This week, a question of evidence and some news.
How do we know that the surgical removal of the lump is the best way to treat primary breast cancer? Or that removing the lump is the best way to treat primary bowel cancer? Truth is, there is not much research evidence for either.
A Professor of bowel surgery assured me that there has never been a research trial conducted to test the bowel cancer operation. My guess is the same applies for breast cancer. The experiment would require randomising two groups of people with similar types of cancer, operating on one group, leaving the other, and waiting to find out what happens.
Actually, the real experiment would be to anaesthatise everyone in the study, make the same surgical skin incision in everyone, but then only remove the offending lump in half, before sewing up the skin for everyone. Then wait to find the result. That would be a fair research experiment to evaluate whether surgery was the best way to treat the condition.
Now, we can probably imagine the reaction of an ethics Committee faced with a proposal to conduct such an experiment! We can be almost sure it will never happen.
But then, these days we hear so much about the need for the practice of medicine to be “evidence based”, and how this evidence base sets modern western medicine apart from unproven alternatives.
So if the is no clear research base for such important medical interventions as the primary treatment of breast and bowel cancer, what is going on? Let us go Out on a Limb and attempt to make sense of all this.
Firstly it will be helpful to understand what Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) really is. The accepted definition was laid out in the British Medical Journal in 1996 and states “EBM is the conscientious and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise is meant the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice”.
Here is the key. EMB involves research AND clinical experience. Where some people become confused is that they only value the research. So while there is little if any research to support primary surgery for breast and bowel cancers, there is a huge body of clinical experience that has led everyone to believe the surgery to be the correct treatment.
The devaluing of clinical experience in some quarters is exacerbated in my view by the position it holds in the hierarchy of evidence. In medicine, this hierarchy of evidence is put forward by the NHMRC (the National Health and Medical Research Council) and it goes like this:
The NHMRC levels of evidence relevant to the validation of medical research.
Level l: from a systematic review of all relevant randomised controlled trials – meta-analysis.
Level 2: from at least one properly designed randomised controlled clinical trial.
Level 3a: from well-designed pseudo-randomised controlled trials (alternate allocation or some other method).
Level 3b: from comparative studies (including systematic reviews of such studies) with concurrent controls and allocation not randomised, cohort studies, case-control studies, or interrupted time series with a parallel control group.
Level 3c: from comparative studies with historical control, two or more single-arm studies or interrupted time series without a parallel control group.
Level 4: opinions of respected authorities based on clinical experience, descriptive studies or reports of expert committees.
Level 5: represents minimal evidence that represents testimonials.
In some versions, Level 5 is not included, either way, clinical experience is down the bottom, while meta-analysis of multiple research trials is right at the top.
Now let us be clear. This hierarchy is well founded and the intention is to give us the facts. The intention is to avoid errors in judgment, misunderstandings, stupidity, bad habits, even superstition.
Problem is, so much of current medicine is based on the evidence gathered through experience, rather than research. The primary treatment of breast and bowel cancer would seem to be based on Level 4 evidence – clinical experience.
Paul Smith recently wrote in Australian Doctor “During the numerous interviews for Australian Doctor's series on alternative medicines over the past few weeks, the conversations with academics from both sides of the debate often ended up pointing in one direction -- the holes in the evidence base for medicine.
"Aged care is a good example: the lack of robust, decent-sized trials that give clear conclusions about effects of multiple medications for multiple comorbidities in a population a few years away from death. You can also mention, as one retired pharmacologist did, the almost blanket use of SSRIs for mild depression. Then comes PSA screening.
"
A deeper point was made by Queensland GP, Dr Nanu Grewal a few years ago, when he sparked a heated debated in the pages of Australian Doctor for suggesting that, at its "most absolutist", evidence-based medicine was "a form of zealotry" that failed to recognise real-life patients in all their confounding non-evidence-based complexity.
"Our EBM specialist tells a patient that 14 published double-blind, multi-centre, peer-reviewed, randomised, longitudinal, controlled trials have shown that drug X is useless in treating the patient's arthritis," he wrote. "The patient turns and says: 'But X makes me feel better.' Does this make the patient a knave and a fool?"”
