According to Dr. Shauna Shapiro, mindfulness means paying attention in the present moment with an attitude of kindness and generosity. It involves being aware and doing things with conscious intent. But research shows our mind lives in the past or the future almost half of our waking moments. Focusing on this moment in time, this place, your body as it feels in this moment, your breath as it moves in and out right now....
That focus on present-moment awareness has the capability to transform your life. And it has existed for thousands of years, interwoven throughout many religious and intellectual traditions. Mindfulness as a practice is very simple and its effects are well-documented. What many people don't realize is the breadth of the science behind it and how much of our health - physical, mental, emotional - is bound up in the way we look at and experience the world. Now, modern biology and neuroscience can actually quantify many of the effects of mindfulness and you may be surprised by how powerful the impact can be.
In Masters of Mindfulness, 11 top researchers and proponents of mindfulness discuss what modern science and contemporary research have revealed about this ancient practice and the many ways in which it can benefit your life. These 22 lectures present a unique and extraordinary opportunity, bringing a diverse group of renowned specialists together in one place for the first time to share their own personal experiences and their latest research, and to guide you through several mindfulness exercises.
Acting as your primary guide through the many concepts and presenters, psychologist and mindfulness expert Dr. Shauna Shapiro brings together some of the greatest minds in the field to give you an immersive, 360-degree experience of mindfulness, its practice, and its benefits.
This course was recorded on location at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, a place that is considered a unique sanctuary for anyone interested in the study of human consciousness and the human potential movement. Since 1962, this profoundly beautiful locale has been a thriving hub for investigating and experiencing the journey of mindfulness in its many forms, including cutting-edge scientific research and applications. Not everyone can hop on a plane to California, so Masters of Mindfulness brings this one-of-a-kind experience to you.
Full list of authors: Shauna Shapiro, Rick Hanson, Kristine Carlson, Juna Mustad, Mike Robbins, Amishi Jha, Elissa Epel, Jessica Graham, Dacher Keltner, Wallace Nichols, Daniel Siegel, and The Great Courses.
Full list of narrators: Shauna Shapiro, Rick Hanson, Kristine Carlson, Juna Mustad, Mike Robbins, Amishi Jha, Elissa Epel, Jessica Graham, Dacher Keltner, Wallace Nichols, and Daniel Siegel.