יום עם שינזן יאנג במרכז הבין-תחומי בהרצליה -Towards a Science of Mindfulness: An Invitation to Practice and Dialogue
The Israeli Center for Mindfulness, Science and Society (Muda) and Unit of Applied Neuroscience at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, in collaboration with Tovana Insight Meditation Society are happy to invite you to a one-day meeting titled:
Towards a Science of Mindfulness: An Invitation to Practice and Dialogue
Mindfulness has its origin in ancient Buddhist practices. But it can be readily extracted from that cultural matrix and presented as a secular, clinical skillset. Mindful awareness practices are becoming increasingly prominent in the fields of pain management, stress management, addictions recovery, and psychotherapy. Over the last thirty years, there has been an exponential growth in published scientific research on the benefits of mindfulness. But that research is not without its critics. One common complaint is the lack of a clearly agreed-upon definition of mindfulness and the absence of an explanatory paradigm for its effects. Shinzen is developing an innovative approach for addressing those issues.
Throughout the day, we will alternate periods of guided mindfulness practice with periods of discussion. No previous mindfulness experience is required. During the discussion periods, you will have a chance to talk about your practice experience as well as other related topics that may be of interest to you.
Shinzen will also make presentation which will aim to:
Describe the historical evolution of mindfulness in the three Buddhist traditions of Theravada, Zen, and Vajrayana.
Point out several ways in which the methods of the Buddha parallel those of science and several ways in which they do not.
Make a conjecture regarding how the collaboration between mindfulness adepts and neuroscientists could lead to a truly scientific paradigm for human spirituality, and even possibly technological interventions that would dramatically elevate global human happiness.
Throughout this program, particular emphasis will be placed on how the Buddha applied the "strategy of Divide and Conquer" to the issue of human suffering. This discovery provides an apparatus for tracking one's experience in terms of tangible, localizable sensory components. The separate, suffering self resolves into a real-time, fluctuating vector field and reunites with the effortless flow of nature.
This 1-day meeting will serve both as a user-friendly introduction to mindfulness practice and an open forum for discussing deep questions regarding the relationship of science and spirituality.
Shinzen Young became fascinated with Asian culture while a teenager in Los Angeles. Later he enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Buddhist Studies at the University of Wisconsin.
Eventually, he went to Asia and did extensive training in each of the three major Buddhist traditions: Vajrayana, Zen and Vipassana. Upon returning to the United States, his academic interests shifted to the burgeoning dialogue between Eastern meditation and Western science.
Shinzen is known for his innovative "interactive, algorithmic approach" to mindfulness, a system specifically designed for use in pain management, recovery support, and as an adjunct to psychotherapy.
He leads meditation retreats throughout North America and has helped establish numerous mindfulness centers and programs. He also consults widely on meditation-related research, in both the clinical and the basic science domains.
He often says:
"My life's passion lies in exploring what may arise from the cross-fertilization of the best of the East with the best of the West."
Links to talks to academic public:
University of Arizona: http://www.amrig.org/most-recent-amrig-presentation-3
University of Toronto: http://www.jeffwarren.org/author-interviews/shinzen-young-at-university-of-toronto
Google Tech Talk: Divide and Conquer: How the Essence of Mindfulness Parallels the Nuts and Bolts of Science
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XCWP4pODbs
Google Tech Talk: Deep Concentration in Formal Meditation and Daily Life (Theory and Practice) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky7vMFB4iAs
For further information: mudacenter@gmail.com
Time table:
8:00 Registration
8:30 Practice and Discussion
10:00 Break
10:20 Practice and Discussion
12:00 Lunch
13:30 Practice
14:00 Lecture: Towards a Science of Enlightenment
15:30 Break
15:45 Discussion of Lecture
17:00 Break
17:15 Practice and Discussion
Price: 200 shekels (180 shekels students)