Much of the debate around EBM recently has focused on Conventional and Alternative Medicine. What about Lifestyle Medicine? What about meditation and therapeutic nutrition?
Well, actually, there may well be more research evidence to support the therapeutic benefits of meditation than many common procedures carried out in the average GP’s rooms. Well over 4,000 scientific studies have been printed in medical journals all around the world and attest to meditation’s positive benefits for a wide range of physical and psychological conditions. You can access this research in a great, free website that is updated regularly – see below.
When it comes to nutrition and cancer, there is a sad lack of quality research. Maybe, in this field, clinical evidence is still the main tool for assessing what to do. In that case, the 30 years of experience built up by myself and others at the Gawler Foundation, following working closely with so many people for so many years, may well provide one of the biggest bodies of evidence available.
So what sense do we make of all this? How do we decide what to do with the medical choices that face us all from time to time?
Firstly, appreciate that in some ways EBM is a peculiar term to accentuate . Everyone decides what to do according to the evidence available. Perhaps what EBM is really aiming to do is to take emotion and ignorance out of the equation, but then if it overly emphasizes research and de-emphasizes experience, it will either drastically limit what is permissible, or miss out on important possibilities.
And what of intuition? In my days as a veterinarian, I contend quite a deal of what I did was intuitive. Maybe that intuition was based on knowledge and experience, but it sure felt like intuition to me. You do not hear much about intuition being taught in the veterinary or medical schools.
Perhaps as patients this provides us with the real answer. Find a practitioner you can trust. Choose them on the best evidence you value. Is that knowledge? Personal recommendation? Intuition? Whatever works for you. Listen to their advice. Ask what they would recommend. What about if they were treating themselves or their beloved? What would they do or recommend then?
Take their advice and test it against your own sensibilities. Does it make sense? Do you trust the advice? Do you need a second opinion?
When you feel confident enough to commit, then commit. Give whatever you do your best shot and expect the best. More power to you and may you decide wisely!
SOME NEWS
1. People from the Brisbane workshops who indicated that they would like to be added to the database still do need to click on to the confirmation email sent last week to be included.
2.Thanks to everyone who took part in the recent survey, the results have been very informative. About half of you said you like the blog weekly, half fortnightly or monthly. As it has been weekly since inception, and as I am rewriting “You Can Conquer Cancer” at the moment, I will go to fortnightly for the next little while.
3. Had a great weekend presenting Health, Healing and Wellbeing” in Shepparton. Lovely to meet up with some people who came to workshops I gave nearly 30yrs ago, as well as people from old groups and quite a bunch of new people.
4. The new book “The Mind that Changes Everything” has arrived and is now available, either from bookshops or via the web - click below for details.
5. Workshops coming up soon in Melbourne, Darwin, Bunbury and Perth - click below for details.
RESOURCES
EBM reference
NHMRC Levels of Evidence
Meditation Research - an up to date bibliography via IONS (The Institute of Noetic Sciences)
Workshop details
The Mind that Changes Everything
RELATED BLOG
Meditation - How much is enough?
23 May 2011
02 May 2011
Man of Miracles
Sadly the great Indian spiritual leader, Sai Baba, died on Easter Sunday. I feel fortunate to have visited him a number of times since our first fateful meeting in 1977.
How was Sai Baba different, maybe even unique?
As a contrast, like many people, when I teach a public workshop or lead a group, I am very conscious of my teachers. I rely on their knowledge and wisdom. They provide inspiration and act as role models. I would be able to offer only a fraction of what I do without my teachers.
So much to be grateful for. I have had teachers who helped me to gain a degree in Veterinary Science, and a Masters in Counselling. I have attended many, many workshops and conferences. I have learnt vast amounts from books and from people who attended events where I was in the role of leader or teacher.
And most of my teachers have the same background. There is a long lineage of teachers that my own Veterinary teachers drew upon. The teachers of their teachers, and so on back into time. A long lineage of teachers in the counselling fields I studied. In the spiritual world, lineage gives authenticity and confidence and inspiration to teacher and student alike.
