RESOURCES/LINKS

Here you will find the following:

1. Mindfulness-Related Links

2. What is Mindfulness? (an article)

3. Mindfulness and Living Kindness Bibliography

Mindfulness-Related Links

TCME.ORG The Center for Mindful Eating: The purpose of the Center for Mindful Eating is to help professionals and institutions implement principles and practices of Mindful Eating. TCME offers a number of valuable services for health professionals--dietitians, therapists, nutritionists, nurses, and others who work with disordered eating patients. Such services include patient handouts, telephone training conferences on a variety of topics, a newsletter that offers insight into mindful eating, and other support for practitioners and institutions. In addition, The Center of Mindful Eating is charged with:

• Holding and sharing The Principles of Mindful Eating

• Refining and deepening understanding of the principles through dialog, debate, experience and training

Center for Mindfulness CFM The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society is dedicated to furthering the practice and integration of mindfulness in the lives of individuals, institutions, and society through a wide range of clinical, research, education, and outreach initiatives in the public and private sector. The center is involved in developing mindfulness-based stress reduction programs.

Portland Health and Wellness Portland Health and Wellness offers a variety of mindfulness-based services not typically available in most medical clinics. The staff, who come from diverse professional backgrounds, share a common interest in disease prevention and the treatment of chronic conditions. By combining cutting-edge medical research from several disciplines, PH&W clinicians strive to help individuals enhance their health in profound and meaningful ways--from nutritional consultation, eating disorders treatment and mindfulness training to psychotherapy and psychopharmacology.

Eating Disorder Hope Eating Disorder Hope provides information, suggestions, groups, links, books, treatment providers and events for individuals struggling with bulimia, anorexia, & binge-eating disorders. Their mission is to offer hope, information and support to individuals and their family members who are suffering with eating disorders.

The Joy Project is a 501c3 non-profit organization, formed in 2006, that aims to empower people with eating disorders by providing information, support, and resources at little to no cost. They provide in-person support groups, an online message board at www.joyprojectonline.com, recovery worksheets and other info at their main site. In addition, they have been actively participating in advocacy activities, including speaking with members of Congress, working with SAMHSA, and collaborating with Mental Health America.

Mindfulness Bell Magazine The Mindfulness Bell is a journal of the art of mindful living. To be mindful means to dwell deeply in the present moment, to be aware of what is going on within and around us. Practicing mindfulness cultivates understanding, love, compassion, and joy. This practice helps us to take care of and transform suffering in our lives and in our society.

The Mindfulness Bell is an inspiration and teaching resource for those practicing mindfulness in daily life. Its teachings are based on the work of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Bibliography of Research on Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction This is a list of peer reviewed papers from the Center for Mindfulness.

Meditation Research Roundup This summary of recent mindfulness research by writer and journalist Richard Mahler provides "a round-up of some of the more recent clinical study results" on mindfulness practices relating to mind and body and immune system wellness.

Essential Skills Bob Wilson, BS, DTR, has put together a useful and comprehensive list of meditation and mindfulness web resources. Bob's mission on his website is to help others cultivate twelve essential skills that create life-long well-being, a healthy weight, and a more vibrant friskiness.

What is Mindfulness? by Donald Altman, M.A.

Have you ever heard the term "mindful" used in daily language? Maybe you have used it yourself. Actually, this is a word that can be hard to explain using only words. That may seem odd, but that is because mindfulness is best understood by experiencing it. In addition, mindfulness can represent many things about how we pay attention to the world. 

For mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, mindfulness is very much about experiencing the present moment, not living in the past or the future. What do you say we check that out? So right NOW, raise your hands and press the palms of your hands together in front of you.

Now press harder. Really hard! Ask yourself these questions: Is what I am feeling right now happening yesterday? Is this sensation occurring tomorrow? Next, release the pressure and slowly separate your palms. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I feel any sensation of heat that has built up on my hands?
• How do my wrists, elbows, and shoulders feel without the pressure?

Obviously, the sensations you just felt weren’t from either the past or the future. It was definitely now, wasn't it? And so you see, paying attention to what is happening right now is easily experienced in the body. In this way, mindfulness brings the body and mind together. That is because you need your mind's awareness to really experience and describe a bodily sensation.

You may be asking, What about experiences outside the body? That would also be mindfulness. Why? Because once again you need to place your mind's awareness and attention on what your eyes and ears are sensing in the external world in each moment.

One of the difficulties with asking the question "What is Mindfulness?" is that we can tend to rigidly fix our concept of mindfulness. Having a fixed point of view is in some ways contrary to the approach of moment-to-moment openness that is central to the mindfulness experience.

Rather than limit our mindfulness language, I think it is important to expand our vocabulary of what mindfulness might be. Here are some more ideas of what mindfulness might be for you:

• A way to bring the mind and body into harmony through focused intention, attention, and sustained attention.
• A non-judgmental, openhearted acceptance of this moment.
• Training and taming the mind/making the mind your friend.
• How well you "fit" with your environment.
• Purposely paying attention to your body and surroundings.
• Checking in with your emotions.
• Sensing your connection with all things.
• Acting, not reacting.
• Observing sensations, emotions, and the physical body.
• Moment to moment awareness of likes and dislikes.
• Being able to turn your attention away from negative thoughts and emotions and deliberately place your attention elsewhere.
• Knowing what your body is feeling and what your mind is thinking.
• Accepting and living in the "what is" instead of the "what if".
• Knowing that your body is hungry.
• Knowing that your body's hunger has been satisfied.
• Being aware of your breath and body posture and physical.
• Being flexible enough to see things from multiple perspectives.
• Watching your thoughts, even those that are blaming or disturbing, without judgment.
• Describing things in great detail.

