FPIAFW - Week 3: The Mouse In The Maze

[FeeHutch]

Pushing too hard at a problem... might just make things far worse - p112

This week the book looks at the idea of both trying too hard, too aggressively to solve something we perceive as a problem but also how avoidance can affect us negatively.

The spirit in which you do something is often as important as the act itself - p114

Many of us can find ourselves trapped, we have somehow worked ourselves into a corner, we have worked too hard for too long. We might feel the weight of expectation from family, friends and society at large to be a certain way, look a certain way and enjoy certain things. Feeling trapped can rapidly lead to feeling profoundly exhausted and when we are so tired then taking risks, trying to break free from the feeling of confinement can seem like too big a risk. Worse, if we try to break free and it doesn't provide us with the relief and contentment we expected immediately we withdraw back into confinement deeply disappointed and far less likely to try taking risks again.

Here is the good news:

Although these negative spirals are incredibly powerful, you can begin to dissipate them just by becoming more aware of them. The simple act of turning towards and observing them, helps to dissolve such patterns because they are manintained by the mind's Doing mode (which has volunteered to help, even thought it's precisely the wrong tool for the job). The Doing mode entangles you even more in your own ideas of freedom, adding a sense of deep aversion and the demand that things should be different from how they are. So you become caught in a fantasy of freedom and the the actuality of freedom available to you.

Week Three of the Mindfulness programme brings true freedom a step closer by further enhancing your awareness of the body and mind. -p115

I could pretty much quote this chapter in its entirety it is just full of fantastic gem after gem.

Practices for Week Three:
The 8 minute mindful movement meditation followed by an 8 minute breath and body meditation. (Track 3 & 4 on CD)
A 3 minute breathing space meditation twice a day. (Track 8 on CD)
This weeks habit releaser: Valuing the TV. Only watch what you plan to watch rather than channel surf...

[Hambostein]

Hi There, starting Week 3 with everyone - just finished the Mindful Movement Meditation, which is in my mind a slight Yoga exercise, being done a Mindful way of course, but I do do some basic Yoga exercises most mornings (to ease the poor back) and do try to do these in my own Mindful way, so felt quite comforable doing this.

Now I am going to have to re-read this chapter, because to quite honest, I don't think I'm fully understanding what we are trying to achieve here ... Mouse in the Maze ? .... are we trying to break old life habits ? are we trying to think posistively about cheese when aiming for any goals ?? .... or is there no specific goal, just getting into the Mindful practice a bit more ??? .... probably that I think, but like I say, I think I'll have to re-read the chapter, a bit slower this time.

And thanks to everyone about the advice on posture when Meditating and a Meditation Stool, I read the repiles just after returning from the local Compton Hospice Charity Shop, and quess what ... I'd already purchased myself a dinky old small wooden spinning chair/stool, it has to be about 18 inches high and is quite comfortable for meditating, helps keep the back quite straight and I'm quite pleased with it so far, the meditating seems quite comfortable on here, but there again I haven't done more than 10 minutes on it so far, I need to 'pressure test' it with a good 20 minute + session.

I'll get back to all with how I'm getting on with week 3 ....

[FeeHutch]

Each week builds on the one before. The quote from the chapter talks about recognising 'doing' mode and continuing to enhance the growing awareness of mind and body. There is no goal, striving to achieve anything in particular with practice isn't the idea. As Gareth's signature says the journey is the destination

[Hambostein]

Hi Fee, you say
"The quote from the chapter talks about recognising 'doing' mode and continuing to enhance the growing awareness of mind and body"
Then you go on to say there is no goal

isn't "recognising the 'doing mode' and continuing to enhance the growing awareness of mind and body" in itself a goal ??

Personally I'm feeling at the moment that there is no right or wrong way with trying to be Mindful, no hard and fast rules, no fundamental Mindfulness practice that must be followed, it's whatever suits that particular person who is trying to be more Mindful.
And I don't think striving (for want of a better word) to be more Mindful by attempting to start "recognising 'doing' mode and continuing to enhance the growing awareness of mind and body" would be detrimental to me at this particular time.

I think everyone should have ambitions about themselves that they want to achieve, if only being a better person, if people want to say that is striving, so be it ....

Take care
Hambo

[JonW]

"Isn't "recognising the 'doing mode' and continuing to enhance the growing awareness of mind and body" in itself a goal??"

I'd say that's more of a choice than a goal.

[JonW]

With mindfulness practice we can become skilled at choosing when to listen to our thoughts and when to treat thoughts as harmless background noise. That's another example of making a choice. I don't believe there's any striving involved in making that choice.
The whole idea of non-striving is, I feel, important - reminding us that our approach to mindfulness should be gentle, patient and self-compassionate; that mindfulness itself shouldn't become yet another "thing" that makes us stressful.

[FeeHutch]

Thanks for summing that up for me Jon.
Sorry if I wasn't as clear as I could have been Hambo.

[FeeHutch]

How did everyone find this week?
Mindful moment is not a practice I find easy, it makes me self conscious even though I practice alone

[JonW]

I found this week especially comforting.
Returning to the course has been a very positive experience for me. Has made me appreciate the distance I've travelled in the past six months, since embarking on the mindful journey. With the greatest of respect to the chronic worrier and ever-anxious creature that is my former self, I don't miss him at all.

[Gareth]

With the greatest of respect to the chronic worrier and ever-anxious creature that is my former self, I don't miss him at all.

Me neither Jon.