Mark Williams on Mindfulness

Mark Williams is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford. He is also a world-expert on mindfulness. Here he discusses what this practice has to offer us.
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[@ionathannoblins7178]

"Our mental life is full of little seeds of reality surrounded by a shell of story"

[@charlesdeng8075]

School of Life seems like a new form of Church for me in a positive way.

[@ShaunPeterKelly]

I've often read a whole page of a good book and my mind has been somewhere else completely then I have to go back..!! It always amazes me how that happens.

[@gelan8543]

Love that song; I was living with and for caring for a dementia patient. Some mornings he started the day at the break of dawn due to anxiety and wake me up. I would sing that song to him very slowly and try to get him to sing along with me. After a while, he slowed down his pace and became manageable and mindful.

[@callista4990]

can i know what is the title of the song?

[@samkusi9422]

@@callista4990 feeling groovy by Simon and Garfunkel

[@callista4990]

@@samkusi9422 thanksss 😁

[@CarolinaQVargas]

Thank you Mr. Williams for this brilliant lecture! You explain so well and kindly. Thank School of Life. I am loving your channel.

[@dodgeygeeza]

What a brilliant man. A must watch 4 the human race. Simple yet relatable basics and a massive wake up call. Bravo sir, ur a credit to our civilisation

[@pelademocraciareal]

Listening in September, 2020, from Brazil. Facing a long quarantine, reaching more than 4 million infected people by the Coronavirus pandemic in Brazil alone. Thanks School of Life! 🙏🏾💜

[@allywoo6329]

The drinking of tea and washing dishes become a Zen practice, rather than a mundane chore carried out in autopilot.

[@teresajohnson1352]

Brilliant! Thank you very much!! So GOOSD to hear an CLEAR ENGLISH accent too!!!! More of you all English lecturers!!! THANK YOU!!!!

[@Toporshik]

This is the best lecture on mindfulness I have seen on the internet.

[@PeaceboneGotFound]

He has a great sense of humour! And really interesting information.

[@sheilabethea4063]

I love his work

[@landonbolts7650]

I’ve learned how to accept life through this channel thank you 🙏🏿

[@rinaward3195]

A brilliant, succinct, summary. Helps reinforce the message of the importance of being awake.🙏

[@darrenjrickard]

Mindfulness is such useful tool to cultivate and it can start from your first practice.

[@deepakbellur9676]

"Where are you when you are doing the dishes?" "Where are you when you are drinking your tea?" This reminds me of a contest that a Newspaper ran. It asked "Why do people close their eyes when they kiss?" The winning response was "To concentrate on what to do next ! "

[@eastervan1]

+Deepak Bellur Thich Nhat Hanh! Are you washing the dishes to make them clean or are you washing the dishes to wash the dishes? (I actually just washed my dishes)

[@mariasadorag]

Thank you!!!! it just makes so much sense everything he’s saying… loved this talk 💗

[@mattgwynlloyd]

Love this guy!

[@danieljuliet2036]

really beautiful words and comforting. we are learning to embrace a new dawn with vigour and living. hecho con amour

[@mariebloomfield5971]

Very good introduction to mindfulness. He makes it so relevant to our everyday life. I like it that his lecture is also experiential. Mindfulness can help us to be a better Christian.... a better person....living life directly... to to full .... in this moment.

[@mrsthesmsm]

Thank you so much. They sounds great. I will be sure to check them out. take care

[@varalta.floresta]

excelent

[@declagreen7884]

You should teach this to everyone.

[@vikaspandey6206]

great lession.

[@spiritualteachings3030]

Thank you very much. I also appreciate mindfulness meditation. 👐 With my meditation I've personally been appreciating a bit of Master Sri Avinash Do at the moment. I find his words really heartwarming. 🧡

[@lakshmir1333]

Greatest understanding

[@f16cowboy]

Mindfulnes well explained. Must see if the subject 'touches' you.

[@anria85]

Very good lecture. Thank you. I have explored Buddhist teachings on awareness of mind and meditation and I have tried to explain to my religious and secular friends alike that this type of thought patterns can benefit all, whether you are spiritual or not. It makes sense from a psychological point of view. I will share this video with my friends as it explains these ideas better than I can sometimes :-)

[@aotaniao14]

A nice lecture! Buddha's final words were, however, not quite "Just do it!" They were, "Everything changes. Practice earnestly."

[@sebastianbroscheyoga]

I thought it was "be a light unto yourself"?

[@AlienPsyTing1]

School of Life is a kinda like a place for humanists who like the idea of Church but don't like the idea of God

[@bendikkirkbakk1833]

Stress As i bean told never levavs You. You most find a way to drain. I have ptsd. I Have begun breathing my way out of troubel. 4sec in, through nose, hold breath for 5, out 6.i do this 4-5 houers a Day. It feels so relaxing, i, am gonna make it, until the Day i die

[@seasea1500]

3:30-3:42 Mindfulness = Wake-up-ism 😇😇💓💗💖💞💟💕💖💞

[@mrsthesmsm]

Hi every one. I read "the Mindful way through depression". I am at week four of the practice. The problem is I don't understand parts of week 5 and 6.Specifically exploring the option of opening the body door, and practicing opening the thought door. Can anybody help me please?

[@declagreen7884]

I'd say, if I may. While you notice your every step, head up. It helps. You know how many people make fun of me for always being bare foot. It actually makes me feel better.

