 The Basics of Mindfulness Training
Mindfulness training is a discipline in which meditation techniques are practised which allow consciousness itself to be altered. There are two main ways that this can be achieved. The first way is by improving clarity or the ability to “see clearly” and the second is by increasing equanimity, which is best defined as “level-headedness in times of stress”. The idea of mindfulness training is to permanently increase clarity and equanimity; much like fitness training is designed to permanently increase strength and speed.
The comparison of mindfulness training to fitness training can be taken further. Just as an exercise program must be followed religiously over time to have its desired effects, so must the process of mindfulness training. The procedures that work best must be learned and practiced often for months, even years. Many practitioners set aside a number of sessions every week, and follow this plan as best they can.
While the analogy of mindfulness training has some strong similarities to fitness training, there are some important differences. The first is that there are no limits to how far the mind can be pushed. Clarity and equanimity are part of an individual’s very being and can be increased as much as that person is willing to work to enhance them, whereas in fitness training the body’s physical constraints limits this. The second difference is that once an increased level of clarity and equanimity has been built up, it will stay forever, it does not need maintaining. Therefore mindfulness training can be an incredibly powerful form of “fitness training for the mind”.
There are significant differences between an individual who has used mindfulness training to work towards achieving a high level of clarity and equanimity, and an individual who has not. Firstly, mindfulness training can allow an individual to forget about physical and emotional pain more readily. This applies to all forms of discomfort such as physical discomfort like tiredness or aching joints, and emotional discomfort like shame or fear. By examining the science behind feelings of pain and discomfort, one can see it is entirely possible to not only reduce awareness of these sensations, but to remove them permanently. This can be done because pain is limited by the restrictions of the nervous system, a physical network of cells that carry electrical impulses which are interpreted by the brain as a sensation at the point of origin. However as there are no limits to how far consciousness can be pushed, pain and discomfort can be completely overcome.
As well as reducing feelings of pain, mindfulness training can also heighten feelings of pleasure. Certain activities, such as eating or making love, promote the release of chemicals such as dopamine into the brain, and it is these chemicals that cause the feeling of happiness. Mindfulness training can allow an individual to recognise these feelings more strongly, and hold on to them for longer.
In summary, mindfulness training can be an incredibly effective way of increasing the overall happiness in an individual’s life.
|
|
|
