Fasting the Mind Audiobook Libro.fm

Description

Combines cognitive psychology with Zen Taoist and Vedic practices to empty the mind

Explains how eliminating external stimulation can alleviate stress and anxiety for a calmer state of mind

Details meditation practices such as openawareness meditation contemplation of Zen koans and Vipassana meditation and explores methods of digital detox

Draws on classical yoga Hinduism Buddhism and Taoism as well as cognitive science to explain how and why to fast the mind

Stop planning stop comparing stop competing stop thinking and just breathe deeply for a minute Our undivided attention is something we are rarely able to give for reasons ranging from digital overload to the cultural conditioning of equating busyness with purpose Just as you might choose a fast from eating to detoxify the body the best way to overcome this modern mental overload is to periodically fast the mind

Drawing on the spiritual philosophies and meditative practices of classical yoga Hinduism Buddhism and Taoism Jason Gregory explains how fasting the mind directly impacts your habits and way of being in the world to create peace and calmness in your life as well as allow you to build a firm psychological defense against the increasing bombardment of distractions in our world Applying psychology and cognitive science to samsarathe cycle of suffering created by our attachment to the impermanenthe explains how overreliance on the rational mind causes imbalances in the autonomic nervous system and suppresses our natural spontaneity feelings and intuition When we are unable to relax the mind deeply we enter a destabilizing state of stress and anxiety and are unable to liberate the true Self from the impermanence and limitations of the material world Sharing Zen Taoist and Vedic practices to help you empty your mind and gradually restore your natural rhythms the author shows how to give the mind time to truly relax from stimulation so it can repair itself and come back into equilibrium He details simple meditation practices that are easy to implement in daily life such as openawareness meditation and contemplation of Zen koans as well as the advanced techniques of Vipassana a Theravadic Buddhist discipline centered on seclusion from all worldly stimuli He also offers methods for digital detox and ensuring a good nights sleep a major support for healing cognitive impairment and restoring a state of equanimity

By fasting the mind we strip away the distractions and stresses of modern life and return to our original nature as it exists deep within We become more consciously awake in every moment allowing us to feel the real beauty of the world and in turn to live life more fully authentically and peacefully