Category: Mind

There exists a relationship observed between the interaction of the mind, body and spirit. Explorations have ascertained the link between negative emotions with particular physical conditions (Tyre, 2004). In the nursing practice, it is indispensable to understand this relationship and recognize situations when it can be aptly applied. A healthcare giver must thus understand the relevant therapy, know its weaknesses and strong points, and learn how to overcome these obstructions.

Meditation as therapy

Meditation, dance and prayer are among the forms of this therapy, which ensures the interaction of the mind and body of a patient. Most physical and psychological problems can be cured if studied under energy conditions and given spiritual intervention. Long-term worry and depression are the common symptoms of anxiety (Torre, 2001).

Meditative therapy synthesizes two prominent healing disciplines; meditation and psychotherapy. The fusion of the traditional meditation process with the modern form of treatment balances a patient in a holistic and natural process. It has traditionally been understood that there is an inner being and a soul within individuals which helps in the natural healing process (Tyre, 2004). Our minds may be transformed from negative to positive through cultivating beneficial feelings.

Therapy in practice

There is continued interest by clients in the use of CAM technologies hence the need for nurses to incorporate them in their profession. The incorporation of some techniques usually requires heavy funding for their implementation, and it is usual for many institutions to accept therapies they can afford and have the manpower to implement (McCarthy, 2002). Meditation has been encouraged in the profession, and is used either singularly or combined with the traditional medical process. Its integration involves assessing clients through the collection of their psychological, physical, environmental and lifestyle data. This makes it possible to plan and implement the relevant form of therapy. Evaluations of the patient on the impacts of the meditation complete the integration process.

Benefits of meditation

Peer reviewed literatures and the press expose us to the benefits of properly administered meditation. It improves the capacity to concentrate and be attentive to ones work, reduces addictions in meaningless activities, and improves the mood of the patient (Tyre, 2004).

Integrating meditation in practice

Meditation involves being more mentally active. This focus on mental activity may however be lost when our minds wander away from the task at hand. Discouragement is usually the main factor which results in lose of focus. It thus proves challenging to integrate it into my practice. Not everyone subscribes to the beliefs of the benefits of massage as some patients see it as a waste of time (McCarthy, 2002). Mustering the patience and persistence required in the process for some patients is a tedious process which they cannot muster the energy to fulfill. It becomes stressful for people to learn that the process requires discipline in order to achieve its numerous benefits.

In spite of the challenges experienced, implementation of meditation in the healing process to treat pain and manage pain is advantageous. Patients must understand that meditation is a process which involves concentration, mindfulness and patience. The process has other clinical applications beyond the normal stress alleviation and anxiety reduction.

Conclusion

Medicine connecting the mind and body require individuals to change their lifestyles in order to promote health and prevent diseases. Most of the body-mind-spirit techniques may be implemented individually, but a patient may combine them depending on specific needs. When meditation is combined with imagery, for example, it can be used to alleviate the side-effects of chemotherapy and energy in treating cancer patients (Hanser and Shank, 2003).

References

Hanser, M. & shank, S. (2003). Alternative therapies: growing options in nursing practice. National center for continuing education. Web.

McCarthy, L. (2002). Prayers power over the heart. Walden library; Nursing & allied health sources. Web.

Torre, M. (2001). Meditation and psychotherapy: an effective combination. Walden library; Nursing & allied health sources. Web.

Tyre, P. (2004). Combination therapy. Walden library; Nursing & allied health sources. Web.

Abstract

Saudi Arabian educators are considering employing the mind mapping technique in teaching vocabulary in all secondary schools. To determine the viability of the mind mapping technique, it is necessary to carry out a quantitative research that will determine the techniques ability to influence the level of acquiring vocabulary. The educators will need a decisive research report, thus, the researcher will employ a quantitative research approach to come up with the required report.

The entire research will aim at testing the ability of the mind mapping technique to influence vocabulary acquisition on female students aged between 16 and 18 years. Primary and secondary data will be useful in obtaining the required data, and questionnaires will be the main data collection instruments. Essentially, reports on the performance of the respondents before and after employing the mind mapping teaching technique will provide secondary data while the duly filled questionnaires will give the primary data. Thereafter, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) will be necessary in analyzing the study results.

Introduction

The methods that teachers employ in educating students determine the level of understanding. The procedures and techniques used in teaching will determine the students ability to master vocabulary knowledge, and the ability to apply the vocabularies in sentences (Dick & Carey, 2006). Essentially, students who lack a stock of words will have difficulties in understanding oral language. Moreover, such students will find it difficult to comprehend written language, as they tend to forget the vocabularies that they learn with time. The high level of forgetfulness amongst high school students in Saudi Arabia is questionable, and educators are considering adopting the mind mapping technique.

The technique might have a significant effect in enabling students to remember vocabularies and other teachings in class. Schools that have employed the technique are praising it because of its positive outcome in influencing the vocabulary acquisition levels. Essentially, mind mapping involves the use of imagery, color, visual arrangement, and graphical infrastructure. The entire process helps in creating impressions that enhance the level of memorization (Tonzar, Lotto, & Job, 2009). Mind mapping is superior to the conventional note taking method of teaching.

While the conventional methods will obligate the students to learn by rote, mind mapping encourages the learners to involve the whole brain, and learn via practical examples (Schmitt, 2000). The technique allows learners to relate ideas to other concepts of the same category. Mind mapping obtains its supremacy from the graphic techniques that plays a great role in unlocking the brain and increasing its ability to think critically (Whitehouse, Maybery, & Durkin, 2006). The technique enhances the functionality of the brain, and the learners can relate new words to symbols, pictures, and emotions to conceptualize their meaning.

Statement of the problem

Vocabulary knowledge is very crucial, as vocabulary is a fundamental component of every language. However, most Saudi Arabian schools had overlooked vocabulary as a language component for a long period. With little or no attention given to vocabulary, secondary school students in Saudi Arabia have had poor performances in grammar. They have difficulties in conveying their messages, and from one time to another, they make lexical errors.

Native Arabians have difficulties in acquiring a second language, as they have a tendency of making vocabulary errors that cause communication misunderstanding (Chen & Leung, 2000). In most secondary schools, students are unable to make oral comprehensions, and similarly, they have difficulties in expressing their ideas in written form. Essentially, if a student cannot differentiate the meaning of various vocabularies in a sentence, it would be difficult to communicate with other people, and have a clear understanding of the conversation. The entire scenario is very controversial, as Saudi Arabia is producing incompetent secondary school graduates.

Significance of the study

As indicated in the problem statement, Saudi Arabian educators have overlooked the vocabulary component of learning, and thus, secondary schools end up producing incompetent graduates. Taking time to understand the workability of the mind mapping technique to teach vocabulary is a great achievement that will have visible results (Nation, 2004). The educators will have a tangible prove to present to the ministry of education, and they will have the pleasure of employing a verified and efficient learning technique.

The students who could not fit in international colleges because of their poor vocabulary and grammar levels will have adequate competency skills after learning vocabulary using the mind mapping technique (Khoii & Sharififar, 2013). The study will act a wakeup call to address the controversial issue. Educators will review their education system and improvise the mind mapping technique that may help greatly in teaching vocabulary in secondary schools.

Aims of the study

This study aims at bringing a clear understanding of the mind mapping technique that might prove to be highly useful in teaching vocabulary. The specific aims of the study are as outlined below.

1. To establish the suitability of the mind mapping technique in teaching vocabulary in secondary schools in Saudi Arabia;
2. To determine the best mind mapping approaches that can produce the best results in teaching vocabulary;
3. To determine the ability of the students to adopt the mind mapping technique in learning vocabulary and other subjects;
4. To determine the perception that the educators have about the mind mapping techniques to teach vocabulary in secondary schools;
5. To evaluate the ability of female students aged between 16 and 18 to grasp vocabulary, and determine if it would be wise to introduce the mind mapping techniques in elementary classes.

Research questions

To achieve the specific aims of the study, it will be necessary to have articulate research questions. The researcher will develop answers to the following research questions after making a critical analysis of the study data.

1. To what extend is the mind mapping technique suitable in teaching vocabulary in Saudi Arabias secondary schools?
2. What are the best mind mapping approaches that can produce superlative vocabulary results?
3. Do students have difficulties in adopting the mind mapping techniques in learning vocabulary and other subjects?
4. How do secondary schools educators perceive the mind mapping approaches to teach vocabulary?
5. Is it helpful to introduce the mind mapping technique to students at elementary levels?

Hypothesis

Null hypothesis: The mind mapping study technique has no significant role in enhancing the acquisition of vocabulary knowledge, and educators in Saudi Arabia should not consider employing the technique to teach vocabulary in secondary schools.

Alternative hypothesis: The mind mapping study technique plays a significant role in enhancing the acquisition of vocabulary knowledge, and educators in Saudi Arabia should consider employing the technique in teaching vocabulary in secondary schools.

