London Insight Meditation (3/15/12) Perhaps not surprisingly, out of the toolbox of meditation practices that are on offer to students engaged in mindfulness courses such as MBCT and MBSR, the most popular tool, and the one which most students are still using months if not years after finishing their 8-week course, is something called the Three Minute Breathing Space. The fact that it only takes three minutes to practice has a big part to play, I suspect, in its popularity.
If you’ve never done it before, why not give it a go right now. For sixty precious seconds of consciousness take a break from the screen by closing your eyes and “simply” becoming aware of :
a) sensations present in the body (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral)
b) thoughts sputtering, whizzing, or blasting through your mind
c) the general feeling-tone hum of You Here Now: harried, absorbed, numb, inspired, piqued, pooped, whatever.
Try it, for just one minute.
And now for the next minute, bringing the focus of attention to breath: just feeling into and staying with your breath wherever you notice yourself being breathed (chest, abdomen, nostrils).
Final minute: expanding the field of awareness around the whole body again, conscious of sound and space cradling us in this very moment. Breathing softly and kindly, with as much acceptance as possible, taking in the whole of your transient body-mind-environment: fully, flowingly.
Three minutes of conscious practice are sometimes all it takes to release us from some of those cunning little hooks and barbs of the mind, designed to drag you places you wouldn’t necessarily choose to visit: the abattoir of depression, the walls-closing-in claustrophobia of stress and anxiety, combat zones of jealousy, indignation, and bitterness.
This gem of a book by the neuropsychologist Rick Hanson is a veritable treasure trove of similar “super-succinct” tools. Many of them harness Hanson’s particular talent in putting a neurobiological spin on traditional contemplative practices without scuzzing the beauty and integrity of the former, or dumbing down the sense-making science of the latter.
I’ve been carrying around a copy of Just One Thing on my e-Reader and mobile phone for the last few months (though it also comes in a truly pocket-sized paperback). A few times a week I browse through the index and select one of the 52 contemplative practices from five different categories (Be Good to Yourself, Enjoy Life, Build Strengths, Engage the World, Be at Peace), digesting the clear and lucid couple of pages on offer between one tube stop and the next. And then as more people enter the carriage, and the doors close, I give myself a few minutes of practicing that Just One Thing.
Today was Chapter 14: ‘Take More Breaks’.
Between Kingsbury and Wembley Park, I read Rick’s riff on “Rest”: how for hundreds of millions of years, our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived (bar the odd plague or sabre-toothed tiger attack) a pretty chilled out existence: “life moved at the pace of the walk, in rhythm with the seasons, and with the rising and setting of the sun each day”. And if that sounds so wise as to almost seem like a banal truism, consider this: “that the human body and mind evolved to be in a state of rest or leisure – in other words, on a break – much of the time”.
Once Hanson’s convinced you that taking more breaks might actually be beneficial to your modus operandi, he rather helpfully, tells you how to do this. From the various suggestions he makes, I particularly like these (as challenging as I find it to walk the talk):
- Renounce everything else — When it’s time for a break, drop everything else for that time. Truly “clock out.”
- Take lots of microbreaks — Many times a day, step out of the stream of doingness for at least a few seconds: close your eyes for a moment; take a couple of deep breaths; shift your visual focus to the farthest point you can see; repeat a saying or prayer; stand up and move about.
- Get out—Look out the window; go outside and stare up at the sky; find a reason to walk out of a meeting.
- Unplug—If only for a few minutes, stop answering your phone(s); shut down e-mails; turn off the TV or radio; take off the earphones.
- Make your body happy — Wash your face; eat a cookie; smell something good; stretch; lie down; rub your eyes or ears.
- Keep your stress needle out of the red zone—If you find yourself getting increasingly frustrated or tense in some situation, disengage and take a break before your head explodes. Staying out of “red zone” stress is a serious priority for your long-term health and well-being.
Fueled with Just One Thingness, I then endeavour, at least until the next Metro headline catches my flitting attention, to give it a whirl. Or at least have the intention of giving it a whirl. And sometimes I even manage to do what I intend to do. That feels especially good.
If you are the sort of person (or know someone) who frequently claims that “they’d love to do some proper meditation practice, but just don’t have the time”, this book, which you can download onto their Kindle or slip into their purse might just nudge their lives a little more in the direction of peace and joy.