In Christianity there is the long lineage back to Christ. In Buddhism there is an authentic and unbroken lineage that can be traced back 2500 years to the days and the teachings of the Buddha.
So why was Sai Baba different?
He had no teachers.
At 13 he announced himself as a teacher. He began to teach from traditional texts, even obscure ones with clarity and confidence. By the time he died at 84, he had taught on a vast array of subjects. No one ever saw him read, or study, or prepare. He just knew it all. He was self-realised.
Revered across India and by millions of followers around the world, Sai Baba was regarded by many to be an avatar. No, not like in the movie! A spiritual avatar is regarded as being a divine incarnation – a God in human form.
When I first traveled to India and met him in the hilly tea country out of Bangalore, I was excited but somewhat skeptically reserved. If there was an avatar on Earth, what a pity to miss him. But what if he was some sort of imposter?
There would seem to be several reasons to visit a senior Holy man:
1. To learn and progress on the spiritual path.
2. To benefit directly from being in their presence and to seek blessings.
3. To pay respect.
4. To seek a miracle!
In that first meeting Sai Baba catalysed healing for me at a profound level. He said “ You are already healed, don’t worry.” At that time, I was doing what I needed to do to overcome the difficult cancer I faced. However, my doubts, fuelled by scientific training and concerns around my capacity to recover using innovative means, were a real obstacle.
Sai Baba's presence, his words, his assurance, changed this. In my view, deep healing often requires a change in our state of mind, and Sai Baba effected this for me where nothing, or no-one else, had been able to. It was like an inner miracle, even though it was understandable.
Curiously, the outward miracles he has been famous for seemed natural and normal when I first saw them. On numerous occasions and from very close range, I witnessed him manifesting quite large objects and vibhutti, a sacred ash. As an avatar, why would he not do this? And yes, in my opinion he was an avatar.
Like all great beings Sai Baba had a small minority of detractors. (Christ’s life did not exactly end well – put to death on the cross). In my experience, however, he embodied love. He taught love. He represented love. He urged everyone to be more loving. That was the essence of his message.
You may be interested to know that each of the first 4 times I went to his ashram, I tried to leave a donation, but could not find out how to do it. In all my visits, no one ever mentioned money, let alone asked for it. Meals were a few cents (yes cents not dollars), accommodation was little more, and yet he brought together many huge projects.
If “judge them by their works” is the standard, Sai Baba truly was extraordinary. Not only did he greet and interact with thousands of people each and every day, he built schools and hospitals. He facilitated major engineering projects and in his followers there were major benefits to be observed. So many good people. Good hearted. Committed to helping others and being of service.
Isaac Tigret, the founder of the Hard Rock cafes is a committed devotee. Above every one of his cafes, (sold years ago and $35 million of the proceeds given to fund an Indian, Sai Baba super hospital), is one is Sai Baba’s main mottos, “Love all, serve all”.
In the one personal interview I had with him, Sai Baba also addressed a young newly married couple. Eagerly, and with great tenderness they entreated him to guide them in their marriage and in their lives.
He replied, “Swami is in front of you and behind you. He is above you and below you. He is in you. It is like you are a fish and Swami is the water in which you move and breath. I am with you always.”
If as I experienced, Sai Baba embodied the divine principle of love, this all makes sense.
RESOURCES
BOOKS
Sai Baba – Man of Miracles; Howard Murphett
The Holy Man and the Psychiatrist; Sandweiss
The Dragon’s Blessing; Guy Allenby (My biography with more details of my meetings with Sai Baba)
WIKIPEDIA
Sai Baba
WEBSITE
Sai Baba official website
How was Sai Baba different, maybe even unique?
As a contrast, like many people, when I teach a public workshop or lead a group, I am very conscious of my teachers. I rely on their knowledge and wisdom. They provide inspiration and act as role models. I would be able to offer only a fraction of what I do without my teachers.
So much to be grateful for. I have had teachers who helped me to gain a degree in Veterinary Science, and a Masters in Counselling. I have attended many, many workshops and conferences. I have learnt vast amounts from books and from people who attended events where I was in the role of leader or teacher.