Limitations of the study

From the discussions in the paper, it is evident that the researcher perceives mind mapping as an effective technique to teach vocabulary in secondary schools. Therefore, there is a very high possibility of employing prejudice in presenting the results. Moreover, the research aims at accessing the suitability of the mind mapping technique on female students aged between 16 and 18 years. The study population may not give a clear presentation of the effectiveness of the mind mapping technique.

Definitions used in the study

Mind mapping

This study technique uses graphic illustrations to present ideas in a radical format.

Vocabularies

A set of words used in communicating, and acquiring the knowledge of a particular language.

Literature review

The mind mapping technique plays a significant role in stimulating creative and logical reasoning. Essentially, the human being has two brains, one on the right side, and another on the left side of the head. The brain on the right side of the head is meant for creativity and visualization, while the one on the left makes rational thoughts. The mind mapping technique uses visual reminders that stimulate the brain on the right. At the same time, the technique facilitates the brain on the left side to make rational thinking. Therefore, the mind mapping graphic illustrations help in conceptualizing the interrelated ideas from the sensory patterns (Steinberg & Sciarinin, 2006). The mind mapping technique enables students to involve the whole brain in critical thinking, categorizing, and relating vocabularies.

The best method to teach vocabulary is using presentations, explanations, and practical activities. The mind mapping technique facilitates the development of ideal ways of acquiring various vocabularies that are essential in learning a second language (Ramachandran & Rahim, 2000). According to previous research, a student who has mastered various vocabularies and their meanings finds it easy to acquire a second language.

The ability to acquire vocabularies is dependent on the students ability to memorize easily. In spite of the difficulties of vocabularies, mind mapping helps in simplifying the words and bringing the perceived meaning through the five common senses. Other than understanding the vocabulary, mind mapping enables students to enjoy the vocabulary lessons as the entire process rejuvenates their brain (Zimmerman, 2007). Students will look forward to the vocabulary lessons, and they will develop the interest to master vocabulary knowledge.

Methodology

This research aims at obtaining a clear understanding of the mind mapping techniques and their potential effect on the students ability to acquire vocabulary. The study results will be very important in advising the ministry of education in Saudi Arabia to integrate the mind mapping technique in their education curriculum. Therefore, it will be necessary to employ an organized approach to achieve the set goals. A detailed research design, an articulate sampling procedure, and reliable data collection instruments will be indispensable (Creswell, 2012). Thereafter, the researcher will have to use an excellent data processing and analysis procedure, and make an evaluation of the entire research methodology.

Research design

The entire research will take a quantitative approach, as it will involve some numeric data in measuring the vocabulary acquisition levels before and after the introduction of the mind mapping technique. The research will analyze the relationship between the dependent variable, vocabulary acquisition ability and the three independent variables: (1) students intelligence quotient, (2) type of teacher, and (3) the usage of the mind mapping technique. The analyzed data will determine the correlation levels of the dependent and independent variables.

Study population and sample participants

 As indicated, the entire research will focus on female students aged between 16 and 18 years. The research will take two stages in sampling the participants of the study. A random sampling technique will be useful in selecting the secondary schools to take part in the study. The selected schools must be using the mind mapping technique during the research period. Secondly, the researcher will employ convenience sampling to find female students of the desired age who are willing to participate in the study. The two-stage sampling procedure will be very efficient, as it will achieve randomization in the study that aims at obtaining very crucial information (Wright, 2010). The study will target about one thousand respondents; however, about two hundred of the questionnaires may be spoilt.

Data collection procedures

 The first thing that the researcher will have to do is examining the reliability and suitability of the data collection instrument. A pilot test will be very efficient in identifying the unnecessary areas of the questionnaire. In case the questionnaire has some irrelevant questions, the researcher will eliminate the unnecessary questions and amend the questionnaire accordingly.

The questionnaire will have the researchers contacts, which will be helpful in case the respondents need some clarification while filling the questionnaire. After delivering the questionnaires, the researcher will give the respondents about two weeks to fill in the questions. The researcher will then request the head teachers of the schools for performance reports before and after the introduction of the mind mapping technique in learning literature.

Instruments of data collection

 The main data collection instrument will be a questionnaire. The researcher will be keen while constructing the questionnaire to ensure that it contains questions that will obtain the required information. It will be necessary to relate the questions with the research questions and research objectives. The entire questionnaire will be articulate to motivate the respondents to present information that relates to the study. The questionnaire will contain a statement that assures respondents of confidentiality of the information that they give, and most importantly, no part of the questionnaire will require the respondents to give personal information.

Data processing and analysis

 The researcher will use the statistical software for social sciences to analyze the collected data. The coding exercise will capture the age of the respondents, and other variables that will express the respondents perception on the mind mapping technique in teaching vocabulary. The researcher will then use the performance reports to determine whether the mind mapping technique has a significant effect on the ability to acquire vocabularies of various languages. A correlation and regression analysis will be useful in determining the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.

Validity and reliability of the research methodology

 Clearly, the aforementioned research methodology procedures are practically applicable. If the researcher employs the described methods in collecting and analyzing data, the entire research will present valid and reliable information. The assuredly of confidentiality, and the sufficient time to fill the questionnaires will motivate the respondents to give true and reliable information. A quantitative research design is the most efficient design to give accurate data; therefore, detailed planning of events will enable the researcher to develop an accurate, reliable, and valid report.

References

Chen, H., & Leung, Y. (2000). Patterns of lexical processing in a nonnative language: Learning, memory, and cognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 15(2), 316-325.

Creswell, J. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Dick, W. & Carey, L. (2006). The systematic design of instruction. New York: HarperCollins.

Khoii, R., & Sharififar, S. (2013). Memorization versus semantic mapping in L2 vocabulary acquisition. English Language Teachers Journal, 67(2), 199-209.

Nation, P. (2004). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ramachandran, S. D., & Rahim, H. (2000). A meaning recall and retention: The impact of the translation method on elementary level learners vocabulary learning. RELC Journal, 35(2), 161-178.

Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Steinberg, D. D., & Sciarinin, N. V. (2006). An introduction to psycholinguistics. Harlow: Pearson Longman.

Tonzar, C., Lotto, L., & Job, R. (2009). L2 vocabulary acquisition: Effects of learning method and cognate status. Language Learning Journal, 59(3), 623- 646.

Whitehouse, A., T. Maybery, M., & Durkin, K. (2006). The development of the picture-superiority effect. The British of Development Psychology, 24(6), 767-773.

Wright, W.E. (2010). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.

Zimmerman, C. (2007). Do reading and interactive vocabulary instructions make a difference? TESOL Quarterly, 31(1), 121-40.

Introduction

Nature endowed the child with an absorbing mind that memorizes the information. The absorbing mind of the child works mainly through the organs of its senses, moving from one level of complexity of cognition to another. According to Maria Montessori, It would require us 60 years of hard work to achieve what a child has achieved in these first three years (Montessori, 1959, p.6). In other words, comparing the abilities of children and adults, adults need to work more to achieve what the child comes to straight away. The papers purpose is to study the absorbing mind, taking into account the periods of early life, characteristics, phases, and fundamental tasks.

Two Periods of Embryonic Life

Montessori suggested that the baby goes through two early periods. The first is when the babys physical body is born, and the second is when his psyche is born. The phase of the early stage of childhood is the most critical time of life since it is at this time that the personality and abilities of the child are formed. Montessori understands the first six years of experience as the second embryonic growth phase, in which the childs spirit and soul develop. During its developmental process, the child goes through sensitive periods (Fabri & Fortuna, 2020). The child is especially susceptible to certain environmental stimuli concerning the development of movements, speech, or social aspects.

Unconscious Powers

The conscious intellect has the will which parallels the home of the oblivious intelligence. Montessori expresses the part of the grown-up to supply the restrain setting, which establishes the will of the child under the age of six (Frierson, 2019). The desire at that point gives the rudder in directing the right actions. Without the direction of the mindful will, the drive to act within the environment will run free.

Mneme is an unconscious, vital, patrimonial memory of emotions, thoughts, movements. Social, moral, and cultural characteristics, in many of which the whole personality is formed, all the unique differences inherent in everyone are formed in early childhood through psychic energy (Frierson, 2019). Each person carries qualitative, mental characteristics that are still visible in the essence of any person. These personal data are stored at a subconscious level, and they are wired-soldered into the human psyche program.

As a thought or a re-lived memory is passed to brain cells by hopping synapses, a biochemical electromagnetic way is built up. Each of these neuronal pathways is known as a memory trace, which is called engrams (Frierson, 2019). In the subconscious, every human being does tremendous mental work, where psychic aggregates are constructions of engrams. Necessarily expressed, here is an inward drive to involvement the world, mneme is to record those encounters within the oblivious intellect as engrams, and engram is an affiliation of ideas to illuminate issues.

