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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 06-6610
VERNON LAMONT HENLEY,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
DAVID BARNES, Doctor,
Defendant - Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western
District of Virginia, at Roanoke. Jackson L. Kiser, Senior
District Judge. (7:05-cv-00663-jlk)
Submitted: September 29, 2006 Decided: October 18, 2006
Before WILLIAMS, TRAXLER, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Vernon Lamont Henley, Appellant Pro Se. Rosalie Pemberton Fessier,
TIMBERLAKE, SMITH, THOMAS & MOSES, PC, Staunton, Virginia, for
Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Vernon Lamont Henley appeals the district court’s order
denying relief on his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2000) complaint. We have
reviewed the record and find no reversible error. Accordingly, we
affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. Henley v.
Barnes, No. 7:05-cv-00663-jlk (W.D. Va. Mar. 24, 2006). We
dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions
are adequately presented in the materials before the court and
argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
- 2 -
|
{
"pile_set_name": "FreeLaw"
}
|
Q:
C++11 - emplace_back between 2 vectors doesn't work
I was trying to adapt some code and moving the content from a vector to another one using emplace_back()
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
struct obj
{
std::string name;
obj():name("NO_NAME"){}
obj(const std::string& _name):name(_name){}
obj(obj&& tmp): name(std::move(tmp.name)) {}
obj& operator=(obj&& tmp) = default;
};
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
std::vector<obj> v;
for( int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i )
{
v.emplace_back(obj("Jon"));
}
std::vector<obj> p;
for( int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i )
{
p.emplace_back(v[i]);
}
return(0);
}
This code doesn't compile with g++-4.7, g++-4.6 and clang++: what it's wrong with it ?
I always got 1 main error about
call to implicitly-deleted copy constructor of obj
?
A:
Although the existing answer provides a workaround using std::move that makes your program compile, it must be said that your use of emplace_back seems to be based on a misunderstanding.
The way you describe it ("I was trying to [...] moving the content from a vector to another one using emplace_back()") and the way you use it suggest that you think of emplace_back as a method to move elements into the vector, and of push_back as a method to copy elements into a vector. The code you use to fill the first instance of the vector seems to suggest this as well:
std::vector<obj> v;
for( int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i )
{
v.emplace_back(obj("Jon"));
}
But this is not what the difference between emplace_back and push_back is about.
Firstly, even push_back will move (not copy) the elements into the vector if only it is given an rvalue, and if the element type has a move assignment operator.
Secondly, the real use case of emplace_back is to construct elements in place, i.e. you use it when you want to put objects into a vector that do not exist yet. The arguments of emplace_back are the arguments to the constructor of the object. So your loop above should really look like this:
std::vector<obj> v;
for( int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i )
{
v.emplace_back("Jon"); // <-- just pass the string "Jon" , not obj("Jon")
}
The reason why your existing code works is that obj("Jon") is also a valid argument to the constructor (specifically, to the move constructor). But the main idea of emplace_back is that you need not create the object and then move it in. You don't benefit from that idea when you pass obj("Jon") instead of "Jon" to it.
On the other hand, in your second loop you are dealing with objects that were created before. There is no point in using emplace_back to move objects that exist already. And again, emplace_back applied to an existing object does not mean that the object is moved. It only means that it is created in-place, using the ordinary copy constructor (if that exists). If you want to move it, simply use push_back, applied to the result of std::move:
std::vector<obj> p;
for( int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i )
{
p.push_back(std::move(v[i])); // <-- Use push_back to move existing elements
}
Further notes
1) You can simplify the loop above using C++11 range-based for:
std::vector<obj> p;
for (auto &&obj : v)
p.push_back(std::move(obj));
2) Regardless of whether you use an ordinary for-loop or range-based for, you move the elements one by one, which means that the source vector v will remain as a vector of 1000 empty objects. If you actually want to clear the vector in the process (but still use move semantics to transport the elements to the new vector), you can use the move constructor of the vector itself:
std::vector<obj> p(std::move(v));
This reduces the second loop to just a single line, and it makes sure the source vector is cleared.
A:
The problem is that
p.emplace_back(v[i]);
passes an lvalue to emplace_back, which means that your move constructor (which expects an rvalue reference) won't work.
If you actually want to move values from one container to another, you should explicitly call std::move:
p.emplace_back(std::move(v[i]));
(The idea behind a move constructor like obj(obj&& tmp) is that tmp should be an object that isn't going to be around for much longer. In your first loop, you pass a temporary object to emplace_back, which is fine -- a rvalue reference can bind to a temporary object and steal data from it because the temporary object is about to disappear. In your second loop, the object that you pass to emplace_back has a name: v[i]. That means it's not temporary, and could be referred to later in the program. That's why you have to use std::move to tell the compiler "yes, I really meant to steal data from this object, even though someone else might try to use it later.")
Edit: I'm assuming that your rather unusual usage of emplace_back is a relic of having to craft a little example for us. If that isn't the case, see @jogojapan's answer for a good discussion about why using a std::vector move constructor or repeated calls to push_back would make more sense for your example.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
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|
Freemasonry and Social Media
On Friday 4th July 2014 I had the privilege of attending a meeting at the Masonic Hall in Poole, Dorset to discuss the use of social media in freemasonry. This is believed to be the largest gathering of freemasons brought together by social media. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the use of social media as a tool to recruit, retain and inform members of our fraternity.
It is perhaps true to say that freemasonry as a whole has been slow and in some quarters somewhat reluctant to embrace new technology but there is little doubt that the benefits of electronic communication are now being realised. Such was the interest in last nights meeting that RWBro Richard Merritt, The Provincial Grand Master, welcomed representatives of nine different Masonic provinces who gathered to hear two very interesting presentations. The first was delivered by W.Bro Nigel Harris-Cooksley who explained how his Lodge (North Harrow Lodge No6557) had seen a decline in numbers and had turned to the internet and social media to attract new members. Over a period of 3 years this approach attracted a total of 50 New members to Lodges in Middlesex. 18 of these were initiated into North Harrow Lodge and 32 were passed to other lodges. Of the 50 initiates it is believed that 49 are still active and many of these new made brothers are already taking offices in a variety of Lodges.
It seems to me that the key to North Harrow’s success in this new venture is underpinned by a recognition that attracting enquiries is very much a starting point. Nigel and other brethren from his lodge worked incredibly hard to meet, interview and socialise with perspective candidates before they were initiated. Once initiated the new brothers were allocated personal mentors who were supported in turn by a lodge mentor. The length of time between enquiry and initiation has varied. In the early days some were initiated in as little as 3 months, at present 9 months is seen as ‘normal’. During the waiting period candidates are contacted regularly, kept up to date and invited to social functions where possible.
