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From bookshelves to boardroom, ‘mindfulness’ is hot spiritual trend By SUSAN HOGAN-ALBACH KRT CAMPUS Psychologist Henry Grayson says his book, “Mindful Loving,” might not have been a bestseller if his publisher had stuck to a title he’d suggested: “The New Physics of Love.” Three months ago, Body & Soul magazine added the phrase, “The Natural Guide to Mindful Living” to its cover. Mindfulness — living consciously in the moment — has become “just that significant” in American culture, said editor in chief Seth Bauer. Mindfulness books and tapes are frequent bestsellers. Mindfulness training is a staple at seminars, retreats and spas. Hospitals and psychologists are teaching mindfulness as a means to handle everything from chronic illness and addiction to stress and depression. “There’s a sense that what is missing in our lives is a real connection to what we do, what we think, how we relate to people and how we take care of ourselves,” said Bauer. “Mindfulness brings all'of those things together.” Even corporate America is on board. Some businesses now offer mindfulness workshops to improve concentration, employee relations and ethics. I Spiritual trend watchers say mindfulness ‘has become to the 2000s what angels were to the 1990s. Maybe bigger, though there may never be a TV show called “Touched by a Mindful Person.” “Most of the time, we’re just going, going, going — operating on autopilot,” said Gary Stuard of Dallas, a former Buddhist monk who teaches mindfulness meditation at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. “Mindfulness is about paying attention so you don’t go about life absentmindedly.’' Experts say mindfulness is cultivated. The most common way is by sitting in quiet meditation and observing one’s breath. Some people count breaths as they inhale and exhale. Others follow the rising and falling of the breath, or some other variation. “The point of mindfulness meditation is not to zone out but to tune in,” Stuard said. The challenge comes when the mind drifts. Each time that happens, people are told to take notice, then return to their breath without judging their thoughts and emotions as good or bad. “Your breath draws you into the here and now,” said Dr. Grayson, the Mindful Loving author. “People are realizing that they spend so much of their lives worrying about the past or thinking about the future that they miss out on the present.” Whether practiced for spiritual, health or other reasons, mindfulness is all about conscious living. Bonnie Arkus, executive director of the Women’s Heart Foundation in West Trenton, N.J., said she dropped 10 pounds in a month by combining the South Beach diet with “mindfulness eating.” “You’re not just watching what goes into your mouth,” she said. “You actually taste Wie food because you stop to enjoy it. You’re not just inhaling it on the run, so you tend to eat less.” Mindfulness is integral to Buddhism, an ancient religion that has enjoyed waves of popularity in America. In the 1960s, the influence of the Beat writers, such as Allen Ginsberg, became widespread. The 1970s celebrated Robert Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” In the 1990s, Hollywood stepped forward with “Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet.” And now, whenever the Dalai Lama visits, he’s greeted by crowds befitting a rock star. Many say the seeds for the current mindfulness craze were largely planted by the 1975 book, “The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk once nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. -1 “Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves,” wrote the monk, who lives in France. Some Buddhists are troubled that mindfulness in the American mainstream is being commercialized in ways that have nothing to do with spirituality. “It’s not just mental training or a self improvement technique,” said Sharon Salzberg, a well-known Buddhist teacher, author of spiritual books and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. For Buddhists, mindfulness is embedded in ethics and compassion. Michael Sauvante shares that philosophy, though he isn’t a Buddhist. He’s the chief executive of Rolltronics, a Menlo Park, Calif., company identified as “mindful” by Spirituality & Health. 7 In spiritual circles, mindfulness is a path to inner awakening. In the medical community, it’s seen as a path to better health. More than 200 U.S. hospitals and clinics use mindfulness training to promote mental and physical health. Austin family physician Paul Keinarth, on the verge of burnout, turned to mindfulness meditation four years ago. Racing thoughts, worries and stress plagued him. He had I rl iffi/'i i lr»r cl/»*»r»inrr umc as it unfolds now instead of living a lot of storie: about what happened to me or to other people My relationships to my family and to my patient: have vastly improved.” Mindfulness has changed the way he parents he said. At the Maria Kannon Zen Center in Dallas people gather every day to meditate. Executiv< DirectQr Helen Cortes said 200 students may pas; through in a year, but only a few will stick with it “Not everybody likes sitting still for 25 minutes or an hour,” she said. “But there an other choices. People need to follow their owr temperament to develop mindfulness.” She said sweeping the floor, mowing the lawn washing dishes and even cleaning toilets can serve as mindfulness meditations. Scholars say concepts similar to mindfulnes; are found in other religions — the daily cycle o! prayers said.by Christian monks, Orthodox Jew; and MusliThese observances are ways of paying attention to the presence of God in all things. The Rev. Frederick Schmidt of the Perkin; School of Theology at Southern Methodist University said there’s a vast difference between those who embrace mindfulness for spiritual reasons and those who don’t. “Meeting God is an entirely different proposition than managing my stress,” he said. QtlllPft rko fnpmar mnnlp Are you a seeker? A new group forming this fall will... - explore the Ancient Catechumenal Process leading to a deeper discipleship of Jesus and stronger connection to his church - be primarily for unbaptized adults or those fairly new to church life - meet weekly in 90-minute sessions from October to May Orientation is scheduled for September 27 at 7:00pm in the church library. For more information, contact Pastor Frank at 765-9430 or fhoneycutt@ebenezerlutheran.org. Ebenezer Lutheran Church 1301 Richland Street Movie releases for 9/24 “The Forgotten9 “Shaun of the Dead” “First Daughter” emotionally distant from his family. “The change has been dramatic,” said Keinarth, who now teaches mindfulness courses. “I’m living my own life mindfulness mediation goes hand in hand with his Christian faith. “In Christian language, we see it as valuing every moment as sacrament,” he said. “For Buddhists, mindfulness is the miracle of the present moment.” ■ CELL Continued from page 5 MobiTV subscriptions, broadcasts at one to two frames a second, coming across much like a slide show with a seamless audio track. Sprint recently unveiled^ its Samsung-manufactured A700 multimedia phone that can pump out MobiTV video at six to eight frames per second, showing that handset makers are gearing up for video. That’s happening as carriers continue shelling out billions of dollars to upgrade to broadband-like connection speeds. In the meantime, film festivals showcase directors who can work in the tiny format, drawing the attention of aggregators who make the deals with the cell phone carriers that bring mobile movies to a device near you. ■ SCHOONER Continued from page 5 stumble straight into the driving snare line of the next track, “Stunts and Showmanship and Codes.” The mini-album’s sparse closer, “This Machine is Running Out,” evokes Wilco’s “Being There” collection, with its jangly-yet-subdued guitars and lines such as “Don’t make me love you.” Schooner may not make tidal waves with their latest release, but they’ve issued a record that’s worth a listen. While similar in sound to bands such as The Eels and The Strokes, Schooner is clearly set on plotting their own musical course. Nothing screams radio ready, but all the tracks on “You Forget About Your Heart” are original, solidly crafted efforts for an up-and-coming group. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatnres@gwm.sc. edit Pi at I M. Jj/l. M. . . I BBt A* a p/ay about interracial love be a black man and - Drayton Hall || 8 PM i For more information or special assistance call 777-7130 or visit cp.sc.edu Event subject to change. Paid by student activity fee*