relaxation

Mindfulness And The Future Of Relaxation

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archer

Relaxation is a highly sought after experience in our world today. Many have turned to mindfulness as a way to provide relaxation in addition to the many other benefits mindfulness can provide. What I have discovered is that relaxation is a highly nuanced experience and just the starting point for new ways of experiencing our lives.

When seen as the opposite of chronic fight or flight, relaxation is certainly a welcome relief and helps to restore order to a system buckling under the weight of extended stress. Once the system has re booted and is functioning smoothly, the craving for relaxation subsides and the curiosity of adventure returns. There is a transitional period where relaxation takes on a new meaning…it expands. Relaxation can be a great way to disconnect and go to our happy places. That certainly can be fun and interesting. What happens though when relaxation is experienced as part of a process to connect to the present moment? These are two completely different approaches to relaxation and ultimately redefines what relaxation is and how it relates to the future of human potential.

People have been experiencing these differences for thousands of years but science hasn’t caught up to explaining them fully yet. In today’s terms it is the difference between relaxing and being in the “peak performance” mode. In the peak performance mode we take relaxation and combine it with acute alertness and dynamic flow of energy to create an experience which is very different than the traditional definition of relaxation. You could say that traditional relaxation is a temporary transition from chronic stress to peak performance mode. In the field of human potential this peak mode is the starting point into a whole new way of being.

In my experience I have found mindfulness to be essential in the creation of this peak experience. There are unlimited ways of using mindfulness to broaden the peak mode by combining it with other methods or just using it as a stand alone approach. So relaxation as it is commonly known may be a by product of mindfulness practice but it is important to understand that it is a temporary by product, gradually being replaced by this new way of being which renders today’s definition of relaxation as quaint.

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Mindfulness And The Future Of Relaxation

/ / mindfulness
man pointing bow and arrow

Relaxation is a highly sought after experience in our world today. Many have turned to mindfulness as a way to provide relaxation in addition to the many other benefits mindfulness can provide. What I have discovered is that relaxation is a highly nuanced experience and just the starting point for new ways of experiencing our lives.

When seen as the opposite of chronic fight or flight, relaxation is certainly a welcome relief and helps to restore order to a system buckling under the weight of extended stress. Once the system has re booted and is functioning smoothly, the craving for relaxation subsides and the curiosity of adventure returns. There is a transitional period where relaxation takes on a new meaning…it expands. Relaxation can be a great way to disconnect and go to our happy places. That certainly can be fun and interesting. What happens though when relaxation is experienced as part of a process to connect to the present moment? These are two completely different approaches to relaxation and ultimately redefines what relaxation is and how it relates to the future of human potential.

People have been experiencing these differences for thousands of years but science hasn’t caught up to explaining them fully yet. In today’s terms it is the difference between relaxing and being in the “peak performance” mode. In the peak performance mode we take relaxation and combine it with acute alertness and dynamic flow of energy to create an experience which is very different than the traditional definition of relaxation. You could say that traditional relaxation is a temporary transition from chronic stress to peak performance mode. In the field of human potential this peak mode is the starting point into a whole new way of being.

In my experience I have found mindfulness to be essential in the creation of this peak experience. There are unlimited ways of using mindfulness to broaden the peak mode by combining it with other methods or just using it as a stand alone approach. So relaxation as it is commonly known may be a by product of mindfulness practice but it is important to understand that it is a temporary by product, gradually being replaced by this new way of being which renders today’s definition of relaxation as quaint.

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The Many Uses of Mindfulness: Happiness, Positive Thinking, Abundance, Law of Attraction, Relaxation etc.

/ / mindfulness

For many years I have paid particular attention to things people want such as abundance, happiness, ability to generate positive thoughts, law of attraction, relaxation and so forth. Being like all people, I too have had a personal interest in how I could embody these things and how I could teach it to others. I have read all the books, gone to the seminars, practiced the exercises and spoken to the leaders in these fields to get a better handle on what it takes to achieve these qualities that are valued by so many people. At the same time that I’ve been doing my research, I have continued to practice mindfulness and this has spanned over a period of more than forty years.

To my surprise I have discovered that although these qualities continue to be valued and movements continue to arise around them there is considerable doubt as to the ultimate value of the pursuit of these things. To make matters worse I have spoken with many people who teach these things who candidly admit that the various approaches they teach simply don’t work. There is acknowledgment that these techniques can provide temporary results but inevitably fall by the wayside. I think temporary results are fine and can open the door to a new way of being if approached mindfully. Usually these people have come to me to discuss mindfulness and want to know what it has to say about what they are doing.

Mindfulness has a lot to say about these things if my personal experiences and my interpretation of others experiences in mindfulness are being seen clearly. To begin with, happiness, positivity, relaxation, abundance, law of attraction and so forth are just part of the spectrum of human experience. There is the other side of the spectrum which if ignored can cross the border to denial and disconnection. At that point delusion can set in and a cascade of disappointment can become hard to bear. I think it’s great to fully experience the sought after states of being but only if the opposite states of being are welcomed just as much. This is where equanimity, active acceptance, non striving and letting go come in. The age old saying that the best way to achieve these things is by not trying to achieve them comes to mind as true in every field of human experience. There is a fine line to tread here to fully grasp and engage this process and the practice of mindfulness supplies the map and the missing link. It ultimately transforms the inner experience to reflect a new relationship with the world which in turn redefines the sought after experiences and provides a firm foundation of peace.

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