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How To Be Creative
Have you ever heard the saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get?" Guess what? That's the way it is with creative inspiration too. Don't Wait For Creative Inspiration Graham Green, the famous English writer, attributes much of his...
Journey into the Self
As you are reading this, take a few seconds to look at yourself and reflect. Just become aware of the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. See the connection with your immediate surroundings through each sense in turn. Feel the...
Neti Pot – You Want Me to Stick it Where?
I LOVE my Neti pot. It is the first thing I use each morning when I wake up and it is also the first thing I pack when I am going on a trip. As a matter of fact, I can’t imagine living without my Neti pot. For me, it is the difference between being...
Seven Tips in Planning a Fulfilling Holiday Experience
Copyright 2005 Willingness Works
Holidays can activate powerful emotional charges, calling forth
as much distress as joy. These "emotional charges" may be
connected with past memories or with wishes we have in the
present for ourselves, and...
Why do You Have a Job? Five False Beliefs that Lead People into Jobs they Hate
If you find yourself stuck in a job that you don't enjoy or in a
company that isn't fun to work for, the first step to making a change is
asking yourself, “How did I get here?” Your being here at this time in
your life is not a random...
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Mindfulness and Curiosity: Inspiring Affection
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." -------Albert Einstein
I like to think of Mindfulness and Curiosity as best friends.
If Mindfulness is the quiet one noticing new things, Curiosity is the more energetic one willing to explore the details and play with every new discovery.
Sure, they could go their separate ways, but their relationship is enriching and enjoyable. They learn more together, and they have a whole lot more fun than they ever would on their own.
Mindfulness and Curiosity go hand in hand. The best approach to mindfulness is one that encourages the development of a hearty curiosity in all those novel stimuli that get noticed.
It's no secret that lifelong learners are those who tend to be the most curious about the world, and it stands to reason that the ones who keep poking around are likely to learn more than those who are happy to rehash the same ideas repeatedly.
Besides helping you learn more and develop greater awareness of the world around you, the mindful/curious combo is likely to result in less prejudice, deeper engagement, and higher self-esteem. At least, that's what the latest research tells us, and I tend to trust those Harvard folks on this one.
How does mindful curiosity reduce prejudice? It's simple if you think about it. Being mindful of others who are different leads to a heightened awareness of our behavior and attitudes. This opens the door to curiosity, which can guide us to learn more about others and to find significant ways in which we are similar.
When we meet others with obvious physical differences--whether that's race, height, weight, eye color, hair style, or fashion sense--we tend to first notice what is different. It's like that
childhood song, "One of these things is not like the other...." We see the differences FIRST, and that's natural.
But that's not the end of the story. Our mindful curiosity can help us find common ground. In the same way, others we see as similar to us become more fascinating as we get to know them better and recognize their unique qualities.
In other words, we need to see both the differences AND the similarities in order to learn the most and increase our awareness of others as well as gain a greater understanding of ourselves. The more we see ourselves as mindful, curious people with an interest in others, the more likely we are to continue to engage in the world around us with wonder and affection.
This is true for art as well as people. It has been shown that we like art or music that we have been instructed to notice. Of two people shown the same unfamiliar piece of artwork, the one instructed to notice three interesting aspects of the piece is far more likely to report later that they like it.
I love the beauty and power of this notion.
If all it takes to develop greater affection for a person, place or thing is simply being instructed to find interesting aspects, then we need to start doing exactly that. By strengthening our mindful/curious quotient, we can ensure our continued development as kind, compassionate, generous and happy individuals.
How curiously simple--and stunningly significant.
About the Author
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she offers fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com
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Learning Meditation Home Page |
Introduction to the basics of meditation and the reduction of stress. |
www.learningmeditation.com |
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Meditation Room |
Choose freely and feel free to perform more than one meditation. ... Allow some time for your meditation. These meditations last from 3 - 10 minutes. ... |
www.learningmeditation.com |
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Meditation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
An introduction to different traditions, forms, techniques, and benefits. Includes links to other resources. |
en.wikipedia.org |
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World Wide Online Meditation Center |
Contains colorful, clear, concise meditation instruction on a variety of meditation methods from various spiritual teachings, plus tranquil meditation tapes ... |
www.meditationcenter.com |
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The Transcendental Meditation (TM) Program - Official website. How ... |
Meditation validated by over 600 scientific studies. The best meditation against stress. Online video! Personal instruction and lifetime follow-up. |
www.tm.org |
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Vipassana Meditation Website |
Homepage of the organization which offers Vipassana Meditation courses as taught by SN Goenka. |
www.dhamma.org |
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Welcome to Meditation Mount |
Meditation training programs and group meditation as a service to humanity. Worldwide organization based in Ojai, California. |
www.meditation.com |
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Guided meditations on mindfulness, peace, the 23rd Psalm, the way ... |
Come into the present moment with this 10-minute mindfulness meditation narrated by ... Experience a flow of positive energy with this meditation on peace ... |
www.beliefnet.com |
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Meditation Station Presented By The Meditation Society Of America |
Meditation Society of America's web site. Dedicated to sharing meditation techniques and concepts from all traditions. |
www.meditationsociety.com |
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Wildmind | Learn Meditation Online |
Wildmind provides a complete guide to simple meditation techniques. |
www.wildmind.org |
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Meditation |
An article By Dr Tom J. Chalko explaining the process and stressing the need for a spiritual teacher. |
www.thiaoouba.com |
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Free Learn to Meditate, online meditation - Meditation Australia. |
Details of activities, events, and classes in Wollongong University, Australia. Also offer a free online Meditation course. |
meditation.org.au |
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Meditation, Home, what is meditation, types of meditation ... |
Meditation Meditation is an alternative therapy. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation ... |
1stholistic.com |
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Sivananda Yoga - Meditation |
Introduction to the Official Web site of the Internationa Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Lots of information on Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, ... |
www.sivananda.org |
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Stress Reducers: Articles index |
yellow arrow button, Choose a Virtual Meditation Slide Show for Your ... yellow arrow button, Meditation and Relaxation: 20 Minutes A Day Can Make A ... |
www.selfhelpmagazine.com |
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Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen Meditation Instructions |
Detailed instructions from Zen Mountain Monastery on how to practice Zen meditation. |
www.mro.org |
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Meditation and concentration |
meditation concentration ability. ... Online fire meditation use it and develop concentration ability; Online flash meditation look at the screen and ajust ... |
www.ababasoft.com |
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Siddha Yoga path - Gurumayi - Swami Muktananda founder |
Under the guidance and teachings of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Siddha Yoga meditation students embrace the spiritual practices of yoga. |
www.siddhayoga.org |
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Meditation Handbook |
Survey of seven meditation techniques for beginners. |
home.att.net |
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Healing Music|Meditation Music|Self Help products |
Healing Products offers healing music for your Mind, Body & Soul at low prices. Use sound and music to heal and relax. |
www.healingproducts.com |
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