As everyone is at some level, or at different times, this sort of person, I expect we could all benefit from Just One Thing. Most of the practices in the book are already, very generously (Chapter 41: ‘Be Generous’) available on Rick’s website. and if you sign up to his mailing list, he’ll send you his new JOTs as he produces them. But it’s also great to have these collected in one paper or e-volume, particularly for those times when you really have “unplugged” and renounced life via broadband. That is to say: given yourself over, in the words of Mary Oliver, to letting “the soft animal of your body love what it loves”. –Steve Wasserman
Edge Magazine (3/8/12) You’ve heard the expression, “It’s the little things that count.” Research has shown that little daily practices can change the way your brain works, too. This book offers simple brain-training practices you can do every day to protect against stress, lift your mood, and find greater emotional resilience. Just One Thing is a treasure chest of over fifty practices created specifically to deepen your sense of well-being and unconditional happiness. Just one practice each day can help you: be good to yourself; enjoy life as it is; build on your strengths; be more effective at home and work; and make peace with your emotions.
Baby Center (3/2/12) If you’re sick of your brain (the way I often am), I have good news. You can transform it – without getting a transplant. Brains, it turns out, are responsive to mental exercises (the eggheads refer to this as “neuroplasticity.”) Thus, we can make ourselves become more mindful, less overreactive, less anxious, more relaxed, and more present-centered.
And Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain, One Simple Practice at a Time by Dr. Rick Hanson, is the perfect brain-training guide.
No one paid me to say that. True, the publisher sent me a free copy in exchange for my giving an honest review, but we really can’t even count that modest swag – because I prompty lost the free copy and had to go out and buy another. (How apt a metaphor can you get, by the way? Mindfulness itself eludes me, escapes me, flies from me.)
But my paid copy was absolutely worth the money. While the book isn’t specifically directed at parents, it’s perfect for us, because it breaks down the complexities of stress reduction into simple, short exercises that can easily fit in among the crush of tasks in our daily lives.
So. No day-long silent retreats. No marathon meditation sessions. No yoga classes. Great as that stuff is, I don’t have time for it.
But I do have time for these exercises – because I can work on them while doing other things. For example, the chapter on slowing down includes this gem: “If you’re stuck on hold on a phone call, look around for something that’s beautiful or interesting, or enjoy the peacefulness of simply breathing.” Yes! This is decidedly preferable to gnashing one’s teeth and freaking out about all the other crap one needs to be doing.
Another gem: “Several times a day, notice that you’re basically all right.”
And another: “Do a few things more slowly than usual. Leisurely lift the cup to your lips, don’t rush through a meal, let others finish talking before jumping in, or stroll to a meeting instead of racing.”
See? The book is full of stuff like this. You’re supposed to pick out the things that work for you, practice them (and practice and practice and practice them), and then watch your stress level descend.
No brain transplants available, last I checked – but at least now I have some optimism that I can get my stress under control. I’m getting ready to send my brain to obedience school, basically. We’ll see how it turns out, but I’m feeling hopeful. –Evonne Lack
Single Minded Women (1/2/12) Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time, by Rick Hanson PhD, offers 52 succinct practices showing how it’s possible to use your mind to change your brain. The seemingly simple practices may be easy to underestimate, Hanson says, but they will gradually change your brain through what’s called experience-dependent neuroplasticity.
“It’s a two-way street: as your brain changes, your mind changes; and as your mind changes, your brain changes,” Hanson explains. “This means—remarkably—that what you pay attention to, what you think and feel and want, and how you work with your reactions sculpts your brain in multiple ways.”
According to Hanson, everyone has the capacity to develop a “buddha brain,” supporting the cultivation of virtue, wisdom, mindfulness and other invaluable traits. You can see mind practices as muscle building for the mind, Hanson suggests. Any single trip to the gym makes little difference, but over time, making the mental practices a habit will build the “muscle” that is the brain.
Hanson draws on his forty years of spiritual practice, and a dual career as a neuroscientist and Buddhism teacher, to show the value of these practices and then explains how we can perform these brief actions in daily life. Hanson’s methods for taking in the good with little daily experiences we often look right past encourages readers to cultivate self-compassion in a way that, unfortunately, is rarely taught or practiced in the West.
The 52 practices are divided into five sections: Be Good To Yourself, Enjoy Life, Build Strengths, Engage the World and Be at Peace. Hanson offers a number of ways to use his book, including taking “a week for each one of the 52 practices,” allowing for “a transformational year of practice.” Whichever way you decide, he says, the best way to sustain your willingness to practice is to keep the work simple and focus on one thing at a time.
In the “Get More Sleep” practice, Hanson lists the many pitfalls of sleep deprivation and the benefits of getting more sleep. In busy lives we tend to look past some of the simple truths he points out, like questioning the reasons we don’t get enough sleep—the extra hour of TV or house chores. The author then outlines many practices which can get us the amount of sleep we need to improve our health and wellbeing. Many of the practices are little actions we can do to tell the mind it’s time to get some sleep (relaxing your tongue, lips, jaw and eyes; or resting a finger or knuckle against your lip).
