About Mindfulness Meditation and How to Cultivate Mindful Living

Mindfulness Meditation is the art and science of paying attention to this moment. In this moment regrets of the past have slipped away and anxiety about the future is not present. In this exact moment, you are whole, complete and safe.

Mindfulness is the English word that describes the Buddhist concept of awareness that is important on the path to enlightenment. The Buddha advocated that one should establish mindfulness in one’s day-to-day life maintaining as much as possible a calm awareness of one’s bodily functions, sensations and feelings, thoughts and perceptions, and consciousness itself. Mindfulness Meditation is this practice.

Although The Buddha may have popularized the concept; the idea of letting go of the past and releasing anxiety about the future, by paying attention to the security of this moment is found in both the Old and New testament, the Koran and in secular writings and literature dating back thousands of years.

Today we understand that the concept of Mindfulness can be practiced from either the framework of spiritual tradition or apart from spiritual tradition. Mindfulness meditation techniques have been adapted by medical professionals to help patients recover faster from surgery, manage emotions during difficult times and develop a sense of meaning and significance in even the most challenging situations.

What can the practice of Mindfulness Meditation Accomplish?

Those who practice Mindfulness Meditation (the most popular form of meditation in the United States) find that they develop an intuitive ability handle situations that previously used to baffle them. They develop an automatic response to problem solving that can be applied individually or with the family and broader community.

There has been a great deal of research into the outcomes of both religious meditation and secular forms of Mindfulness Meditation. Research in clinical setting has shown:

• Mindfulness practice improves the immune system
• Alters activation symmetries in the prefrontal cortex, a change previously associated with an increase in positive affect and a faster recovery from a negative experience.
• A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study demonstrated a correlation between mindfulness practice in couples and an enhanced relationship.
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programs have decrease relapse into depressive episodes by over 30%

But these are just a few of the many studies that show the value of cultivating mindfulness. AS a reader of our webpage we want you to participate and share your experiences, and to develop personal satisfaction.

This is your chance, an online community for Mindfulness Meditation

This webpage has been developed to give you a forum for learning, growth and sharing. Some will come from a spiritual or religious tradition, others from a secular background. Both are welcome. Many will come here seeking recovery from cancer, HIV, stroke and high blood pressure. Others will be facing surgery, or stressful emotions related to marriage, death, divorce or situational difficulties. Some of course, will come simply because they want to create power within an already satisfying and successful life. Whatever your reason or motivation, we are glad you have found this page. All are welcome.

Mindfulness Meditation Instructors

Richard Nongard, LMFT, BCC-CCE

Richard K. Nongard is among the most qualified professionals in the Southwest, and has authored many books, videos and professional educational materials, including hypnosis textbooks. He holds advanced degrees in both counseling and religion, and has been trained in the USA, Canada and Europe. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and a Board Certified Coach (CCE).  He has a personal practice of daily meditation.

Richard is an innovative leader in the field of psychotherapy, mindfulness meditation and hypnosis. Over the last 20 years he has trained thousands of professionals including medical doctors, psychologists, social workers, family therapists and professional counselors in ways to do a better job serving their clients.

As a former Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister, he has unique insights into both Western and Eastern methods of prayer, contemplation, meditation and self-discovery.   Richard is also a Board Certified Coach, through the Center for Credentialing & Education

David Parke, Board Certified Coach

David Parke brings an unusual set of experiences to the field of mindfulness practice and meditation. As a Navy Diver and Army Ranger he spent most of his adult life in the military facing unique challenges and learning how to persevere in the most arduous conditions. He later spent 6 years in Iraq and Afghanistan as a military consultant training Iraqi and Afghani soldiers. During that time he developed simple mindfulness techniques that could be utilized in a variety of situations from the quietude of a private room to the chaos of combat.

Throughout his journey, David has sought out the most cutting edge techniques for self-growth and personal change. As a student of Buddhist psychology he offers a compassionate and mindful view of the human condition and the challenges that each of us face. Some of the tools that David uses are hypnosis, Neuro-linguistic Programming, Emotional Freedom Technique, mindfulness exercises, guided meditation and heart breathing.

Today, David combines mindfulness with an approach called Strategic Intervention, which is a distinctive blend of therapeutic and intervention techniques taught by  Tony Robbins and renowned family therapist, Cloe Madanes. He is considered by many of his peers to be one of the foremost experts on fear and has pioneered a number of methods to help people overcome the stress, anxieties and phobias that hold them back.

David’s extraordinary techniques aid his clients in redirecting behaviors and breaking the destructive patterns that have gone uninterrupted throughout their lives. His belief that the first step in resolving a problem in our lives is to learn how to “sit” with it and move from resistance to acceptance. He’s developed strategies to tackle issues in all aspects of the human experience; from relationship and familial difficulties to career concerns and everything in between. He combines his compassion for his fellow man and woman with a no-nonsense approach to finding contentment, no matter the subject or struggle. David has made it his mission to help people transform themselves and by extension, their lives in order to attain the fulfillment they desire.

David has presented workshops and lectures for Tibet House, Menla Mountain Retreat, The Learning Annex and the Las Vegas Library system.  His is a Certified Life Coach (ICBCH).