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Audible samplePracticing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation
Audible Audiobook – Original recordingMark W. Muesse (Narrator, Author), The Great Courses (Author, Publisher)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
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Meditation - the technique of mental focusing for enhanced awareness and self-mastery - offers deep and lasting benefits for mental functioning and emotional health, as well as for physical health and well-being.
This practice is closely related to "mindfulness," which Professor Muesse defines as "a deliberate way of paying attention to what is occurring within oneself as it is happening. It is the process of attentively observing your experience as it unfolds, without judgment or evaluation."
"Meditation," he adds, "refers to certain exercises that can be used to enlarge and refine mindfulness." Meditation cultivates mindfulness by training you to develop deep attention to the present moment, allowing the mind to become settled and centered. These 24 detailed lectures teach you the principles and techniques of sitting meditation, the related practice of walking meditation, and the highly beneficial use of meditative awareness in many important activities, including eating and driving. You will also learn how to use the skills of meditation in working with thoughts and emotional states, in deepening sensory awareness of the body, and in becoming deeply attentive to the operation of your mind.
You'll come away with a solid basis for your own meditation practice and for bringing meditation's remarkable and empowering benefits to every aspect of your life.
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©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses
Listening Length
12 hours and 29 minutes
Author
Mark W. Muesse, see all
Narrator
Mark W. Muesse
Audible release date
July 8, 2013
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Top reviews from the United States
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy 2 Understand. A Guide with Substance. Proven Practice Exercises.
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
"This course is predicated on the conviction that it is not necessary to live at the mercy of an untamed mind". This statement is actually from the Author Himself and what I found in his own words have proven to be true which can bring an interesting concept to research. It is a easy-to- understand reader, with substance and with proven exercises that he gives you to practice. Also, Amazon Prime members receive the Video series companion to the book under Amazon's Signature Series, so you can meet the author and he will take you through his entire book with exercises like a classroom setting. You will not be disappointed. I promise.
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Candace Drimmer
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good intro to this most useful course
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very good intro to, if you haven't done or thought what IS this mindfulness stuff.
Full of details that most mindfulness classes, often running 10 weeks, don't delve into. More depth in other words.
3 people found this helpful
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Harry B. Laufman
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent supplement but needs an index
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
The book is a very useful companion to the DVD series. I find a book so much easier to use as a reference. This book, however, only goes half way. There is no real index beyond lecture titles. The bibliography looks very complete. There is a short glossary, but again, without any page references.
7 people found this helpful
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Tallone
5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding meditation’s theoretical underpinnings make for more sustainable practice
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
A guide to a calm and peaceful existence - it set me on a path to a more compassionate and accepting mindset. I prefer the lecture format to the more conversational style of “the power of now”
11 people found this helpful
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tony
5.0 out of 5 stars Quite helpful.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
I love "The Great Courses" series (particularly the one on Buddhism). My only problem with this one so far is I had a hard time getting over the instructors accent. It sounded a little hokey to me at first, but I am only a third of the way through it and am getting used to his voice. The teachings are great, though. FIVE STARS!
10 people found this helpful
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Tom Falcon
4.0 out of 5 stars so far so good.
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
Only on my third lesson out of about 50, but like what I am learning and hope it gets me to where I want.
One person found this helpful
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Brian Coleman
4.0 out of 5 stars not disapointed
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
it is something I anticipated and have not been disillusioned = the approach to the subject is well treated and lucid
One person found this helpful
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Paul Mann
5.0 out of 5 stars Great course
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2017
Verified Purchase
I'm currently on disc 2 and really like it. The teacher is pleasant and articulate. The subject matter is organized well and interesting.
7 people found this helpful
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Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation
Season 1
2020
In recent decades, science has confirmed that meditation, when correctly practiced, offers lasting benefits for your physical, mental, and emotional health. Gain a clear understanding of the essence of meditation - and how best to practice it - in 24 lessons filled with guided exercises, principles and techniques, and more.
