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Be Present! Mindfulness is Now Mainstream
By Grove Burnett, Vallecitos Founder and Guiding Teacher
People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive."
~ Joseph Campbell - The Power of Myth
Vallecitos Mountain Ranch is dedicated as a refuge where people can systematically learn and develop the ancient practice of mindfulness through training and guidance in a spectacular natural setting.
In the last decade, and especially the last year, mindfulness has exploded onto the American landscape. Once regarded as a strange and exotic activity reserved for saints and holy people, mindfulness practice is now central to the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds. Recent surveys show that more than 25 million Americans engage in some kind of mindfulness practice.
The reason for this rapidly increasing popularity and application is simple: MINDFULNESS WORKS! Mindfulness develops core competencies and life skills that can be systematically and pragmatically applied in our personal lives and professional work. Research proves that we can successfully train our minds and actually change the structure and function of the brain!
Mindfulness has recently been the subject of extraordinary coverage by the mainstream media. If you haven't already, check out the January 2012 cover story for Newsweek, "Mindulness Meditation is Rediscovered."
Last month, Anderson Cooper did a major story on 60 Minutes about mindfulness and the retreat he attended with Jon Kabet-Zinn.
Especially compelling is Anderson's personal testimony in which he reports that practicing mindfulness has changed his life: "Sitting in that meditation retreat, I realized this is exactly what I need." You can see more of Anderson's personal reflections and initial skepticism by watching his interview on 60 Minutes Overtime.
WHAT MINDFULNESS IS NOT!
- It is not a religion or exotic cult.
- There is no dogma, creed or guru.
- It's not reserved for saints and holy people.
- There are no secret teachings.
- It's not a new age, touchy-feely, self-help strategy.
- It's not about going into a trance.
- It's not trying to black out your mind, block out your thoughts, cork your feelings and become unconscious.
- It's not about running away from reality and escaping the world.
- It doesn't require special diets, supplements or drugs.
- It does not take a lot time.
- It is not complicated.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Researchers define mindfulness as "the non-judgmental attention to and awareness of one's physical, mental and emotional experiences in the present moment."
- Mindfulness is a mental training.
- It is the human capacity to be aware--open, quiet and relaxed, right here, right now, at any time.
- It is the ability to be fully present with whatever the here and now is presenting to us, whether pleasant or unpleasant.
- It is paying attention to your body and your mind.
- It is fewer distractions, less drama, and fewer entanglements.
- It can be practiced by anyone of any background, no matter what your affiliation or faith.
- It is easy to learn and easy to do.
- It's portable and costs nothing.
- It's perfectly legal.
Vallecitos Mountain Ranch is offering a multitude of secular mindfulness trainings and Buddhist mindfulness meditation retreats in 2015. We invite you to visit our website or see our 2015 retreat schedule below.
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