And most of my teachers have the same background. There is a long lineage of teachers that my own Veterinary teachers drew upon. The teachers of their teachers, and so on back into time. A long lineage of teachers in the counselling fields I studied. In the spiritual world, lineage gives authenticity and confidence and inspiration to teacher and student alike.
In Christianity there is the long lineage back to Christ. In Buddhism there is an authentic and unbroken lineage that can be traced back 2500 years to the days and the teachings of the Buddha.
So why was Sai Baba different?
He had no teachers.
At 13 he announced himself as a teacher. He began to teach from traditional texts, even obscure ones with clarity and confidence. By the time he died at 84, he had taught on a vast array of subjects. No one ever saw him read, or study, or prepare. He just knew it all. He was self-realised.
Revered across India and by millions of followers around the world, Sai Baba was regarded by many to be an avatar. No, not like in the movie! A spiritual avatar is regarded as being a divine incarnation – a God in human form.
When I first traveled to India and met him in the hilly tea country out of Bangalore, I was excited but somewhat skeptically reserved. If there was an avatar on Earth, what a pity to miss him. But what if he was some sort of imposter?
There would seem to be several reasons to visit a senior Holy man:
1. To learn and progress on the spiritual path.
2. To benefit directly from being in their presence and to seek blessings.
3. To pay respect.
4. To seek a miracle!
In that first meeting Sai Baba catalysed healing for me at a profound level. He said “ You are already healed, don’t worry.” At that time, I was doing what I needed to do to overcome the difficult cancer I faced. However, my doubts, fuelled by scientific training and concerns around my capacity to recover using innovative means, were a real obstacle.
Sai Baba's presence, his words, his assurance, changed this. In my view, deep healing often requires a change in our state of mind, and Sai Baba effected this for me where nothing, or no-one else, had been able to. It was like an inner miracle, even though it was understandable.
Curiously, the outward miracles he has been famous for seemed natural and normal when I first saw them. On numerous occasions and from very close range, I witnessed him manifesting quite large objects and vibhutti, a sacred ash. As an avatar, why would he not do this? And yes, in my opinion he was an avatar.
Like all great beings Sai Baba had a small minority of detractors. (Christ’s life did not exactly end well – put to death on the cross). In my experience, however, he embodied love. He taught love. He represented love. He urged everyone to be more loving. That was the essence of his message.
You may be interested to know that each of the first 4 times I went to his ashram, I tried to leave a donation, but could not find out how to do it. In all my visits, no one ever mentioned money, let alone asked for it. Meals were a few cents (yes cents not dollars), accommodation was little more, and yet he brought together many huge projects.
If “judge them by their works” is the standard, Sai Baba truly was extraordinary. Not only did he greet and interact with thousands of people each and every day, he built schools and hospitals. He facilitated major engineering projects and in his followers there were major benefits to be observed. So many good people. Good hearted. Committed to helping others and being of service.
Isaac Tigret, the founder of the Hard Rock cafes is a committed devotee. Above every one of his cafes, (sold years ago and $35 million of the proceeds given to fund an Indian, Sai Baba super hospital), is one is Sai Baba’s main mottos, “Love all, serve all”.
In the one personal interview I had with him, Sai Baba also addressed a young newly married couple. Eagerly, and with great tenderness they entreated him to guide them in their marriage and in their lives.
He replied, “Swami is in front of you and behind you. He is above you and below you. He is in you. It is like you are a fish and Swami is the water in which you move and breath. I am with you always.”
If as I experienced, Sai Baba embodied the divine principle of love, this all makes sense.
RESOURCES
BOOKS
Sai Baba – Man of Miracles; Howard Murphett
The Holy Man and the Psychiatrist; Sandweiss
The Dragon’s Blessing; Guy Allenby (My biography with more details of my meetings with Sai Baba)
WIKIPEDIA
Sai Baba
WEBSITE
Sai Baba official website
25 April 2011
Ian Gawler Blog: War and Peace and a Great Loss
Anzac Day in Australia and our thoughts turn to the sacrifices made in war so those living in this great country could continue to enjoy the great freedoms that we do.
