Please read the reader. Daily practice changes the brain. Scientists have found that it takes 6 to 8 weeks to create reasonably rooted new neural pathways. If you want result from this training, at least try to keep up practice for that period of time. And to rewire our brain it’s better to practice often and short, than sometimes and long. If you cannot find time to do the longer exercises, try to do at least one of the short versions (Juliet Adam’s ‘Mindfulness of Sounds and Thoughts’, No. 5 (9m34) of last week) or do some informal practices on the go. Feeling stuck? Feel free to contact me via the contact form below, or via e-mail.
Here you can find an inspiring and insightful talk from Joseph Goldstein about the nature of thought and thought as the sixth sense. With a bonus at around 29:00 concerning the question “Who am I, if I’m not my thoughts?” and one around 35:00 about getting bored during your practice.
Because of poor recording quality, one of the participants, Robbert van Veen, has been so kind to make a transcript of this podcast. If you experience trouble listening to it, do take the time to read it!
In 1986, after a depression that lasted more than ten years, Byron Katie had an insight that completely changed her life. She discovered that when she believed her thoughts she suffered, but when she didn’t believe them she didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. She developed a process of self-inquiry, which she calls ‘The Work’, in which we do not only remain alert to our stressful thoughts, but we question them in a particular way, and through that questioning the thoughts lose their power. You can find all her exercises on her original website or on the Dutch version.
The Work App is also available in the iTunes App store and Google Play market ($ 0,99)
| url | Byron Katie The Work
You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions | Lisa Feldman Barrett Interesting Ted talk by Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, where all of this week’s theme comes together nicely. About how it is not a situation itself that determines our actions, but our interpretation of it that does that. About how being aware of thoughts and consciously choose which to believe, can have a huge impact on our stress level, mood, choices and behavior. And about the importance of one of the key tools in mindfulness: being able to distinguish between the actual, raw, sensory input and our interpretation of it.
Duration: 18:28
