: Mindful(less) :
Posted: April 9, 2016 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Mindfulness, Yoga | Tags: Cambridge, Camyoga, compassion, happiness, kindness, life, love, Mindfulness, natural, passion 20 CommentsThe world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper-
From an early age, I was led to believe that I needed to become a “better” and “improved” version of myself, even if at first I didn’t exactly understand why. When I was young lad, I found myself inured with the basic belief that the main underlying issue to all my problems was – Me. I’m what’s wrong in the world. These thoughts have stayed with me my entire life, even now, writing to you with an open heart and mind. I have traveled the world far and wide; taken to heart many self-help books, sought out the best doctors and healers, consulted spiritual folks whose motives were unclear at the time. Everything and anything else you can imagine, all in an effort to make myself just good enough.
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Many of you reading tenderly this early Spring morning, may be thinking that mindfulness, spirituality and self-help are one in the same – the latest trend to follow or a conversation starter at your local yoga studio. I don’t believe they are. Using myself as a relatively small sample size, I believe they are fundamentally different. Our society is currently in the process of turning mindfulness into an endless stream of self-help profits – Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction seminars and many other method(s) for correcting our life long ailments. What these programs do, is to misrepresent the awakening that discovering our own spirit offers.
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Mindfulness is not about “fixing” anything even remotely spiritual or becoming spiritually better off than anyone else. There is no price tag attached to mindfulness. For myself, mindfulness is freedom. Freedom from the belief of my unworthiness in our mad world … Mindfulness is about acceptance. Mindfulness, when I find myself at the edge of tears after a bad day, is about meeting (again) who we really are, and allowing ourselves to experience this amazing world, in this raw, unsettling moment.
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My deepest apologies for being absent Dear Readers. May all your hearts be filled with warmth and happiness this weekend – Take care!
CultFit 
Take care, brother. Good post.
Thanks you mate – I hope all is well with you and your family – Ride safe and ride hard!
All is well. Hectic, but well.
I read this now before I go off to teach my Saturday yoga class. So true, mindfulness and “How to be Happy in 10 steps” are at polar opposites. Thank for sharing this and I miss our little pre and post yoga talks: where we discuss everything from bike trails, music, winery’s and meditation, and more:).
All the best to you!
Cheryl
… I miss our talks and more important to me, is listening to you as you guide an inspiring class. I deeply miss those moments Cheryl. Its just not the same here, and yet each time I attend class? I’m singing to myself some Steely Dan song from years ago!
Well said. When something becomes popular its true meaning can get distorted.
Mindfulness has become a tool to reduce stress and alleviate pain. Yoga has become a physical practice for flexibility and strength.
However, I also trust that the experience of either has the ability to transform, especially if we have teachers who share the light.
Namaste
I am truly humbled by your kindness and warm thoughts, I agree with you completely 🙂
If you haven’t seen it yet, you could enjoy it.
Thank you for writing so honestly.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeracorrespondent/2014/11/who-owns-yoga-20141117114315748275.html?utm=from_old_mobile
I sincerely appreciate you sharing the article with me. Thank you 🙂
We have been fed these lies by religions that teach original sin, that we are unworthy, inherently flawed. It’s a sad way to begin life. I can relate to your feelings and quest.
I’m saddened to hear that most mindfulness trainings you are aware of don’t teach the real essence of being present to the beauty we are and that is in each moment. I had been glad to see the rise in these offerings but never checked them out myself as I teach my own stuff.
Have a great weekend.
You need to teach and share with me some of your stuff 😉
Of course when I taught in the corporate world I couldn’t go into religion and the ways we are kept separate from the truth, but I did talk of how with Descartes we were cut off from our bodies, and taught of how we are these powerful creative beings living in an awesome universe of beauty. So tools I taught were energy medicine tools, reflexology points, healthy communication, and other learning exercises to bring people back to a place of awareness, empowerment and the beauty in diversity and uniqueness.
Reblog with 💐💐💐
Our society is currently in the process of turning mindfulness into an endless stream of self-help profits
Furthermore, mindfulness awareness has been repackaged and touted as a solution to existential struggles (in the workplace) and a tool to increase one’s productivity (in the workplace).
If being aware of moments and one’s reactions can help a person get through the day, then, sure, have at it… but if it’s only so one can be a better worker-bee, mon dieu. C’est dommage.
… I agree, it sure is a pity. Part of what has been stirring these emotions within me is the non-stop, nauseating ads I have been seeing discussing what you touched on – “mindfulness” or whatever will make you better at “X” – But not really better at understanding what really matters the most … You.
Goodness. That has been a huge burden to bear for a lifetime, my friend. I wish you peace and presentness, momentitude, and positive passion in being. Be kind to yourself and know that we all miss you tremendously. My virtual shoulder is always here for those late night tears. I probably have them too.
Heading to New Mexico Wednesday for a conference. To center. To heal. To be.
Thank you, so much 🙂
Always. And any time.
Great post! I agree with you- they are not the same.
Mindfulness to me is just about “being” not about “Correcting”, “Changing”, or becoming something “better”…..
It is about being present and experiencing the moment! 🙂
I really love reading your posts, thank you for sharing! ❤
I love what you said. This is why I share. It took me a long time to sort through all the self-help and other kinds of helper that couldn’t really help me. 😊
Thanks for sharing♡
– Laurie