Mindfulness Talks
Mindfulness is the cognitive skill, usually developed through meditation, of sustaining meta-attentive awareness towards the contents of one's own mind in the present moment. Mindfulness derives from sati, a significant element of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and is based on Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan meditation techniques. Though definitions and techniques of mindfulness are wide-ranging, Buddhist traditions describe what constitutes mindfulness, such as how perceptions of the past, present and future arise and cease as momentary sense-impressions and mental phenomena. Individuals who have contributed to the popularity of mindfulness in the modern Western context include Thích Nhất Hạnh, Joseph Goldstein, Herbert Benson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Richard J. Davidson.
Clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on mindfulness for helping people experiencing a variety of psychological conditions. Mindfulness practice has been employed to reduce depression, stress, anxiety, and in the treatment of drug addiction. Programs based on mindfulness models have been adopted within schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans' centers, and other environments, and mindfulness programs have been applied for additional outcomes such as for healthy aging, weight management, athletic performance, helping children with special needs, and as an intervention during early pregnancy.
Clinical studies have documented both physical- and mental-health benefits of mindfulness in different patient categories as well as in healthy adults and children. Studies have shown a positive relationship between trait mindfulness (which can be cultivated through the practice of mindfulness-based interventions) and psychological health. The practice of mindfulness appears to provide therapeutic benefits to people with psychiatric disorders, including moderate benefits to those with psychosis. Studies also indicate that rumination and worry contribute to a variety of mental disorders, and that mindfulness-based interventions can enhance trait mindfulness and reduce both rumination and worry. Further, the practice of mindfulness may be a preventive strategy to halt the development of mental-health problems. Mindfulness practices have been said to enable individuals to respond more effectively to stressful situations by helping them strike the balance between over-identification and suppression of their emotional experiences by finding the middle point which is recognition and acceptance.
Evidence suggests that engaging in mindfulness meditation may influence physical health. For example, the psychological habit of repeatedly dwelling on stressful thoughts appears to intensify the physiological effects of the stressor (as a result of the continual activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis) with the potential to lead to physical-health-related clinical manifestations. Studies indicate that mindfulness meditation, which brings about reductions in rumination, may alter these biological clinical pathways. Further, research indicates that mindfulness may favorably influence the immune system as well as inflammation, which can consequently impact physical health, especially considering that inflammation has been linked to the development of several chronic health conditions. Other studies support these findings.
Critics have questioned both the commercialization and the over-marketing of mindfulness for health benefits—as well as emphasizing the need for more randomized controlled studies, for more methodological details in reported studies and for the use of larger sample-sizes. While mindfulness-based interventions may be effective for youth, research has not determined methods in which mindfulness could be introduced and delivered in schools.
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March 8th, 2004, Serial No. 01020, Side B Monastic Practice, Birth-and-Death, Buddha's Birthday, Mindfulness, Cultivation... |
Mar 08 2004 |
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Digging Deep: Getting to the Bottom of the Soup PotSerial: BZ-01250 Getting to the Bottom of Ourselves, Sesshin Day 3 Buddha Nature, Happiness, Dragons, confusion, Bowing, Liberation, Discrimination,... |
Feb 16 2004 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Workshop Anger, Greed, Mindfulness, Don't Know Mind, Intimacy, Bell, Instruction,... |
Feb 14 2004 Green Gulch |
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Workshop Mindfulness, Daily Life, Concentration, Four Foundations, training, Peace, resistance... |
Feb 14 2004 Green Gulch |
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Workshop Conversation, Balance, Heart Sutra, Observe, Posture, training, Patience, Mahayana,... |
Feb 14 2004 Green Gulch |
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January Class Mindfulness, Posture, Instruction, Duality, Four Noble Truths, Four Foundations,... |