But let us go "Out on a Limb" and consider how much better still it would be if there were no wars and no-one needed to die in this way.
The truth of it seems pretty obvious to me. You cannot impose peace on anyone.
The only way we will ever have a world at peace is when we have a world filled with people who have peace in their hearts.
So anything we can do personally to engender more peace in our own hearts, to be more at peace; every little step we can make in this direction, is actually working towards world peace.
I feel an enormous sense of gratitude for the freedoms that are so much a part of the Australian lifestyle. Every time I travel freely interstate, every time I reflect on the freedom of speech I have, every time I walk through one of our cities and see such cultural diversity working well, I give thanks for the sacrifices of my forebears.
My Grandfather was a stretcher-bearer at Gallipoli. He then fought in France as an Artillery Officer; being gassed and suffering stoically into his eighties.
During the Second World War my father flew in Hudson and Liberator bombers in the Pacific and managed to survive two pretty exciting crash landings.
One of his brothers died during his second mission for Bomber Command in Europe, while his other brother survived the war after having been torpedoed and pulled out of the water.
So much to be grateful for.
But now, for each of us, what can we do to honour the freedoms we enjoy, and what can we do to be more peaceful so that war becomes less likely?
What suggestions do you have? Here are a few things that occur to me:
1. Smile at someone who has a different skin colour or comes from a different country.
2. Smile at someone who has the same skin colour or comes from the same country.
3. Observe yourself. Did you smile with the same ease at both? Is there any awkwardness? Sometimes reverse racism (overcompensating) can be an issue, just like racism always is.
4. Can you generate more peace in your own heart? Meditation is such a good way to make peace with ourselves and as the great Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh said:
“Peace in ourselves
Peace in the world”.
5.Is there someone you can make peace with? What would it take?
DEATH OF A GREAT SPIRITUAL LEADER
Just as this blog was about to be posted, the sad news was received from India that Sai Baba died on Easter Sunday morning at the age of 84 following complications of an illness.
Many who know my own story will be aware of the pivotal role he played in my healing and I can say he was a great influence for good in my life. Sai Baba embodied love.
Next blog I will share some experiences. I feel a great sense of gratitude for having met him, for his presence in my life and for all the good works he achieved. I also feel at something of a loss right now as to how to mark the death of such a great spiritual figure; but we will light a candle, do some meditation and no doubt feel the acute paradox of thanks and grief.
Here is a quote from Sai Baba’s early days:
I have come to light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster. I have not come on behalf of any exclusive religion. I have not come on a mission of publicity for a sect or creed or cause, nor have I come to collect followers for a doctrine. I have no plan to attract disciples or devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love.
4 July 1968
RESOURCES
BOOKS: Peace is every step - Mindfulness in daily life: Thich Nhat Hahn
Sai Baba - Man of Miracles Howard Murphet
Meditation An In-depth Guide: Ian Gawler & Paul Bedson
But let us go "Out on a Limb" and consider how much better still it would be if there were no wars and no-one needed to die in this way.
The truth of it seems pretty obvious to me. You cannot impose peace on anyone.
The only way we will ever have a world at peace is when we have a world filled with people who have peace in their hearts.
So anything we can do personally to engender more peace in our own hearts, to be more at peace; every little step we can make in this direction, is actually working towards world peace.
I feel an enormous sense of gratitude for the freedoms that are so much a part of the Australian lifestyle. Every time I travel freely interstate, every time I reflect on the freedom of speech I have, every time I walk through one of our cities and see such cultural diversity working well, I give thanks for the sacrifices of my forebears.
My Grandfather was a stretcher-bearer at Gallipoli. He then fought in France as an Artillery Officer; being gassed and suffering stoically into his eighties.
During the Second World War my father flew in Hudson and Liberator bombers in the Pacific and managed to survive two pretty exciting crash landings.
One of his brothers died during his second mission for Bomber Command in Europe, while his other brother survived the war after having been torpedoed and pulled out of the water.
So much to be grateful for.
But now, for each of us, what can we do to honour the freedoms we enjoy, and what can we do to be more peaceful so that war becomes less likely?
