By Dr. Ron Passfield
Having gratitude in times of difficulty can increase resilience and overcome depression, anxiety and despair. Gratitude changes the quality of life that we are living as we gain better control over our thoughts and feelings and learn to accept what is. As you develop this practice, you start to see things that you had not … Continue reading “Gratitude in Times of Difficulty”
In the previous post, I discussed how savoring the moment and the experience of pleasantness nurtures the seeds of happiness. This savoring of the many things in our life that generate positive feelings, leads naturally to a sense of gratitude. Being grateful Rachel Naomi Remen who suffered unbelievably from Crohn’s disease learned how her inner … Continue reading “Being Grateful”
In the sixth week of the online, Power of Awareness Course, Tara Brach talked about nourishing the seeds of happiness. This followed a video session on the standing meditation which an article in the Huffington Post describes as an established Buddhist approach. Nurturing the moment requires being in the present, aware of what is happening within … Continue reading “Nurturing the Seeds of Happiness”
You might identify yourself with one of the many roles that you have – mother, daughter, wife, sister, aunty, grandmother – or a past role, e.g. ex-wife. Alternatively, you might describe yourself in terms of your profession. However, you are more than your many roles or your profession. You might identify with a demographic characteristic … Continue reading “Who Are You Really?”
Carrying anger and resentment towards others can be destructive and eat away at you, your tranquility, peace and happiness. Harbouring grudges only leads to physical illness and negatively impacts your behaviour in every arena – in the home, at work and in the community. We can see how hatred has affected generations of people in … Continue reading “Forgiving Others”
We have all hurt ourselves and other people during our lives – it’s part of being human. Unfortunately, we can carry around the associated guilt, negative self-evaluation, and sense of unworthiness that act as a dead weight holding us back and weighing us down. Self-forgiveness and self-compassion are essential for our mental health and wellbeing … Continue reading “Self-Forgiveness”
Over several blog posts I have explored the relationship between mindfulness and creativity. In this post, I want to bring these ideas together to provide a more complete picture of how to develop creativity through mindfulness. Mindfulness creates the internal environment for creativity through the following: Stillness and silence We discussed previously how creative people … Continue reading “Creativity through Mindfulness”
In the previous discussion, I identified ways to access your inner resources to cope with trauma. The problem with trauma, as Tara Brach points out, is that we become cut off from our brain and from our relationships. This separation from ourselves and others impedes our ability to access our inner resources. There are a … Continue reading “Coping with Trauma by Re-Connecting”
Mindfulness through “resourcing meditation” can help us to cope with trauma. It does not replace the need for therapeutic assistance but complements therapy and facilitates the process of dealing with deeply held fear or grief. The causes of trauma Trauma can be experienced by anyone at any stage of life. The associated experience of profound … Continue reading “Accessing Our Inner Resources to Cope With Trauma”
We have explored the R.A.I.N. meditation process in a preliminary manner. Now we will look at how R.A.I.N. can help us deal with those deep-seated fears that take control of us, reduce our capacity to live life fully and prevent us from showing others loving kindness. The disabling effects of fear and anxiety Jaak Panksepp, … Continue reading “Facing the Fear Within”