The time and care put into supporting, vetting and socialising with candidates is hugely important. It should engender a sense of belonging in the candidate and reassure members of lodges that candidates are not simply being ‘dragged off the streets’. I realise that some brethren, who joined freemasonry by the traditional recruitment process, may have reservations about this method of recruitment but I believe North Harrow Lodges experience shows that there are men in our communities who want to join freemasonry but don’t know how to go about it. Some may feel that the risks of initiating someone who is not personally known to a current member are too great. It is a fact that there is a risk that any initiate may prove unsuitable in the longer term, but again, North Harrows experience shows that the benefits have far outweighed the risks.
As I mentioned above making access to freemasonry easier through the use of websites and social media should be seen as a starting point. If we are to retain our members after they have joined it is important that new members, especially our younger men, are supported and made to feel welcome. Our second speaker Colin(Lex) Luther Davies explained one of the mechanisms whereby the Metropolitan Grand Lodge are supporting its younger members.
The Connaught Club is an organisation formed to support freemasons under 35 who are members of a Lodge in London or who live or work in London and are members go a lodge attached to the United Grand Lodge of England. The club currently has some 200 members and has been founded to give young Freemasons in London a means to meet and socialise, with like-minded people of similar ages, within Freemasonry; whilst bridging the large geographic area and diversity of London’s many Lodges.
Primarily the Club’s role is to provide events and other occasions, of either a social or (Masonically) educational nature, for young Freemasons to meet each other and encourage their involvement within the fraternity. Events range from informal pub socials to formal dinners and to visiting each others Lodges. This is a fantastic example of what can be done to support our members and there is undoubtably much that other provinces can learn form this.
The evening concluded in fine Masonic style with all present dining together. It must be said that the caterers laid on a fantastic meal and the ambience of the evening was helped enormously by the effort that W.Bro Brian Chidgey and his assistants put into the organisation of the event. No event runs well unless effort has been put into the planning and preparation.
The Provincial Grand Master, RWBro Richard Merritt, gave a short speech during which he explained his personal enthusiasm for making use of new and emerging technology and thanked the speakers and organisers for their efforts in putting together a most enjoyable and informative evening
The Province of Dorset was very well represented by brethren from across the County. The PGM was supported by VWBro Clive Deakin, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, and VWBro Nigel Leonard, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master as well as several members of the Provincial team. Brethren from the Provinces of Dorset, Hampshire & IOW, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Middlesex, Metropolitan and even the Serbian Grand Lodge were welcomed. I am sure everyone went away with some food for thought and fresh ideas.
Like this:
Related
About The Sound of Summer
Hi,
I am Alan. I live in Broadstone, Dorset with my wife, Shirley, my son, Ryan and two dogs called Bailey and Jasper. I have recently retired after working in the Armed Forces and in Public Service since 1977 so I now have a bit more time to do the things I love.
Music is a huge part of my life and always has been. I have a broad taste in music and can find something to enjoy in most styles of music. I have always been attracted to music which has something to say, is outside the mainstream and is perhaps a bit rebellious.
I guess my early influences were late 1970's Punk and new wave bands, especially those who came out of Northern Ireland where I grew up. I loved Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, Rudi, Starjets etc but also bands like The Ramones, The Clash, The Jam and so on.
I like singer songwriters including Van Morrison, Springsteen, Neil Young & Bob Dylan and in recent years I have become more interested in folk and acoustic music but I also love the sort of high drive energetic Folk/Punk music delivered by bands like The Levellers, Leatherat, Ferocious Dog and many others who frequent the UK Festival scene.
I have long since lost the desire to spend my holidays laying around in the sun and these days am much more likely to be found in a muddy field somewhere in the UK during the festival season.
good idea in Bucks. we have a very active social media input, this has been worth while, my own lodge has seen two candidate in the last year, our programme for new masons uses the social media to great effect too!
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Q:
How to solve problems involving roots. $\sqrt{(x+3)-4\sqrt{x-1}} + \sqrt{(x+8)-6\sqrt{x-1}} =1$
How to solve problems involving roots. If we square them they may go to fourth degree.There must be some technique to solve this.
$$\sqrt{(x+3)-4\sqrt{x-1}} + \sqrt{(x+8)-6\sqrt{x-1}} =1$$
A:
Straight, you can get the following equation :
$$
\sqrt{(2-\sqrt{x-1})^2} + \sqrt{(3-\sqrt{x-1})^2} =1
$$
which leads to the following equation :
$$
|2-\sqrt{x-1}| + |3-\sqrt{x-1}| =1
$$
Then you will have three cases to discuss :
case : $\sqrt{x-1} \leq2$ (equivalent to $x\leq5$) :
$\sqrt{x-1} = 2$ then $x = 5$
case : $\sqrt{x-1} >2$ and $\sqrt{x-1} <3$ (equivalent to $5<x<10$) :
The equation below can be written :
$$
\sqrt{x-1}-2 + 3-\sqrt{x-1} =1
$$
equivalent to :
$
1=1
$
The solutions belongs to $]5,10[$
case : $\sqrt{x-1} \geq3$ (equivalent to $x\geq10$) :
$\sqrt{x-1} = 3$ then $x = 10$
The solutions belongs to $[5,10]$
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
Inhaled particles and respiratory disease.
This brief discussion of inhaled particles, their manner of deposition and clearance, and their association with many human disease has been designed to remind us of the importance of particulate agents as sensitizers, via their allergen content, as causative agents of lung inflammation via their immunotoxic properties, as inducers of inflammatory alveolitis based on their content of antigens and adjuvant-like material, and as infectious agents. All these properties can play a part in a wide variety of allergic parenchymal, infectious, and industrial lung diseases and in building-related illnesses.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Hemobilia: a case with recurrent jaundice cured by removal of a blood clot from the common bile duct.
A 78-year-old woman was admitted for recurrent jaundice, fever and biliary colic. At operation the common duct was found to be filled with a large blood clot. Removal of this clot resulted in a clinical cure.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
/*
Copyright (c) 2003-2017, CKSource - Frederico Knabben. All rights reserved.
For licensing, see LICENSE.md or http://ckeditor.com/license
*/
CKEDITOR.plugins.setLang( 'justify', 'nl', {
block: 'Uitvullen',
center: 'Centreren',
left: 'Links uitlijnen',
right: 'Rechts uitlijnen'
} );
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Are prayers addressed to the saints?
No. God the Father is considered the only one to whom the prayers may be addressed. It is further understood that Christ stands in a mediatorial position between God and man (Hebrews 7:25). All prayers are therefore offered through Christ, or in the name of Christ (John 16:23-26).
