the world, and the majority of the Western world specifically, has not been raised to interact with the world in a mindful way. It is a concept and a way of being that has not yet influenced most societies on a major scale. Learning to tune into the world mindfully is therefore a big step for many people and as such, it is a slow and continually evolving process. Mindfulness is a completely different way of being than most of us are used to and this is what can make it appear challenging.

However, with that said, it is a simple practice that once explored in a meaningful way has countless benefits, extending outwards from the core of our being like a ripple in water. Not only does everything in one’s immediate life change, so too does the surrounding environment. By quietly beginning to observe the stories we tell ourselves and tune into the assumptions we make about the world around us, we start to gain power over our thoughts, unveiling the true potential of mindfulness.

The Power of the Mind

While it might be commonly thought that our thoughts are a product of who we are, the assumption deserves deeper exploration. In mainstream Western culture, we often don’t probe our thoughts, leaving them to direct the show of our lives. We take them on as if they are our own, allowing them to speak for who we are. These unexamined thoughts influence our beliefs and our actions and the external world reflects back whatever energy we are radiating outwards. 

Mindfulness practice helps us to observe the opposite – to understand that our thoughts are not, in fact, an expression of who we truly are. Instead, our thoughts are viewed as separate energy bodies that do not belong to us. Though they are largely formulated by residue from our personal history and from the culture of our human and societal collective at large, our thoughts are not ultimately fixed and they are not “true” in any absolute sense.

When left unchecked, the conditioned and habitual mind makes all of our executive decisions. Through mindful observation of these mental movements, we begin to take some of that power back. When thoughts arise suggesting words to be said and actions to be taken, mindfulness intervenes as our ability to quietly observe the rest of that experience. At any moment, we might silently, compassionately, and non-judgmentally inquire:

  • What is arising in the silence?
  • What sort of energy is observable in the mind?
  • How does the physical body feel right now?
  • Is there movement towards or away from something?
  • What feelings or emotions are present within me right now and where?

Without seeking clear answers, mindfulness provides space for pure awareness of the present moment to arise. When we are mindful, we might pick up on subtle energies and deeper insights that the mind might not normally wish to address, such as:

  • Unhealthy decisions made based on cravings
  • Avoidance of opportunities for growth based on fear
  • Repressed emotions influencing our actions and decisions
  • Attachment patterns resulting from fear of being alone
  • Judgment of others to avoid looking within
  • Fear of being unloved, unaccepted, or rejected

These are only just a few of the infinite insights that can arise from mindfulness practice. While we might also be able to witness some of these ideas or notions without practicing mindfulness consistently, they resonate on a deeper level when we observe them from the heart space rather than from the mind. When we are quiet and approach whatever is present without rationalization, fear, or judgment, the power these observations hold is exponentially greater than when deduced from mental analysis. What we then come to know holds true power to transform our lives.

The Healing Powers of Mindfulness Exercises

Once we have tapped into mindful exploration of the self, mindfulness has the power to heal on numerous levels. As a human collective, we are beginning to understand how interconnected the mind and body really are, making mindfulness practices incredibly beneficial for physical ailments. On the level of the human body, mindfulness has countless positive benefits, including:

  • Reduction of one’s experience of pain, nausea, and fatigue
  • Lowered levels of the stress hormone, cortisol
  • Increased levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a calming brain neurotransmitter
  • Increased gray matter density in brain regions associated with emotional regulation, learning, memory, and perspective
  • Improved sleep habits and reduction of insomnia
  • Improved immune system functioning
  • Reduced blood pressure and lowered risk of heart disease

On a mental and emotional level, the potential for mindfulness to transform is just as powerful. As we start to observe the habitual patterns of the mind, we gain greater awareness and subsequent control over our thoughts and our responses to life. This heightened awareness, paired with the effects that mindfulness has on the physical body (such as reducing stress hormones and influencing the brain), is a large part of what leads to transformation of mind. Regularly observed effects of mindfulness practice include:

  • Greater capacity for focus and attention
  • Greater acceptance for the present moment
  • Deeper insights and powerful realizations
  • Deeper sense of connection to self and to the world around
  • Greater overall experience of peace and harmony

Mindfulness touches each individual in a different way. Where there is authentic willingness to open ourselves up to whatever exists in the present moment, there is great potential for transformation. Insights and growth cannot be forced, however; rather, when we surrender to whatever exists, wisdom unveils itself.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
Brené Brown

The Path of Presence

In her poem ‘When Death Comes’, Mary Oliver writes:

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

Mindfulness is, in essence, this sort of movement through, or interaction with, life. It is a wholehearted acceptance of whatever exists; it is a path of presence. As we learn to become more mindful in our everyday lives, not solely when in moments of meditation, we start to understand what it means to live in the present moment. Though feelings, thoughts, and emotions will continue to arise, our relationship to them changes. We become more curious about everything that exists in the present moment. Tendencies to judge, suppress, or reject things we ‘don’t like’ or deem to be ‘bad’ begin to lessen; instead, we practice the art of quietly sitting with whatever appears to be happening.

​Exploring the Power of Mindfulness

We can explore the power of mindfulness is numerous ways. From sitting meditations to written, reflective free mindfulness exercises, the paths of transformation through mindfulness are numerous and intertwining. Here are a few ways to explore the power of this practice.

1. Mindful Self-Inquiry

Even though mindfulness is commonly associated with meditation, mindful reflection on our observations can help to enhance our understanding of the mind and the ultimate nature of reality. To practice, take some quiet time to sit with these questions or to write down your answers. Let whatever comes come with judgment or analysis. Inquire:

  • What do you believe about yourself? Why do you believe these things, and would you label them as “truth”? Are these beliefs fixed or fluid?
  • What exists within your body right now? As you draw your attention to a particular sensation, does the sensation change at all? If you draw your attention away from this area, does the sensation change at all?
  • If you were to wipe the slate of your personal story clean, what would remain? What can you observe in the silent space created when all stories, beliefs, and ideas falls away?

2. Emotional Awareness and Acceptance

When difficult emotions rise to the surface, we often struggle to accept them. Part of the freedom that arises from mindfulness comes when we learn to accept whatever exists – “good” or “bad.” When emotions arise, practice:

  • Taking a step away from the outside world but sitting comfortably in an upright position and tuning into whatever is present. Note any stories or plot lines weaving themselves through your direct experience; tune into the raw sensation instead.
  • Note the emotions that are arising by simply labelling them, “anger,” “grief,” “irritation,” or whatever may be applicable. Refrain from attaching the I-self to these energies.
  • Draw your attention to the heart space, opening yourself up compassionately to whatever your experience is. Mindfully ease any judgment that arises and simply allow yourself to be right where you are without attaching to the energy that is there.

3. Become the Observer

We spend countless hours thinking – thinking about what we want to do next in life, thinking about ourselves, others, and the world, and thinking about everything we pass by in our lives. Left unchecked, thinking runs our lives.

  • Practice becoming the observer of your thinking by watching your thoughts as if they were weather patterns. Like the weather, thoughts move constantly, and as we begin to become more aware of their impermanence, they loosen their grip on our beliefs and our actions. When thoughts arise, simply acknowledge them by silently whispering, “I see you,” and then letting them go. Acknowledge and release. Acknowledge and release.

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