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Center for Spiritual Intelligence® Inc |
THE SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE®SM
ADVISOR
A monthly newsletter bringing you great ideas for spiritual development and
practical success!
Published by Yaacov J. Kravitz, Ed.D., © May 22, 2002, www.spiritutalintelligence.com *************************************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE:
MINDFULNESS: BENEFITS AND PRACTICE ****************************************************************************
Mindfulness, a powerful tool for spiritual awakening and growth, is used
frequently in both psychotherapy and spiritual/religious practice. Mindfulness
creates a quiet place where our best qualities can flower.
Intuition, insight, gratitude, patience and enthusiasm all take root in
the quiet space of mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness is
necessary because many of our behaviors and thoughts are automatic.
After we have learned a behavior, such as brushing our teeth or driving a
car, we are able to duplicate that behavior without a great deal of conscious
effort. For example, it is quite
possible to eat a meal mindlessly while engaged in reading a newspaper or an
interesting discussion.
In religious/spiritual practice, mindfulness leads us to deeply
appreciate the richness of our immediate experience.
Our thoughts about work, vacation, personal problems, or soap operas
often take us out of the here and now. Mindfulness
helps us return to the moment so that we may be fully present. Mindfulness meditation that focuses on one’s internal experience (thoughts, feelings, impulses) may lead to powerful insights and personal transformation as layers of ego and self-deception are carefully examined and removed. In Buddhist tradition mindfulness is a path to liberation from ego and automatic behavior, bringing one closer to a true perception of reality. In Judaism and Christianity mindfulness serves a similar function and also leads to a fuller appreciation for the majesty of God–Source of All, inviting the expression of blessings and prayers of thanksgiving.
In psychotherapy mindfulness is often a first
step in the healing process. I
frequently ask patients to be mindful of the thoughts, sensations and actions
that arise for them when they first realize that they are becoming anxious or
depressed. Their awareness of
automatic negative thoughts or muscle tension provides them with data about how
their negative moods are triggered. For
some, this awareness leads directly to positive change. For others, additional therapy techniques make change and
recovery possible.
Mindfulness has a place in business too. On
an individual level mindfulness helps us to be present for the work at hand,
improving our efficiency. On a
corporate level mindfulness invites attention to organizational self-assessment
and growth. Mindfulness can be practiced
through formal daily meditation or through an ongoing openness to one’s
moment-to-moment experiences. It is
wise to find a teacher to help you with mindfulness meditation as the thoughts
and feelings that sometimes arise may be disturbing for some individuals.
This essential practice of mindfulness is one of the basic skills needed to
develop a comprehensive spiritual life of love, discipline and connection. To
learn more about the place of mindfulness in spirituality, and about finding a
teacher visit our web site. ******************************************************************************** If
you would like to bring spirituality into your personal work or your
organization we can help. Send
an e-mail to yaacov@spiritualintelligence.com
briefly describing your goals and request a complimentary half hour
consultation. You can continue to
LEARN MORE about Spiritual Intelligence®SM by Reading
about Spirituality on our web site Becoming
part of our Spiritual Mentoring program
or Professional Coaching
program. ******************************************************************************** Please send us your
comments. Let us know if there is a specific topic you would like addressed in
this forum. ******************************************************************************** ABOUT YAACOV J. KRAVITZ,
Ed.D. Yaacov
Kravitz, a psychologist, certified pastoral counselor and coach, has spent 30
years working on the integration of spirituality and psychology. His favorite
personal spiritual practices include meditation, mindfulness, yoga, prayer,
chanting and study. He has developed a comprehensive program for learning the
skills of Spiritual Intelligence®SM
based on the ancient mystical teachings of the Kabbalah and the insights of
modern psychology. You
can contact Dr. Kravitz at yaacov@spiritualintelligence.com. ******************************************************************************** SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATON To
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the author. Your name and other information will never be shared with others. ******************************************************************************** DISTRIBUTION
RIGHTS
The above material is copyrighted, but you may retransmit
or distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed,
added or deleted, including the ‘About’ and subscription information.
However, you may NOT copy it to a web site. Reprint permission may be granted,
upon request, to student newspapers, universities, and other non-profit
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The Service Mark, or “SM” and registered symbol ® in superscript format,
are applied following “Spiritual Intelligence” and denotes it as a legally
registered service and process the name of which is owned by Dr. Yaacov Jeffrey
Kravitz. This term defines the services developed by Dr. Kravitz and must be
applied when referring to Spiritual Intelligence ®SM. No individual or organization can legally use this term
without the express written permission of Dr. Kravitz. Individuals must be
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they must include the Service Mark whenever they use it in print.
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