Starring
Mark W. Muesse
Genres
Documentary
Subtitles
English [CC]
Audio languages
English
Season 1 included with your The Great Courses Signature Collection subscription
Episode 2
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Episodes (24)
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1. Mindlessness - The Default Setting
Download Episode 1
June 1, 2020
33min
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Do you control your mind, or does your mind control you? Investigate how the mind operates and the condition of "mindlessness" - the pervasive swirl of thoughts and judgments that separate you from the world around you. Consider the possibility of cultivating the mind in ways conducive to deep well-being for yourself and others.
2. Mindfulness - The Power of Awareness
Download Episode 2
June 1, 2020
33min
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Explore the notion of "mindfulness" - nonjudgmental attention to experience - as it occurs in everyday life and as a deliberate practice. Note the many benefits of mindfulness practice, from the freedom to choose how you respond to life, to releasing detrimental emotions and patterns of thinking, to its effects on your physical health.
3. Expectations - Relinquishing Preconceptions
Download Episode 3
June 1, 2020
33min
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Audio languages
Here you are introduced to the practice of meditation as a tool for developing mindfulness. Here, distinguish the true nature of mindfulness meditation from common preconceptions about it, revealing its capacity to instill a deeper connection to reality, as well as cultivating a wisdom based in empathy and compassion.
4. Preparation - Taking Moral Inventory
Download Episode 4
June 1, 2020
33min
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In approaching meditation, consider the interconnections of ethical behavior with the development of mindfulness and the shaping of personal character. Drawing from the Buddha's teachings, explore five precepts of behavior that are conducive to the greatest benefits of meditation practice, based in the fundamental principle of not harming others or yourself.
5. Position - Where to Be for Meditation
Download Episode 5
June 1, 2020
30min
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Audio languages
Now learn about the most beneficial physical conditions for your meditation. First, consider the time of day and the physical setting that will best serve your practice. Then, study the most effective sitting postures on the floor, cushions, or chair and the optimum alignment of the body for mindfulness meditation.
6. Breathing - Finding a Focus for Attention
Download Episode 6
June 1, 2020
33min
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Mindfulness meditation is based in the use of an anchor or focus of attention, allowing the mind to calm itself. Using your breathing as the focus, learn in detail about the fundamental elements of sitting meditation, focusing attention on the breath and returning to it when the mind strays, without judgment.
7. Problems - Stepping-Stones to Mindfulness
Download Episode 7
June 1, 2020
34min
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Here, explore difficulties often encountered in meditation and ways of working with them that are also useful in the larger context of living. Consider physical discomfort and the specific use of mindfulness itself in working through it. Look also at ways to strengthen concentration and to counter frustration and discouragement.
8. Body - Attending to Our Physical Natures
Download Episode 8
June 1, 2020
24min
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Audio languages
Building on your work with mindfulness practice, learn another technique that augments and supports meditation. The "body scan" directs focused attention to different areas of the body, promoting deeper sensory awareness, relaxation, and concentration. With Professor Muesse's guidance, experience a 20-minute body scan meditation, a fundamental practice of self-compassion.
9. Mind - Working with Thoughts
Download Episode 9
June 1, 2020
32min
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Audio languages
The mindfulness tradition has much to say on the nature of thoughts and their power to shape personality and character. Here, learn specific ways to identify detrimental thoughts and a variety of methods to work with them, demonstrating that you can influence the conditioned mind through conscious and deliberate response to your own thoughts.
10. Walking - Mindfulness While Moving
Download Episode 10
June 1, 2020
29min
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Walking meditation, another core element of the mindfulness tradition, allows you to practice mindfulness wherever and whenever you go. Learn walking meditation in detail, including beneficial conditions for practice, the method of mindful walking, where to focus your attention, and advanced variations on the practice.
11. Consuming - Watching What You Eat
Download Episode 11
June 1, 2020
34min
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When approached with mindfulness, eating offers heightened awareness and undiscovered depth of experience. Go on a rich exploration of mindful eating, beginning with an eating "meditation," using all five senses. Then contemplate mindful eating in daily life and detailed suggestions for sharing a fully mindful meal with others.
12. Driving - Staying Awake at the Wheel
Download Episode 12
June 1, 2020
30min
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As a familiar and potentially hazardous activity, driving provides a perfect "laboratory" for practicing mindfulness. Assess your own approach to driving and bring the principles of meditation to bear on the road; in particular, giving focused attention to the present moment, to your sensory experience and emotions.
