Mindfulness Talks
Mindfulness is the cognitive skill, usually developed through meditation, of sustaining meta-attention of 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 past, present and future moments 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.
Title | Speaker | |
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March 18th, 1995, Serial No. 00911, Side A Buddha Mind, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Mindfulness, Separation, Doubt, Karma,... |
Mar 18 1995 |
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March 11th, 1995, Serial No. 00912, Side B Mindfulness, Four Foundations, Bodhidharma, Perfect Wisdom, Practice Period, Mahayana... |
Mar 11 1995 |
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November 12th, 1994, Serial No. 00955, Side A Buddha Nature, Religion, Don't Know Mind, Impermanence, Mindfulness, Daily Life... |
Nov 12 1994 |
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The ParamitasSerial: BZ-00937B Saturday Lecture Paramitas, Enthusiasm, Precepts, Non-duality, Zazen Mind, Mindfulness, Patience,... |
Aug 27 1994 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 18th, 1994, Serial No. 00942, Side A Vows, Silence, Chanting, Passions, confusion, Describe, Bell, Mindfulness, Separation... |
Jun 18 1994 |
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Four Foundations of Mindfulness #4Serial: BZ-00943B Sesshin Day 5 Four Foundations, Observe, Liberation, Mindfulness, Impermanence, Continuous, Four... |
Jun 12 1994 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 11th, 1994, Serial No. 00943, Side A Silent Illumination, Mindfulness, Concentration, Practice Period, Offering, Four... |
Jun 11 1994 |
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PreceptsSerial: BZ-00961A Saturday Lecture Precepts, Precepts, Evil, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Ordination, Subject-and-Object,... |
Apr 23 1994 Berkeley Zen Center |
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April 21st, 1994, Serial No. 00232 Intimacy, Perfect Wisdom, Impermanence, Nirvana, Don't Know Mind, Chanting,... |
Apr 21 1994 |
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Full Awareness of Breathing SutraSerial: BZ-00108B Sesshin Day 2 Breath, Big Mind, Subject-and-Object, Mindfulness, Liberation, Four Foundations,... |
Mar 25 1994 |
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January 15th, 1994, Serial No. 00983, Side B Precepts, Daily Life, Mindfulness, Teacher-and-Student, confusion, Describe,... |
Jan 15 1994 |
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December 18th, 1993, Serial No. 00959, Side A Emotions, Mindfulness, Skandas, Four Foundations, Dependent Origination, New Year,... |
Dec 18 1993 |
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Segaki/HalloweenSerial: BZ-00659A Saturday Lecture Seijiki, Offering, Karma, Demons, Vows, Culture, Funeral, Sangha, Liberation,... |
Oct 30 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 16th, 1993, Serial No. 00658, Side A Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Mindfulness, Ordination, Lay Ordination, War,... |
Oct 16 1993 |
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August 14th, 1993, Serial No. 00655, Side B Monastic Practice, Precepts, Religion, American, Emotions, Mindfulness, Daily Life,... |
Aug 14 1993 |
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July 3rd, 1993, Serial No. 00669, Side B Mill Valley, Observe, Culture, Describe, Mindfulness, Tassajara, Conversation,... |
Jul 03 1993 |
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July 3rd, 1993, Serial No. 01515, Side B Mill Valley, Observe, Culture, Describe, Mindfulness, Tassajara, Conversation, Hate,... |
Jul 03 1993 |
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June 10th, 1993, Serial No. 00653, Side B Birth-and-Death, Interdependence, Bodhidharma, Buddha Ancestors, Lay, Dragons,... |
Jun 10 1993 |
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April 17th, 1993, Serial No. 00112Serial: BZ-00112 Lecture Practice Period, Commitment, Daily Life, Tassajara, Gratitude, resistance,... |
Apr 17 1993 Unknown Location |
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April 15th, 1993, Serial No. 00271 Mindfulness, Right Speech, Right Effort, Concentration, Four Noble Truths, Mahayana,... |
Apr 15 1993 |
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April 1st, 1993, Serial No. 00268 Concentration, Composure, Mindfulness, Precepts, Interdependence, Four Noble Truths,... |
Apr 01 1993 |
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March 27th, 1993, Serial No. 00662, Side A Mindfulness, Observe, Daily Life, Separation, Concentration, Posture, Duality,... |
Mar 27 1993 |
