NYC Talk: Buddhism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Submitted by Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

This coming Monday, I'll be giving a talk on Buddhism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) at the Interdependence Project in NYC.  Both ACT and Buddhism heavily incorporate mindfulness, and I promise that it will be an interesting (and helpful) presentation.  If you're familiar with it, the ID Project is also a wonderful community of people interested in practicing meditation and other secular aspects of Buddhism.  For more details, please click this link:  The Interdependence Project.  Hope to see you there!

New York Times Article on Distraction & Technology

By Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

Yesterday, the New York Times ran a front page article on how technology can serve as a distraction, and potentially decrease our ability to pay attention at other times.  Check out the article here:  NY Times on Techno-Distraction.

Its a very interesting article, and particularly ironic to be published on the same day that Apple announces a multitasking feature for the next iPhone.  However, like most devices or technology, the problem lies not in its existence, but rather how we use it.  Despite popular belief to the contrary, we can use our gadgets mindfully.  In fact, there are even phone applications for the practice of meditation and mindfulness.  Personally, I try to do one thing at a time, which isn't always easy.  If I'm writing an article (or blog post), then I strive to finish it before I start checking e-mail, returning phone calls, etc.  Often, I can feel the urge to abandon what I'm doing in order to refresh my inbox or do some research on a seemingly vital topic that I just invented.  Like the thoughts and feelings that arise during meditation, distractions come frequently during everyday life.  If we're not careful, we can end up mindlessly flowing from one activity to the next.  In order to realize (and correct) this process, you might want to keep a record of what you're doing hourly during the day.  You'll likely be surprised with the results.

Planes, Trains, & Waiting

By Jenny Taitz, Ph.D.

Present moment waiting may sound paradoxical but it doesn’t have to be.

Reporting live from JFK:

I woke up at 3 am for a 6 am flight that was delayed until 8am.  I could perseverate on my lost sleep, fatigue, shoulder pain, etc. or I can just accept, here I am.  Initially, this is challenging, after all, it is 5 am! I take a seat and think about times I’ve spent waiting in train stations, terminals, and traffic.

Generally, while waiting, we are pulled to compulsively check our watches, double check the accuracy of the time with our phones, let our minds run. What if we just take a moment to breathe and enjoy the respite? Here we are, no where to go.

After sitting for some time, I look at pages of magazines and browse the bestsellers table in the book store.   Time seems to move when I’m not trying to force it or adding judgment (e.g., I shouldn’t have to wait).  I decide 6:30 am is as good a time as any to buy a piece of chocolate and genuinely savor each bite.  Previously, I had considered rushing and waiting to be equally nefarious.  Now, I wonder if I have to wait, why not just be where I am?

Book Signing Tomorrow

Submitted by Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

If anyone is going to the Book Expo America (BEA) at the Javitz Center in NYC tomorrow, please come by and introduce yourself to me. I'll be signing galleys of my forthcoming book, Urban Mindfulness: Cultivating Peace, Presence, and Purpose in the Middle of It All, from 11 - noon at Table 9 in the Autographing Area. Hope to see you there!

Questions for the Dalai Lama?

By Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

Later this week, I am going to a press meeting with the Dalai Lama who is visiting NYC. Most likely, I'll ask him to elaborate on the distinction between urban and rural challenges to mindfulness and compassion, which he discussed at a conference last year. However, I thought that I would see if any UM readers had compelling questions to pose. So, if you could ask the Dalai Lama one question, what would it be?