The proliferation of all things mindfulness is mind boggling (does that make one more or less mindful, I wonder?). Research, teachers, books, blogs, and applications continue to grow. It may be safe to say, mindfulness has become a fad. There could certainly be worse things to generate a bandwagon effect. I am certainly pleased to be a part of this movement and play my small role.

The title of this blog entry comes from a saying in the mindfulness teaching community. Teaching mindfulness is like selling water by the river. The students could just go down the river themselves and drink this water. Mindfulness is a native skill; why do you need a teacher? The reason is that while mindfulness is simple in concept it can be quite challenging to figure out how to insinuate it into your life. This is where a teacher becomes indispensable.

Unless you can be self-motivated, the structure of a class really helps. NICABM (National institute for the Application of Behavioral Medicine) offers online courses with prominent teachers. Recently, Tara Brach taught a program on relationships and now Jack Kornfield will be teaching a course on the power of mindfulness. You can watch some preview videos here.

Jack is one of the preeminent mindfulness teachers. He is the author of many books, including the spiritual favorite: After The Ecstasy, The Laundry.

I’ve had the pleasure of sitting with him once very briefly and I’ve read his books and listened to his talks. He is a gentle and intelligent soul that can bring mindfulness teachings to life.

Sometimes, when the stresses of life start to build, it’s easy to get frustrated and feel like there’s no way to slow down.

Jack will be teaching an online course through  Mindfulness can help us to slow down and bring presence to our busy days.

You can check out some course preview videos. Learn more here: