The Science of Mindfulness | Dr. Ron Siegel | Talks at Google

The Science of Mindfulness:
Working with Anxiety, Depression, and Other Everyday Problems

Mindfulness-based psychotherapy is the most popular new treatment approach in the last decade—and for good reason. Studies demonstrate that mindfulness practices can be effective tools to help resolve anxiety, depression, addictive habits, stress-related medical disorders, and even interpersonal conflict. Mindfulness is not, however, a one-size-fits-all remedy. We need to tailor practices to particular problems. This talk will outline how mindfulness practices work to alleviate psychological distress and how anyone can creatively adapt them to work with the difficulty of the moment.

About Dr. Siegel
Dr. Ronald D. Siegel is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology, part time, at Harvard Medical School, where he has taught for over 30 years. He is a long time student of mindfulness meditation and serves on the Board of Directors and faculty of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He teaches internationally about mindfulness and its application to psychotherapy and other fields, has worked for many years in community mental health with inner city children and families, and maintains a private clinical practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Dr. Siegel is author of a guide for clinicians and general audiences, The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems; coauthor of the self-treatment guide Back Sense: A Revolutionary Approach to Halting the Cycle of Chronic Back Pain,; coauthor of a recent skills manual, Sitting Together: Essential Skills for Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy; and coeditor of the critically acclaimed text, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, 2nd Edition as well as Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy: Deepening Mindfulness in Clinical Practice with a foreword by His Holiness the Dali Lama. His most recent work is a 24-lecture series produced by The Great Courses titled The Science of Mindfulness: A Research-Based Path to Well-Being. He is also a regular contributor to other professional publications, and is co-director of the annual Harvard Medical School Conference on Meditation and Psychotherapy.

[gigsandbusking]

I practice anapanasati 1hr every day no excuses and have done since 2014, I don't have moods, see everything as it is, zero stress, brilliant way to be actually living and enjoying the moment I am in instead of worrying about the future or things from the past. Brilliant!

[weighttrainingguide]

Train your mind with mindfulness, your heart and lungs with cardio, your ligaments and tendons with static and dynamic stretching, and your muscles and bones with weights.

[gangstersayfock]

I have seen this talk 5-7 times and I have learn a lot from it! It motivates me with training for my mindfulness course and I also
understand the practise and the science better! I have complete the mindfulness and really liked it! I have been more mindfull and I am able to listen better to other people when they talk to me and I also can enjoy listen to music better. I hear more things and I can more easy hear the lyrics. That is also when I enjoy live music. I was so enthusiastic that I also wrote a blog about my experience with the mindfulness course to inspire others to do it to!

[KipIngram]

This is an absolutely fantastic presentation. Dr. Siegel is easy to listen to, very pleasant and likable, and is sharing superb information with us. Google really scored with this one!

[reddir]

Kind of brilliant. He makes these points seem so natural and almost self-evident. And his easy style makes it easy to take in.
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The example of the sine wave....seems like a very nice depiction of the prominent role of trust in both religious and social practicalities.

[bangtunedin]

Amazing speaker. Packed so much information and held my attention for the entire duration of the talk. Will surely search out more of him on YouTube

[nagolyaj]

The potential application of this technique towards forgiveness is astounding. Very well given speech and I believe I received it at just the right time.

[wojakmedia]

STOP SCROLLING!! If you are reading this rn, just know that you have achieved so much here on this Earth and have learned so much about yourself and the world we live in. If you continue to work hard and stay true to yourself YOU WILL achieve your dreams and live a life full of love and abundance! I love you - keep your head up :)

[parsinvatan]

“In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.”
― Rumi
Thank you so much Dr. Siegel It was great.

[ARdave]

wow this was a really great speach, i have been involved with mindfulness for a few years now but this speech by dr. ron was one of the most clearest explanations of what go's on during mindfulness practice that i have seen. thank you dr. ron and thank you google

[parsinvatan]

Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others' faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.
~ Rumi

[Counselingtherapyonline]

Mindfulness practice has tremendous potential for increasing well-being, overcoming emotional suffering and improving communication. Mindfulness meditation, when applied to the mind, where we learn how to meditate on our anxiety, fear, depression or anger is one of the most exciting recent developments in psychotherapy.

[Alice-znkv]

After many failed attempts at mindfulness I realised it was impossible for me without doing therapy first. Five months into Schema therapy, I started feeling grounded and comfortable enough with my breath and my feelings to stay mindful for longer and longer stretches of time throughout the day. It's been the best experience of my life.

[Trackman]

Excellent speech! So well presented. Enjoyed it a lot. Thank you very much Dr. Ron Siegel!

[davidwatkinson]

Mindfulness enabled me to become a human being in a civilisation rather than the rather bleak members of public in a society that this gentleman describes. I write loads about this transition

[joywilliams]

WOW. That was the best talk I’ve hear on mindfulness. Gives hope for someone with mental illness challenges. Thank you so much. So clear🙂

[LONDONFIELDS]

what a brilliant, brilliant talk. So precise, useful, and interesting. couldn't have hoped for a better introduction on this subject.

[Hewbuntu]

Thanks very much Dr. Siegel. An excellent lecture.

[Teasehirt]

Mindfulness:
Making a coffee takes about 2 -5 mins depending on the amount of water in the kettle.
Set a timer for 12 mins and take all that time to make a cup of coffee. This is really difficult to achieve for two reasons. 1 The mind hates a vacuum and emptiness so will fill your awareness with thoughts or other things to do. 2 The mind is already habituated to making a hot drink, so you are already super good a making it, so much so you could probably make one in your sleep.
Using all your senses to focus on every minutia, the cup, the spoon, and the kettle, the coffee, the water, the sugar, the milk. Filling the kettle, the sound of the water, the fluidity of the water, the smell of the water, the increasing weight of the kettle, lifting the kettle, placing on the element, switching it on, watching the kettle light up, listening to the sound of the water and steam as the water heats up inside the kettle. ... There are so many details that are overlooked when we make the coffee. But we need to be aware of them all during this time and notice where our hands and feet are and whether they are hot or cold. Noticing the texture and feel of the flooring under our feet, whether we are wearing socks or shoes. Noticing the outside noise or other noises such as the fridge. We carry on this practice as much as possible putting as much detail as possible into our experience. During this time you have become more conscious. During this time you have become more present and in the moment. During this time you have intentionally paid attention. During this time you have been mindful.

Mindfulness is the ability and intention to pay attention in the present moment. Without the interruption of thoughts and feelings. This involves focus, curiosity and the attunement of our environment/mind via the senses. By using our senses we can stay mindful by being curious and focusing on the detail.

We take the skills we have learnt above and apply them to everything we do. We keep curious and look for the detail in our life. We develop these into habits, routines mindsets and behaviours. This should be our default mindset and we should gently nudge the mind back when we notice ourselves daydreaming, bored, or falling asleep. Our mindset is now fixed on the present. We recall the past only if it supports us or if we can learn from it by analysis. We think about the future if we are planning something, else we are always in the moment. The present moment is all we have, it is where the rubber hits the road. The mind knows when we are not riding a bike likewise we know when we are not paying attention and not being mindful. Develop the intention to pay attention, live in the moment, and be curious and interested in every detail. let this become your mindset. Develop the habit of being mindful every minute of every day and let it change your life.

BTW, You cannot become mindful by thinking into being. You have to practise it. It is a body and mind meta-experience that is brought into being by action.

[themsmeek]

This is the best lecture I've seen on this subject. Very well explained and relevant. Now off to Amazon to buy his book!