[@mrtambourineman6107]

Don't ask whom the bell tolls for, I tolls for I.

[@davealbrecht12]

35:53 OH! oh! oh! He's talking about Tich Nath Hahn! Quick! Quick! Zoom in on the pretty Vietnamese girl! XD

[@mindfuleats4517]

Yes I noticed that edit too ...

[@aussietim7974]

Both Simon and Garfunkel were Jewish and they performed Christian songs back in the 60's... Feeling groovy describes walking in the blessing of knowing who you truly are in a relationship with God.

[@demetreharris6783]

😂

[@nevokrien95]

U got me more enxsus with the tiered thing I never asked whet does it mean on me as a person also u do t do only mindfulness u do zen and more vipasana then mindful

[@Katarina-em1pc]

It turns out that nothing is so bad, that the story we create can't make it worse. So our ability to remember and imagine...unlike the gazelles, we don't stop running, and that becomes a big problem-that's trauma.

[@oooodaxteroooo]

The very least thing to be said about medication is: Assume, your coping mechanisms made you depressed. Taking medications that enable you to continue with those mechanisms - since you feel good for no reason, CAN be very counterproductive.

[@timothyauger9905]

Why did they put on an American accent when singing?

[@Xplorer228]

I understand and agree with what he's saying for the most part, but shall I really just focus on drinking tea while I'm drinking it? Where does this leave time for deep intellectual thought? When I'm completely finished with all monotonous tasks?

[@Angloth]

+mossy1 I dont view it that way. I say rather just use meditation/mindfulness to enhance intellectual thought and experience of reality. Thoughts and daydreams are wonderfull gifts humans have, its more about striking a good balance between thinking and focus

[@Ashwekar]

yup. set time out for mindfulness exercise

[@konraddobson]

The way I've come to understand it that's it's more about finding a balance, and being more aware of actions you would otherwise thoughtlessly do. Also, meditation doesn't mean emptying your mind. It's more about seeing the thoughts but not engaging with them. It's basically a workout for your brain that builds concentration etc. But again, it's not something you do constantly, although the being aware part is something that tends to stick. And that's a good thing. I've noticed I'm appreciating more of the small things in life, and it's helped a lot with my anxiety problems.

[@smokinghorsey9]

Intellectual thought is more intellectual when given its own time and not when juggled with another task. In an organisation there might be a department for dealing with administrative work and a department for coming up with new ideas. The organisation operates successfully when the CEO manages both departments separately and treats them as equally as important. In our lives we tend to try and be the admin team and the ideas team at the same time without any structure or organisation. By learning to be mindful, we stop being a messy department and start being a CEO that makes decisions about each. If you decide you would like to spend an hour thinking about a topic that interests you and you'd like to do it over some tea, go ahead. But if you're trying to get ready in the morning and are having tea with breakfast, drifting off into that topic is likely to only be a distraction. It's not about elimination. It's about prioritization. It's about balance. Ironically, the person who is able to put time aside for intellectual thought rather than trying to cram intellectual thought into every other task, has more time for intellectual thought.

[@mindfuleats4517]

I think it's more about being aware when one is lost in a thought stream. When one is carried away and is unaware of the impact . If you are actively and deliberately engaging in problem solving or analysing, that's not the same as being on automatic pilot. Awareness is the key

[@rotpeter9148]

is this Michael Palin in disguise? ;)

[@CanisLupusSteparium]

+ROTPETER Do you find that wisible?

[@rotpeter9148]

jaggo84 Ha! Is that you Biggus Dickus old friend?

[@CanisLupusSteparium]

ROTPETER You got me! By the way, Incontinentia is here with me, she sends her love...

[@rotpeter9148]

jaggo84 Ahhh. A funny youtuber. A rare treat. Thanks big nose.

[@Jake-kn3xg]

+ROTPETER yes

[@cheekymonkey3929]

mind how you go.....ha ha ✌

[@nfcoard]

At least not the kind of God that is described in the Abrahamaic religions like christianity, islam etc. For me a church should be like a community of people that support each other lovingly and share positive ideas and activities.

[@adriandeutrom9092]

I somewhat disagree about continuing taking antidepressants when one practises mindfulness. By taking antidepressants you blunt what's real in your life. Medications are not helpful on the long run, especially when one becomes addicted to them and then you get " Hooked on " Taking antidepressants can be seen as a kind of "Escapism ", from what is going on in one's life

[@KF-cx8bm]

Totally disagree, I can only assume you have never had depression. It is an illness like any other illness. You wouldn't ask a diabetic to stop taking insulin

[@soniabianca]

just chant hare krishna and be happy!

[@aussietim7974]

One of the last things Buddha said was that he never found 'enlightenment' and that there was one person that would come after him who's body would be pierced in order to bare the sins of the world. Buddha was referring to Jesus Christ.

[@joedenby7721]

In his talk.....ahhh remove the "knot" thence the pain then they...women??? Will be clear.....mmmm clearrrr...xx

[@michaeltayeby6242]

"Why" is a bad word ,most of the time

[@marianaa6285]

he would be a good sugar daddy

[@juliettailor1616]

Always hated that song feeling groovy. Most Simon and Garfunkel music is depressing.

[@landonbolts7650]

Hashtag lowerthegays

[@allywoo6329]

The drinking of tea and washing dishes become a Zen practice, rather than a mundane chore carried out in autopilot.