Characteristics of the Absorbent Mind

By being usually inquisitive, the child retains data, absorbs it with his faculties, and builds his claim information. In other words, he learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so, he passes small by small from the oblivious to the conscious (Montessori, 1959, p.24). The retaining intellect of the child sees all the impressions within the environment, and they have gotten to be a portion of it and form it. It can be not due to heredity, intuitive, or necessary development, but is the result of the childs creative potential. The inventive nature of retaining intellect is the capacity of the mind to self-create. To clarify the childs self-creation, Montessori concluded that he must have a show of mental improvement.

The retaining minds characteristics could be temporary and all-inclusiveness. All over the world, children take after the same advancement designs of dialect and development. It happens notwithstanding the complexity of their local dialect or the characteristics of the advancement of their culture (Kirkham & Kidd, 2017). At around the age of six, children all over create a layer of cleverly considering that covers their retaining intellect and gets to be the way they learn in adulthood. In this manner, universality is characteristic of all children, similarly, definitively, and efficiently.

The child absorbs the relationship between people and things, all links and prejudices, even unstated feelings, family, and culture. A child cannot distinguish between those images and experiences that are useful and those that are harmful. He indiscriminately and without judgment, and accepts everything in his environment, with love and truth (Montessori, 1959). A child absorbs humiliation and pain into his soul with the same ease with which he absorbs care and support. Therefore, the baby will stare at everything without distinction and choice.

Montessori compared the absorbing mind to a camera to describe characteristics. In an instant, the camera can perceive everything in its field (Montessori, 1959). The camera is objective, absorbing the mind of a child, and incorporates every circumstance  good, bad, or indifferent. The absorbing account is characterized by an involuntary and indiscriminate desire to absorb information and experiences. In this mission, it has an unlimited and indefatigable ability, working instantly and continuously incorporating the totality of involvements.

Sub-Phases of the Absorbent Mind

Montessori separated the retaining intellect into two stages: conscious and unconscious. At the oblivious period, from birth to three a long time, a little child unknowingly obtains its essential capacities (Isaacs, 2018). The childs work amid this period ends up being autonomous of the grown-up in connection to crucial human capabilities. He learns to talk, walk, pick up control over his hands, and ace his substantial capacities. The child creates his essential functions through facial expressions, and children will imitate what they see.

When necessary, abilities are included in conspiring, by the age of three, a child goes into the conscious phase of absorbent intellect. They are inclined to learn things such as arrangement, early math, music, the shapes and sounds of letters, which eventually lead to math, perusing, and composing abilities. Children in a cognizant formative will illustrate a natural want to form choices for themselves and perform errands on their possess. According to Seldin (2017), Maria Montessori called it the help me to do it myself phase. Therefore, the youthful childs intellect incorporates a particular capacity to retain data from the environment.

Principle Tasks of the Absorbent Mind

In a child, on the contrary to adults, feelings not only penetrate the consciousness but also form it. The child acquires human abilities, strength, intelligence, and language skills (Kirkham & Kidd, 2017). At the same time, it adapts the person forming in it to the surrounding conditions. There is nothing more important than this absorbing ability of the childs psyche, which shapes the person and adapts him to any social situation and any climate. The mneme phenomenon provides the adaptation of a person to historical reality (Frierson, 2019). A child will calmly adjust to any level of civilization and can form a person that corresponds to a particular time and certain customs.

Conclusion

The discovery in the child of an absorbing mind revolutionized the educational system. The movement in life means for the child the growth and expansion of the personality: the older the baby, the smarter and healthier he becomes. Children do much more than associative thinking because they organize to perform actions that adults cannot do consciously. Childrens work and activity help to achieve intellectual growth and physical improvement, while in adults, intelligence and physical strength have weakened over the years.

References

Fabri, M., & Fortuna, S. (2020). Maria Montessori and Neuroscience: The trailblazing insights of an Exceptional Mind. The Neuroscientist, 1-8.

Frierson, P. (2019). Intellectual agency and virtue epistemology: A Montessori perspective. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Isaacs, B. (2018). Understanding the Montessori Approach: Early years education in practice. Routledge.

Kirkham, J. A., & Kidd, E. (2017). The effect of Steiner, Montessori, and national curriculum education upon childrens pretence and creativity. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 51(1), 20-34.

Montessori, M. (1959). The absorbent mind. Lulu. com.

Seldin, T. (2017). How to raise an amazing child the Montessori way: A parents guide to building Creativity, Confidence, and Independence. Penguin.

People’s perception plays a huge role in shaping up our society. It is something that an individual develops since his childhood. Our perception takes different forms overtime. All the factors that explain relevantly how perceptions can change overtime and how they play a huge role in shaping up our society always lead to psychological theories. Many theorists have come up with theories that help us understand the reason for different kinds of opinions and mindsets and why they affect our surroundings so much. Many people develop a positive mind and look at everything in a much happier way. However, many develop negative perceptions and thoughts and tend to predict a critical outcome for almost everything. This is just a very short explanation of how perceptions differ. It can further be explained in detail by the help of several worldly aspects which includes religious, scientific, political and, societal factors. In today’s world many incidents have occurred that question the honor of our society and doubt our behavior towards people.

There is less trust among individuals. When women walk out of their homes they have fear in their hearts of being bullied, tortured, kidnapped or treated badly. This fear is the common perception of the women in our society because of such incidents that have commonly occurred especially, in Pakistan and due to this they set their values accordingly. Mia Luchetti in her research paper states that the horror faced by women is a mixture of betrayal and inhumane treatment that they have faced. To prove this we have victims such as Zainab who was raped and killed having no mercy on a poor nine-year old. It is not only the women who have no choice to have such a perception in our society. We can take the transgender community into account as well who are completely deprived of their rights in Pakistan, are considered completely different from others, treated badly and, are considered to be very low in status. This is all because of the contracted perceptions and values of our society. An incident of a Trans woman, Areesha, who was brutally shot down by an offender and she was left in a very critical state. When she was rushed into a hospital the doctors took most of the time over there to decide if she was supposed to be shifted in the men’s ward or the woman’s ward. During this decision making process she passed away and this marked another huge question on our values and our perception over this discrimination. The people do not consider the transgender community as their equal. If it is looked upon from the perception of the transgender community themselves, even they aim and wish to live a normal life like the ones who do not belong from the transgender community. They wish to work in order to serve Pakistan’s economy. However, they are deprived of these rights because our society has set its values as such that they do not accept them.

What are values? Looking at a bookish definition we get to know that a person’s values are his beliefs and anything that helps them differentiate between right and wrong. These values are mostly developed by the help of nurture. Although, there scientific justifications that prove how our biological system plays a role in developing our perceptions. Our body orientation effects the perception of various elements such as distance, objects and, auditory localization. These effects always lead from our sensory systems. In terms of distance, when we see something from far away it looks relatively smaller than what its actual size would be. As it comes near us our perceived view about it changes. Similarly, objects influence our perceptions to a great extent. An object may seem different from one view and completely strange from another.

This research paper mainly focuses on the flaws of our society which are based on mindset, perception and behavior. There have been a lot of cultural changes throughout decades. Culture is seen as the identity of a nation and Pakistani culture defines Pakistan for how it is as a nation. Pakistan’s culture portrays its standards, morals and, overall conducts. Pakistan is known as the second largest Muslim majority nation. The religion Islam teaches its followers to greet an individual by saying ‘Salaam’. However, it is seen all around the country that people greet with a ‘Hello’. Such cultural gaps display how foreign societies have an effect over the values of the Muslims of Pakistan. There are many other flaws in the cultural practices of the eastern world. For instance, English Language is given more priority in the field of education, people follow western fashion trends more than eastern fashion trends. A person is only considered educated if they are capable of having a conversation in English fluently. The way of eating food has completely changed from what the religion Islam teaches its Followers. All of these generation gaps that have been created due to changes in cultural practices can have a huge impact on the society of Pakistan.

As much of a huge role culture plays in influencing the Pakistani society, religious disputes have created a lot of differences among Muslims and people from other minority groups as well. The biggest question always arises when it comes to talking about the differences of the Sunni and Shia. In the previous years, there has been a lot of bloodshed between these two sects because of which an argument over this matter can never be won. These religious disputes and terror attacks due to extreme criticism have built up fear among the minority groups. Islam has always taught its Followers that all men in this world are equal and should treat each other fairly towards every aspect. While, Muslims of Pakistan head extremely against this important teaching. Even the founder of this nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, wished to watch his country prosper by the help of these set goals which would bring all members of the Pakistani society together. There are many different tribal groups in Pakistan. According to the 1998 census, 96.14 percent of the population consists of Muslims and 3.86 percent are non-Muslims. In the light of recent events, an example of terrorism using religious accusations can be seen with the Hazara community in Quetta. In 2013, sectarian killings had approximately been counted to 1200 by Pakistan Institute for Peace studies and in the same year more than 80 Christians were killed in a suicide bomb blast on a church in Peshawar. Such events have developed a fear among the minorities of the Pakistani society. All these occasions occurred due to such beliefs of groups who target these minority groups. They consider these groups lower in status and value.

