thinkLA An Introduction to Mindfulness 2014 Allen Weiss Presentation Slides

1. Mindfulness
- Effectiveness, Leadership, Happiness -
w/ allen weiss

2. Mindfulness Works
 Reduced rumination
 Stress reduction
 Less emotional reactivity
 Boosts to working memory
 Aids creativity
 More cognitive flexibility
http://www.mindfulexperience.org
http://biomind.usc.edu/
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/
http://www.wisebrain.org

3. Why Companies Provide
Mindfulness Training
• Improves workplace effectiveness, leadership,
and happiness through:
– More emotional intelligence
– Increased clarity of thinking
– More productive collaborations
– Lower health care costs

4. Documented by an
Explosion in Medical Research
Black, D.S. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions: An antidote to suffering in the context of
substance use, misuse, and addiction. Substance Use & Misuse, 49(5):487.

5. And It’s Very Popular Right Now

6. What If You Could…?
• Work in a crazy environment,
with deadlines looming…
• And have the motivation to
work towards goals and
achieve higher performance…
• But without stress, self-
judgment and anxiety?
• You can – with mindfulness!

7. What is Mindfulness?
Awake – knowing what is happening right
now

8. Are You Awake?
• Probably not! Mostly in the past or future
– Rehashing and rehearsing stories

9. What’s So Great About “Now”?

10. What is Mindfulness?
Awake – knowing what is happening right
now
Open – receptive and non-judgmental to your
experience
You heard it correctly…

11. Mindfulness Creates New Habits
• To balance out our human tendency to always
instantaneously react
• So you habitually “respond” instead of “react”
when necessary

12. What is Mindfulness?
Awake – knowing what is happening right
now
Open – allowing what is happening right now
to be – “letting be”
Kind – responding with self-compassion with
whatever arises

13. Let’s Practice Being Mindful

14. What is Mindfulness Again?
Awake – knowing what is happening right
now
Open – receptive and non-judgmental to your
experience
Kind – responding with self-compassion with
whatever arises

15. 3 Common Questions
 Do I need to be mindful 24x7?
– No, unless you are a monk
 Will mindfulness make me be a “doormat”
– No, with mindfulness you will make more skillful
decisions
 I’ve been practicing for 2 weeks now, and
things haven’t gotten better…what gives?
– Be patient – the way to practice is without
expectations

16. Mindfulness of Emotions
Why did she say that?
I’m a horrible person!
This is the story of my
life!

18. Mindfulness of Thinking
 We regard our thoughts as important!!!
– They take over our attention
– We believe they define who we are
– We get hooked into the content of our thoughts
• the stories they tell us
• the meaning they weave out of our experiences
Thought

19. Thoughts and Thinking
 In meditation, most thoughts
arise and pass away
- Like clouds in the sky
 When you find yourself jumping
on a “thought train”
- Turn your attention towards the
“process” -> thinking

21. Cultivating Kindness
with Purposeful Thoughts
• May I be free from [fear and anxiety]
• May I be deeply peaceful
• May I live my life with a sense of ease
• May I accept myself completely, just the way I
am

22. Thank you
e: allen@insightla.org