Why you should give the gift of mindfulness this New Year

Some research shows that most would rather give themselves pain than be alone with their thoughts so there is some way to go to get people away from their need to be distracted. Capitalism was always going to leverage and monetise addictions and addictiveness and it is going to take more than mindfulness to overcome this but it can be part of the solution.

Or you could just turn your smartphone off, grab some biscuits and make yourself a nice cup of tea.

You can't give "mindfulness". The person learns it just like any other practice. Be mindful of those very expensive teachers. They are not needed to learn.

You can't give "mindfulness". The person learns it just like any other practice. Be mindful of those very expensive teachers. They are not needed to learn.

That is not related to what the article is about, the person "giving the gift" is not teaching or promoting the practice as a gift for others, the person is giving by practicing mindfulness himself because of the positive effects it will have on others.

It is like saying "give the gift of patience" not by making other people more patient but by being more patient with them.

wallaceToday  10:48 am JST

You can't give "mindfulness". The person learns it just like any other practice. Be mindful of those very expensive teachers. They are not needed to learn.

Very true.

virusrexToday  11:38 am JST

That is not related to what the article is about, the person "giving the gift" is not teaching or promoting the practice as a gift for others, the person is giving by practicing mindfulness himself because of the positive effects it will have on others.

You should read the article because in the beginning the premise is given.

Living more mindfully is a common New Year’s resolution. This year, try gifting it to others.

When people want to learn a new subject or skill they usually will seek out a teacher to help them. When people learn of mindfulness for the first time or decide they want to learn they might seek out a teacher and in some cases a guru.

To learn and develop mindfulness does not need one of the many expensive teachers plying their trades.

My comment is not from the article but a suggestion to seekers to think twice about an expensive practitioner. The are many in the US. it can end up costing thousands of dollars.

The professor who wrote the article is also very well-paid. He is also a yoga and mindfulness instructor. Co-founder of Yoga Lab at State College.

https://www.statecollegeyogalab.com/pricing

I began my mindfulness journey more than 50 years learning from Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka. After a few years, I continued alone. I spent very little money.

The article is actually self-serving.

Please try it for yourself.

You should read the article because in the beginning the premise is given.

And the premise is as I explained, the gift is not the teaching the practice but the effects on others from doing it, nothing in the beginning contradict this explanation.

My comment is not from the article 

As long as you make that clarification, before doing it it was much easier to interpret that you were referring to what the article said, which made no sense.

The article is actually self-serving.

If listing the benefits of a practice amounts to "self serving" that would also apply even if it was written by anybody that would benefit from spreading it, even if that "benefit" was the growth of the person that is a new practitioner. Nothing in the article even indicate you have to learn it from the author, or from anybody in specific, just that the practice is beneficial, your final line would be as easily "self serving" in that sense.

A comment can be posted without a reference to the article provided somehow it's still on topic.

If listing the benefits of a practice amounts to "self serving" that would also apply even if it was written by anybody that would benefit from spreading it, even if that "benefit" was the growth of the person that is a new practitioner. Nothing in the article even indicate you have to learn it from the author, or from anybody in specific, just that the practice is beneficial, your final line would be as easily "self serving" in that sense.

Yes but in this case, it is the author of the article unlike say a journalist or an author writing about a topic they do not do.

So it would not be self-serving if written by anyone like myself for instance. Very experienced, very knowledgable but I don't teach it just practice it.

Your comment is argumentive.

Have you never learned or practiced mindfulness?

You cannot give the gift of mindfulness to anyone but yourself. Like saying give happiness to others by being happy yourself. Some people will react to that while others will reject it.

There are others who say "have a positive mind".

Mindfulness is a practice lived and not usually spoken about. Many of my friends and relatives have no idea I practice it. Why would they?

Mindfulness is very much a personal experience to teach you about your own being rather than about others.

It is like meditation and yoga. A personal practice to improve our own lives.

You cannot give the gift of mindfulness to anyone but yourself.

Of course you can, because mindfulness have an effect on others, which the article clearly explains. You are giving something to others by practicing it. Even if others have no idea you are practicing it the positive effects on them can validly be described as a gift as the article does.

Happiness is also a personal thing, but by being happy you are also affecting others, so your happines becomes a gift for the people that care about you (like family and friends).

I do not have the slightest interest in increasing the number of people who practice and gain nothing from the published article which the author no doubt is also paid for.

There have been several articles in recent times and I have commented on them all.

I asked if you had ever practiced just to know your personal level of involvement and judging from your answer you have not practiced mindfulness. You are just an academic. So I suggest you start.

The author of the article earns a considerable sum of money from mindfulness and yoga.

My advice to all would be very careful of expensive teachers.

I was practicing before the author was even born.

I disagree with the author of the article because I believe the gift of mindfulness cannot be gifted to another.

As for New Year resolutions I have kept my last one for many years which was to never make them.

It is very difficult to live mindfulness 24/7 and many who start out on the path soon give up.

virusrex

what is the meaning of mindfulness?

I disagree with the author of the article because I believe the gift of mindfulness cannot be gifted to another.

Is your argument that practicing mindfulness have no effect on anybody that you deal with? because those effects are the gifts the author is talking about, and he makes a very good point for that. Without refuting his arguments disagreeing with him would indicate that it is more likely for you to be wrong than him.

virusrex

how can you argue about mindfulness if you do not know what it is?

If I walk down a busy street and do not attack anyone did I gift all those people with my nonviolence?

From the second paragraph of the article

"Mindfulness scholars and teachers like me"

So the author claims to be a teacher and is a uni professor and a scholar of mindfulness. Teachers rarely work for nothing and professor does not. Author of many books on the subject.

In my more than 50 years of mindfulness practice, I have never made the claim to be a scholar or a teacher. Although, I provided assistance to many on the way. Never received a dime. Did it with a pure heart.

This article is a bit of a reach for something qualitative to write for the New Year. Nice job wallace though, in providing a coherent and logical explanation of your position in this issue. The author of the article did not present his case too well, and you gave great insightful thoughts about your experience. You also used great patience in teaching the other poster where his many errors in thought were. Most importantly, you practiced "mindfulness."

Honestly, I do not understand the concept of mindfulness. We are exist in the world, and we partake of its many wonders. God bless us all.

This year, try gifting it to others.

This can't be done.

Mindfulness cannot be given to anyone but yourself.

Married with someone that recently began a journey with mindfulness I can say it is true that it is a gift for others. Many in my family are very grateful.