13. Insight - Clearing the Mind
Download Episode 13
June 1, 2020
32min
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Practicing mindfulness over time prepares the mind for "insight," which in this tradition means seeing clearly into the fundamental nature of reality. Begin an inquiry into what Buddhism calls the three "marks" of existence with the notion of impermanence - the eternal arising and passing away of all phenomena.
14. Wisdom - Seeing the World as It Is
Download Episode 14
June 1, 2020
34min
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Now investigate dukkha, the insatiable quality of human experience - seen in our endless pursuit of the symbols of well-being and achievement and avoidance of unwanted experience. Finally, contemplate not-self - penetrating the illusion of the "I" as an entity separate from the rest of reality, which must be bolstered, protected, and satisfied.
15. Compassion - Expressing Fundamental Kindness
Download Episode 15
June 1, 2020
30min
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With relation to mindfulness practice, explore compassion - the desire to alleviate suffering - as an essential component of our nature as human beings. See how compassion allows us to look at suffering without aversion or attachment, and learn specific practices for developing empathy and deeply recognizing the inner experience of others.
16. Imperfection - Embracing Our Flaws
Download Episode 16
June 1, 2020
32min
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Finding compassion for ourselves is greatly challenging for many of us. Consider the complex of beliefs, attitudes, and conditioning that underlie this; in particular, the thorny phenomenon of perfectionism. Learn how to embrace and accept both imperfection and perfectionism itself as an opening to freedom and deeper humanity.
17. Wishing - May All Beings Be Well and Happy
Download Episode 17
June 1, 2020
28min
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The mindfulness tradition offers an additional practice that is highly effective in revealing and cultivating compassion. With Professor Muesse's guidance, experience metta meditation, a focused contemplation wishing well-being and peace for others. See how this practice works to relinquish alienation and hostility and to deepen solidarity with all humanity.
18. Generosity - The Joy of Giving
Download Episode 18
June 1, 2020
29min
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Audio languages
Here, study the mindfulness tradition's insights concerning attachment to "things," our culture's dominant emphasis on possessions, and the psychological roots of greed. Learn about the Buddhist tradition of dana (sharing with others) and specific practices that reveal the life-giving effects of generosity on the giver and receiver.
19. Speech - Training the Tongue
Download Episode 19
June 1, 2020
29min
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Mindfulness practice brings focus to the critical link between speech and behavior. Consider the ways in which both inner experience and outward action are influenced by our use of language. Reflecting on four Buddhist principles of skillful communication, explore mindful attention to speaking and the use of language in genuinely beneficial ways.
20. Anger - Cooling the Fires of Irritation
Download Episode 20
June 1, 2020
30min
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Discuss the challenges of dealing with anger and ways to disarm it using the skills you've studied. Reflect on our cultural predisposition to either suppress anger or to express it thoughtlessly, and a third way offered by mindfulness, of nonjudgmental observation, acceptance, and the mental spaciousness to choose your response.
21. Pain - Embracing Physical Discomfort
Download Episode 21
June 1, 2020
35min
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The skills of mindfulness offer powerful means to work with physical discomfort of all kinds. Consider the crucial distinction between pain and suffering as it directly affects our perceptions. Then experience two meditations for alleviating physical suffering - first, focusing on observing the exact sensation itself, then, on your response to the sensation.
22. Grief - Learning to Accept Loss
Download Episode 22
June 1, 2020
32min
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In reflecting on the universality of loss, take a deeper look at the notion of impermanence and how refusal to embrace life's transience affects our experience of living. Learn how mindfulness approaches grief through centering focus in the present moment and fully experiencing what grief brings to us without fear or aversion.
23. Finitude - Living in the Face of Death
Download Episode 23
June 1, 2020
31min
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The mindfulness tradition considers reflecting on death to be both liberating and essential to living a full and satisfying life. Contemplate the ways in which our culture conditions us to avoid and deny death, and learn four meditations that deepen both the awareness of life's transience and our ability to live freely.
24. Life - Putting It All in Perspective
Download Episode 24
June 1, 2020
32min
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