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March 25th, 1993, Serial No. 00269 Precepts, Concentration, Mindfulness, Soto Zen, Impermanence, zen meditation,... |
Mar 25 1993 |
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Zen StudentsSerial: BZ-00111 Sunday Lecture Ego, Concentration, Commitment, Daily Life, Samadhi, Bowing, Pure Existence,... |
Mar 07 1993 |
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The Four Modes or Categories of Master RinzaiSerial: BZ-00649B Saturday Lecture Rinzai, Mindfulness, Discrimination, Daily Life, Constancy, Aspects of Practice, Ego... |
Mar 07 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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February 20th, 1993, Serial No. 00286, Side B Lay Practice, Precepts, Tassajara, Instruction, Lay, Right Speech, Mindfulness, Vows... |
Feb 20 1993 |
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Buddha's Parinirvana; The Eight AdmonitionsSerial: BZ-00286A One-Day Sitting Parinirvana, Admonitions, Eight Awarenesses, Lay, Concentration, Right Effort, Eight... |
Feb 13 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 17th, 1992, Serial No. 00641, Side A Peace, Right Speech, Right Effort, Concentration, Precepts, Priest, Addiction, Greed... |
Oct 17 1992 |
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October 15th, 1992, Serial No. 00614 Concentration, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Instruction, Death-and-Dying, zen meditation... |
Oct 15 1992 |
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October 10th, 1992, Serial No. 00639, Side B Culture, Buddha Nature, Samsara, Echo, Gratitude, Bodhidharma, Evil, Concentration,... |
Oct 10 1992 |
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October 3rd, 1992, Serial No. 00639, Side A Happiness, Right Effort, Offering, Enthusiasm, Mindfulness, Patience, Heart Sutra,... |
Oct 03 1992 |
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September 17th, 1992, Serial No. 00610 Mahayana, Mindfulness, Silence, Subject-and-Object, Aspects of Practice, Blue Cliff... |
Sep 17 1992 |
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August 8th, 1992, Serial No. 00634, Side B Mindfulness, Demons, Nirvana Sutra, Commitment, Liberation, Bell, Nirvana, Posture,... |
Aug 08 1992 |
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Communion and CommunicationSerial: BZ-00631B Saturday Lecture First Principle, Discrimination, Intuition, Duality, Bodhisattva Precepts, Monastic... |
Jul 11 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 3rd, 1992, Serial No. 00710, Side A Four Foundations, Enthusiasm, Mindfulness, American, Peace, Emotions, Anger |
May 03 1992 |
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Zazen InstructionSerial: BZ-00680B First Friday Zazen, Posture, Beginners, Teacher-and-Student, Daily Life, Concentration, Nirvana,... |
May 01 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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February 22nd, 1992, Serial No. 00685, Side A Vows, Mindfulness, Right Speech, Right Effort, Concentration, Daily Life, Peace,... |
Feb 22 1992 |
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February 6th, 1992, Serial No. 00279 Mindfulness, Half-Smile, Four Foundations, Hindrances, Posture, Zazen Mind,... |
Feb 06 1992 |
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Continuous ZazenSerial: BZ-00684B Saturday Lecture Zazen, Priest, Daily Life, Mindfulness, Intimacy, Instruction, Liberation, Equanimity... |
Feb 01 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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January 30th, 1992, Serial No. 00280 Right Speech, Four Foundations, Bell, Precepts, Mindfulness, Right Effort, Karma,... |
Jan 30 1992 |
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Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, Tozan's Five RanksSerial: BZ-00732 Sesshin Day 4 Concentration, Religion, Absolute-and-Relative, Doubt, Mindfulness, Transmission,... |
Dec 16 1991 |
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Tozan's Five RanksSerial: BZ-00729 Class Three, Class Ego, Pure Existence, Precious Mirror, Absolute-and-Relative, Ordinary Mind, Monastic... |
Nov 17 1991 |
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November 14th, 1991, Serial No. 00273 Right Effort, Mindfulness, Light-and-Darkness, Concentration, Culture, Liberation,... |
Nov 14 1991 |
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Green Tara Serial 00023 Lineage, Patience, Letting Go, Teacher-and-Student, Priest, Mindfulness, Demons,... |
Oct 20 1991 Tape 3 Cupertino California |
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Fear Emptiness, Mindfulness, Right Speech, Describe, Don't Know Mind, Commitment,... |
Aug 05 1991 City Center |