What suggestions do you have? Here are a few things that occur to me:
1. Smile at someone who has a different skin colour or comes from a different country.
2. Smile at someone who has the same skin colour or comes from the same country.
3. Observe yourself. Did you smile with the same ease at both? Is there any awkwardness? Sometimes reverse racism (overcompensating) can be an issue, just like racism always is.
4. Can you generate more peace in your own heart? Meditation is such a good way to make peace with ourselves and as the great Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh said:
“Peace in ourselves
Peace in the world”.
5.Is there someone you can make peace with? What would it take?
DEATH OF A GREAT SPIRITUAL LEADER
Just as this blog was about to be posted, the sad news was received from India that Sai Baba died on Easter Sunday morning at the age of 84 following complications of an illness.
Many who know my own story will be aware of the pivotal role he played in my healing and I can say he was a great influence for good in my life. Sai Baba embodied love.
Next blog I will share some experiences. I feel a great sense of gratitude for having met him, for his presence in my life and for all the good works he achieved. I also feel at something of a loss right now as to how to mark the death of such a great spiritual figure; but we will light a candle, do some meditation and no doubt feel the acute paradox of thanks and grief.
Here is a quote from Sai Baba’s early days:
I have come to light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster. I have not come on behalf of any exclusive religion. I have not come on a mission of publicity for a sect or creed or cause, nor have I come to collect followers for a doctrine. I have no plan to attract disciples or devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love.
4 July 1968
RESOURCES
BOOKS: Peace is every step - Mindfulness in daily life: Thich Nhat Hahn
Sai Baba - Man of Miracles Howard Murphet
Meditation An In-depth Guide: Ian Gawler & Paul Bedson
18 April 2011
Meditation in four easy steps
The process of learning to meditate can be summarised into four easy steps. Each one flows quite naturally into the next and together they combine to make up the technique we call Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation (MBSM). Here are the four steps of MBSM in essentualised form:
Step 1. Preparation.
In a conducive environment, take up a conducive posture, turn your mind inwardly and relax.
Step 2. Relaxation.
Use the simplest, most practical technique that helps you to relax your body. Allow your mind to go with it. Let go. Effortlessly.
Step 3. Mindfulness.
As a natural sequence you could flow on to use the focussed mindfulness applications of mindfulness of sound, mindfulness of bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts and stillness. Or you could use the more open mindfulness that leads into simple, undistracted awareness – simply notice with bare attention whatever comes to your awareness, whether it be sounds, sensations, emotions, thoughts or stillness; whatever happens, simply being aware, open, and present.
Step 4. Stillness.
As you rest in this undistracted awareness you notice the movement – the activity or phenomena that occur within you and around you, and you notice the all-pervading background of stillness. Increasingly the stillness becomes more familiar. You smile as you are warmed by the comfort and easy that flows with this knowing, this experience of the essence of meditation.
Putting MBSM even more simply:
Having prepared well, we relax.
Relaxing more deeply, we become more mindful.
As our mindfulness develops, the stillness naturally reveals itself.
We rest in open, undistracted awareness.
This is Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation.
Meditation – the Direct Approach.
Remember, meditation can be practised using the Direct Approach of no method, or the Gradual Approach that relies upon learning and using techniques. Having summarised the specific technique, the four steps of MBSM above, here is the essence of the direct approach to meditation.
There is nothing to do. Simply be aware. Open. Undistracted. Aware.
It is as simple, and as difficult as that.
Happy meditating!
BRISBANE AND THE NEW BOOK
On a personal note, it was a delight to be back in Brisbane last weekend, presenting workshops at that wonderful place, the Relaxation Centre. After a year of other things, it was a real pleasure to reconnect with Lionel Fifield and all his amazing volunteers, to meet up with people who had been to previous workshops or attended Foundation programs and to meet a whole bunch of new people.
It was also exciting to hold the first copy of the new book and to present a day on "The Mind that Changes Everything". I must say that it does give a great structure to a workshop on how the mind works and how we can use it to best advantage and I look forward to doing it again in other parts of the country. All the advance copies we were sent sold out at the first evening talk which was like the good and the bad news in that there were none available for the later events, but the book will be in the shops or available on line in a few weeks
RESOURCES
BOOKS: The Mind that Changes Everything - Ian Gawler
Meditation – an In-depth Guide - Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson
CD: Meditation – a Complete Path – Ian Gawler
DVD: Meditation Live – Ian Gawler
RELATED BLOGS: Meditation – How much is enough?
