Humanist Program: Rational Mindfulness: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There

The presentation will be useful to secular people who want to use scientifically-informed mindfulness and meditation practices to reduce stress, sharpen thinking, calm emotions, and enhance compassion.

Richard Jarvis started the HCCO's Rational Mindfulness Group, and will be this month's speaker. This presentation will include some readings, descriptions of various techniques, practice, and then discussion.

Join us at 11:30 for pizza in the meeting room! The formal part of the meeting starts at 12:00.

Recommended Reading

Benson, Dr. Herbert, The Relaxation Response, Morrow ,1975

Boyce, Berry (ed), The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life, Shambhala, 2011

Harris, Sam, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion, Simon & Schuster, 2014

Kabat-Zinn, Jon, Full Catastrophe Living(Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Bantam, 2013

Kabat-Zinn, Jon, Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment - and Your Life, Sounds True, 2011

Kabat-Zinn, Jon, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Daily Life, Hyperion, 1994

Puddicombe, Andy, Get Some Headspace: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011

Suzuki, Shunryu, Zen Mind, Beginners Mind, Weatherhill, 2002 (5th Printing).

Williams, Prof Mark and Dr Danny Penman, Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World, Rodale, 2011

Links and Apps

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World - Guided Meditations: http://rodalebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/mindfulness/index.html

Apps: Simply Being (basic short guided meditations $.99); Headspace (comprehensive guided meditation sessions, some limited free content); Mental Workout (meditations and other strategies, some limited free content)