Jan 13 2004 Green Gulch |
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October 11th, 2003, Serial No. 00976 Mindfulness, Suzuki Roshi, Impermanence, Practice Period, Intimacy, Priest, Zazen,... |
Oct 11 2003 City Center |
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September 21st, 2003, Serial No. 01359 Blue Cliff Record, Four Foundations, Renewal, Repentance, Transmission, Mindfulness,... |
Sep 21 2003 |
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September 13th, 2003, Serial No. 01357, Side B Heart Sutra, Mindfulness, Four Foundations, Emotions, Separation, Religion,... |
Sep 13 2003 |
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Continuous PracticeSerial: BZ-01354 Saturday Lecture Continuous Practice, Daily Life, Mindfulness, Monastic Practice, Continuous Practice... |
Aug 23 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 20th, 2003, Serial No. 01345, Side B Peace, Mindfulness, Subject-and-Object, Observe, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center,... |
Jun 20 2003 |
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June 12th, 2003, Serial No. 00291, Side A Mindfulness, Concentration, Cultivation, Bell, Four Noble Truths, Four Foundations,... |
Jun 12 2003 |
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June 5th, 2003, Serial No. 00292 Happiness, Gaining Mind, Karma, Concentration, Precepts, Posture, Lay, Nirvana,... |
Jun 05 2003 |
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May 29th, 2003, Serial No. 00293 Concentration, Mindfulness, Anger, confusion, Four Noble Truths, Monastic Practice,... |
May 29 2003 |
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May 24th, 2003, Serial No. 00136, Side B Practice Period, Hate, Book of Serenity, Soto Zen, Vow, Culture, Mindfulness,... |
May 24 2003 |
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Mindfulness and GathasSerial: BZ-00136A Saturday Lecture Mindfulness, Gathas, Anger, Mindfulness, Vow, Bell, Emotions, Karma, Addiction, Daily... |
May 17 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 15th, 2003, Serial No. 00294 Mindfulness, Anger, Daily Life, Four Foundations, Demons, Subject-and-Object, Observe... |
May 15 2003 |
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The Spirit of Practice PeriodSerial: BZ-01527B Saturday Lecture Practice Period, Practice Period, Aspects of Practice, Enemies, Lay, Commitment,... |
May 03 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Light in Buddhism: Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi: Bells, Lightness and FaithSerial: BZ-00542 Class 7 of 7 Bell, Doubt, Daily Life, Attachment, Religion, Anger, Rinzai, Chanting, Mindfulness,... |
Apr 01 2003 7 Chapel Hill Zen Center |
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March 6th, 2003, Serial No. 00490 Four Noble Truths, Mindfulness, Cultivation, Passions, Concentration, training, Karma... |
Mar 06 2003 |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-01101 Daigan's dream last night. Way to listen to a dharma talk. Practice period. Why people come. Things. Material things. Practice Period, Monastic Practice, Precepts, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion, Priest,... |
Feb 23 2003 Green Gulch |
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2003.02.16-serial.00164 Compassion, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Ancestors, Continuous Practice, Bodhidharma,... |
Feb 16 2003 |
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February 8th, 2003, Serial No. 00180, Side B Mindfulness, Concentration, Birth-and-Death, Doubt, Separation, Current Events, Death... |
Feb 08 2003 |
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How to Maintain Our Composure in Uncertain TimesSerial: BZ-00180A Saturday Lecture Four Foundations, Satipattana Sutra, Composure, Mindfulness, Anger, Composure,... |
Feb 02 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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February 2nd, 2003, Serial No. 00466 Four Noble Truths, Religion, Fasting, Renunciation, Demons, Interview, Chanting,... |
Feb 02 2003 |
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How Do We Deal With the Emotions and Mental States?Serial: BZ-00179 Saturday Lecture Emotions, Anger, Peace, resistance, Nirvana, Equanimity, Four Foundations,... |
Jan 25 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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December 8th, 2002, Serial No. 03985 Mindfulness, Separation, Hindrances, Hate, Suzuki Roshi, Greed, Commitment,... |
Dec 08 2002 City Center |
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Turtle Practice: Big Mind, Soft MindSerial: BZ-00173A Monkey Mind, Rohatsu Day 1 Monkey Mind, Monkey Mind, Big Mind, Concentration, stubbornness, Mindfulness, Pure... |
Dec 02 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Taking Care of Ourselves as PracticeSerial: BZ-00172B Excercise and Eating--Mind, Body and Spirit Work Together, Saturday Lecture Monastic Practice, Big Mind, Discrimination, Mindfulness, Subject-and-Object, Birth-... |
