1. Varieties of mindfulness for creative OR practice
José-Rodrigo Córdoba-Pachón

2. My aim and agenda
Aim: Understand how we as OR practitioners experience our practice from two perspectives or varieties of mindfulness
Agenda:
Bit of context
Mindfulness as it is now
Two varieties
Some techniques
Reflections

3. Bit of context
The age of complacency (we witness things but are not able/willing to do anything about them) (Puett and Gross-Loh, 2016) More anxiety, information, depression and unhappiness problems despite material success (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) Concern with well-being and quality of life overall and in specific groups in society (the elderly, mentally or chronically ill). Myself: Explore more fully human experience as a systemic effort to bring improvement (Córdoba-Pachón, 2011).

4. Mindfulness – a first glimpse
Being in the present-as-it-is, with body and mind together (Kabat Zinn 1990,2012)  to be in touch with ourselves/ the world around us.
Contrast with mindlessness (Langer,2014) and in tune with the ‘reverse’ principle (Watts,1951): The more you try to get rid of ‘uncertainty’, the more it shows up.
Or with living in automatic pilot mode (Williams et al, 2007).
Synonyms: Awareness. heartfulness, understanding, acceptance, presence

5. Mindfulness – as I see it nowadays
Western
Eastern
Therapy, mindful living
Williams, Kabat Zinn
Buddhism
Cognition
Langer
Embodiment
Varela
Flow
Csizkszentmihalyi
Awakening
(De Mello)
Meditation, experiences

6. Two varieties of mindfulness
Therapeutic
Cognitive
New and sustained experiences (mind, body)
Individual/collective enquiry
Disciplined practice
Reframing of categories (contexts, mindsets, assumptions, identities) Openness to new information Variability, conditionality Welcoming new perspectives Enquiry…?
Greater awareness
+choices/
Empowerment

7. Techniques - minipractices
Listening to yourself
3 step breathing
Mindful experience

8. Listening to yourself
1st scene: Wanda, lying on the floor of the bathroom naked, dead in a big splash of water, broken glass, window open, door locked and not forced…
What happened?
Identify your categories (mindsets, assumptions, context, identities)
Try something new: reframing, open to new information that does not ‘fit’, consider alternative perspectives, process over content (output)

9. Three step breathing
Step 1: Settle down, notice your thoughts, feelings and body sensations. Step 2: Focus on your breath, (in/out). If thoughts come acknowledge them and gently invite the mind back to the breathing. Step3:Expand your attention to the whole of your body. Decide how to reconnect to the present.

10. Mindful experience
Use all your senses (eyesight, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting). If possible, register your thoughts. body sensations

11. A final question
Do you consider yourself an artist or a scientist?