There is less exposure of education for the deprived. As they have do not own sufficient resources to facilitate their own education they mostly remain where they are. This is solely for one very important reason. The people who are the backbones for running Pakistan’s economy live with a mindset that if all the working class individuals become educated, who will do the work for them? Due to this perception they keep the lower class in the dark in order to avoid them from attaining resources that would provide them a helping hand in furnishing their lifestyle. The ones who strive hard have to strive hard because they are familiar with the fact that if they do not, they would not be able to achieve even a little amount of what they are gaining now. Even if younger boys who belong from the lower class are able to gain sufficient education to an extent the girls from the same class are completely deprived of education and in small homes they are trained to be working women in houses only. This mindset of Pakistan’s society is the most degrading factor of the values of these people. Their expenses are too much that they cannot afford to admit their children in private schools. While the education services of the government schools have completely fallen down as the government is never ready to improve their government education sector. Due to this reason lower class individuals require more jobs and unemployment rate is high to an extent in Pakistan that they always have to look for other odd ways of earning.

Marriages have completely taken a new face in Pakistan. Child marriages rate has increased to a great degree and this is seen most commonly only with girls. Twenty one percent girls are married before the age of eighteen and three percent girls are married before the age of fifteen. There comes a halt over the question of marriage when the concept of dowry intervenes. Dowry is whatever the bride’s family gives away to the groom’s family in the form of money, property or goods. Over centuries the payments of dowry have been normal. In modern day, the demands for dowry have increased over time and this has turned out to be a burden financially for families who intend to get their daughters married. If families are not able to pay a certain amount of dowry, the marriage ceremonies do not continue. This has become a very common practice in today’s world and has increased a huge rate of girls who have not been married for a long time. Such beliefs and practices have a negative effect on our perceptions and mindsets and these causes make the flaws in our society very clear and prominent.

If problems like these were to come to a fall during the modern day in Pakistan, many solutions may come out. The whole purpose of this subject is to highlight the flaws we face in our society that are negatively affecting our values, cultures, mindsets, beliefs and, behavior. These problems not only describe Pakistan’s society for what it is but it also states how the society tends to stick to these if a solution was not provided. Even if solutions are given implementation is the most vital step. All our society needs is reinforcement. People can not only just burst out and try to prove themselves victorious among brawls or arguments but patience if adopted, can bring a solution to almost every problem. Pakistan’s society needs to understand that if they cry for change, change can only occur if it is initiated through them. One person is always capable of making a difference. All that one person requires is unity. The founder of the nation’s motive for the success of this country was based on only three words: Unity, Faith, and Discipline. Follow this and prosperity will come itself in our nation.

Thesis

What differentiates humans from other species? How do we make decisions, think of ideas and come to conclusions? What exactly is a mind? The mind refers to the thinking-feeling function resulting from our brain. The brain is the organ, the mind its function, or as John Searle says, “the mind is to the brain as the program is to the hardware” (Minds, Brains, and Programs). Our mind allows us to be conscious, create scenarios and interpret experiences. It allows us to daydream, plan the future, to foreshadow events. The choices we make and the beliefs we were taught separate us from other individuals, meaning the nature of a mind is completely different from that of a body. Your mind is a thinking, mental realm located in your brain while your body is a non-thinking, physical realm made of atoms and neurons. There is constant communication between the mind and the body through messengers like hormones and neurotransmitters that allow humans to carry out functions, but the body cannot process without the mind. You are identical to your mind.

Positive argument

You are identical to your mind because your mind is the master of your body. Our mind is the central hub that makes us humans who we are, it allows us to be individualized. This relates to Descartes’ idea of “Cognito ergo sum”, meaning “I think, therefore I am” (Descartes and Mind-Body Dualism). If you don’t have control over your mind, you are not in total control of your own actions and cannot fully function on a daily basis. When you change your mindset, your body will physically change. Think of a time when you were very stressed out. Whether the stress came from work, school, or personal relationships your emotions changed. You became anxious, sad, and maybe even depressed; you could not focus on anything else besides the stressor. Your mind is so powerful that this negative energy in your life probably caused you to have a headache, stomach pain, or other physical tension. You may not realize it on a daily basis, but our minds are very powerful tools and are unlimited in potential. The thoughts we have in our mind physically affect our actions and how our body feels.

The mind has many functions, including thinking, feeling, and wanting. Our thoughts and feelings can affect our biological function, thus physically changing how we react to stimuli and the way our body moves. When thinking about taking a sip of water from a glass, your mind first has to process that you are thirsty, and will send a message through your neurons to your arm, which then picks up the glass and carries it to your lips. Without a mind, your body cannot carry out the functions that you are thinking or feeling.

The ability to make decisions and think differentiates humans from other species. Can a whale stop itself from beaching itself onto the shore? No. Does a school of fish know not to swim near a shark to avoid being eaten? No. That’s all because the human mind has the ability to process information and make important decisions better, feeding this information to your body to carry out. Clearly, as we know the human mind also has the ability to make very poor decisions, such as crime and murder. Without the mind, however, the body would just be an amoeba, with little ability to sustain itself. John Searle explains that “The study of the mind starts with such facts as that humans have beliefs, while thermostats, telephones, and adding machines don’t” (Minds, Brains, and Programs).

Your mind and body are connected in some ways. How you think sometimes affects how you feel, and can work in the opposite way as well. After a hard workout, your muscles are sore and your heart is beating fast. You are worn out, and tired, but feel happy and on top of the world. Your endorphins flowing through your body elicit a positive attitude in your mind, which can turn your whole day around. Your physical body movement can cause your mind to change its character almost immediately. Often when I am stressed after an exam or a long day at school, before I let my mind control my body and give me a painful migraine, I head over to the gym and let my worries escape my brain. Descartes’s view of Dualism is that the mind and the body exist as different entities, and can function fully without the other.

Objections

Now, the body plays an important role in our life and I can understand why some believe we are identical to our bodies. I mean, we wouldn’t even be able to have a concept about life without our bodies. Bodies play a huge role in carrying out processes and are the physical structure of a person or an animal. Your body affects your mind all the time. Your body puts thoughts into action, and without it, we would not be able to grow and develop as strong individuals. “The sources of behavior are external (in the environment), not internal (in the mind, in the head)” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). The mind cannot do this, it cannot produce physical actions to help us move forward. Some may argue that the mind simply does not exist, since there is no physical structure to hold it.

Response to objections

However, we are not identical in our bodies. The mind is essential to who we are, while the body is not. Your body is a physical realm, filled with elements, organs, and atoms. It is hard to distinguish one human being’s body from another without knowing about their attitudes, personalities, and goals, which are created in the brain. Descartes even says, “…[that is, my mind, by which I am what I am], is entirely and truly distinct from my body, and may exist without it” (Meditation 6.9). Our bodies do not define us. The weight we carry, and the physical flaws we show do not make us who we are. Think of a pair of twin girls standing next to each other. Both are wearing straight blonde hair, white shirts, and blue jeans. They are smiling, looking off into the distance. How can you distinguish one of their bodies from the other? Sure, maybe one has a scrape on her knee or a larger freckle on their arm. Other than that, you can’t.

You are not identical to your body because your body is a physical mass that cannot express itself. Your body cannot explain your thoughts and feelings besides a little movement of language. This pair of twins can only be seen as two different humans by what they think, how they act, the ideas they create in their minds, and their outlook on life. They are two very different people and create experiences in their brains that they cannot express if they did not have a mind.

Personal view

The reason I chose this topic is that I find it very interesting how our physical bodies cannot follow through with actions or experience any ideas without our minds. Our mind is the central hub that makes us humans who we are, it allows us to be individualized. Relating to my own life, I have noticed through shadowing at the hospital that machines can sometimes keep a body going in the hospital room, but the body cannot physically function without your mind and brain. Countless times I have entered a room with the Occupational Therapist at my side to help assist with the patient, and they are unable to communicate with us because of an injury from a stroke or another traumatic brain injury. Their minds cannot gather the ideas to produce a sentence, therefore their body cannot do any physical actions. Even if their body is in perfect shape and in physically good condition, they cannot get up and walk away if their brain cannot process this task. This is why feeding tubes are so beneficial in this environment. When we are unable to mentally express that we are hungry, we cannot physically grab food from the table. A feeding tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to people who cannot physically obtain it by mouth. The body cannot function without your mind, and without your brain and mind’s mental states you cannot carry out a normal life.