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
David Johansen of the New York Dolls and Richard Hell of Television backstage at CBGB. From White Trash Uncut by Christopher Makos, © 2014, published by Glitterati Incorporated
New York punks in the mid 70’s were clearly inspired by their environment. Manhattan was a lost city, bombed out and over run with rats and dirty syringes. Gotham had an unprecedented fiscal crisis in 1975, and two years later chaos ensued after the power went out for 25 hours. While poverty stricken New Yorkers looked over their shoulders to avoid pick pockets, British teens were avoiding the police.
The anti-police riots of 1976 spawned the “sus” law which allowed the cops to search anyone, leading to the violent harassment of punks and immigrants. The economy wasn’t doing well in London– a million jobs were lost in manufacturing plants alone between 1970-1977– at the time the Queen started her silver jubilee tour in ’77 and the country celebrated with street parties, ignoring the sad state of the surroundings. This seriously pissed off the youth, leading to “God Save The Queen,” and t-shirts designed with images of a safety pin through her royal nostril.
The New York Dolls trampy fashions echoed the looks of the ladies of the night that walked the streets of the Bowery. Thrift stores were frequented and more creative types made their own outrageous garb. Shirts were ripped, and safety pins were attached to clothing on both sides of the pond. Malcolm McLaren’s King’s Road shop provided punks with plaid skirts, leather pants and bondage bracelets. Many of the clothes were designed by his wife Vivenne Westwood.
-Amy Haben
LONDON PUNKS
Malcolm McLaren and Vivenne Westwood.
Sid Vicious
Vivienne Westwood
Sid Vicious
Ari Up – The Slits
The Adverts
The Clash
The Buzzcocks
NEW YORK PUNKS
Alan Vega of Suicide
The Cramps
Rodney Bingenheimer (L.A.) and Stiv Bators (NYC)
New York Dolls
The Ramones and Danny Fields – Photo by: Bob Gruen
Legs McNeil at CBGB’s – Photo: Godlis
Patti Smith Group
Hilly Kristal outside CBGB’s – Legs McNeil standing in front of the barricade.
Richard Hell and the Voidoids
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
Erythropoietin attenuates apoptosis after ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal injury in transiently hyperglycemic Wister rats.
Hyperglycemia is associated with a decreased tolerance to ischemia and an increased severity of renal ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. It has been suggested that erythropoietin (EPO) attenuates this effect in normoglycemic animals. This study sought to examine the effects of EPO on treatment renal I/R injury (IRI) in transiently hyperglycemic rats. Twenty-eight male Wister rats anesthetized with isoflurane received glucose (2.5 g.kg(-1) intraperitoneally) before right nephrectomy. They were randomly assigned to four groups: sham operation (S); IRI (ISO); IRI+EPO, (600 UI kg(-1) low-dose EPO [EL]); and IRI+EPO 5000 UI kg(-1) (high-dose EPO [EH]). IRI was induced by a 25-minute period of left renal ischemia followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. Serum creatinine and glucose levels were measure at baseline (M1), immediately after the ischemic period (M2), and at 24 hours after reperfusion (M3). After sacrificing the animals, left kidney specimens were submitted for histological analysis including flow cytometry to estimate tubular necrosis and the percentages of apoptotic, dead or intact cells. Scr in the ISO group was significantly higher at M3 than among the other groups. Percentages of early apoptotic cells in ISO group were significantly higher than the other groups. Percentages of late apoptotic cells in S and ISO groups were significantly greater than EL and EH groups. However, no significant intergroup differences were observed regarding the incidence of tubular necrosis. Our results suggested that, although not preventing the occurrence of tubular necrosis, EPO attenuated apoptosis and glomerular functional impairment among transiently hyperglycemic rats undergoing an ischemia/reperfusion insult.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
33.0: CREATIVE COMMONS
[audio:http://cordite.org.au/audio/I-will-grab-their-bytes-and-they-will-secretly-not-like-it_MP3.mp3,http://cordite.org.au/audio/02-Not-Some-Racist.mp3,http://cordite.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/a-text-tale.mp3,http://cordite.org.au/audio/ladygabyandzimmerparadisefasterversion.mp3,http://cordite.org.au/audio/Jorja-Free-Information-Poem.mp3,http://cordite.org.au/audio/A-Night-on-the-Town.mp3,http://cordite.org.au/audio/cordite33creativecommonsyarranjenkins.mp3|titles=I will grab their bytes and they will secretly not like it,Not Some Racist,a text tale,Paradise,Free Information Poem,A Night on the Town,Creative Commons: Bastion for Utopia or Just More Creative Culture Juju?|artists=klare lanson,Paul Mitchell and Bill Buttler,klare lanson,Lady Gaby and …
POETRY SEARCH (PART 3): 103 Product Searches for Poetry Characterized Differently by an Assortment of Commonly Associated Adjectives Task: Search for the word “poetry” preceded by various adjectives that are often used in conjunction with it. Technique: The images of …
• he is convinced his bullet points are new moons • even today when people use the term ‘narrative arc’ Noah leans forward • not belonging to anything in this world this world belongs to anything • i cut myself …
O well-wishers of the underground, defriend me. I played with the singularity of time, hounded by the noises my mother made in my ear when I was an infant, pressed close to death. Once upon a time a child caressed …
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
package vendor.huawei.hardware.hisiradio.V1_0;
import android.os.HidlSupport;
import android.os.HwBlob;
import android.os.HwParcel;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Objects;
public final class CellInfoWcdma {
public final CellIdentityWcdma cellIdentityWcdma = new CellIdentityWcdma();
public final WcdmaSignalStrength signalStrengthWcdma = new WcdmaSignalStrength();
public final boolean equals(Object otherObject) {
if (this == otherObject) {
return true;
}
if (otherObject == null || otherObject.getClass() != CellInfoWcdma.class) {
return false;
}
CellInfoWcdma other = (CellInfoWcdma) otherObject;
if (HidlSupport.deepEquals(this.cellIdentityWcdma, other.cellIdentityWcdma) && HidlSupport.deepEquals(this.signalStrengthWcdma, other.signalStrengthWcdma)) {
return true;
}
return false;
}
public final int hashCode() {
return Objects.hash(new Object[]{Integer.valueOf(HidlSupport.deepHashCode(this.cellIdentityWcdma)), Integer.valueOf(HidlSupport.deepHashCode(this.signalStrengthWcdma))});
}
public final String toString() {
return "{" + ".cellIdentityWcdma = " + this.cellIdentityWcdma + ", .signalStrengthWcdma = " + this.signalStrengthWcdma + "}";
}
public final void readFromParcel(HwParcel parcel) {
readEmbeddedFromParcel(parcel, parcel.readBuffer(56), 0);
}
public static final ArrayList<CellInfoWcdma> readVectorFromParcel(HwParcel parcel) {
ArrayList<CellInfoWcdma> _hidl_vec = new ArrayList<>();
HwBlob _hidl_blob = parcel.readBuffer(16);
int _hidl_vec_size = _hidl_blob.getInt32(8);