Meditation and Satisfaction
COURSES: Residential & non-residential: The Gawler Foundation
WORKSHOPS with Ian: www.iangawler.com
Step 1. Preparation.
In a conducive environment, take up a conducive posture, turn your mind inwardly and relax.
Step 2. Relaxation.
Use the simplest, most practical technique that helps you to relax your body. Allow your mind to go with it. Let go. Effortlessly.
Step 3. Mindfulness.
As a natural sequence you could flow on to use the focussed mindfulness applications of mindfulness of sound, mindfulness of bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts and stillness. Or you could use the more open mindfulness that leads into simple, undistracted awareness – simply notice with bare attention whatever comes to your awareness, whether it be sounds, sensations, emotions, thoughts or stillness; whatever happens, simply being aware, open, and present.
Step 4. Stillness.
As you rest in this undistracted awareness you notice the movement – the activity or phenomena that occur within you and around you, and you notice the all-pervading background of stillness. Increasingly the stillness becomes more familiar. You smile as you are warmed by the comfort and easy that flows with this knowing, this experience of the essence of meditation.
Putting MBSM even more simply:
Having prepared well, we relax.
Relaxing more deeply, we become more mindful.
As our mindfulness develops, the stillness naturally reveals itself.
We rest in open, undistracted awareness.
This is Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation.
Meditation – the Direct Approach.
Remember, meditation can be practised using the Direct Approach of no method, or the Gradual Approach that relies upon learning and using techniques. Having summarised the specific technique, the four steps of MBSM above, here is the essence of the direct approach to meditation.
There is nothing to do. Simply be aware. Open. Undistracted. Aware.
It is as simple, and as difficult as that.
Happy meditating!
BRISBANE AND THE NEW BOOK
On a personal note, it was a delight to be back in Brisbane last weekend, presenting workshops at that wonderful place, the Relaxation Centre. After a year of other things, it was a real pleasure to reconnect with Lionel Fifield and all his amazing volunteers, to meet up with people who had been to previous workshops or attended Foundation programs and to meet a whole bunch of new people.
It was also exciting to hold the first copy of the new book and to present a day on "The Mind that Changes Everything". I must say that it does give a great structure to a workshop on how the mind works and how we can use it to best advantage and I look forward to doing it again in other parts of the country. All the advance copies we were sent sold out at the first evening talk which was like the good and the bad news in that there were none available for the later events, but the book will be in the shops or available on line in a few weeks
RESOURCES
BOOKS: The Mind that Changes Everything - Ian Gawler
Meditation – an In-depth Guide - Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson
CD: Meditation – a Complete Path – Ian Gawler
DVD: Meditation Live – Ian Gawler
RELATED BLOGS: Meditation – How much is enough?
Meditation and Satisfaction
COURSES: Residential & non-residential: The Gawler Foundation
WORKSHOPS with Ian: www.iangawler.com
11 April 2011
The Mind that Changes Everything
There is a bit of excitement in the house this week as the first copies of my new book, “The Mind that Changes Everything”, published by Brolga Publishing, will be available in the next few days.
What is it all about?
Consider this. Whatever you do begins with a thought. Reading this blog seemed like a good idea at the time. Whatever you are sitting on right now began in someone’s mind as a thought: I will build a chair that looks and functions according to the image I have of it in my mind.
Whatever you do next will be determined by your mind. What you will have for your next meal begins with a thought. The next person you spend time with, the next outing with friends and family, the next business decision, the next holiday, the next purchase; on and on.
Everything begins with the mind. And all the experts say we only use a fraction of our mind's potential.
However, there is more to it than this. While everything we do begins in the mind, what we complete, what we achieve, what we let go of, what we abandon; all these outcomes are largely the function of our own mind.
Truly, it is the mind that changes everything.
