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Mental freedom from your thoughts and feelings is a valuable skill to develop. Nothing is as wonderful and liberating as the ability to set the mind free and knowing that there are no longer any reasons to worry. While there are many ways to pursue this goal, we’ll focus here on the noble 8-fold path of the Buddha. Read on to learn everything you’d ever need to know about freeing your mind with Buddhism.
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QuestionHow do I stop thinking negative thoughts?Dr. Elisha Goldstein is a Clinical Psychologist, Co-Founder of The Center for Mindful Living and Psychotherapy based in Los Angeles, California, and creator of the global therapeutic coaching program, Uncover the Power Within. With over 20 years of professional experience, Dr. Goldstein has been at the forefront of integrating curriculum and training for therapists, educators, parents, and business professionals in the art and science of mindful living. He is the author of five best-selling books including Uncovering Happiness, The Now Effect, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, and MBSR Everyday. Dr. Goldstein received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.The first thing to understand is that our thoughts form on their own. The more heightened our emotions, the more convincing our thoughts seem. One way of reducing negative thinking is by being aware of them and asking yourself the question, “How am I feeling in my body right now?”. That shifts your attention to your body, and if you notice a contraction happening anywhere, try softening or stretching out that part of your body. Then, it's important to think about how you can support yourself in this moment, trying to make a movement towards being more supportive.
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QuestionI want to practice Jhana. Can you suggest some blogs?SmoothParrotCommunity AnswerLook up "wildmind.org -- how to get into Jhana." The first link that pops up should do the trick; the blog post was very informative.
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Tips
- Don't be a stranger, get to know yourself.Thanks
- Know when you are obsessed with something and let that go. Being obsessed doesn't actually solve the problem, but is something else to deal with. The more you let go of thoughts and feelings, the easier it is to be free, until the mind does this out of habit and subtle chattering just disappears.Thanks
- Be kind to yourself. Frequently we are miserable simply because we have no goodwill towards ourselves. Trying to destroy aspects to the mind will force the mind to protect what you are trying to destroy - this is the defense capability of the mind when it is under attack.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about freeing your mind, check out our in-depth interview with Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D .
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