“Dream Big Dreams” encourages us to access our inner core by asking “What are the dreams that matter to me most?” We are guided through a simple mental exercise of imagining ourselves as we were at different life stages, before asking “those individuals,” “What are your dreams?” This exercise encourages us not to dismiss our dreams as silly or impossible and offers techniques to free us from snap judgments, so we can clearly hear the intentions behind the really big dreams of our past.
Just One Thing teaches us changing the brain is no lightweight activity but is a practice that can transform your life. Hanson believes ultimately we can’t stop the brain from taking the shape the mind rests upon, but the choice of where to rest the mind is ours. If it regularly rests on thoughts of worry, self-criticism and anger, we sculpt a very different brain than a mind cultivating traits of relaxation, self-compassion and letting go of clinging. “You can’t stop the brain from changing,” Hanson says, “The only question is whether you’re getting the changes you want.” –Austin Harris
Mental Makeup (12/19/11) Dr. Rick Hanson first established himself as a pioneer in contemplative sciences with his previous book, Buddha’s Brain. As he states on his website, “Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and other great teachers were all born with a brain built essentially like anyone else’s. Then they used their minds to change their brains in ways that changed history.” Seeking to explore, educate, & inspire ordinary humans that they too, can achieve greatness, Buddha’s Brain was born. Buddha’s Brain became wildly successful in the Western world, employing endorsements amongst psychologists, meditation teachers, scientists & scholars alike; it is now enjoying success worldwide, as it is now published in 20 different languages. As a follow up, Dr. Hanson has now published Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time.
Just One Thing is a crowning jewel amongst contemplative science works. Building off of the great teachers – Jesus, Moses, the Buddha – the book offers tiny tidbits of knowledge that can lead to big changes in the brain; changes Dr. Hanson calls a “buddha’s brain”. Despite what many associate with the label (religion), a “buddha’s brain” is for anyone who wants be truly happy and effective, including those who appreciate the more secular applications of science. In fact, the book steers clear of discussing religion, and instead discusses methods for seeing reality.
Dr. Hanson begins by educating the reader on our brain’s “negativity bias”; that in fact our brains are wired to place more importance on negative news than positive news. For folks who automatically took this to be bad news, fear not. We can change the brain’s bad news bias, by simply choosing to see the good on a regular basis. Dr. H explains how whether we realize it or not, our minds are always changing, for better or for worse. Once we have an awareness of this, we can dedicate time to ensuring that any changes that occur are for the better, by making conscious decisions. The book offers over 50 simple, easy to understand (and employ!) brain training practices that allow you to become a more fully conscious individual. Each practice stems from ancestral wisdom and is supported by a plethora of research into positive psychology and modern neuroscience. By taking a few moments a day to implement these simple tools into your daily life, you can reduce stress, increase your emotional resilience, have healthier relationships, and find your center in wellness & unconditional happiness. –April “Elle” Ricchuito
Greater Good Science Center (11/11/11) In his previous best-selling book, Buddha’s Brain, Rick Hanson detailed the research that shows how our thoughts, feelings, and actions shape the neural pathways of our brains, in both positive and negative ways. Hanson, a neuropsychologist and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, set the groundwork for a neurological understanding of the benefits of contemplative practice.
In Just One Thing, he applies that understanding to daily life and provides 52 research-grounded practices that anyone can do to become happier, healthier, and more peaceful. Examples include getting more sleep, savoring life’s pleasures, seeking beauty in everyday experiences, relaxing around imperfection, and showing gratitude. For each practice, Hanson gives a short explanation of the practice and its benefits, followed by a more detailed description of how to approach it.
Of course, you don’t have to do all 52 practices to reap the benefits. Some will appeal more than others, and Hanson encourages readers to choose the ones that work best for them. “How you use your mind changes your brain—for better or worse,” writes Hanson. “You can’t stop your brain from changing.” So, why not try these practices a little bit each day and direct your brain toward the positive? No doubt, if you take Hanson’s advice, you will be doing yourself—and your brain—a big favor. –Jill Suttie
Travel to Wellness (10/11/11) If you believe, as I do, that the brain is the new frontier for wellness and well-being, then read Rick Hanson’s Just One Thing published by New Harbinger.
In this self-help book, the neuropsychologist and author of the best selling Buddha’s Brain, neatly lays out, chapter by chapter, 52 ways to manage the mind in order to shape and “sculpt” the brain.
In the introduction he writes: “This is a book of practices – simple things you can do routinely, mainly inside your mind, that will support and increase your mindfulness, sense of security and worth, resilience, effectiveness in the world, well-being, insight and inner peace.”
It’s the type of book you can pick up anytime and read just one chapter – and concentrate on that one practice for the day or week – hence the title. In every chapter I found at least one small gem of inspiration.