An inspirational figure that came to my mind while writing this essay is Charles Krauthammer, a political columnist from New York. While he was studying at Harvard Medical School, he was badly injured in a diving board accident one day, causing him to become quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. His body was broken, but his mind was sharp. His disability did not stop him from succeeding in life. He graduated, became a psychiatrist, and used his intelligence to direct research and share his experiences with the world. Just because his body could not function the same as his peers, this did not stop his brain from flourishing. His mind remained sharp and allowed him to become an inspiration for many.

In conclusion, if you don’t have control over your mind, you don’t have total control over your body. You are identical to your mind.

Works Cited:

1. Cambridge Press. “Descartes: ‘I Think Therefore I Am | Chapter 7: Knowledge and Learning | New Learning | New Learning.” New Learning, newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-7/descartes-i-think-therefore-i-am.
2. Graham, George. “Behaviorism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 19 Mar. 2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/behaviorism/#1.
3. Lieberman, Matthew. “The Mind-Body Illusion.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 17 May 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-brain-social-mind/201205/the-mind-body-illusion.
4. Pryor, Jim. “Central Problems in Philosophy.” UA 1. Central Problems in Philosophy, 27 Jan. 2007, www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/intro/notes/meditation6.html.
5. Searle, John. “Mind, Brains and Programs.” Mind, Brains and Programs, Cambridge University Press, 14 July 2003, cogprints.org/7150/1/10.1.1.83.5248.pdf.

What is self-esteem?

Having confidence in your own worth or abilities is defined as having a healthy self-esteem. It is the way you value yourself, the way you feel, think and act in life. It influences your motivation and success throughout your journey. Unfortunately, millions of people suffer from low level of self-esteem. They constantly question themselves whether they are attractive enough, successful enough, or even smart enough. They give a lot of importance and worry about what other people think of them, while the truth is that they are their own toughest criticizers.

Self-esteem works as a state of mind. Having a low self-esteem will lead to a doubt in your own capabilities of success and thus will stop you from succeeding at school or work. On the other hand, having a healthy self-esteem can help you achieve in life and face your challenges with a positive, self-assured attitude and believe you can always realise your goals.

Self Esteem has a multidimensional structure with three elements:

• Cognitive and it is how you think about yourself.
• Affective how you feel about yourself
• Behavioural element the way you behave in matters related to you.

It has an effect on your choice of career, choice of partner and on any decision you take. It is based on your attitude, your values, your achievements, and your potential, also self-esteem has an impact on the way you talk and how you relate to others.

Where does your self-esteem come from?

We were all born with a blank canvas on which to create our self-esteem. It starts evolving and developing throughout our life by every experience we go through and different people and challenges we encounter. Our childhood plays a certain role in shaping our self-esteem. The way we were treated by our family, teachers, and peers contributes in creating our self-esteem. Successes and failures while we were growing up also has a major contribution in creating our self-esteem.

Being lucky enough to be brought up in a family where parents make us feel appreciated, giving the appropriate affection and attention, being listened to, recognize our accomplishments and accept our mistakes and failures this will contribute in developing a healthy self-esteem.

If we were raised in a family were we have been neglected, rejected, ignored, punished, criticised by our parents this will make us feel with little value and thus developing a low self-esteem. Also as a parent expecting perfection from a child at all time (severely punished for getting a low grade, for losing a game etc.) will result in shaping a low self- esteem adult.

What factors influence your self-esteem?

Self-esteem can be one of the main pillars of success at any stage in our life, many factors influences your self-esteem it can either build it up and move forward or pull you down. Family and school environment are all aspects from your childhood that shape your self-esteem. They develop over time and are conditioned by your beliefs and values. Our core beliefs are the ideas that came about and are supported by references (people that say it and you believe it without questioning, whether it is a fact or fiction, and the more references you build on it, your beliefs gets stronger and limits you). Similar to your values that also shapes your character, it guides you in life and plays an important factor on your decision making, however some of your values serves you right and some wrong.

Pressure of society and the obsession with the media (television, social media) also contribute to the self-esteem issues. Especially in today’s youth, to live and dress in a certain way, the pressure to look and act like public figures or even their peers, comparing yourself to others (youth struggle with this even more than adults) and having all time access to social media are all factors that put pressure on you, and lead to low self-esteem.

Low Self-Esteem vs High Self-Esteem

We differ in the way we like or dislike ourselves, it is worth assessing how we feel about ourselves and how much self-confidence we have. It can be high, low or somewhere in-between.

Characteristics of people with high self-esteem:

They trust their own capabilities in solving problems. They smile, have a positive attitude, interest in different activities without fear of failure or judgments. Worry less about the future or past and enjoy the present. Confident enough to ask for help and never feels guilty if others don’t approve.

People with low self-esteem are constantly dissatisfied, afraid to make mistakes, frustrated, have tendency to take negative thoughts and feelings, blame themselves for any result. Have a fear of failure, and inability to try new things and to accept compliments.

How can we overcome low self-esteem?

By identifying and questioning your limiting beliefs, by shaking their foundation and replacing them with positive thoughts you can move from Pain to Power. Self-esteem can be unlearned and here are some things you can do to overcome it.

• You must believe that something has to be changed.
• You are responsible for your own change and nobody else can do that.
• You can make that change by building a set of references and practice positive self-talk.

Self-talk

Self-talk are the things that we tell ourselves, they can be positive or negative.

The thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “I can’t keep it up with deadlines,” “Why is everyone else doing better than what I’m doing?” We all have this inner voice that make up our mind to do something different, it runs in our mind as a monologue like a gremlin. This inner voice or “gremlin” combines conscious thoughts with unconscious beliefs. The good news is that we can control this inner critic and challenge it.

As a coach we will be helping our clients to identify those negative voices in their head and know the difference between the negative mental voice and a critical monologue that helps improve themselves. To help clients build some self-esteem they need to practice it every day!

Exercises on building self-esteem

In module 8, I had the chance to experiment some coaching tools and experience some exercises that I will be using throughout my sessions with the clients:

• “Being your own best friend”, looking to issues from a different perspective, learning to love yourself and being proud of who you are and what you are. This is an effective technique that assures the coachee of his qualifications.
• “Throwing away old clothes”, is one of my favorite exercises, helps you to overcome the past and step in new beginnings. Living in the past is not good for your own feelings of self-respect and self-worth.
• “Do what you’ve got to do”: when we know we have things to do but keep finding excuses not to do them, we lose our self-respect and potential, however by picking one thing on your list and doing it you will feel enthusiastic that you have accomplished something. I personally use this technique in my everyday life, and look into my list at the end of the day feeling happy for, sometimes, the little things I was able to do.
• “Clear your mind”, Set yourself free from the past, clear your mind for new beginnings is an exercise to be done at every stage of your life, to feel the balance in mind, body and spirit is crucial
• “Taking risks”, if you never take a risk, ask for what you want, you will never get what you want. By stepping out and daring to change you will develop your self-esteem.
• “Associating with successful people”, success attracts success, put yourself with people you admire this will make you feel positive, inspired and of course increase your self-esteem. It can be used with clients that always feel inferior to others and lack of self-esteem to mingle in public.
• “Looking for new experiences”, look for something new to experience, a new adventure will make you experience a change of energy and learn something new about yourself.
• “Listening for a day”, sometimes we forget to listen, showing people we value that we appreciate them will make them feel good and makes us appreciate ourselves.
• “Making something happen”, ask yourself “what do I want to happen?”, so you will discover your intention, and take action.
• “Looking in the mirror” learn to love and value yourself. Write the affirmation and release negative thoughts.
• “Forgiving someone”, when you cannot forgive the angry thoughts will always connect you back. By forgiving, you will set yourself free from the past, this is a powerful way to increase your self-esteem.
• “Create something”, by breaking the negative cycle and creating something new helps the mind to focus on something new. Whether it is discovering a hidden talent or looking for a new hobby, this is an effectual way to boost your abilities.
• “Making an appreciation list”, when we take time to focus on the positive things we have to be grateful for, we will switch our minds to raise positivity.
• “Focusing on your strengths”, instead of focusing on what we are not, let’s focus on the strength and what we are good at, this will raise self-respect.
• “Creating success for yourself”, visualize positivity, and feel what it is like to be a success and then you can live by it.

All of the above mentioned exercises are effective and can help my client self-develop and walk through their journey with a healthy self-esteem. However, few exercise I feel were more effective with the cases I encountered.

Writing a list of the qualities you appreciate about yourself and what makes you unique. Using positive affirmations and positive self-talk every day is really effective as you will be training your mind to think positively and store positive thoughts. Pick 3 limiting beliefs statements that are stopping you and turn them into positive affirmations.

For example, if you believe you are not a confident person, say it loud daily in front of the mirror that “I am confident” “I can do it” this makes you stronger and you will be connecting with yourself.

