Blogs Live Forever – Makes You Go Hmm…

Hi everyone! I never imagined when writing these blog posts that 2 years after closing the blog and moving it to my website, hundreds or thousands of people would continue reading the old posts. Naive of me!

In any case it’s been fun this morning answering old response posts (some as much as 2.5 years old), some of which have already been acknowledged. Thank you all for reading and responding!

So, have you run a blog? Tell me what you think I should do:

1. Run both blogs, old and new
2. Run only the new one and monitor the old (which I rarely post on now but do monitor)
3. Re-theme the old one with a new central topic
4. Find better things to do than worrying about old blogs!

Reminder: Our Blog Has Moved! :)

Please see our new blog HERE.

 

Portland Mindfulness Meditation Classes for Spring 2013

We have a fine and invigorating set of mindfulness meditation classes to choose from this Spring, featuring our all-new Mindful Fitness class taught by fitness trainer and veteran Zen meditator Gentoku McCree.  Our wonderful MBSR and Intro to Mindfulness classes are also once again available.  Go to our website classes page to register!

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
This 8-week class was originated by Jon Kabat-Zinn and is supported by 30 years of research. Mindfulness is a way to bring vibrancy to our lives.  MBSR can also be a powerful adjunct to therapy or medical treatment, and has proven beneficial for chronic pain, various health conditions, or just simply “living the full catastrophe.”

Orientation: (free, required for MBSR) Wednesday April 10th
$350 by April 12th, $400 after April 13th

Register Now

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
This four-week class is perfect for absolute beginners, or a wonderful refresher, even if you have a longstanding mindfulness meditation practice.  We will explore many tools of mindfulness.

Mondays April 1, 8, 15, 22
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Instructor: PMT staff, TBA.
$100 early registration, $120 after March 25th

Register Now

Mindful Fitness – New Class!
All diets and exercise plans work for a little while, because they all have one thing in common. They make us pay attention. But most diets and exercise plans fail because they don’t focus on the fundamental factor of awareness.  The purpose of this class is to support deep and fundamental transformation. You will learn what it takes to shed this heavy skin you’ve been wearing and become more of who you already are, but with more ease, peace, and joy.

Thursdays April 4, 11, 18, 25
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Instructor: Gentoku McCree
$100 early registration, $120 after March 29th

MBSR Refreshers
By popular demand, a regular opportunity to come practice the tools of mindfulness.  This is a wonderful way to support an ongoing (but maybe flagging) home practice.  Of course, we are all beginners, so everyone is welcome.
DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
$15

Our Blog is Moving… The End of an Era!

Well, not to get too dramatic, but our blog is moving and now is internal to our website.

*Geekiness alert* How swiftly technology changes!  Just a few years ago, a “Content Management System” (CMS) was considered unaffordable by most of us regular people.  Now we can have one through this wonderful WordPress.com establishment at reasonable cost.  So that’s what we’ve done, under the bold and mind-bogglingly knowledgeable leadership of Sean Cook at Salyris Studios.

We will continue for some time to make major announcements here, but please see our new blog for all future posts.

See you inside our site!

Joe

Working with Perfectionism using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques part 1

Are you a perfectionist like me? Does it bug the stuffing out of you sometimes? Join me in an exploration of this Human tendency and we’ll learn some ways of responding skillfully to our perfectionistic mind using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Oh, by the way I am Joe Rhinewine, PhD, psychologist and director of Portland Mindfulness Therapy.

The legal bit: You can and probably should try these things I suggest in this video at home, and they may be helpful skills to learn and apply in life. HOWEVER, this instructional video is meant as educational and entertaining; it is not intended to serve as treatment for any psychological or psychiatric condition. This video cannot serve as a substitute for appropriate treatment of any such conditions, any more than will it teach you how properly to balance a spoon on your nose. You are on your own for that.

The Self-As-Context: Mindfulness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, part 4

What is it that observes thoughts, feelings, sense impressions, memories, and any other “content” of our experience? That would be the Self-As-Context, or “Observer Self,” the 4th mindfulness process in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In this video Joe Rhinewine, PhD, director of Portland Mindfulness Therapy concludes his video series introducing various concepts in ACT. He invites commentary and questions from any and all who have been so kind as to watch his videos.

Breathe You Are Alive

A poem by Annabel Laity, a 19-year-old young woman living in the Himalayas.

Breathe You Are Alive 🙂.

A poetry on Mindfulness

Breathe! You are alive 
by Annabel Laity

Breathe and you know that you are alive.
Breathe and you know that all is helping you.
Breathe and you know that you are the world.
Breathe and you know that the flower is breathing too.
Breathe for yourself and you breathe for the world.
Breathe in compassion and breathe out joy.

Breathe and be one with the air that you breathe.
Breathe and be one with the river that flows.
Breathe and be one with the earth that you tread.
Breathe and be one with the fire that glows.
Breathe and you break the thought of birth and death.
Breathe and you see that impermanence is life.

Breathe for your joy be steady and calm.
Breathe for your sorrow to flow away.
Breathe to renew every cell in your blood.
Breathe to renew the depths of consciousness.
Breathe and you dwell in the here and now.
Breathe and all you touch is new and real.

Fusion and Defusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Mindfulness in ACT part 3b

Despite his humorless appearance in the thumbnail, Joe Rhinewine continues to attempt to amuse and entertain as he educates about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, specifically here the process known as “Defusion,” through which one reduces the impact that unwanted thoughts have on our behavior. This video may be used for self-help but is not to be considered a substitute for any needed professional help. For that, you need a live therapist, not a video.

Fusion and Defusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Mindfulness in ACT part 3a

In this video, Joe begins to explain and illustrate the process of “Defusion” in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He still has a cold. Fusion and Defusion are tricky concepts. He is going to talk about these for a few videos. You may or may not care, but you should. These are among the most important concepts in ACT, and can help you save your life, your tires, your pizza, and your money. You don’t want to miss out. That said, my lawyers want me to emphasize that these videos are not to be used as a substitute for professional help, and are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or psychological problem. They’re just videos for education and entertainment. Also, you can enjoy laughing at the bad hair and odd mannerisms of a psychologist. Joe Rhinewine, PhD is a psychologist and director of Portland Mindfulness Therapy.

Mindfulness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy part 2b: working with Willingness and a Cold

Joe Rhinewine, PhD, clinical psychologist and director of Portland Mindfulness Therapy, demonstrates a “Willingness” exercise from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, working with his cold symptoms. He is congested. He is uncomfortable. And he is willing to work with that for your edification, online. Maybe he should just take some sudafed (though that’s no longer over-the-counter in Oregon, for good reasons).