Stressed? Distracted? Disconnected? Burned-out? The ability to stop what we are doing and reflect is being lost in our modern, fast-paced world. Going on long retreats and sitting in meditation for hours is a luxury many can’t afford. We need a Mindfulness for the 21st Century — a simple, accessible, and transformative practice to use throughout the day.
"The Power of Reflection" brings us back to the original meaning of mindfulness (sati), which is self-recollection and self-remembrance. In other words, it helps us regain the fragmented parts of ourselves that are lost to distraction, multi-tasking, and an emphasis on speed.
We all possess this special capacity to pause and look inward. This is made possible through the most human part of the brain — that area right behind the eyebrow ridge — which is crucial for empathy and connection, as well as emotional regulation and even impulse control. Distraction produced by overstimulation, for example, keeps this part of the brain from getting activated and strengthened!
That’s why pausing throughout the day and asking yourself questions such as, "How can I come back to this moment, how can I notice one precious ordinary thing in my surroundings, and what is happening in my body?" is crucial to developing the whole self and the whole brain. In this course, you’ll learn a means of reflection designed to cut through the I-dentity and produce deeper awareness, compassion, and connection in your life.
In each of 12 emails that you can schedule at your own pace, you will receive:
- Guidance for developing a reflection practice that addresses core challenges to your awareness.
- Extensive commentary that elaborates on a key reflection and how to integrate it into your life.
- Relevant brain-science concepts for breaking free from old, toxic patterns.
- A recording of a one-hour teleconference held on July 18, 2019, when this course was first offered.
- Opportunities to journal about your experience with the course.
Donald Altman, profiled in our Living Spiritual Teachers project, is a psychotherapist, international mindfulness trainer, award-winning writer, and former monk who brings ancient practices of peace and compassion into daily life. His mindfulness books have been translated worldwide.
To embrace the power of reflection is to experience first-hand the liberation, fulfillment, and joy that comes from getting free from auto-pilot and habitual patterns of reacting. If we don’t first disarm the ego in order to make peace with ourselves, how can we hope to make peace with others? How can we cultivate nurturing and enriching relationships? This course will make reflection a habit and help you to deliver your best to others in all facets of your life.
(4 CEHs for chaplains available.)
Available On-Demand
(choose your own start date and frequency)
$49.95