HwBlob childBlob = parcel.readEmbeddedBuffer((long) (_hidl_vec_size * 56), _hidl_blob.handle(), 0, true);
_hidl_vec.clear();
for (int _hidl_index_0 = 0; _hidl_index_0 < _hidl_vec_size; _hidl_index_0++) {
CellInfoWcdma _hidl_vec_element = new CellInfoWcdma();
_hidl_vec_element.readEmbeddedFromParcel(parcel, childBlob, (long) (_hidl_index_0 * 56));
_hidl_vec.add(_hidl_vec_element);
}
return _hidl_vec;
}
public final void readEmbeddedFromParcel(HwParcel parcel, HwBlob _hidl_blob, long _hidl_offset) {
this.cellIdentityWcdma.readEmbeddedFromParcel(parcel, _hidl_blob, 0 + _hidl_offset);
this.signalStrengthWcdma.readEmbeddedFromParcel(parcel, _hidl_blob, 48 + _hidl_offset);
}
public final void writeToParcel(HwParcel parcel) {
HwBlob _hidl_blob = new HwBlob(56);
writeEmbeddedToBlob(_hidl_blob, 0);
parcel.writeBuffer(_hidl_blob);
}
public static final void writeVectorToParcel(HwParcel parcel, ArrayList<CellInfoWcdma> _hidl_vec) {
HwBlob _hidl_blob = new HwBlob(16);
int _hidl_vec_size = _hidl_vec.size();
_hidl_blob.putInt32(8, _hidl_vec_size);
_hidl_blob.putBool(12, false);
HwBlob childBlob = new HwBlob(_hidl_vec_size * 56);
for (int _hidl_index_0 = 0; _hidl_index_0 < _hidl_vec_size; _hidl_index_0++) {
_hidl_vec.get(_hidl_index_0).writeEmbeddedToBlob(childBlob, (long) (_hidl_index_0 * 56));
}
_hidl_blob.putBlob(0, childBlob);
parcel.writeBuffer(_hidl_blob);
}
public final void writeEmbeddedToBlob(HwBlob _hidl_blob, long _hidl_offset) {
this.cellIdentityWcdma.writeEmbeddedToBlob(_hidl_blob, 0 + _hidl_offset);
this.signalStrengthWcdma.writeEmbeddedToBlob(_hidl_blob, 48 + _hidl_offset);
}
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Thursday, 17 April 2014
The 'Fucking' Easter Eggs
I was happy this morning when I was finally allowed out of my room after a bug meant I had to be barrier nursed (not allowed out of bedroom) for twenty four hours. It suddenly felt like my home leave was even nearer and then to improve my mood even more, one of the girls gave me an Easter egg and my money went into my bank early! Things started to go sour towards the evening, for a while the Doctor has been asking me to write about certain things and I haven't, and then after what happened yesterday I finally tried but it was unbelievably hard and then that was upsetting because I never struggle to write my feelings down; it's usually the other way around. So, I listened to my music last night and wrote down some lyrics that meant something and I gave the Doctor that. She then asked for 'the pink book' aka my diary! She put on this face and I ended up feeling mean for saying no so I went and checked there wasn't anything too incriminating in it then I gave her it. When I got back to my later a little later the diary was on my bedside table. I was upset because it felt like she'd just 'used' me. And it's like one of the girls said; it was really selfish of her; it was as though she were only interested in getting the notebooks. It would've been nice if she'd sat down with me to talk things through or even for her to have said thank you and that she'd speak to me another day. And then, three staff came into my room to do a random room search and they told me they had to remove all of my food and drink. A while ago, it became a ward rule that you could only have a certain amount of food and drink in your bedroom but my Named Nurse and I agreed on a care plan because I worried that having to ask for my food would mean I'd be more conscious of what I was eating and that it would further reduce. So I was so upset that I'd kept everything in my room all this time and now they were taking it out. I spoke with my new Named Nurse who told me they hadn't been able to find any care plans for me to keep it and that even if they had she wouldn't agree with it because she wants to be monitoring my diet as she thinks it's quite poor. I was so upset and so sick of crying that all of the old thoughts about all of the old usual responses came into my head. My brain was doing a million miles an hour trying to come up with plans to self-harm or run. The rational part in my head knew I couldn't do anything right there and then and I kept telling myself to remember this feeling but it didn't stay. I went and spoke to my Named Nurse about how I was glad the whole drama had actually happened because it's been the reminder I needed that these thoughts and feelings pass. And I know that I still have work to do because if I'd been in the community and had those thoughts, I think I might've carried them out purely because I would've had the opportunity. But at least I've come round to accept and understand the thinking behind the food thing and I'm not holding my frustration towards the Doctor because I have a lovely weekend ahead at home! I'm really just going to appreciate every single minute of it and make the most of my time with my Mum and cat and without the drama of the Hospital
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Richard B. Tui
The flame wars of the left are erupting again in depressingly familiar ways. Ironically, even as the institutional Democratic Party is demonstrating a commitment to more economic populist stances through its “Better Deal” messaging aimed at working families, the social media warriors of the left and center-left are determined to burn one another to the ground for control of the party, no matter the cost. At a time when solidarity is needed most to face an array of outside threats ranging from the horrors of the Trump Administration to the apathy and distrust of ever-larger swaths of the electorate, the pundits and social media wannabes of the left seem more intent than ever on pointless division. The path forward is obvious, but neither side seems willing to accept it.
The latest conflagration was ignited in part by Washington Monthly alum Ryan Cooper’s piece establishing the reasons for economic populist distrust of establishment favorite 2020 hopefuls Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Deval Patrick. Cooper made some valid points about the histories of all three candidates that make many Occupy-aligned Democrats shudder: Booker’s defense of Wall Street and charter schools, Harris’ failure to charge now-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin for his crimes with One West Bank, and Deval Patrick’s employment as managing director with Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital, for starters. These are not minor complaints.
The obvious problem, of course, is that in targeting black candidates Booker, Harris and Patrick specifically, Cooper only gives further fuel to those who claim that Sanders-aligned economic progressives have racist motivations–or at least that they are tone-deaf and poor allies on matters of identity and social justice. That the writers of these critiques tend to be predominantly white and male certainly doesn’t help, either. Regardless of the motivations, it’s self-defeating for the democratic socialist left to take this particular tack: as our own Martin Longman pointed out, economic populists will not win the argument within the party if they openly antagonize not only the wealthy donor base but also older and minority voters.
