There are five hindrances, or mental states that are traditionally discussed in Buddhist texts – desire, anger, fatigue, worry and doubt.
While we all exhibit these hindrances at one time or another, usually we have a tendency to “wallow” in one in particular (I will let you guess mine).
Do your patients know theirs?
Knowing this may help us become more aware of how we react in instances of stress. Through this mindful awareness, we can change our thought patterns.
Let’s take the following story:
A woman says “Yesterday, when I went out of my apartment building to go to work, I noticed that I seemed to be inserting my key into my door at a lower level than usual. Then I noticed that all four of the tires had been stolen during the night and my car was sitting on its hubs. I got so upset that I walked to the mall and bought the pair of silk pajamas I had seen several days ago in a store window and had been coveting. Then I went home and called the police.”
“You did that?” a man asked, sounding surprised. “I would have gone back into the house, found the superintendent, and given her a piece of my mind…Then I would have gone to work and probably have given everyone else a bad time. When I am mad, I lose patience with everyone.”
A woman who had been a member of the class for a long time laughingly said, “… I would have thought, ‘Today the tires, tomorrow the whole car.’ My motto,” she continued, “is ‘When you aren’t sure, worry.’ ”
This conversation was taken from Dr. Sylvia Boorstein’s Happiness is an Inside Job*. She uses this scenario to help group members investigate their inner tendencies and through this awareness, to strengthen their wise concentration.
To learn more about Sylvia’s techniques, check out our mindfulness programs.
In the meantime, please share other exercises below that you use to start building your patients’ mindful awareness.
* Used with permission from the author.
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Low carb = low cal. That’s why it works. Plain and simple. When you revome one whole macronutrient from your plate, you reduce your calories by approx 1/3rd. Was nothing to do with food type. You can lose weight eating pasta, or rice, or yams. So long as you run a calorie deficit. I eat lean protein, carbs, fat. I just eat less and I exercise more. I lost 30 lbs in 4 months and kept it off 2 yrs now. Eat from smaller plates. Ur eyes see a full plate, but ur eating less. Go walking too
I have found that true inner peace comes from NOT thinking of emotions as “hindrances” or as “positive” or “negative.” ALL emotions are valuable tools. They ARE our inner guidance and alert system. The hindrance is not the emotion, the hindrance is whate we do with it. Do we judge it? of do we USE as information we need to take care of ourselves? If we are angry, or fatigued, or worried, it’s an alert that we need something. Whether we need to reflect, communicate, change an expectation, or change a pattern in our lives, if view all our emotions as valuable, they are tools for personal growth and fulfillment of our deepest needs.
That is Taoist to me. It’s the way we are…
I wonder if Buddha really felt emotions are hindrances or if that was warped in translation?
Either way, I recovered completely from lifelong post-traumatic reactive depression by learning not to judge my emotions (as Sylvia pointed out)
Ruth, thank you so much for your work. You are a beacon, your light shines brightly through every program you offer and illuminates us all, making us all better for being in your sphere. Thank you for sharing so many incredibly inspirational human beings who have the courage to share themselves as well as their knowledge.
Sylvia sharing her ‘dark’ places and how she shifted them was something I know we all connected with.
Love, Light and Appreciation to you and ALL the speakers and authors you share with us so generously.
That’s a nicely made answer to a chlenalging question
Healthy mind…Healthy body. The body and mind is part of a whole system that works together. It would be like driving a car on three tires and thinking you would be able to get where you needed to go. Not only mental but what you feed your body and spirit, including proper nutrition and your belief system, and how you perceive the world. Do you know people who think the whole world is against them? Do you know people who have real joy in life? Eye opener..
My current state of mind (manic) is, of course, not one of the 5 hindrances mentioned. It probably has the most in common with worry. How long will this episode last? Will it interfere with my work? Will I sleep well tonight? etc. I am hoping learning mindfulness will help me to better manage my bipolar disorder.