For instance, in Chapter Five, titled Slow Down, Hanson remarks on the North American “need for speed.” He chronicles the bad effects of chronic speediness – such as the release of stress hormones – and then in the How section (there’s one in each chapter) gives us various little ways to practice the art slowing down. I’ve ear-marked this chapter.
In Chapter 31, titled Keep Going, Hanson writes: “Of all the factors that lead to happiness and success – class origins, intelligence, personality, character, looks, luck, race, etc. – the one that typically makes the most difference is persistence.“ But he also advices that we each find the pace we can sustain. “Life’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
This is a great little book filled with sound advice and gems of information about how you can use your mind to change your brain – “for better or worse”. –Anne Dimon
My Zen Nana (9/26/11) A couple of interesting thoughts crossed my mind as I began reading this book. The old saying about the teacher appearing when the student is ready was the first one. The second was about how it sometimes seems as if everyone suddenly has the same idea all at once. Maybe it’s a “tipping point” thing, or an idea reaching “critical mass” and spreading suddenly throughout a population, just because it’s time. As Victor Hugo wrote, “No army can stop an idea whose time has come.”
So it was interesting to me how several books I’ve been reading lately share some similar components; they teach mindfulness in an easy-to-swallow-for-latte-sipping-multitaskers format. It only takes a minute, they tell us; no long meditation sessions or esoteric tomes to wade through. No ashram retreats or minimalist camps; no deep philosophies or dogma to buy into; no east versus west worldview conflicts or religions. Tiny chunks of practice, just sixty seconds at a time, one idea a week for no more than one year. Just keeping it simple and keeping at it, one tiny minute at a time, is the key. This is indeed today’s mindfulness.
Just One Thing is the latest addition to the pile of these books on my desk, or rather my Kindle. I liked it a lot and it added a new layer to my decades-long quest for “buddha brain.” Recent brain research has opened up new ways to look at practices such as meditation and ideas like mindfulness. The mind and the brain are no longer strangers or rivals for dominance. Hanson’s message: change one and you change the other. Nuggets of information are scattered throughout the book, such as the idea that the brain has a “negativity bias” which makes it automatically gravitate to negative thoughts rather than positive ones, a revelation that might make many breathe a sigh of relief that they are not always replaying negative thoughts and memories in their minds because of some character failing of their own. On the other hand, it points to the need for conscious, deliberate effort to lead our thoughts toward the positive to enjoy life more and affect positive outcomes.
Like some of the other books I’ve been reading lately, Hanson offers one idea for focus per week, if you spend a year on this book — one meditation, practice, thought to lead yourself back to or behavior to change at a time. The book is filled with philosophy, psychology, sacred teachings and practical advice along with the occasional foray into biology and brain chemistry, all in an easy conversational tone.
Sweet Tidbits (8/26/11) This was a well written positive little how-to guide on how to be mindful of your happiness on a daily basis. This is a novel for everyone. It’s an easily understandable guide that doesn’t go into the ‘science’ of anything or even religion. This is definitely a great read for anyone interested in trying to make their days just a bit better.
The first time I read this novel I read it front to back and I enjoyed it. I did understand; however, that some of the situations the author would discuss didn’t necessarily apply to me at the time of reading. This is going to be a great book to keep on hand for whenever I encounter a situation where a little guidance is needed. I have a feeling the ‘Relax’ chapter will have its work cut out for it though. –Bonnie
Health Insights (1/12) Dr. Rick Hanson’s extraordinary book Just One Thing is a step by step blueprint for anyone who wants to live a more positive, healthier and happier life. In his newest book, Dr Hanson, a neuropsychologist and co-founder of the Wellspring Institute, helps the reader to understand that our thought processes actually lead to physical changes in the brain. In turn, these changes impact psychological and physical health including the immune system. When positive things are input, positive outcomes result.
Just One Thing is segmented into five helpful sections that lead the reader thru practical activities resulting in these positive brain changes. Part 1 emphasizes that change is possible and identifies simple steps to elicit positive change. Dr Hanson reminds the reader of the importance of self care & self-acceptance and provides tips on enhancing both.
Part 2 identifies the benefits of taking pleasure in our surroundings, getting excited, taking mental holidays and most of all practicing faith in the right things. It highlights the effect on the brain by something as simple as a smile.
In the remaining segments, Dr Hanson provides examples of how to build strength, how to increase capabilities by challenging assumptions, how to dream big and how to achieve peace.
Just One Thing is the basic primer for anyone who wants to improve. Dr Hanson’s tips are simple, straight forward and easy to follow. –Sharon Gladden
Additional Reviews
Felicia Matto-Shepard 3/12
Spirituality and Practice 2/12