Nov 30 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Gratitude For This PracticeSerial: SF-04042 Sunday Lecture: Fear - fear is spawning ground for negative emotions. Attention to breath. How to work with difficult mental states. Walking and attention to breath. Busyness... Anger, Emotions, training, Cultivation, Impermanence, Gratitude, Suzuki Roshi,... |
Nov 24 2002 Green Gulch |
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November 21st, 2002, Serial No. 00461 Mindfulness, War, Passions, Non-violence, Culture, Sanctuary, Peace, Silence,... |
Nov 21 2002 |
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November 16th, 2002, Serial No. 00977 Ordinary Mind, Practice Period, Mindfulness, Letting Go, Suzuki Roshi, Freedom,... |
Nov 16 2002 City Center |
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Suzuki Roshi, Not Always So: RespectSerial: BZ-01526 Class Posture, Subject-and-Object, Emotions, Mindfulness, Daily Life, Building, Commitment... |
Nov 09 2002 Tassajara Zen Mountain Center |
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October 27th, 2002, Serial No. 00170, Side A Aspects of Practice, Precious Mirror, Composure, Mindfulness, Conversation, War,... |
Oct 27 2002 |
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October 26th, 2002, Serial No. 00169, Side B Aspects of Practice, Mindfulness, Bowing, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period, Posture,... |
Oct 26 2002 |
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October 3rd, 2002, Serial No. 00457 Attachment, Impermanence, Lovingkindness, Commitment, Cultivation, Anger, Hate,... |
Oct 03 2002 |
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September 21st, 2002, Serial No. 00211 Liberation, Four Foundations, Mindfulness, Culture, Instruction, Building, Emotions,... |
Sep 21 2002 |
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September 19th, 2002, Serial No. 00455 confusion, Mindfulness, Practice Period, Evil, Nirvana, Cultivation, Anger,... |
Sep 19 2002 |
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15 Sutras from the Old Way: Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma: The Four Noble TruthsSerial: BZ-00454 Class 1 of 5 Four Noble Truths, Right Speech, Right Effort, Concentration, Peace, Mahayana, Birth-... |
Sep 12 2002 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Wednesday LectureSerial: SF-01051 A sense of place, a valley of ancestors, apprentices finding their place, Harry Roberts' last remarks, 500-year view, mastodon tooth, mountains and rivers, walking mindfully,... Blue Cliff Record, Dragons, Bell, Practice Period, zen meditation, Commitment,... |
Jul 10 2002 Green Gulch |
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How to Draw Sound From the BellSerial: BZ-00152A Sesshin Day 5 Bell, Bell, Precepts, Soto Zen, Chanting, Mindfulness, Practice Period, Doubt, Lay,... |
Jun 23 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Instructions for the Zen Cook: Tenzo Kyokun; Zen Cook, TenzoSerial: BZ-00449 Class 1 of 5 Composure, Daily Life, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Offering, Posture, Emotions,... |
May 16 2002 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 16th, 2002, Serial No. 01010, Side A Soto Zen, Composure, Daily Life, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Offering, Emotions,... |
May 16 2002 |
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Sounding Mokugyo BellSerial: BZ-00144A Bring Out the Voice of the Bell, One-Day Sitting Bell, Chanting, Zazen, Bell, Culture, Heart Sutra, Chanting, Tassajara Zen Mountain... |
Apr 07 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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April 4th, 2002, Serial No. 00444 Right Speech, Right Effort, Happiness, Concentration, Four Noble Truths, Mindfulness... |
Apr 04 2002 |
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Arbor DaySerial: SF-01071 Sunday Lecture Commitment, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Non-violence, Nirvana, Practice Period,... |
Feb 10 2002 Green Gulch |
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The Sacrament of the Present MomentSerial: NC-00001 Archival Photo OSB Cam, Obstacles, Money, Addiction, Mindfulness, Buddhism |
2002 1 of 4 New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Activity and StillnessSerial: BZ-00065B Saturday Lecture Posture, Stillness, Composure, Pure Existence, Four Noble Truths, Teacher-and-Student... |
Dec 15 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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ZazenSerial: BZ-00064A Rohatsu Day 3 Zazen, Concentration, Posture, resistance, Right Effort, Mindfulness, Samadhi,... |
Dec 04 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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November 13th, 2001, Serial No. 01530 Non-duality, Concentration, Separation, Samadhi, Duality, Subject-and-Object,... |
Nov 13 2001 |