Mindfulness new defined…

I am a little nervous today as I am welcoming internationally known author, speaker and creativity coach Eric Maisel, Ph.D. to my humble blog, he will be answering my questions about his new book, Ten Zen Seconds.  So I have been preparing a big pot of Kashmiri tea for us and here we go…

But first a few words what his book is all about.
The Ten Zen Seconds is structured around 12 incantations (phrases, similar to affirmations). When combined with deep breathing, these incantations are used in a variety of circumstances to promote a greater sense of calm, focus and inner strength. [For an overview of Ten Zen Seconds, click  HERE to read an introductory interview with Eric Maisel.]

CD:I would like to make the focus of our interview about how spiritual life and creative life go hand in hand. I find that your technique is a great way to combine the two.

EM: I think that the central ideas that I present, among them that mindfulness can be increased in some simple ways (by breathing-and-thinking certain thoughts) and that we can take better charge of the meaning we make and the actions we take, come together as a kind of recipe for bringing our spiritual or existential nature to the creative moment. By becoming more mindful, we do a better job of remembering that creating is one of things we really want and intend to do, and by remembering that we are in charge of our actions and intentions, we build the muscle to actually get the creating done.

CD: As I understand it, the TZS method can be used in the beginning of the creative process and perhaps throughout the day to ward of negative thinking. In which way does it differ from affirmations that have been around for some time now?

EM: The main difference is the breathing component, and that‚s why I dubbed them incantations rather than affirmations, to highlight that distinction. If you think a thought but don‚t stop and mindfully alter your breathing pattern, it is entirely likely that your positive thought will go in one ear and out the other and not actually register.

By „dropping” that thought into a deep breath, dividing it up so that you think „half” of it on the inhale and „half” of it on the exhale, you provide yourself with a real stop and a whole-body and whole-mind experience of taking that thought in. Suddenly they aren‚t just words: they become more like verbal charms, which is what „incantation” means in the world of magic.
 
CD: How could this technique interfere or complement any meditation that one is already doing?

EM: Most people report to me that their meditation practice, which typically takes at least twenty minutes and usually takes quite a bit longer, is not the sort of thing that can be „transported” into the real world or used in anything but a residual way when you‚re answering emails, engaged in a business meeting, or dealing with a crisis. The TZS technique complements traditional meditation techniques by being portable, quick, and invisible no less powerful for that.

CD: What would you suggest to further grow and progress on “the path” of one‚s life as a spiritual and creative being?

EM: I think that the most important thing is to move fully into the skin of a „passionate meaning-maker,” someone who mindfully and actively invests meaning in this minute, and in the next minute, and in the minute after that. By marrying the idea of „creating islands of mindfulness” in your day with the idea that „meaning can and should be invested,” you begin to create a mental model for how your life can be lived: mindfully, actively, passionately, and in keeping with your actual intentions.

CD: Thank you Eric for taking the time to answer those questions for us. I hope that more people get inspired to live a more “thoughtful” . . . mindful life and incorporate those easy techniques into their lives. Thanks for coming by and sharing. Would you like some more tea?

EM: Thanks for having me here, and yes I’ll have some more tea.

If you like to follow along the route of the blogtour,  the next stop will be at Happy News.