Associating with successful people and looking at others characteristics in a constructive way rather than comparing ourselves negatively will help grow our self-confidence. Pick up words and look for people success and add them to your own repertoire will help in moving forward and reaching your goals.

Visualization is also a good routine to practice with the coachee. By letting he/she use the power of their imagination, to feel and experience something in their mind without actually living the experience. After the continuous use of the visualization technique, the client will be able to work on his/her subconscious mind and to overcome the negative thoughts.

Overall, working on developing your client’s self-esteem, is a way to help him/her find the courage they need to try new things, to build the resilience to bounce back from failure, to change their life to the better and make them attract more success.

So many factors can influence your self-esteem, and the only one who has most control over your self-esteem is yourself. Practice giving yourself positive messages; and avoid self-bullying in order to build up your self-esteem.

Developing your self-esteem is something you have to continually work on and it is achievable with the help of a good coach, you can develop high self-esteem, which will lead to a high level of success.

Bibliography

1. Difference between Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2012/05/the-difference-between-self-esteem-and-self-confidence
2. Building confidence and self-esteem https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/building-confidence-and-self-esteem
3. How to build self-esteem – the six pillars of self-esteem by Nathaniel Branden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhuabY4DmEo
4. The Everything guide to Self-Esteem – Nanette Burton Mongelluzzo
5. “Building Self-Esteem”, Module 8, Noble Manhattan Coaching Ltd PCD
6. Noble Manhattan Coaching Webinars “Self-Esteem”- Linda Qualtrough

We will see the effects of mindfulness, as it is that an ancient activity used by different religions does our mind so well, with this practice the world is no longer seen in the same way, the details of nature are more appreciated The things that hurt you have left aside and above all, you know yourself, as well as how the structure of our brain changes to become more creative, more intelligent. Mindfulness is not reasoning or a theory or an idea. Nor is it the knowledge that must be learned with the brain; it is only practice. It is the recreation of oneself, the understanding of the true self. It is not austerity or mortification but true access to peace and freedom. The real revolution must be directed inward. It is a revolution of the spirit engendered by practice; it is profound philosophy, unattainable by the mere use of logical thought.

Practicing mindfulness changes the structure of the brain, many scientific studies have been done on people who practice this activity and the results are amazing. The studies were carried out over 9 months, but the significant changes began at 3 months. In order to do the studies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure brain capacities, measure levels of electrical activity in the brain, and even the amount of cortisol in the blood.

The thickness of some areas of the cerebral cortex is increased and the thinning process of the cerebral cortex associated with aging is slowed down, this benefit is not the entire area of the brain but in specific areas, fundamentally in the area related to the concentration of the hemisphere right brain, in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a structure located inside the forehead, behind the frontal lobe of the brain. ACC is associated with self-regulation, which means the ability to deliberately direct attention and behavior. In addition, they showed that those who practice meditation have a greater volume of gray matter in the right orbitofrontal cortex, which is the hippocampus, Gray matter is the point of coordination between nerves of the central nervous system, to expand the operational capacity of neurons by enabling the rapid and efficient transfer of information, which complements the processing of information from synapses and neuronal cellular somas.

This activity is an ancient practice, it is associated more than anything with Buddhists, they knew the great benefits that this practice brings, with meditation it is possible to take responsibility for our moods and change them for the better, is the only real antidote to our personal sorrows and to the anxiety, fears, hatreds and general confusions that plague the human condition.

With meditation, concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm vision of the true nature of things are fostered and developed, you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and practice offers a means to cultivate new ways of being more positive, with more practice you can delve into deeply peaceful and energized states of mind. These experiences can have a transformative effect and can lead to a new understanding of life.

It is the means towards self-awareness, transformation, and spiritual vision. By applying continuous effort during short and regular practice periods we learn not to react habitually to our experiences but to respond creatively and consciously, by working directly with the mind we can effectively develop high states of consciousness that will have a direct effect on ourselves and the way we perceive the world. The person becomes aware of his experience of each moment, as a result of having a clear vision of the nature of reality that he is experiencing; It is often thought that it is about sitting down to reflect on life and thoughts, it is rather a way of observing your mind and your body, this leads us to free ourselves from the attachment and resentments that we have accumulated throughout the life and how much unhappiness they cause us

Vietnamese monk and Buddhist activist Thich Nhat Hanh promotes conscious living as the path to self-understanding and inner peace. From mundane activities to complex relationships, it encourages practitioners to view every moment that life provides us an opportunity to gain insight into themselves. Every activity, from washing dishes to drinking tea, can be used to develop an awareness of the present moment. Anything in life can be an object of meditation, and through constant practice, the practitioner learns to live a happier, clearer, and more honest life.

When you treat your mind and brain in a good way, the rest of your body improves as a consequence. When your attention is full you are able to savor the pleasures of life and you can give yourself completely to whatever you are doing. When you are focused on the present you will be less concerned with the events of the past and the concerns of the future. All of this helps reduce your stress levels. Scientists know that high levels of stress can have serious physical consequences.

So when your stress levels are lower you tend to suffer less from physical illnesses. These diseases are caused by inflammation in the body that is irritated by high levels of cortisol such as heart disease, chronic pain, even gastrointestinal diseases. Mindfulness has also been shown to help insomniacs regain their normal sleep patterns. When your spirit and body feel good, so does your mind. Being able to sleep better at night and being fully aware of what you are doing in the present moment helps with various mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders.

Mindfulness is an ancient technique that puts us in contact with ourselves and our immediate environment, helping to release that exaggerated load and pressure that our mind exerts with its habitual compulsive flow of thoughts. In other words, meditation attenuates mental noise for clearer awareness. This practice, fundamentally aimed at creating that inner silence through the conscious focus of attention, generates benefits at all levels, which will undoubtedly produce a grateful response from the entire organism. After you have achieved a full and monitoring state you can begin to connect with your higher self or channel different beings of light. This is the purpose of mindfulness; find peace and internal balance, completely transcending all movement.

The physical and psychological benefits of mindfulness have been touted by meditation gurus, academics, scientists, and business professionals for decades. Mindfulness has been linked to psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and effective communication. In the large majority of studies, mindfulness was primed in participants through the practice of meditation or the technique of bringing awareness to the present moment. There has been a lack of research concerning other suitable mindfulness techniques or practices. This study aims to add to the existing literature by offering theatrical improvisation training as a worthwhile approach in the development of mindfulness.

The concept of mindfulness has been taught by Eastern religions for centuries but is currently experiencing a renaissance within the research community and the culture at large. While the term has its roots in Eastern traditions of meditation, the academic use of the word ‘mindfulness’ is mostly attributed to Jon Kabat-Zinn, who created the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, and social psychologist Ellen Langer, who has focused mainly on mindfulness without meditation. Langer defines ‘mindfulness’ as ‘a flexible state of mind in which we are actively engaged in the present, noticing new things and sensitive to context’. She contrasts this with ‘mindlessness,’ defined as when we are ‘acting according to the sense our behavior made in the past, rather than the present…stuck in a single, rigid perspective…oblivious to alternative ways of knowing. Study after study has revealed the intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of mindfulness.

The research of Brown and Ryan (2007) reveals numerous benefits derived from both state and trait mindfulness on measures of psychological well-being. They have found that mindfulness can predict levels of self-awareness, self-regulating behavior, and positive emotional states. A clinical intervention among cancer patients revealed that an increase in mindfulness led to a decrease in patient stress and mood disturbance.

In the interpersonal realm, Langer and her colleagues have linked mindfulness with both marital satisfaction (Burpee & Langer, 2005) and interpersonal synchronicity. Carson et al. (2004) tested an intervention called mindfulness-based relationship enhancement and found an increase in relational satisfaction, closeness, autonomy, acceptance of one another, and a decrease in psychological and relationship distress. Communication scholars Burgoon, Berger, and Waldron (2000) attempted to draw the most direct connections between mindfulness and interpersonal processes. They found that the experience of novel situations (strangers, new cultures) and novel mediums of communication (CMC, unfamiliar languages) could produce more mindfulness in individuals. Researchers also looked at the effect of mindfulness on multiple interpersonal situations and found that mindfulness can improve an individual’s abilities in resolving conflict, creating effective disease prevention campaigns, reducing stereotypes, detecting deceit, and training employees.

The work of William B. Gudykunst creates the clearest link between mindfulness and successful communication within interpersonal/intergroup (1993) and intercultural contexts (1995). According to his theory of Anxiety/Uncertainty Management (AUM), mindfulness is the key ingredient in creating effective communication between parties. Many of the theory’s axioms specifically mention mindfulness as the way to manage levels of uncertainty and anxiety during communication. For example, Axiom 37 states, ‘An increase in our mindfulness of the process of our communication with the strangers will produce an increase in our ability to manage our anxiety and an increase in our ability to manage our uncertainty’.

