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Introductory Articles by Chris Walsh

Mindfulness Instructions

Mindfulness In Action Techniques
These techniques are useful for bring mindfulness into the activities of everyday life.

Urge Surfing
In action technique for dealing with urges, cravings and addictions.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Initial Problems Practising Mindfulness & Solutions

Finding Mindfulness Classes

Why Mindfulness Instructors Need Their Own Regular Practice

The "Just Worrying" Labeling Technique
It turns out that worrying is a quite destructive way of avoiding being mindful that feeds on itself. This technique helps break the vicious cycle.

The Legend of Nasrudin
This article shows how, hundreds of years ago, the Sufis recognised the difficulties negotiating between the extremes of overly skeptical thinking and magical thinking.

Printable Version

FINDING MINDFULNESS CLASSES

Buddhist centres are usually the most economical places to learn mindfulness. They usually respect your own spiritual belief system, or lack thereof. Other places can be found by typing "meditation classes" or "mindfulness classes" into a search engine on the internet. However be aware that not all meditation is mindfulness. Some can even encourage mindlessness!

If you want teaching that is totally free from a particular spiritual system MBSR & MBCT are very good courses or any of the classes under the heading SECULAR MINDFULNESS CLASSES below.

CLASSES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

Buddhist Centres www.buddhanet.net/wbd/
Vipassana (Goenka) as researched by Alan Marlatt: www.dhamma.org

CLASSES IN AUSTRALIA:

Buddhist Centres www.buddhanet.net/wbd/region.php?region_id=8
Vipassana (Goenka) as researched by Alan Marlatt: www.dhamma.org/ausnz.htm

SECULAR MINDFULNESS CLASSES IN AUSTRALIA

Open Ground ( Australia ) Sydney, Canberra, Southern Highlands, Alice Springs, Perth does MBSR

Adelaide
Centre for the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression - CTAD
Does MBCT
Contact Dr. Maura Kenny
ph: 08 8222 8100 email: maura.kenny@nwahs.sa.gov.au

Brisbane

Alison Keane MBSR

Hobart
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (MCBT) - Bruno Cayoun

Melbourne
Ian Gawler (Yarra Junction)
John Julian - MBSR ( Balwyn)
John Julian - Mindful Compassionate Communication ( Belgrave / Wantirna)
Michael Anderson (Geelong & Melbourne)
Path out of Pain
Tranquillizer Recovery And New Existence (TRANX)
Panic Anxiety & Depression Assistance (PADA)
Steve Brown (Clifton Hill)

MBCT Training contact Bernadette.O'Grady@med.monash.edu.au

Northern NSW
Malcom Huxter

ASSESSING ORGANISATIONS THAT TEACH MINDFULNESS CLASSES

• First we need to assess if the teacher's motivations are good. We can tell if teachers are motivated by greed, hate and confusion, by carefully examining their deeds, words and thoughts.
  
  • Is the teacher overly pushy in getting people to come to his/her classes or workshops? (especially repeat workshops)
    
  • Does the practitioner work to make participants stronger to face life or do they create unnecessary dependence?
    
  • Does the practitioner promote an attitude of compassion and understanding of all or do they denigrate certain groups? (e.g. males or females, perpetrators or victims, various religious or political groupings.) 
    
• Once we place trust in a good person we do not need to accept everything they say merely on the basis of faith. We must verify for ourselves whether what we have accepted on good faith is true or false. We can do this by a careful examination of how things have come to be. One of the most important things is to look find teachers who emphasise that mindfulness/meditation is a technique of awareness rather than a way of controlling the world and our minds.
  
  
  [1] Kalupahana David J & Indriani (1982)  pp 199-201
  The Way of Siddhartha; A Life of The Buddha
  Shambhala
  Boulder & London

Dr Christopher Walsh
806 Lygon St
North Carlton
Victoria 3054
Ph: 03 9347 4300
Fax: 03 9347 4355

Send email to: info@cwalsh.com.au

Mindfulness In Individual Cognitive Therapy

Taking advantage of the recent acceptance of mindfulness meditation by cognitive therapists, Chris presented this paper to the 28th National Conference for the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy in April 2005.