On the other hand, there is a substantial faction of establishment players who, rather than seeking to repair and mitigate the causes the conflict in the Sanders-Clinton primary, are eagerly hoping to perpetuate it. They see the young, insurgent, aggressively anti-Wall Street wing as illegitimate interlopers, easily propagandized dupes, and overprivileged “alt left” bigots. The large number of women and people of color who are part of the Sanders coalition are erased and dismissed in often ugly ways. The influential partisans in center-left think tanks and media organizations who take this position seem to believe that democratic socialists will simply disappear into the woodwork if they are aggressively dragged and marginalized, allowing them to resume conducting business as usual within the party. This would be a mistake: like the Dean and Obama waves before them, Sanders Democrats have been sweeping into leadership positions in state and local Democratic organizations all across the country, and have no intention of going away quietly.
The worst elements of both sides are engaging cynically in the ongoing civil war. Some Sanders supporters eagerly want to see him run again in 2020, and are actively seeking to kneecap every potential challenger to him–especially those who might be able to more easily secure Hillary Clinton’s coalition of older and minority voters. If not racist and sexist in motivation, this strategy is racist and sexist in its effects and will attract the worst elements of society. On the other hand, establishment moderates since the early days of the Democratic Leadership Council have sought a marriage of the much-vaunted “Emerging Democratic Majority” with an educated, upper-middle-class fiscally centrist donor class. This has been to the detriment of the economy as a whole, and to the electoral fortunes of the Democratic Party in general. They have no intention of taking a sharper stand against the predatory financial sector, and actively seek to use ideologically aligned women and minority candidates as a wedge against more radical activists who might threaten to alienate the wealthy donor class they have sought to woo away from the Republican Party since the Reagan era.
It is no exaggeration to say that if the Democratic Party fractures in 2020 along the same lines it did in 2016, it may not recover. Votes for Clinton over Sanders notwithstanding, women and minority voters are not ideologically more moderate than whites and men within the party. If the fault lines once again pit more moderate minority candidates against more economically progressive white candidates, the resulting warfare will create the worst of all worlds: watered down economic policy that fails to win back disaffected white working class voters, combined with a bruising primary trading insults that could demotivate both class-conscious millennials and identity-conscious older women and minorities, depending on the eventual victor.
All of this is easily avoidable as long as well-meaning activists on both sides demonstrate solidarity with one another’s priorities.
Democratic socialists must avoid making the unforced errors of the Sanders campaign, failing to articulate an understanding that social justice is also a key component of economic justice, and that merely making advances in the class war will not resolve institutional discrimination on the basis of identity. Making an example of the top three African-American hopefuls in the 2020 field is a terrible mistake regardless of intent. It will backfire, and tarnish the entire movement as motivated by barely-contained bigotry, regardless of how many Nina Turners and Nomiki Konsts become its public face.
For its part, the establishment must stop treating class war activists as second class citizens in a Democratic Party whose greatest President of the 20th century was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, not Bill Clinton. Just as Democrats from across the spectrum rightly pushed back on the abhorrent notion that the party should open its tent to anti-choice candidates, so too is it perfectly legitimate to say that it is unacceptable to open the presidential primary tent to candidates who kowtow to Wall Street. Just as Democrats would not countenance a candidate who served as executive director of the National Rifle Association, so too should Democrats not accept a candidate who served as managing director of Mitt Romney’s predatory corporate raider firm. For many core base Democrats, privatizing public education through “school choice” is just as rank an offense as privatizing prisons or Social Security. And for a great many Democrats, the fact that a criminal thief like Steve Mnuchin walks openly around our nation’s capital as a free man rankles every bit as much or more as the fact that serial sexual predator Donald Trump does. It is easily arguable that Mnuchin damaged and destroyed a thousand times more lives in just a few years of illegal predatory foreclosures, than Donald Trump has in his entire lifetime of ill deeds. These are not illegitimate positions, and it would do a world of good for establishment players to stand alongside younger progressive activists in solidarity with their interests rather than attempt to sideline them to protect the feelings of the party’s donors and their efforts to win over upscale Romney voters with mutual fund portfolios.
Both sides must meet one another halfway. Voices within the Sanders coalition that actively attempt to dismiss social discrimination as less important than class war must be ostracized from within not just because they are wrong, but because they actively hurt the cause of securing economic justice against the .1% in a party whose base has suffered greatly from that discrimination. Democratic socialists must seek to educate and persuade candidates who have crossed red lines in the past, rather than dismiss them as impure and unacceptable out of hand. Kamala Harris in particular is a very progressive candidate in many respects, and while she has made some decisions that rightly rankle activists for economic equality, they should not be disqualifying this early in the game.
Establishment figures, meanwhile, should hew closer to the example set by Schumer and Pelosi than by some in the center-left media and think tank ecosystem. They must acknowledge the need for a much more forceful economic progressivism and accept that economic progressives also have valid litmus tests every bit as reasonable as those of social issue advocacy groups. Individuals who insist on trying to ostracize democratic socialists and treat their anti-corporate concerns as secondary or motivated by bigotry should be gently pushed aside themselves.
The only path forward for both sides lies in mutual solidarity and respect. The alternative is mutually assured destruction.
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Q:
ggplot without facet
The following code, from @ROLO in answer to my earlier question generates 3 plots:
require(mice)
require(reshape2)
require(ggplot2)
dt <- nhanes
impute <- mice(dt, seed = 23109)
# Obtain the imputed data, together with the original data
imp <- complete(impute,"long", include=TRUE)
# Melt into long format
imp <- melt(imp, c(".imp",".id","age"))
# Add a variable for the plot legend
imp$Imputed<-ifelse(imp$".imp"==0,"Observed","Imputed")
# Plot. Be sure to use stat_density instead of geom_density in order
# to prevent what you call "unwanted horizontal and vertical lines"
ggplot(imp, aes(x=value, group=.imp, colour=Imputed)) +
stat_density(geom = "path",position = "identity") +
facet_wrap(~variable, ncol=2, scales="free")
My question is, how do I modify this to plot each one individually ?
