Many people believe that mindfulness meditation is about stopping thoughts from popping into our heads, which is, needless to say, impossible. As they can’t prevent themselves from having thoughts, that belief makes them stop trying mindfulness meditation.Â
Mindfulness meditation is not about preventing our minds from having thoughts but being aware of them. And being aware of those thoughts is different from knowing we have them; the difference might seem subtle but is massive.Â
Today, my guest is the mindfulness teacher, Brother Dave Kenneally, former Sargeant in the US Marine Corps and former Buddhist Monk in the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh tradition. He travels the world spreading his knowledge, teaching business leaders, yoga instructors, cancer patients and their families, teens, and military veterans, among many others. He is a Certified Teacher of the Search Inside Yourself Program and an Ordained member of the Order of Interbeing. Â
We had a joyful conversation about his mentors and their teachings along his journey and how they impacted him, the meaning of mindfulness, and the gifts the Zen tradition has to offer. He explained the concept of “understanding is love,” and he also talked about why he decided to become a monk.Â
Tune in to Episode 93 of Technology for Mindfulness and listen to Dave’s fascinating story about love, reaching mindfulness, and awareness.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Â What’s your story and how did you get started with mindfulness? (5:23)
- Can you talk about where gentleness and self-compassion fit your own development and in your own teaching? (12:34)
- You’ve been talking primarily about attitudes towards yourself, your own feelings, your own thoughts, and cultivating it from that direction. If I’d like to be more compassionate, how do I just go ahead? (18:08)
- Is there anything you can share about how you’ve been able to bring your own mindfulness practices to bear on this extremely challenging time? (22:23)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Dave’s definition of mindfulness (6:03)
- Yoga as a raw concentration practice (10:48)
- Understanding is love (13:32)
- One of the Zen practice’s gifts (19:00)
- The consequences of being at war with our thoughts (31:50)
Resources:
- Dave Kenneally website
Connect with Dave:
Connect with Robert Plotkin: