“Mindfulness – personality traits and methods for avoiding suffering in the widest sense can be understood as a form of attentiveness. Historically speaking, mindfulness is to be found above all in Buddhist teachings and meditation. When used as part of various psychotherapy methods, mindfulness has above all become known in the significant cultural circle. “[1] As an act relating to attentiveness, mindfulness is the basis of the meditative practices for all Buddhist traditions.[2] Two teachings of Buddha describe mindfulness and its practice – the Anapanasati Sutta (about mindfulness with breathing) and above all the Satipatthana Sutta (about the principles of mindfulness – with the same content as the Mahāsatipatthāna Sutta) in the Majjhima Nikaya of the Suttapitaka. According to the Satipatthana Sutta , the “four principles of mindfulness” are:
- mindfulness of the body
- mindfulness of feelings/sensations (evaluated as positive, negative or neutral)
- mindfulness of the spirit (its current state or, as may apply, changes in state, e.g distracted, concentrated, confused)
- mindfulness of mind objects (i.e. all external and internal objects/things, perceived at the time).[3]
Mindfulness meditation is also referred to as Vipassana. It can be segregated from concentrative meditation (Samatha), which represents the principle of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is the 7th strand of the Nobel Eightfold Path, the first of the seven factors of enlightenment and the third skill of a total of five: Trust, energy, mindfulness, composure, wisdom
Mindfulness forms ‘the’ foundation as part of the concept of emotional intelligence.
What is the key to success of day-to-day emotional intelligence? It is mindfulness. By pausing and, for example, perceiving a feeling, stating (principle 2) and saying to myself:
- it is anger.
- it is love,
- it is rage,
- it is joy,
- it is …
I maintain flexibility of action. Flexibility of action occurs.
With challenging situations when dealing with employees, line managers or other people, ask yourself:
“What is he/she triggering in me?”
And acknowledge your emotion, your feeling, your sensation. And mindfulness succeeds.
Eckhart Tolle writes about implementing mindfulness in day-to-day personal life:
“The present moment – just make sure you are intensively aware of it. You can practice in your day-today life with any routine activity, which otherwise is only a means to the end. Give it your full attention so that it becomes the purpose itself. For example, whenever you go up or down the stairs at home or work, pay precise attention to every step, every movement, and every breath. Be contemporary.
Or if you are washing your hands, give every associated sensory perception your attention – the noise and feel of the water, the movement of your hands, the scent of the soap etc. Or if getting into your car, pause for a moment after you have closed the door and observe how you breath. You will be aware of a quiet but powerful feeling.
There is a definite criteria allowing you to gauge your success, the degree of peace that you sense inside.” [4]
Wonderful. How will you notice that the degree of peace in you has actually risen? Enjoy.
Training emotionaler Intelligenz und Führungskräfte Coaching
Peter Mertingk in D-64546 Mörfelden-Walldorf (Flughafen Frankfurt 10 km)
Telefon: +49 (0)6105 999677
eMail: dialog(at)petermertingk.de
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Sources:
[1] http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtsamkeit
[2] Gethin, R. (1998). The foundations of Buddhism. New York: Oxford University Press. Quote according to: Britta Hölzel: Achtsamkeitsmeditation: Aktivierungsmuster und morphologische Veränderungen im Gehirn von Meditierenden. Dissertation, 2007.
[3] Thich Nhat Hanh: Umarme deine Wut. Sutra der vier Verankerungen der Achtsamkeit. Theseus Verlag, 1990, ISBN 978-3-89620-323-6
[4] Eckhart Tolle, Jetzt!