A:
As Joran said, you can just use a subset of the data in each plot.
ggplot(imp[imp$variable=="bmi",], aes(x=value, group=.imp, colour=Imputed)) +
stat_density(geom = "path",position = "identity")
ggplot(imp[imp$variable=="hyp",], aes(x=value, group=.imp, colour=Imputed)) +
stat_density(geom = "path",position = "identity")
ggplot(imp[imp$variable=="chl",], aes(x=value, group=.imp, colour=Imputed)) +
stat_density(geom = "path",position = "identity")
Alternatively, you could put these in a loop
library("plyr")
d_ply(imp, .(variable), function(DF) {
print(ggplot(DF, aes(x=value, group=.imp, colour=Imputed)) +
stat_density(geom = "path",position = "identity"))
})
The downside of this approach is that it puts all the plots out one right after the other so there is no chance to see the previous ones on the screen. If you are outputting to a PDF (directly or via something like knitr), all will get written and can be seen that way.
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Design Concave in nose area, flowing to a slight v in the tail. Slight rocker through out. 50/50 rails. Removable 9-10in glass centre fin. Any colours, pin striping, is hand done, with coloured resin as per the original boards. The finish is Resin Gloss coated and polished.
DesignA slight nose concave, with a gentle roll through the bottom. Laminated with volan glass. Features a glassed on wood laminated fin. Tints and original coloured resin pin stripes can be added. The finish is Resin Gloss coated and polished.
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday overturned a lower court’s ruling halting an investigation into Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and more than two dozen conservative groups for alleged illegal campaign activity.
The ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago is a defeat for Walker and conservatives who argued they have done nothing wrong and that the investigation is a partisan witch hunt designed to chill political speech.Walker is running for re-election this fall against Democrat Mary Burke and is considering a 2016 run for president.
Even with the ruling, the investigation won’t be able to resume immediately.
A state judge overseeing the probe also effectively stopped it in January when he issued a ruling quashing requested subpoenas, saying he did not believe anything illegal had transpired. That ruling is under appeal.
The 7th Circuit said in its 14-page ruling that state courts are the proper venue to resolve legal issues with the case. It also refused to make public eight documents that a coalition of media groups had wanted to be unsealed.
The first-term Republican made a national name for himself when he took on public sector unions in 2011 with his measure that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers. That fight led to the 2012 vote to recall Walker, which he won, making him the first governor in U.S. history to overcome a recall.
Walker has been dogged by secret investigations, first of aides and associates before he became governor and now on his recall campaign and other conservative groups.
Wisconsin Club for Growth and its director, Eric O’Keefe, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in February to halt the latest investigation, which began in secret in 2012. They argued it was a violation of their First Amendment rights and an attempt to criminalize political speech.
No one has been charged in the latest probe and prosecutors have said Walker is not a target.
A federal judge in May sided with the group and issued a temporary injunction blocking the investigation. The appeals court overturned that ruling, calling it an abuse of discretion.
The case largely centers on the type of political activity being done by the conservative groups during the recall campaign and whether that work required them to follow state laws that bar coordination with candidates, requires disclosure of political donations and places limits on what can be collected.
Under Wisconsin law, third-party political groups are allowed to work together on campaign activity and engage in issue advocacy, but they are barred from coordinating that work with actual candidates.
Prosecutors have said in court filings that Walker and his top aides illegally raised money and coordinated campaign advertising and other activity with Wisconsin Club for Growth, the state Chamber of Commerce and more than two dozen other conservative groups during the 2011 and 2012 recalls.
Prosecutors argued that should have made the groups subject to state campaign finance laws.
The Wisconsin Club for Growth argues that coordinating with candidates on issue advocacy — communications that don’t expressly ask a voter to elect or defeat a candidate — is legal and not subject to regulation by the government.
___
Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
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Seventh Regiment Armory
The Seventh Regiment Armory, also known as Park Avenue Armory, is a historic National Guard armory building located at 643 Park Avenue in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The building is a brick and stone structure built in 1880 and designed in the Gothic Revival style by Charles Clinton.
The building was made a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
Design
The building was designed by architect Charles Clinton in the Gothic Revival style and dedicated in 1880. The builder was R. L. Darragh and bricklayers were Van Dolson & Arnott. It is one of the two remaining armories in the United States to be built and furnished with private funds. It originally served as the headquarters and administrative building for the 7th New York Militia Regiment, known as the Silk Stocking Regiment due to the disproportionate number of its members who were part of the city's social elite. The building is known for detailed interior rooms that are furnished with ornamental woodwork, marble and stained glass.
The main facade of the administration building faces Park Avenue between 66th & 67th Streets, with the large vaulted space for the drill hall in the center of the block. The administration building has provisions for a reception room, a library, veterans room and staff offices for ten regimental companies. Architects and interior designers of the American Aesthetic Movement were commissioned to furnish the rooms and company quarters. The library is known as the Silver Room or "Trophy Room" and was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany who worked with architect Stanford White as a consultant on the project. The masterpiece of the armory building is the Veterans Room, also known as the Tiffany Room, with hand carved wood panelling and coffered ceiling in the Viking Revival style. Other significant craftsmen with work in the building include Kimbel and Cabus, Alexander Roux, Francis Davis Millet, and the Herter Brothers.
Use
Former
The building was used for the historic live broadcast of the radio play The Fall of the City by Archibald MacLeish in 1937, because of its acoustic properties. From 1900 until 1963 the venue hosted the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships.
Current
The Armory is currently leased by and home to Park Avenue Armory, a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to revitalize the landmark as an alternative arts space.
Other organizations using the space include:
The 53rd Digital Liaison Detachment of the New York Army National Guard, a unit carrying on the heritage of the 7th Regiment.
The Veterans of the 7th Regiment
The Knickerbocker Greys, an afterschool program which has been at the Armory since 1902.
The Veteran Corps of Artillery (VCA), a ceremonial unit which was organized on November 25, 1790 (Evacuation Day) by American Revolutionary War Veterans.
The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Women's Mental Health Shelter
Park Avenue Armory has a partnership with Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, a 9-12 college preparatory school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The oldest after school program in the country, the Knickerbocker Greys also have their Clubhouse in the Armory.
See also
Champagne Unit
List of National Historic Landmarks in New York City
List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets
List of armories and arsenals in New York City and surrounding counties
National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan above 59th to 110th Streets
Squadron A Armory
References
External links
MuseumPlanet Armory narrated slide tour
Park Avenue Armory Park Avenue Armory Website
Tourist Profile cityguide.aol.com
Photos & Short History
Knickerbocker Greys
VCA website
Category:Armories in New York City
Category:Armories on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
Category:Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan
Category:National Historic Landmarks in Manhattan
Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in New York City
Category:Gothic Revival architecture in New York City
Category:Installations of the United States Army National Guard
Category:Park Avenue
Category:Government buildings completed in 1880
Category:1880 establishments in New York (state)
Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan
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Geronimo (1962 film)
Geronimo is a 1962 Technicolor Western film made by Levy-Gardner-Laven and released by United Artists, starring Chuck Connors in the title role. The film was directed by Arnold Laven from a screenplay by Pat Fielder, filming took place in Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete, Mexico .
