Finding the Center Within: The Healing Way of Mindfulness Meditation

Thomas Bien, Beverly Bien9780471263944, 047126394X

“Finding the Center Within is a practical manual on the practice of mindfulness, which can help many people to embody their Buddha nature and become radiant and peaceful beings. It provides easy steps for practicing mindfulness in day-to-day living.-Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Peace Is Every Step, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames All of us want to live a calmer, more peaceful existence. Thomas and Beverly Bien teach that if we find the center within through ongoing mindfulness, we will have the capacity to live deeply and fully-with boundless peace and happiness-in any external circumstance. We can learn to be calm in the midst of the storm. Finding the Center Within offers a step-by-step program for breaking down the barriers that prevent us from actualizing our wise inner self. The Biens combine Eastern spiritual wisdom with the pragmatic wisdom of Western psychology, teaching us how to remove the walls that conceal who and what we really are and face our lives with greater honesty. They provide the tools needed to: * Find a path to the center through mindfulness * Bring meditation into everyday life * Work with and transform negative emotions * Cultivate healthy, healing relationships * Use dreams to achieve maximum wholeness and self-acceptanceYou’ll discover how to find greater peace, joy, and love in your life and deepen your capacity for psychological and spiritual well-being. Let Finding the Center Within inspire and guide you as you make the journey to awareness and open yourself to a world of happiness. Author Biography: THOMAS BIEN, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in private practice in the Albuquerque area. In addition to a doctoral degree in psychology, he has a master’s degree in theology from Princeton Theological Seminary and is a former United Methodist minister. Bien is an experienced public speaker with considerable experience doing workshops, lectures, and seminars on addiction-related topics. BEVERLY BIEN, M.Ed., is the Executive Director of La Vida Felicidad, a nonprofit agency that provides services to people with disabilities, and coleads workshops and seminars with her husband Thomas Bien. She has a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Please visit the Biens’ Web site at MindfulPsychology.com. “Finding the Center within is a practical manual on the practice of mindfulness which can help many people to embody their Buddha nature and become radiant and peaceful beings. It provides easy steps for practicing mindfulness in day-to-day living. -Thich Nhat Hanh, Nobel Peace Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Peace Is Every Step, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames”

