Mark W. Muesse

Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation

Mark W. Muesse

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  • In-depth Instruction; over 750 mins
  • On-demand video access anytime
  • Bonus downloadable PDF resources
  • Access to class Q&A
Do you control your mind, or does your mind control you? Investigate how the mind operates and the condition of "mindlessness," the pervasive swirl of thoughts and judgments that separate you from the world around you.
Explore the notion of "mindfulness," or nonjudgmental attention to experience, as it occurs in everyday life and as a deliberate practice.
Prof. Muesse introduces the practice of meditation as a tool for developing mindfulness. Here, distinguish the true nature of mindfulness meditation from common preconceptions about it.
In approaching meditation, consider the interconnections of ethical behavior with the development of mindfulness and the shaping of personal character.
Now learn about the most beneficial physical conditions for your meditation, as well as the time of day and the physical setting that will best serve your practice.
Mindfulness meditation is based in the use of an anchor or focus of attention, allowing the mind to calm itself. Using your breathing as the focus, learn in detail about the fundamental elements of sitting meditation.
Here, explore difficulties often encountered in meditation and ways of working with them that are also useful in the larger context of living. Consider physical discomfort and the specific use of mindfulness itself in working through it.
Building on your work with mindfulness practice, learn another technique that augments and supports meditation. The "body scan" directs focused attention to different areas of the body, promoting deeper sensory awareness, relaxation and concentration.
The mindfulness tradition has much to say on the nature of thoughts and their power to shape personality and character. In this lesson, explore specific ways to identify detrimental thoughts and a variety of methods to work with them.
Learn walking meditation in detail, including beneficial conditions for practice, the method of mindful walking, where to focus your attention, and advanced variations on the practice.
When approached with mindfulness, eating offers heightened awareness and undiscovered depth of experience. This lesson takes you on a rich exploration of mindful eating, beginning with an eating "meditation," using all five senses.
As a familiar and potentially hazardous activity, driving provides a perfect "laboratory" for practicing mindfulness. Assess your own approach to driving and bring the principles of meditation to bear on the road.
Practicing mindfulness over time prepares the mind for "insight," which in this tradition means seeing clearly into the fundamental nature of reality.
Investigate dukkha, the insatiable quality of human experience, seen in our endless pursuit of the symbols of well-being and achievement and avoidance of unwanted experience.
With relation to mindfulness practice, explore compassion, or the desire to alleviate suffering, as an essential component of our nature as human beings. See how compassion allows us to look at suffering without aversion or attachment.
Finding compassion for ourselves is greatly challenging for many of us. Consider the complex of beliefs, attitudes, and conditioning that underlie this; in particular, the thorny phenomenon of perfectionism.
The mindfulness tradition offers an additional practice that is highly effective in revealing and cultivating compassion. With Prof. Muesse's guidance, experience metta meditation, a focused contemplation wishing well-being and peace for others.
Here, study the mindfulness tradition's insights concerning attachment to "things," our culture's dominant emphasis on possessions, and the psychological roots of greed.
Mindfulness practice brings focus to the critical link between speech and behavior. Consider the ways in which both inner experience and outward action are influenced by our use of language.
This lesson focuses on the challenges of dealing with anger and ways to disarm it using the skills you've studied.
Mindfulness skills offer powerful means to work with physical discomfort of all kinds. Consider the crucial distinction between pain and suffering as it directly affects our perceptions. Then experience two meditations for alleviating physical suffering.
In reflecting on the universality of loss, take a deeper look at the notion of impermanence and how refusal to embrace life's transience affects our experience of living.
The mindfulness tradition considers reflecting on death to be both liberating and essential to living a full and satisfying life. Contemplate the ways in which our culture conditions us to avoid and deny death, and learn four meditations that deepen our awareness and ability to live.
Finally, consider various possibilities for continuing your practice through the methods you've learned, further study, and retreats. Prof. Muesse concludes with reflections on his own path.
 
 
24 Lessons
12  hrs 30  mins

Description

What is meditation? Join Professor Mark W. Muesse, Ph.D., for a dynamic exploration of this ancient practice. You’ll come away with a clear understanding of the essence of mediation and how to practice it.

Mark W. Muesse

Mark W. Muesse is W. J. Millard Professor of Religious Studies, director of the Asian Studies program, and director of the "Life: Then and Now" program at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Known for his experiential teaching style, Professor Muesse was honored for his effective use of imaginative and creative pedagogy as well as his ability to motivate his students toward lifelong study.

Mark W. Muesse

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