Over the years, researchers have used multiple techniques to produce a mindful state in research study participants, but the options have been limited. The most common is the use of guided meditation techniques (Kabat-Zinn, 1994) that focus the individual on awareness of their breathing, the sensation in their body, and the sounds around them. This practice is meant to center participants on the present moment in order to induce a mindful state. Another common practice among recent studies is to prime participants for mindfulness by asking them to slowly eat a raisin, noticing the textures, tastes, and smells during the process. Cohen and Miller (2009) developed an interpersonal mindfulness training (IMT) program for psychology graduate students. After the intervention, they found a decrease in perceived stress and anxiety and an increase in social connectedness and emotional intelligence. Huston et al (2011) tested the addition of a mindfulness component to an introductory communication course and found an increase in the class’s level of positive reappraisal. Cohen and Miller (2009) and Huston et al (2011) used very similar techniques in their mindfulness training which centered around focusing participants’ awareness on the present moment. Even though one major facet of mindfulness is the creation of novel alternatives, no truly novel approach to mindfulness training has been utilized in over a decade.

The modern development of improvisational theater began in the 1950s when teacher Viola Spolin created improv games to help improve the social skills and self-esteem of disadvantaged children in Chicago. Improvisation developed as an avenue for performance due in large part to the work of Del Close in Chicago and Keith Johnstone in Canada and the UK. What began in the United States as a technique to improve interpersonal skills quickly became a performance tool that utilized the essential tenets of improvisation to create spontaneous theater. These tenets, still taught in improvisation classes today, include spontaneity, teamwork, connection, present-awareness, and openness to the ideas of others. Improvisation has been of interest to scholars for decades but, like the concept of mindfulness, it is experiencing a resurgence within the research community.

Much of the earliest research in this realm focused on musical improvisation, especially its use in jazz and classical composition. These early studies looked at the effects of improvisation on creativity and teamwork. Later scholars who studied musical improvisation found that expertise in improvisation led to a ‘releasing’ effect on creativity and divergent thinking by temporarily shutting down the ‘evaluation’ part of the brain.

A large majority of research in improvisation is in the world of group and organizational communication. Improvisation was first used as a metaphor to better understand group communication and teamwork and was later used as a practical workplace intervention. Kirsten and DuPreez (2010) found that improvisational theater exercises could be used as a team development tool to help create a workplace that is primed for innovation. Boesen and his colleagues used exercises from improvisational theater to improve the ability of pharmacy students to listen, observe, and respond to patient requests.

Recently, improvisation has been studied in the realm of applied psychology and therapy. A study by Gordon Bermant (2013) sought to connect improvisational concepts to the applied psychological concepts of embodiment, enaction, and unconditional positive regard. Veenstra (2009) provided a framework for the use of improvisational techniques in psychotherapy. Pintar et al. (2015) supported this by running a qualitative study of a 6-week introductory improv class and found that ‘improv does indeed have inherent therapeutic qualities.

In the last two years, scholars have begun making the connection between improvisation and mindfulness. A qualitative study by Romanelli et al. looked at the effects of a 3-month class on improvisation taken by social workers and therapists in Israel. Class participants reported an increase in therapeutic presence characterized by immediacy, self-disclosure, awareness of the present, and mindfulness. Richard et al tested an improvisational intervention on elite level figure skaters and found ‘small but imperative increases in a competition performance, perceived artistic performance, self-esteem, creativity, and mindfulness. While qualitative data linking improv and mindfulness exists, there remains a lack of quantitative data connecting the two.

The work of Jordana Cole seeks to make a direct, theoretical link between the improv principles of being present, co-creation, and heightening to the psychological constructs of interpersonal mindfulness, perspective-taking, and active constructive responding. Cole creates the necessary theoretical bridge between the work of Ellen Langer on mindfulness to the tenets of improvisation:

Langer describes the conditions needed to generate mindfulness: attunement and engagement to the present moment, openness to novel experiences, sensitivity to the existing context, and a focus on the process rather than the outcome. As improv has been described thus far as spontaneous, playful, generative, and ensemble-based, it can be viewed as meeting those conditions.

The work of communication scholar William B. Gudykunst labels mindfulness as the necessary ingredient to create effective communication in interpersonal, intergroup, and intercultural contexts. Cole’s work has opened the door for improvisation to become a useful and effective technique in increasing mindfulness. Cole’s hypothesis, however, has not received any quantitative backing. Therefore, the present study exists to provide quantitative data on the relationship between improvisational training and mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the essential human capacity to be fully aware, mindful of where we are and what we do, and not too emotional or distracted by what’s going on all around. It is an ability that every human being naturally has, you just have to understand how to access it, it’s not something you have to think up. (What is mindfulness,2020)

There are many benefits of being mindfulness. They have positive results in wellbeing and stress relief, at work, in health, building strong relationships Reduce stress, Enhance performance Gain insight and awareness, Increase attention to others, Experience warmth and kindness. (health direct, 2019)

In wellbeing and stress relief, mindfulness includes paying attention without judging to the current moment, helps to relax our body and mind. Instead of taking things for granted, being conscious can help us to reflect on and appreciate what we have. After practising mindfulness, we may feel refreshed by the knowledge and feeling of gratitude. We may easily respond to negative emotions without being conscious. Positive thinking will help to become more aware of and handle our emotions and perceptions in a productive manner. Maintaining hold of the thoughts and feelings can help to reduce anxiety and tension. The other one is relationships, being reflective can help us strengthen our connections. In a busy life, during encounters with close friends and family, we can get overwhelmed and take them lightly. However, once we stay clear of the value of these relationships to us, then we are likely to start paying more attention to our loved ones. (health direct, 2019)

Being mindfulness at work helps to concentrating instead of multitasking on one job at a time. This makes it more possible that we will be able to handle a job well, improve in decision making and perform really well. There is some evidence done in health field and Evidence shows that mindfulness can help individuals dealing with long-term health problems such as cancer, pain, and depression. (health direct, 2019)

There are some effects of mindfulness interventions on patients. Previous study on the effectiveness of group-based mindfulness strategies has focused on improvements for diverse groups of patients (e.g. people with physical pain, anxiety, nutrition and significant eating disorders). Fibromyalgia, anxiety conditions, psoriasis or cancer. These studies find that mindfulness reduces exposure to stress, increases stress management, improves concentration, improves physical resilience, and reduces depressive symptoms and depression. According to recent research there is Increasing effects of mindfulness therapies on chronic pain, immunity, general anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression relapse, addiction, and fibromyalgia. It is reported that there are possible advantages for depression, but not for anxiety. (Effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review,2017)

Mindfulness is based on Buddhist practises and Tibetan techniques of meditation, is a centuries-old practise. The therapeutic effect mindfulness may have on the brain and body has been widely acknowledged by psychologists and physicians in recent years. Dr Miranda Tell, a clinical neuropsychologist, shared with us some beautifully basic ‘practices’ or tasks that anybody can perform that can be quickly integrated into a busy day. (Heart research Australia, 2020)

1. STOP (Get up and relax, and feel the earth on your feet) You can feel the lining of your clothing, you can feel a soft wind, etc. Listen in and note the vibrations in your body. Observe the environment. What elegance is there in your immediate world that you might not have seen before? Positivity is still within us, dreaming about the thing that you like to be good about.
2. Eat patiently. Instead of eating your mid-morning snack, take some time to enjoy it thoughtfully. Slow down, enjoy the meal, take a sip and feel the texture of your mouth, take time to note the flavour and how it varies throughout time, slowly begin to notice the snack until it is done for all the senses.
3. Mindful Respiration. When you place your hand on your chest for one minute, shut your eyes and breathe steadily. When you breathe in, feel your chest lift, hold it for a few seconds, then breathe out slowly, then feel your chest fall. Repeat, sense the breath, and in the lungs and muscles, feel the oxygen. Bring your attention back on your breath if your mind wanders.
4. Mantra of Loving Kindness. Repeat a mantra to yourself for one minute with your eyes closed, gently breathe. When you breathe in, say, ‘I ‘m happy, I ‘m fine, I ‘m full of love and kindness,’ breathe out, repeat, ‘I ‘m happy, I ‘m good, I’m full of love and kindness,’ and move on with the moment. (Heart research Australia, 2020)

Research on the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is also carried out using brain scans to monitor regions related to brain function and concern. The findings suggest that there are multiple advantages for individuals with anxiety, including improvements in stress levels, reductions in brain inflammatory hormones, and greater integration between brain regions. In social settings, individuals who have social anxiety disorder mostly feel distress they are more likely to be insulted, abused, or dismissed than most individuals, and so they avoid social experiences. Results indicate that activity with MBSR can boost social anxiety, mood, working, and quality of life. It can also improve self-esteem, and decrease negative perceptions of oneself. Mindfulness has been observed to stabilize blood pressure as a method. The gradual relaxing of the muscles that comes with mindfulness can well lead to a decrease in blood pressure as well as variability in heart rate. Analysis demonstrates that mindfulness can not only be a good tool for coping with psychological conditions such as depression, but also for coping with regular stresses. Night-time concern is also associated with inadequate consistency and quantity of sleep for chronic insomniacs. Mindfulness will assist to resolve this issue. The use of mindfulness as a therapeutic approach for PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) patients is confirmed by a lot of recent research. Intervention works on PTSD residual effects and attempts to stop frequency (Mindfulness Research Papers: Latest Scientific Studies on Mindfulness Meditation 2019)