The following year, Connors married his costar, Kamala Devi.
Summary
The movie loosely follows the events leading up to the final surrender of Geronimo in 1886.
Cast
Chuck Connors as Geronimo
Kamala Devi as Teela
Pat Conway as Captain William Maynard
Armando Silvestre as Natchez
Adam West as Lieutenant John Delahay
Lawrence Dobkin as General George A. Crook
Ross Martin as Mangas
Denver Pyle as Senator Conrad
Eduardo Noriega as Colonel Morales
John Anderson as Jeremiah Burns
Enid Jaynes as Huera
Nancy Rodman as Mrs. Marsh
Amanda Ames as Mrs. Burns
Claudio Brook as Mr. Henry
Production
In November 1957 the producing team of Arnold Laven, Arthur Gardner and Jules V. Levy announced they would make a film about Geronimo for their company, Gramercy Pictures, and release through United Artists. They hoped for Linda Darnell to play the female lead.
Following the completion of the film, the producers signed Connors to a two picture contract.
See also
List of American films of 1962
References
External links
Category:1962 films
Category:American films
Category:English-language films
Category:1960s Western (genre) films
Category:Films set in the 1880s
Category:Films about Native Americans
Category:United Artists films
Category:Films directed by Arnold Laven
Category:Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer
Category:Films shot in Mexico
Category:American Western (genre) films
Category:Cultural depictions of Geronimo
Category:1960s historical films
Category:American historical films
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Q:
ElasticSearch Make Field non-searchable from java
I am currently working on elastic search through my java Application . I know how to index the Java pojo using RestHighLevelClient. How i can make search only on new fields not the complete pojo.?
public class Employee{
private long id;
private String name;
private String designation;
private String address; //want to index but not searchable in elastic search
}
My Code for indexing is below which is working fine:
public String saveToEs(Employee employee) throws IOException {
Map<String, Object> map = objectMapper.convertValue(employee, Map.class);
IndexRequest indexRequest =
new IndexRequest(INDEX, TYPE, employee.getId().toString()).source(map, XContentType.JSON);
IndexResponse indexResponse = client.index(indexRequest, RequestOptions.DEFAULT);
I need to do this in java .Any help please or good link ?
A:
Writing another answer for RestHighLevelClient As another answer is useful for people not using the Rest client and adding this in the first answer makes it too long.
Note: you are passing the type which is deprecated in ES 7.X and I am using the ES 7.X version, so my code is according to 7.X.
CreateIndexRequest request = new CreateIndexRequest("employee");
Map<String, Object> name = new HashMap<>();
name.put("type", "text");
Map<String, Object> address = new HashMap<>();
address.put("type", "text");
address.put("index", false);
Map<String, Object> properties = new HashMap<>();
properties.put("name", name);
properties.put("address", address);
Map<String, Object> mapping = new HashMap<>();
mapping.put("properties", properties);
request.mapping(mapping);
CreateIndexResponse createIndexResponse = client.indices().create(request, RequestOptions.DEFAULT);
Important points
I've used only 2 fields for illustration purpose, one of which is address field which is not searchable, and to do that I used, address.put("index", false); , while name is searchable field and there this option isn't present.
I've created index mapping using the Map method which is available in this official ES doc.
you can check the mapping created by this code, using mapping REST API.
Below is the mapping generated for this code in my system and you can see, index: false is added in the address field.
{
"employee": {
"mappings": {
"properties": {
"address": {
"type": "text",
"index": false
},
"name": {
"type": "text"
}
}
}
}
}
You can just use the same search JSON mentioned in the previous answer, to test that it's not searchable.
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Background
==========
Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is a member of the chelonianin class of serine protease inhibitors, and is predominantly expressed in secretory epithelial cells of mucosal surfaces, immune cells and has been identified in various tissues \[[@B1]-[@B3]\]. Among serine proteinase inhibitors, SLPI is considered as \"alarm proteinase inhibitor\" that is upregulated during infection or inflammation to compensate for high human neutrophil elastase \[[@B1],[@B4]\]. The C-terminus of SLPI primarily inhibits human elastase, but is capable of inhibiting other serine proteinases such as tryptase and cathepsin G \[[@B5]\]. In addition to its function as an antiprotease, SLPI possesses antimicrobial activity against several bacteria and fungi \[[@B1],[@B4],[@B6]\]. Furthermore, it was shown that SLPI controls cell proliferation by regulation of growth-associated genes such as cyclin D and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 \[[@B7]\], modifies the activation of macrophages \[[@B4]\] and regulates the LPS-induced activation of the transcription factor \"nuclear factor kappa B\" (NF-κB) \[[@B8],[@B9]\]. SLPI-deficient mice provided evidence for functional involvement of SLPI in wound healing \[[@B10]\] and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammation \[[@B11]\]. In context to its role as \"alarm proteinase inhibitor\", SLPI was found to be differentially regulated in inflammatory diseases and cancer. Increased expression or elevated serum levels of SLPI were reported in human sepsis and experimental endotoxemia \[[@B12]\], febrile patients \[[@B13]\], Wegners\'s granulomatosis \[[@B14]\], gastric cancer \[[@B15]\] and pulmonary infection \[[@B16]\]. In contrast, other bacterial or viral infections in lung \[[@B17]\], stomach \[[@B18]\] and cervical epithelial cells \[[@B19]\] were found to be associated with decreased SLPI levels. The underlying mechanisms responsible for the different regulation of SLPI have not been identified, but most likely both microbial and host factors contribute to the up- or downregulation of SLPI in the various diseases. Notably, the reduction of SLPI levels correlated inversely with the severity of inflammation (infiltration of granulocytes) and neutrophil elastase activity in the gastric mucosa of *H. pylori-*infected individuals \[[@B20],[@B21]\] and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of *Pseudomonas*-infected subjects \[[@B17]\].
