1. The key to self management
Mindfulness -
The key to self management

2. How do we make choices ? What to eat, drink ? What to wear ?
What to do ?
What to say ?
Tasty or healthy ? Decent or skimpy ? Watch IPL on TV or study for exam tomorrow? Do an assignment myself or copy it out from a friend? To speak respectfully or rudely ? Use abusive or courteous language ?

3. How do we make choices ?
To increase pleasant feelings and avoid unpleasant feelings ! – pleasure pain principle …… Freud !!
Instinctive behaviour …स्वभाविक
evolutionary programming of human brain!
Tasty or healthy ? Decent or skimpy ? Watch IPL on TV or study for exam tomorrow? Do an assignment myself or copy it out from a friend? To speak respectfully or rudely ? Use abusive or courteous language ?

4. Pleasure – Pain principle
A great impediment in facing life as we grow up !......
Increasing addiction among youth
Inability to face unpleasant situations … road rage, aggression, violence =>Lack of self control संयम
Inability to distinguish between “pleasant” and “good”
प्रेय और श्रेय

5. Traditional approach of self control
Moral Education
Limitations of didactic approach
Example from Mahābhārata
जानामि धर्मम् न च मे प्रवृति
जानामि अधर्मम् न च मे निवृति 

6. Mindfulness -- the key to self management
Developing the ability to prevent instinctive reaction to feelings without any moralistic suppression
How do feelings arise ?

7. Modes of Interaction with the world
Possible
Inputs
Possible
outputs
Mind
Human
being

8. Mindfulness -- the key to self management
People react differently to stimuli
we react to feelings, not external objects reaction => either of craving or aversion
role of perception, past conditioning
Self management =>
avoid instinctive reaction to feelings
responding to the stimuli wisely

9. Mindfulness -- the key to self management
Training of Mind
“Understand” feelings are impermanent
not to react to feelings:
Neither run away nor run after feelings just observe them with equanimity as these change in their natural course
Creating a space for wise response
Need for practical training

10. Mindfulness -- the key to self management
Practical Training
Benefits of using bodily sensations as an anchor for training the mind
Strengthening the mind to develop the ability to feel subtle sensations
Body Scan meditation
Systematic scanning of the body to ‘feel’ the bodily sensations and training the mind not to react to them.
Using breath as an anchor to raise concentration

11. Meditation process in nutshell
Select object of meditation
Be aware of it, its feeling tone, its impermanent nature moment by moment
Return the attention to the object
Moment by moment
Open Curiosity
Non-judgmental
Non -reactive
Attention wanders
Notice any reaction -- Relax
Noticing attention has wandered
Let us practice for a few minutes

12. Thanks !!
Any Questions ?

13. Benefits of Practice
Let us see the feedback from a school

14. Benefits of practice Increase in concentration & efficiency
Ability to resist temptations, distinguish between ‘urgent’ and ‘important’ ; and say NO
Ability to face ups-downs of life
Proper self-appraisal- knowledge of strengths and weaknesses
Improvement in relationships

15. International Acceptance of Mindfulness practice in Education