Watch the video of our latest Google Hangout, “Mindfulness Meditation: Managing Stress and Shifting from Surviving to Thriving.” The host, Cory Muscara of the Long Island Center for Mindfulness, shared the evidence-based practice of mindfulness meditation.
Here’s the event’s summary:
Lawyers rank among the most anxious, depressed, and suicidal professional. It is essential that they cultivate the skills and inner resources that enable them to not only manage their high stress environment, but thrive in their work. With over a thousand scientific studies supporting its efficacy, mindfulness is proving to be one of the most effective methods for reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout in working professionals.
The webinar was co-sponsored by the ABA Young Lawyer Division.
Cory also shared some additional tips for using mindfulness meditation in your life, education, and practice.
Mindfulness Definition
“Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn
What is Mindful Awareness
Three attention skills working together:
- The ability to focus on what you want, when you want.
- The ability to observe and understand your sensory experience (seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling, mental experiences)
- The ability to let your experience come and go without pushing or pulling
Meditations
Free Guided Meditations: Here is a link to free guided meditations offered by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.
One-Minute Meditation: Youtube link on how to meditate in a moment.
Headspace App: This is a great app to get different meditations right to your phone or computer. There is a charge each month, but it’s fairly modest considering the amount of content.
Calm App: Another good app you may download to your device.
Insight Timer App: If you do not want to pay a monthly fee, Insight Timer is an app you can download to your phone that is free. It provides guided meditations, bells (if you just want a timer to start and finish), and acts as a meditation community where you can see the hundreds of other people meditating around the world.
Hints, Reminders, and Resources for Practice
- STOP: Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed
- Commit to only 1-minute per day
- Accountability with a friend or a coach (www.coach.me)
Books
- Full Catastrophe Living,
- Wherever You Go There You Are
- You are not Your Pain
- Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
- Real Happiness (Focuses on Loving Kindness)
- Search Inside Yourself (Mindfulness in Organizations)
Podcasts
