Enlightened Living

Mindfulness practice in everyday life.

Michael J. Formica, MS, MA, EdM is a psychotherapist, social scientist, and educator in Westport CT. He is an Initiate in the Shankya Yoga lineage. See full bio

May 23, 2008, Self-Help

Comments on "Meditation Principles As Tools for Change"

Meditation Principles As Tools for Change

By Michael J. Formica on May 23, 2008 in Enlightened Living

One of the most consistent questions that I get from my clients is, "How can I get my mind around that?" Yesterday, I was speaking with a client about insecurity and found myself drawing a parallel between meditation and creating a choice-point. Make a choice, change your circumstances...change your circumstances, change your life. Read More

discursive thoughts!

Submitted by Carolyn on May 23, 2008 - 7:23am.

Make a choice, change your circumstances...change your circumstances, change your life.

It really is as simple and complex as that.
This article was great.

I do have a question about discursive thought though. If discursive thought is this background noise that's getting in the way, couldn't it also be a positive tool? Is it (for lack of BETTER word) 'bad' to analyze your day, your week, etc?

I am thinking constantly about what people have said to me on this day or what's happened this past week and it replays sometimes over and over in my mind. I was under the impression (that I made myself) that all this replaying of events was me analyzing and analyzing is good because it's a desire to know your study inside and out. My study being the people I come in contact with.

Is it more beneficial to abandon that thought process, even if it seems innocent like 'feeding the cat - gotta get gas - the dentist is tomorrow'?

On one hand I feel like we should analyze and question everything but on the other hand, simple thinking seems like the way to calm a person. So do you need to have the answers before going back to simple? I have too many questions for my own brain in general.

Peace,
C

Discursively speaking...

Submitted by Michael J. Formica on May 23, 2008 - 7:44am.

Carolyn: It is impossible to turn off our discursive thinking. It is the nature of the human mind to be active and curious. It is within the context of meditation that we strive to let go of discursive thinking and return to the breath. While it is possible to be mindful, present and attentive in our day-to-day lives, turning off our discursive thinking would mean that we were in a constant state of rapture, which does not bode well for driving a car. Blessings, Michael

meditation principles as tools for change

Submitted by kate boswell on May 23, 2008 - 9:49pm.

Hi Michael,

I have been reading your blogs and enjoying them a lot. I am also a PT therapist, in Marina del Rey, Ca. I especially loved this last posting on your blog. You have a way of taking a potentially complicated technique, and making it very simple. Though, of course, as one who meditates, I realize it is simple but not easy to interrupt the discursive thinking. It is nice to have simple techniques to use over and over so they become easier with practice. Kate