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Table of contents :
EEn……Page 1
Finding the Center Within – The Healing Way of Mindfulness Meditation……Page 2
Copyright Info……Page 7
Dedication……Page 8
TOC……Page 10
Preface – Calm in the Storm……Page 12
Integrating The Spiritual And The Psychological……Page 13
Which Spirituality? Which Psychology?……Page 16
Our Journeys……Page 18
A Retreat In Daily Life……Page 19
How This Book Is Organized……Page 20
How To Use This Book……Page 21
Language And Anonymity……Page 22
Part I – The Key……Page 24
Pushing The Stone Uphill……Page 26
Look At Life’s Curveballs……Page 28
Open To Abundance……Page 29
Escape From The Future……Page 30
Become Aware Of Fragmentation……Page 32
Recognize Disconnection……Page 34
Recognize Disconnection In Time……Page 35
Sometimes We Need Separation: Jerry’s Story……Page 36
Find Your Roots……Page 37
Negative Emotions And Low Self-esteem……Page 39
Relationships: Great Expectations……Page 40
See Yourself As A Flower……Page 43
Practice For Week One……Page 44
2 – Week Two – Find A Path To The Center……Page 46
Mindfulness……Page 47
Work With Three Kinds Of Experiences……Page 48
Killing The Buddha……Page 51
Accept Your True Face: John’s Story……Page 52
Acknowledge All Your Experience: Joe’s Story……Page 53
Reclaim Your Authority……Page 54
Release The Illusion Of Control……Page 56
See That The Island Is Beautiful……Page 57
Practice Radical Acceptance……Page 58
Discover No Self……Page 60
The Purpose Is To Be Fully Alive……Page 62
Abandon The Chase……Page 63
Practice For Week Two……Page 65
Part II – The Door……Page 66
Befriend Your Inner Life: Kate’s Story……Page 68
The Meditative Attitude……Page 69
Meditation Is A Natural State……Page 70
Remember Who You Are……Page 71
Peace Is The River……Page 72
Coffee-break Attitude……Page 73
Finding The Discipline……Page 74
Practice Meditation As Self-love……Page 75
Refuse To Compare: Betty And George……Page 76
Find A Comfortable Position……Page 77
Set The Stage……Page 78
Use A Timer……Page 79
Move Mindfully During Meditation……Page 80
I’m Sitting: Now What?……Page 81
So Here’s What To Do……Page 82
Common Problems In Getting Started……Page 83
Encourage Yourself……Page 88
Use Gathas……Page 89
Breath, Body, Thoughts, And Feelings……Page 90
Practice The Four Immeasurable Minds (brahma-viharas)……Page 92
Inner Light Meditation……Page 94
Practice Walking Meditation……Page 95
Take Refuge……Page 96
Start An Inspirational Bookshelf……Page 97
How Do I Know Which Approach To Follow?……Page 98
Enjoy Your Practice……Page 99
Practice For Weeks Three And Four……Page 100
4 – Week Five – Bring Meditation Into Your Life……Page 102
Change The Channel……Page 103
Saturate Your Life……Page 104
Slow It Down A Notch……Page 105
Learn The Art Of Wu-wei……Page 108
Begin And End The Day Intentionally……Page 110
Find Bells Of Mindfulness……Page 111
Allocate Attention To Centering……Page 113
Examine Your Environment……Page 115
Let Your Peace Return To You……Page 116
Stay In Charge Of The Task……Page 117
Devote A Day To Mindfulness Practice……Page 119
Connect With Your Tradition……Page 122
Practice For Week Five……Page 123
Appreciate What Is……Page 126
Practice Nonattachment……Page 129
Follow The Eightfold Path……Page 131
Practice Right Action……Page 134
Be Aware Of What You Take In……Page 135
Lower Your Threshold Of Pleasure……Page 137
Give Up The Struggle……Page 138
Protect Yourself……Page 140
Be Free To Be Yourself……Page 141
Avoid Roadblocks……Page 142
See Everything As Alive……Page 144
Practice For Week Six……Page 145
Part III – The Path……Page 146
6 – Week Seven – Work With Dreams……Page 148
Spiritual Bypassing: Tim’s Story……Page 149
Look To Your Dreams……Page 150
Respect Your Dreams……Page 151
Remember Your Dreams……Page 152
Understand The Alternative View……Page 153
Become Aware Of The Symbols……Page 155
How To Work With Dreams……Page 157
Identify The Archetypes……Page 162
Encounter The Characters Of Your Dreams……Page 163
Anima And Animus……Page 164
Become Acquainted With Your Shadow……Page 165
Contact Your Wise Old Man/wise Old Woman……Page 166
Look Beyond The Personal……Page 167
Explore The Transformation Of Dream Characters……Page 168
Explore Water As The Boundary Of The Unconscious……Page 169
Trees As A Symbol……Page 170
Value Synchronicity……Page 171
Know Yourself……Page 172
Practice For Week Seven……Page 173
Sadness And Worry: Barbara’s Story……Page 174
Learn The Lessons……Page 175
Recognize The Need For Self-care……Page 176
Calm The Feelings……Page 177
Look Deeply At The Root Of The Problem……Page 179
Look Deeply At Your Thoughts……Page 180
Don’t Make It Worse……Page 181
Barbara’s Story Continued……Page 183
Understand Schemas And Complexes……Page 185
See The World Afresh……Page 186
Eleven Schemas……Page 187
Bring Mindfulness To Your Schemas……Page 189
Nurture Yourself……Page 191
Look Deeply At Your Behavior……Page 192
Send Yourself A Love Letter……Page 195
Take Care Of Your Anger……Page 196
Care Now: Decide Later……Page 198
Identify Anger Thoughts……Page 200
Transform Anxiety……Page 201
Practice “maybe It Will Be Okay”……Page 203
When Do I Need More Help?……Page 204
Practice For Week Eight……Page 206
8 – Week Nine – Cultivate Healthy Relationships……Page 208
Invite A Change Of Heart……Page 209
Open Your Heart……Page 210
Metta Meditation……Page 211
Develop True Self-love……Page 212
Love Yourself And Then Others……Page 214
Pinpoint Your Resistance……Page 216
Examine Your Relationship Skills……Page 217
Listen Deeply……Page 219
Put Beliefs And Attitudes Aside……Page 220
Become An Active Listener……Page 221
Reflect Before Dispensing Advice……Page 223
Cultivate Loving Speech……Page 224
Develop Skillful Speech……Page 225
Sometimes You Have To Hiss……Page 230
Encourage Loving Action……Page 231
Identify What Loved Ones Truly Want……Page 232
Express Appreciation……Page 233
Learn To Let Go……Page 234
Open To A Different Reality……Page 235
Practice For Week Nine……Page 236
Create A Vessel……Page 238
Create The Time……Page 240
Examine Your Busyness……Page 241
Keep It Constructive……Page 242
Keep It Private……Page 243
Make A Quiet Space……Page 244
The Felt Sense……Page 245
Build A Memory Bridge……Page 246
Use Stream-of-consciousness Journaling……Page 247
Inner Guide Journaling……Page 248
Listen To Your Wise Inner Self……Page 249
Patiently Untie The Knots……Page 251
Dialogue With Significant People……Page 252
The Other Person Is You……Page 253
Find Your Creativity……Page 256
In Essence……Page 257
Practice For Week Ten……Page 258
Part IV – Arriving Home……Page 260
A Western Buddha-Dharma……Page 262
Wholeness Rather Than Holiness……Page 265
The Prime Directive……Page 267
Practice For Weeks Three And Four……Page 270
Practice For Week Five……Page 271
Practice For Week Seven……Page 272
Practice For Week Nine……Page 273
Practice For Week Ten……Page 274
Sources and Readings……Page 276
Index……Page 280