Author Rick Hanson is one of my favorite authors, and he has created a great new little book entitled “Just One Thing, Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time”. Rick is right on when he speaks about practicing. In my estimation it is the operative word, one must start the practice, because practice is the only thing that will continue our ability to improve and reach heightened states of consciousness.
In my interview with Rick we discuss the daily practices that Rick has articulated in his book. These practices are mainly inside your mind and are designed to support and increase your sense of security and worth, resilience, effectiveness, well-being, insight, and inner peace. Some of the practices include taking in the good, protecting your brain, feeling safer, relaxing anxiety about imperfection, not knowing, enjoying your hands, taking refuge, and filling the hole in your heart.
Rick states that it’s a two-way street: as your brain changes, your mind changes; and as your mind changes, your brain changes. This means–remarkably–that what you pay attention to, what you think and feel and want and how you work with your reactions to things all sculpt your brain in multiple ways. The details are complex, bu the key point is simple: how you use your mind changes your brain–for better or worse. There’s a traditional saying that the mind takes the shape it rests upon; the modern update is that the brain takes the shape the mind rests upon.
For instance, you regularly rest your mind upon worries, self-criticism, and anger, then your brain will gradually tak the shape–will develop neural structures and dynamics–of anxiety, low sense of worth, and prickly reactivity to others. On the other hand, if you regularly rest your mind upon, for example, noticing your’re all right right now, seeing the good in yourself, and letting go–three of the practices in this book–then your brain will gradually take the shape of calm strength, self-confidence and inner peace.
It is the beginning of a New Year, and we can all use great ideas to help us establish better patterns and habits that help and serve us. I hope that you will read Rick’s new book “Just One Thing” because he provides the reader with 52 new practices to help you become more mindful, centered and develop peace and bliss in your life. What a wonderful thing!!!
If you would like more information on Rick Hanson, please click here to be directed to his website or click here to go to his Facebook page. He also has some great videos at Youtube.