For those with mental ill-being as well as others who wish to improve their mental health and well-being, mindfulness is prescribed as a therapy. There are also various kinds of therapy on mindfulness that can support individuals in various ways. Research demonstrates persuasive support for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which helps individuals deal with stress, and for Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), which is intended to benefit persons with chronic depression. They have a flexible range of mental health care skills and encourage well-being. (Mindfulness 2020)

Meditation on Mindfulness has been found to control how the brain functions and also its function. People who undergo mindfulness training have demonstrated elevated activation associated with positive emotions. Research suggests that mindfulness is successful for children and young adults. Mindfulness in Schools is now being implemented in 12 different countries. It is used to promote the well-being of students as well as help them learn. Mindfulness therapy is now being implemented across the world in criminal justice environments. Pregnancy mindfulness research done in small amount has shown promising findings on the beneficial influence of mindfulness, showing significantly decreased anxiety. A host of multinational corporations, including Google, have popularised mindfulness in the workplace. However, mindfulness is not yet popular in smaller companies. Growing evidence suggests it can have a variety of positive consequences like decrease in stress, better concentration, multitasking and increase in memory levels. (Mindfulness 2020)

References

1. Benefits of mindfulness. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/benefits-of-mindfulness
2. Janssen M, Heerkens Y, Kuijer W, van der Heijden B, Engels J (2018) Effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review. PLoS ONE 13(1): e0191332. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0191332
3. Mindfulness Research Papers: Latest Scientific Studies on Mindfulness Meditation. (2019, July 06).Retrieved from https://www.holisticservices.com.au/mindfulness-research-studies-articles/
4. Mindfulness. (2020, February 20). Retrieved September 09, 2020, from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/m/mindfulness
5. Staff, M., Staff, M., Jaret, P., Pal, P., Boyce, B., Kuyken, W., . . . Newman, K. (2020). What is Mindfulness? Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/
6. Mindfulness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.heartresearch.com.au/mindfulness/

For many, music is seen simply as something to keep you entertained while you walk to class, take a jog, etc. It is simply a past-time that most people could live without. This is why it is difficult for most people to see music as able to mend a person’s mental health. Those who haven’t experienced emotional healing through music will not understand how it is able to do so. Then there are others who have a strong attraction towards music. Whether that be learning an instrument, producing music, or simply being an avid listener. For these people, music has most likely played a large role in their lives and is something they can call back to for important and fond memories. The role that music is able to play in people’s lives isn’t very widely known, it is just something that some people understand, and some people don’t. Fortunately, modern research in mental health therapies has led to a greater focus in music therapy. This itself has opened up many positive discussions based on the idea that music is able to improve mental health. To see how this may be possible, one must understand how we use music in our everyday lives, how our upbringing affects our perception of music, and how music therapy relates to it all.

There are many ways we use music in our day to day lives. We can pop in our headphones for anything from a hype up, to a solemn session of self-reflection. In both of these scenarios, music is being used as a technology of the self. A technology of the self is anything that we may use in our lives to improve upon ourselves (Semenza 3). This may confuse those who see music as nothing more than noise, as they have not been introduced to these ideas. A simpler way to explain it is as a coping mechanism. Everyone uses something to cope with their daily struggles, whether or not the coping mechanism is a positive one is highly dependent on what the mechanism actually is. Fortunately, music functions as a positive coping mechanism, mainly for those who perceive it as one. Though that is the case, there are many people who unknowingly use music to cope. The knowledge that it is a mechanism only increases its ability to be useful one. For those that use music to cope in their everyday lives, they will also see it enabling them to partake in more emotional regulation and self-reflection, both of which are vital to maintaining a healthy mind (Semenza 7).

““Emotional regulation is defined as “the heterogeneous set of processes by which emotions are themselves regulated, including changes in emotion dynamics, or the latency, rise time, magnitude, duration, and offset of responses in behavioral, experiential, physiological domains”.”” (Semenza 6). This is a complicated process, one that I feel is very important to understand. To put it in more understandable terms, emotional regulation can be described as controlling and maintaining emotions and how they come to be, what causes them, and how they make us act. One should be able to infer that this process is quite important in developing a positive mental well-being. Knowing all of this, music should be viewed differently, as it helps us with emotional regulation. Listening to, writing, composing, and even singing along to music can all help enable this process, for some people.

The differences in people’s upbringings determine whether or not music will help them enable these sorts of emotionally reflective processes that benefit their mental health. Those who had more positive musical experiences growing up will be more likely to perceive music as a helpful tool for coping with difficulties in life. An example of a positive musical experience would be having your parent show you their favorite music, and then listening to it with you, maybe even singing along too. Experiencing these types of events when we grow up will lead us to placing a much greater importance on music and other arts. The amount of importance that art holds in one’s life is also a very important factor for determining how likely they will be to use music as a coping mechanism. (Semenza 12). People who were raised by parents who placed no importance on music will most likely not know how to use it to enable these emotionally reflective processes. This isn’t to say that these people are missing out on something important, as many people do not require such a strong focus on their own emotions. Either that, or they have found another way to enable their own emotionally reflective processes. There are a lot of people though that have not developed any way to regulate their own emotions, and this can lead to mental health problems.

Music therapy seeks to teach people with mental health issues how to use music as a positive tool for self-help, through professionally structured listening, playing, writing, and more. This helps them manage emotions and express their feelings, which will eventually improve their overall social functioning and mental state. (McCaffrey et al. 1) The concept of music therapy is very similar to the idea that music is a technology of the self, which is very intriguing in some respects. For instance, how is it that some people are able to intuitively use music to positively benefit their mental health, similarly to what is taught in music therapy? This remains unanswered, but we can still take a look at how music therapy grasps the recovery approach to mental health.

“The recovery approach recognizes that much more than clinical symptom management or reduction is needed in supporting optimal care objectives for individuals.” (McCaffrey et al. 2) The process mainly includes focusing on all of the positive aspects of one’s life. This approach to mental health is much more personal and caring than the standard clinical approach. (McCaffrey et al. 2) Most standard clinical approaches simply are not enough for some people, they require something to work with and focus on to help them cope with what they deal with on a day to day basis. Music helps do exactly that, which is what makes it so similar to the recovery approach. In researching music therapy and its similarities to the recovery approach, McCaffrey et al. state that, “…clients attending music therapy services do so regularly, and note that self-care frequently improves… Therefore, these aspects of potential benefits including self-care and economic impact might be considered as a parameter for evaluation in future studies.” (4). Basically, there is a lot more to be learned about music therapy and how it might positively impact patients. The fact that it is so similar to the recovery approach should show how it is a helpful recovery method, designed to help with mental health issues. Considering how much music seems to be able to help people, I believe that much more research on the matter needs to be conducted in the near future.

Although there needs to be more research, it is very clear that music has the ability to serve as a technology of the self, a therapeutic method, and a coping mechanism. All of these are very positive aspects of music, as they all focus on the idea of bettering ourselves. This is great and all, but there has also been a study that look at how music therapy has been able to reduce postpartum physical pain in women. This seems quite farfetched, as one might be wondering how exactly can music relieve physical pain? In this study, they took two groups of pregnant women in similar conditions and put one group through music therapy after giving birth. The women in the music therapy group had all reported lower levels of physical pain. This in itself is quite astounding, although it doesn’t declare exactly why the music made reduced their pain levels. (Simavli et al. 1) One could hypothesize that it is simply distracting them from the pain, others would argue that the music therapy causes the body to release chemicals that reduce pain. No matter the case, music has the ability to mitigate both emotional and physical pain.

Overall, there are a lot of different beliefs about music and how it is able to affect the mental health of people, with or without mental disorders. Not only that, but in some cases, it has been known to reduce physical pain. Though that is the case, most research has concluded that if it is having any affect at all, it is a positive one. I can vouch for this, as I have spent my life listening to, studying, and creating my own music. It is able to serve as a coping mechanism for people on a day to day basis by giving them a distraction and putting them in a better mood. It helps people reflect on and regulate their emotions through relation to lyrics, even if it is deriving uncomfortable emotions. These uncomfortable emotions that music may derive are the most important ones to conquer, as they are usually the most troublesome ones for our mental health. Music is therapeutic in nature and it should be viewed and used as such in order to help better the mental health of generations to come.