{"id":3484,"date":"2014-06-10T13:25:17","date_gmt":"2014-06-10T17:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/?p=3484"},"modified":"2014-06-11T20:14:43","modified_gmt":"2014-06-12T00:14:43","slug":"selling-water-by-the-river-the-deceptive-simplicity-of-learning-mindfulness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2014\/06\/selling-water-by-the-river-the-deceptive-simplicity-of-learning-mindfulness.html","title":{"rendered":"Selling Water by the River: The Deceptive Simplicity of Learning Mindfulness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AA021036\"<\/a>The proliferation of all things mindfulness is mind boggling (does that make one more or less mindful, I wonder?). Research, teachers, books, blogs, and applications continue to grow. It may be safe to say, mindfulness has become a fad. There could certainly be worse things to generate a bandwagon effect. I am certainly pleased to be a part of this movement and play my small role.<\/p>\n

The title of this blog entry comes from a saying in the mindfulness teaching community. Teaching mindfulness is like selling water by the river. The students could just go down the river themselves and drink this water. Mindfulness is a native skill; why do you need a teacher? The reason is that while mindfulness is simple in concept it can be quite challenging to figure out how to insinuate it into your life. This is where a teacher becomes indispensable.<\/p>\n

Unless you can be self-motivated, the structure of a class really helps.\u00a0NICABM (National institute for the Application of Behavioral Medicine) offers online courses with prominent teachers. Recently, Tara Brach taught a program on relationships<\/a> and now Jack Kornfield will be teaching a course on the power of mindfulness. You can watch some preview videos here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jack is one of the preeminent mindfulness teachers. He is the author of many books, including the spiritual favorite: After The Ecstasy, The Laundry.<\/p>\n

I’ve had the pleasure of sitting with him once very briefly and I’ve read his books and listened to his talks. He is a gentle and intelligent soul that can bring mindfulness teachings to life.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, when the stresses of life start to build, it\u2019s easy to get frustrated and feel like there’s no way to slow down.<\/p>\n

Jack will be teaching an online course through \u00a0Mindfulness can help us to slow down and bring presence to our busy days.<\/p>\n

You can check out some course preview videos.\u00a0Learn more here:<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The proliferation of all things mindfulness is mind boggling (does that make one more or less mindful, I wonder?). Research, teachers, books, blogs, and applications continue to grow. It may be safe to say, mindfulness has become a fad. There could certainly be worse things to generate a bandwagon effect. 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Dr. Kozak's ability to translate ancient healing traditions into pragmatic applications suitable for modern lifestyles through the use of metaphors have made him a strong voice in healthcare and business. Beginning with a journey to India in the 80\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where he took the Bodhisattva vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Arnie Dr. Kozak began his lifelong practice in mindfulness meditation. Intent on finding a way to bring the practical healing attributes of mindfulness he began incorporating these techniques in his private practice. In 2002 Dr. Kozak created Exquisite Mind in Burlington, Vermont as a vehicle that could expand his wisdom to larger audiences beyond individual psychotherapy to professionals and corporations, health care providers, public groups and, most recently with Exquisite Mind Golf, amateur and professional golfers. His award-winning new book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness (Wisdom Publications, 2009) is a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring translation of mindfulness practice through the inventive use of metaphor applicable to our daily lives. In addition to his work with Exquisite Mind, Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDoctorate has been a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Vermont and is a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has studied and practiced clinical psychology, meditation, and yoga for more than 25 years. He has studied with several meditation masters, including S. N. Goenka, Larry Rosenberg, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After receiving his bachelors degree with honors from Tufts University, he was awarded a Presidential Fellowship to get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo. He completed his training as a Psychological Fellow at the Harvard Medical School. 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