MINDFULNESS 2: SEEING

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, for the second session in the course, "Mindfulness". This eight-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware (as part of its Faith Awareness programme) in association with Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

Our topic this evening is "Seeing", facilitated by Ian Grayling and Kevin Commons, from the Serene Reflection Group.

What we understand we see is more than just what enters through the eyes. The brain's need to make sense of things allows it to be tricked into seeing things that might not be what they appear. Often we don't see what is actually there, but try to represent what we think is there - or what we believe should be there. This requires us to look closely, attentively, mindfully. We're given some practical experience in this by Beatte Dehnen, who gets us to do some drawing. I used to draw quite well, but am I ever out of practice! Less overtly "spiritual" content than last week, though we still do a few exercises on our breathing.

I arrive in Clarendon Park a little earlier than I should, so I stop in at Sansome's bar on Queens Road. There I find fliers for a "Faith Discussion Group" that takes place there on Tuesday evenings. "Meet some friendly people for a spiritual based discussion followed by a curry and pub quiz" it says. Right now I have another commitment Tuesday evenings, but I leave my card with the fellow behind the bar and ask him to pass it on to whoever organises this event. I'd like to be kept informed at least.

MINDFULNESS 1: INTRODUCTION

To ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, for the first session of a new Faith Awareness course, offered by Christians Aware.

 

 

I enjoyed the course I attended at the same venue in the autumn of last year, "Exploring the Diversity of Hinduism". This new course, on "Mindfulness", looks right up my street: a subject in which I've long been interested, with a useful practical bent to it.

 

Of those I meet here this evening, a dozen or so faces are new to me. I'm surprised to recognise only two people from the Hinduism course. I'm more surprised, though, to see that the course tutor is Ian Grayling, who was my mentor on the Professional Certificate in Education with Leicester University several years ago. Ian is currently Executive Director of the East Midlands Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (EMCETT), based at South Leicestershire College. He describes himself this evening as a practising Buddhist, living a contemplative life and adhering to a set of universal values. He says that, as far as he's concerned, mindfulness could be described from the standpoint of psychology, physiology or faith and it would be seen as virtually the same thing from each of these perspectives.

Ian (and his colleague Kevin Commons, also attending) are members of Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group. This course is a joint presentation between that group and Christians Aware.

The course will make use of several delivery techniques, including hands-on activities. The aim will be to promote active and reflective learning in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. More specifically, the programme seeks to enable us to:

• use a range of mindfulness skills in daily life;
• increase our knowledge of ourselves, and awareness of ourselves in relation to others;
• develop a positive attitude to the simple activities of daily life;
• value stillness.

As an ice-breaker, we are asked to write, on a PostIt note, one thing that we'd say about ourselves that helps define who we are - one thing about us that we think other people wouldn't know. Then we had to fold it up tight and throw it on the floor in the middle of the room. Ian unfolded the notes, read them aloud and we had to try and guess who had written each one. Here's a few of them:

"Meditation gave me the insight to manage difficulties at work and eventually led me to move to a new job."

"Through using my senses I can love others more."

"I lead a hectic life; I may appear calm but there is always a tension in me between mental activity and inwardly closing my eyes due to God's presence."

"Love for Africa through being brought up on a farm."

"A retired insurance broker."

"I enjoy riding my bike."

"I love questions, running every morning and being loved."

"I don't think there is one thing only that I am, and being is richness."

"I am silenced by being questioned."

"Searching for inner peace and calmness."

"The fact that I'm an identical twin has affected my life in certain ways."

"I once sang 'Mary's Born [sic] Child' on stage at the age of 4 in a crowded theatre."

"I love teasing."

"I recently found out that I am half an inch taller than I thought I was."

"Quite independent."

"Born in Yorkshire and didn't leave willingly."

 

Can you identify mine from the list above, faithful reader? Since I only know three people attending, I didn't have much chance of matching up the people with the PostIts. A further complication would have arisen from the fact that those who might regard themselves as introverted may have written something about their outward-facing selves and vice versa - since they are meant to be things that we thought others wouldn't know about us. A bit of a double-bluff - even on ourselves! This led us to consider together the many ways of defining who we are and what we are: our occupation; where we were brought up; how we were brought up; our social networks; our family; how other people treat us (especially in childhood, by teachers, parents, siblings); our beliefs and values.

As well as being an introduction to the course, this evening's meeting is devoted to establishing ground rules for the conduct of future sessions. The weeks ahead are laid out as follows:

• Session 2 (25 Jan) Seeing (using perception and drawing exercises)
• Session 3 (1 Feb) Listening (using activities to explore attention and deep listening)
• Session 4 (8 Feb) The Other Senses (using exercises related to the other senses - followed by half term week)
• Session 5 (22 Feb) Thinking and Feeling (material about the three levels of the brain)
• Session 6 (1 Mar) Beliefs and Values (exploring individual perspectives)
• Session 7 (8 Mar) Pointing Beyond Thoughts and Feelings (the place of meditation or contemplation)
• Session 8 (15 Mar) The Faith Specific Context (representing all faiths and none)