MBSR/Full Catastrophe Living - My Understanding

[JonW]

With regard to reading books about mindfulness, I feel that so much is about timing. Had I read Full Catastrophe Living right at the start of my practice, I would have probably found it a little confusing. As it went FCL was maybe the 30th book I read on the subject and I was completely ready for it. I'd recommend Kabat-Zinn's Wherever You Go at an earlier stage of your practice. Or even JKZ's Arriving At Your Own Door which is a very simplified introduction to mindfulness.
Which reminds me, I need to get cracking on the books section for this forum...Sorry for delay, have been hectic. In a mindful sort of way...
Cheers, Jon

[Gareth]

No need for apologies Jon. The work that you have done for this project has been mind-blowing.

And remember, we have our whole lives to work on this.

[Mindfulness Newbie]

Yet more confusion for me...

When we are mindfully aware, we are 'being', i.e. non-doing. This is the opposite to doing mode, i.e. analysing, problem-solving, thinking.

We can perform physical activity we are mindfully aware/being/non-doing.

We can also be mindfully aware/being/non-doing as we think/problem solve, JKZ says in Mindfulness For Beginners.

So, we can 'be' as we 'do' - but how, when they are opposites and mutually exclusive?

Unless 'doing' is synonymous with 'doing mode' which is always carried out in unawareness/on autopilot?

Thanks for the advice, I think I am going to have to give the book up. I really didn't want to do this as it does seem to be full of wisdom. I am completely demotivated.

[piedwagtail91]

i honestly think you're over analysing the terms.
'being' to me simply means being aware, in the moment knowing what you're doing. you can be taking part in (doing!) anything , walking, eating, drinking, planning holidays, problem solving, thinking.
you're fully aware of /absorbed in whatever you're doing,or not on auto pilot.
'doing' to me means going through the motions,on auto pilot , again you can be doing anything but not fully aware such as when you're walking and thinking about what you're going to be doing later, not aware of things that are happening in that moment on the path.
i think somewhere he says we should be human doings rather than human beings because we're always doing (with our awareness elsewhere ) rather than being in the moment and experiencing that.
don't give up on the book, maybe don't analyse it so much, in spite of what i said earlier it is a good book.
hope i haven't made things worse giving my view on things
mick

[Mindfulness Newbie]

It is a bugbear and, ironically, one of the reasons why I come to mindfulness - over-thinking, over-analysing!

I think maybe I am treating the concepts as too rigid, as well. I tend to define things in concrete, 100% is or 100% isn't terms, I have noticed.

I will start again(!) with your understanding of doing in-mind. I have checked in Shamash Alidina's 'For Dummies' book, and he states that doing is an autopilot thing, so, I think your take may be right in your understanding that doing is an unaware/autopilot 'doing'.

Thanks for your help!

[piedwagtail91]

Maybe reading it with a beginners mind, as it is, rather than thinking about it too much?
I used to be just the same. I couldn't cope to go back to being like that, life is so much easier now.
I had issues with perfectionism until my therapist started me on some modules to help with that,
it was the first thing in my life that I didn't finish. I still haven't. I got part way through and didn't want to be and couldn't cope with being a perfectionist any more!
mindfulness can help.
Good luck with the book.