Tuesday 22 January 2013

#269 Training the Busy Mind - the Rushing River Metaphor - Excellent!


     “we talk about the thoughts moving through the mind like a rushing, roaring river. The river is always moving, and the thoughts are always rushing along. Mindfulness is the skill that allows the student to sit on the bank and watch the thoughts rather than be in the river, carried away by the thoughts. We often say:
     At first, you’ll find that you climb onto the bank and then fall right back into the river. Climb onto the bank, fall back into the river, over and over. Practicing mindfulness of your thoughts is actually just being willing to climb out of the river, over and over. Every time you turn your attention to the present moment and notice what you are thinking, you have just climbed out of the river. ‘Staying on the bank’ is noticing the next thought instead of getting caught up in the story of the first one. If you stick with the process, you will eventually notice that you start to sit on the bank a bit longer, and the river may actually begin to slow down. As this starts to happen, you’ll really get a feel for the difference between sitting on the bank and watching the thoughts go by versus being in the middle of the river, washed away by the thougths.”

       Rogers H, Maytan M. Mindfulness for the Next Generation. Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives. Oxford University Press, NY, 2012. 



      "Mindfulness has been defined as the phenomenon of standing back from negative thoughts and feelings to evaluate an experience."

        Hinterman C, Burns L, Hopwood D, Rogers W. Mindfulness: Seeking a More Perfect Approach to Coping with Life’s Challenges. Mindfulness 2012
 DOI 10.1007/s12671-012-0091-8


http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/01/going-against-grain-egocentric-vs-going.html 

Photo: microsurgeon   www.dpreview.com

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