(Main)stream of consciousness

USA Today has a piece on the increased popularity of mindfulness meditation. The practice, which was brought by Buddhism to the West, isn’t necessarily religious, and many religions have some form of similar meditation. So, someone can be, say, Catholic, and practice mindfulness meditation without committing heresy, according to practitioners. That point is exemplified by […]

USA Today has a piece on the increased popularity of mindfulness meditation. The practice, which was brought by Buddhism to the West, isn’t necessarily religious, and many religions have some form of similar meditation. So, someone can be, say, Catholic, and practice mindfulness meditation without committing heresy, according to practitioners.

That point is exemplified by the story’s lead, which describes the daily meditation practice of Rep. Tim Ryan, D-OH. Ryan, 35, is a Roman Catholic, and speaks fairly often about his faith.

USA Today sez: (Ryan) meditates for at least 45 minutes before leaving home.


Ryan, 35, sits on a floor cushion, closes his eyes, focuses on his breath and tries to detach from any thoughts, just observing them like clouds moving across the sky – a practice he learned at a retreat. “I find it makes me a better listener, and my concentration is sharper. I get less distracted when I’m reading,” he says. “It’s like you see through the clutter of life and can penetrate to what’s really going on.”

Once thought of as an esoteric, mystical pursuit, meditation is going mainstream. A government survey in 2007 found that about 1 out of 11 Americans, more than 20 million, meditated in the past year. And a growing number of medical centers are teaching meditation to patients for relief of pain and stress.

More than 240 programs in clinics and hospitals teach the same type of meditation that Ryan learned, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed mindfulness-based stress reduction 30 years ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

The article doesn’t really describe mindfulness meditation, though. For that, I recommend this Shambhala Sun article. And the article ignores the controversy over bringing the meditation to public schools. Like yoga, the meditation has religious roots, and some parents are concerned that it amounts to indoctrination.

I, for one, would be interested in learning more about how Ryan reconciles his meditation practice with his Roman Catholicism. Like I said, for many people it’s a non-issue. But some Christians, like the Episcopal bishop-elect of Northern Michigan, have had trouble explaining that to co-religionists.

Pretty picture by the awesome Adrian Tomine.

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