Mindfulness is all these things and more. However, there are some overlapping points that can help us broadly define mindfulness as with the definition below:

Mindfulness is 1) Awareness and paying attention to the physical body, sensations, emotions, perceptions, opinions, and thoughts as they are occurring—instant-to-instant. 2) Observing moment-to-moment experiences in a non-judgmental and non-blaming way. 3) Being fully conscious, intentional, and aware of your choices. 4) Getting involved in the process of things rather than focusing on the outcome, and 5) A state of being open, not closed, to other points of view.

Mindfulness and Living Kindness Bibliography

Altman, Donald. Art of the Inner Meal: The Power of Mindful Practices to Heal Our Cravings. Rev. ed. Portland, OR: Moon Lake Media, 2002.

----. Living Kindness: The Buddha's Ten Guiding Principles for a Blessed Life. Hawaii, Inner Ocean Publishing, 2003.

----. Meal By Meal: 365 Daily Meditations for Finding Balance through Mindful Eating. Hawaii, Inner Ocean Publishing, 2004.

Ashley-Farrand, Thomas. Healing Mantras. New York: Ballantine Wellspring, 1999.

Bhikkhu Buddhadasa. Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1994.

Bleefeld, Rabbi Bradley, and Robert Shook, trans. Saving the World Entire. New York: Plume, 1998.

Bohm, David. On Dialogue. New York: Routledge, 1996.

----. Unfolding Meaning. New York: Routledge, 1985.

Buddhaghosa. The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga). Translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli. Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1991.

Byrom, Thomas, trans. Dhammapada: Sayings of the Buddha. Boston: Shambhala, 1993.

Campbell, Don. The Mozart Effect. New York: Avon Books, 1997.

Chopra, Deepak. How to Know God. New York: Harmony Books, 2000.

Dempsey, Carol, and Russell Butkus, eds. All Creation Is Groaning. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1999.

Dossey, Larry, M.D. Healing Words. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994.

Easwaran, Eknath. The Mantram Handbook. Petaluma, CA: Nilgiri Press, 1977.

Gandhi, M. K. Vows and Observances. Berkeley: Berkeley Hills Books, 1999.

Hahn, Thich Nhat. Cultivating the Mind of Love. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1996.

----. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching. New York: Broadway Books, 1988.

Huntington and Smith, eds. Emerson Day by Day. New York: T Y Crowell & Co., 1905.

Kalu Rinpoche. The Dharma. New York: State University of New York Press, 1986.

Kaplan, Aryeh. Jewish Meditation. New York: Schocken Books, 1985.

Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1997.

Khan, Inayat. Notes from the Unstruck Music from the Gayan of Inayat Khan. Tucson: Message Publications, 1985.

Kierkegaard, S¿ren. Works of Love. Translated by Howard and Edna Hong. New York: HarperTorchbooks, 1962.

Kornfield, Jack. After the Ecstasy, the Laundry. New York: Bantam Books, 2000.

Kornfield, Jack, ed. Teachings of the Buddha. Boston: Shambhala, 1996.

Kornfield, Jack, and Paul Breiter, eds. A Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books, 1985.

Kraybill, Donald (author), and Lucian Niemeyer (photographer). Old Order Amish. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.

Krishnamurti, J. The Book of Life. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.

----. Think on These Things. New York: HarperPerennial, 1989.

Lama Surya Das. Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World. New York: Broadway Books, 1997.

----. The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

Lao Tzu. The Way of Life. Translated by R. B. Blakney. New York: Mentor, 1983.

Mahasi Sayadaw. Fundamentals of Vipassana Meditation. Translated by Maung Tha Noe. Berkeley: Dhammachakka Meditation Center, 1991.

Maitreya, Ananda, trans. Dhammapada: The Path of Truth. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1995.

McLeod, Ken. Wake Up to Your Life. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.

Merton, Thomas. Mystics and Zen Masters. New York: Noonday Press, 1996.

----. New Seeds of Contemplation. New York: New Directions, 1961.

Nerburn, Kent. Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999.

Nikhilananda, Swami, trans. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1958.

Nisker, Wes. Crazy Wisdom. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1998.

Padmasambhava. Advice from the Lotus-Born. Translated by Erik Pema Kunsang. Hong Kong: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1994.

Palmer, Martin, trans. The Book of Chuang Tzu. London: Penguin Arkana, 1996.

Prabhavananda, Swami, and Christopher Isherwood, trans. The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita. England: Mentor, 1972.

Redfield Jamison, Kay. An Unquiet Mind. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.

Rogers, Pattiann. Firekeeper. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 1994.

Rumi, Jelaluddin. Birdsong: Fifty-Three Short Poems. Translated by Coleman Barks. Athens, GA: Maypop, 1993.

Saint Benedict. The Rule of St. Benedict. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1981.

Sangharakshita. The Bodhisattva Ideal. Birmingham, England: Windhorse Publications, 1999.

Santideva. A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Translated by V. Wallace and B. Wallace. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1997.

Sheldrake, Rupert. The Rebirth of Nature. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 1994.

Smith, Huston. Forgotten Truth. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1985.

U Silananda. Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1990.

U Silananda, trans. Paritta Pali and Protective Suttas. Daly City, CA: Dhammananda Vihara, 1995.

Vajiranana Mahathera, Paravahera. Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice. Kuala Lampur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 1975.

Wilber, Ken. One Taste: Daily Reflections on Integral Spirituality. Boston: Shambhala, 2000.

Yogananda, Paramahansa. Spiritual Diary. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1982.