And when it comes to the mind, have you ever wondered how some people seem to keep a clear head?
In sport, these people just seem to know how to be in the right place at the right time; and they perform at their best when the pressure is on.
Maybe you have noticed how some people seem to be comfortable and at ease in any company – whether at formal meetings or informally with friends, even strangers. They just seem to know what to say. How to be. They seem confident, relaxed; engaged and clear. Very appealing.
Maybe you have observed these clear-headed people in business. They are the ones who consistently are making good decisions. They enjoy their challenges, remain cool and calm. They have clarity amidst complexity, make decisions with assurance and have the confidence to follow things through to completion.
Then again, you probably have heard stories or know of people who used their minds to bring about great changes in their health and their lifestyles. Those who found a way to give up smoking, lose weight, overcome serious illness or perhaps the greatest achievement of all, to live a long life, free of illness, abounding with really good health, a high level of resilience and a joyful sense of wellbeing.
What we all know is that a few rare individuals have this gift naturally. They just seem to have this quality, this capacity to use their minds really effectively.
But here is the good news, the really good news. This capacity, the capacity to keep a clear head in good times and bad and to use our minds to better effect, this capacity can be acquired. It is a skill that can be learnt and with practice, it can become a natural part of our lives – a natural part of who we are. How we are.
This then is the gift of learning how to train your mind. And in all truth, perhaps this is the greatest gift you can give to yourself or to someone you care about. The skill of learning how to calm and clear your mind, and in doing so, learning how to be much more fully in control of your body and your mind, and the situations that unfold around you.
What we are talking of here is definitely a science. A mind science. It is just like choosing to become physically fitter, going to the physical gym, running around the park, training your muscles. Here we go to the mental gym. Train our mind, enjoy it becoming fitter, more capable; get the best out of our mind and its potential.
How do we do it?
Those of you who already have done a little meditation will know that the mind has two aspects. Firstly, there is the active, ever changing thinking mind, with its conscious and sub-conscious realms. Then there is that more profound, more constant nature of mind that we experience in the quiet stillness of meditation. Accessing meditation was the focus of the book I wrote with Paul Bedson, “Meditation – an In-depth Guide”.
While we did include in that book the key elements of both contemplation and imagery, this new companion book, “The Mind that Changes Everything”, goes more deeply into how the active mind works and the techniques that enable us to use it more effectively. The focus therefore is on understanding and using the practice of imagery.
Imagery is defined as the conscious development and repetition of mental images for a creative purpose. The truth is we live in a world of images. Images flood the world around us, being projected by television, film, photography and life itself.
Everything we experience, everything that registers with our senses, forms an image that is taken in to be stored in our memory. Internally we think using images, remember using images, create using images. Our whole life is affected dramatically by the images that come to us or that we produce ourselves. Images have a major impact on health, healing and wellbeing.
“The Mind that Changes Everything” is all about how we can more fully understand all this and then use imagery as a crucial element in the process of training and using our minds to make the most out of all we do in life.
My hope is that you will find this book very accessible and very practical. While I have read widely on the subject, studied it, attended other people’s workshops, and learnt directly from some remarkable teachers, the essence of the book comes from the lessons learnt by both ordinary and remarkable people who have used the creative power of their minds to good effect.
Along with 48 imagery-based techniques for training and using the mind potently, the book contains many great stories from people who have achieved remarkable things using these techniques for their sport, business, relationships, healing and wellbeing.
“The Mind that Changes Everything” is a book intended for a wide audience, so I hope you, your family, friends and colleagues will enjoy it and find something useful in it.
The official release date is the first of May, so it may be a while before you find it in the shops. However the Gawler Foundation and Brolga Publishing will be able to fill orders over the net.
Happy reading!
RESOURCES
COMPANION BOOK Meditation an In-depth Guide: Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson
CDs Mind Training 2 CD set by Ian Gawler
Mind-Body Medicine The 2 key imagery exercises led by Ian Gawler including one accompanied by the harp of Peter Roberts
IAN'S WORKSHOPS around Australia.
RELATED BLOGS
The brain, the mind and relationships Nov 2010
Go with the flow or intervene Nov 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)