Progranulin, also known as acrogranin, proepithelin and PC cell derived-growth factor, is a 68 kDa glycoprotein secreted by many epithelial and immune cells \[[@B22]\]. The full-length protein is subsequently modified by limited proteolysis leading to the generation of 6-25 kDa fragments called granulins \[[@B23]\]. Pathophysiologically, Progranulin has drawn a lot of attention in the last years since it has been identified that mutations of the corresponding *granulin*gene are causally linked to the development of frontotemporal dementia \[[@B24]\]. Individuals with these mutations exhibit tau-negative, but ubiquitin-positive, inclusions in their brain that eventually cause frontotemporal dementia. Both the precursor (Progranulin) and the degraded forms (Granulins) mediate different cellular effects in a variety of pathophysiological conditions such as inflammation, proliferation, carcinogenesis and wound healing \[[@B25]\]. While Progranulin acts as growth factor for epithelial cells, fibroblasts and neurons and has anti-inflammatory properties \[[@B26],[@B27]\], granulins drive inflammation leading to the infiltration of immune cells and induced cytokine expression \[[@B28],[@B29]\]. The conversion of Progranulin to granulins, which is the critical step in the regulation of the balance between both molecular forms, is controlled by SLPI that binds Progranulin and prevents degradation by elastase \[[@B23]\]. The importance of this interaction for the wound healing was demonstrated at the SLPI-deficient mice \[[@B10]\]. The lack of SLPI resulted in higher serine protease-derived activities that were associated with impaired wound healing in these animals \[[@B10]\]. The delayed wound healing was normalized after the addition of Progranulin providing evidence for the importance of the interaction between Progranulin and SLPI.
We recently identified a marked down-regulation of mucosal SLPI levels in *H. pylori*-infected subjects \[[@B18]\]. The role of SLPI for the balance between Progranulin and granulins and the high prevalence of mucosal injuries (ulcer, erosions) in *H. pylori*-infected subjects, prompted us to study the expression levels of Progranulin in context to that of SLPI in relation to *H. pylori*status. Considering the role of SLPI for regulating the activity of elastase, we hypothesized that the *H. pylori*-induced reduction of SLPI would lead to a reduction of mucosal Progranulin levels, since the higher elastase activities in the mucosa of *H. pylori*-infected subjects would degrade the molecule into the granulin fragments. In addition, gastric epithelial cells (either infected with *H. pylori*± transfection of SLPI-siRNA) were used as *in vitro*model to prove the proposed hypothesis.
Methods
=======
Study design and H. pylori status
---------------------------------
The study protocol was conducted according to the declaration of Helsinki and approved by the ethics\' committee of the Otto-von-Guericke University (No. of ethical vote: 143/99) as well as government authorities; all participants signed informed consent before entering the study. Details of the protocol (inclusion, exclusion criteria, and demographic data) were described previously \[[@B20]\]. The initial protocol was aimed at studying the interaction of *H. pylori*infection and low-dose aspirin. Briefly, human healthy volunteers were stratified according to the *H. pylori*status leading to the *H. pylori*-positive (*H. pylori*^*+*^, n = 10) and -negative (*H. pylori*^-^, n = 10) group. After successful eradication therapy, 9 out of 10 *H. pylori*-infected individuals agreed to participate in this study after 3 months again composing the *H. pylori*-eradicated (*H. pylori*^*erad*^) group. In order to investigate the potential interaction between Progranulin and SLPI, mucosal and serum levels as well as gene expression levels of Progranulin were analyzed retrospectively in existing samples and tissue specimens in relation to *H. pylori*status and SLPI expression levels published previously \[[@B20]\]. The analysis of Progranulin expression was performed in the \"pre-treatment\" samples, which correspond to day 0 \[[@B20]\] before \"low-dose\" aspirin was taken by the individuals.
The study includes a correlation analysis of mucosal Progranulin levels with those of SLPI studied in the same cohorts previously; details concerning the analysis of SLPI were reported recently \[[@B20]\].
Determination of Progranulin expression quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Progranulin levels were quantified in the total protein extract from mucosal biopsies at sera stored at -80°C in previous study \[[@B22]\]. Progranulin levels were quantified using the Progranulin ELISA kit (Axxora GmbH, Lörrach, Germany; No: AG-45A-0018PP-KI01) as described by the manufacturer. Protein levels were normalized to ng/μg total protein content of extracted mucosal samples or ng/ml for sera.
Corresponding Progranulin m-RNA levels were determined by quantitative RT-PCR using existing cDNA samples stored at -80°C. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed using an iCycler (BioRad, Munich, Germany) and HotStarTaq Master Mix™ (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) as described \[[@B23]\]. Initial activation of Taq-polymerase at 95°C for 15 min was followed by 40 cycles with denaturation at 94°C for 30 s, annealing at 60°C for 30 s and elongation at 72°C for 30 s. The fluorescence intensity of the double-strand specific SYBR-Green I, reflecting the amount of actually formed PCR-product, was read real-time at the end of each elongation step. Then specific initial template mRNA amounts were calculated by determining the time point at which the linear increase of sample PCR product started, relative to the corresponding points of a standard curve; these are given as arbitrary units (a.u.). Both PCR products were cloned into the pDIRECT™ (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany), and subsequent dilutions of the corresponding plasmid DNA were used to create a standard curve for the RT-PCR. The correlation coefficients of both Progranulin and β-actin standards were \> 0.95. β-actin mRNA amounts were used to normalize the cDNA contents of the different samples. Final data reflect the ratio in a.u. between Progranulin transcript and β-actin transcript levels. The following primers were used for the RT-PCR analysis: ß-actin (fw:5\'-GCC-ATC-CTG-CGT-CTG-GAC-C-3\' rev: 5\'-ACA-TGG-TGG-TGC-CGC-CAG-ACA-G-3\'; 400 bp), and Progranulin (fw:5\`-ATG-GCC-CAC-AAC-ACT-GAG-CAG-G-3\`, rev: 5\`-TCT-GGG-CAG-GGA-GCT-TCT-TTG-C-3\`, 440 bp). Both cDNA fragments included intron-spanning regions resulting in the generation of a larger PCR product from genomic DNA or its exclusion. Therefore, all identified PCR products can exclusively be attributed to the mRNA pool of the sample.
Immunohistochemical analysis of Progranulin expression in the gastric mucosa
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To study the cellular origin of Progranulin expression in antral and corpus mucosa, tissue specimens from all 29 individuals were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis. The pathologist (D.K.) was blinded to the group assignment of samples. Paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens were cut into 3 μm thick sections, mounted on glass slides, and treated with Xylol and dehydrated by standard protocols. For antigen retrieval, specimens were boiled three times in 0.01 M sodium citrate puffer (pH 6.0) for 10 min in a microwave (600W). Incubation with primary polyclonal goat-derived anti-Progranulin antibody (BAF2420, dilution 1:1.000, R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA) was conducted at 37°C for 35 min and followed by PBS-washing. Positive immunohistochemical reactions were revealed using the iVIEWTM DAB Detection Kit (Ventana, Germany) as chromogen substrate. Finally, the samples were counter-stained with hematoxilin, dehydrated and mounted using DEPEX (Serva, Heidelberg, Germany). For positive control normal prostate tissue was used. For negative control corresponding stainings were performed using unrelated goat antiserum that did not lead to a specific staining (data not shown).
Expression of Progranulin was scored for the epithelium of the mucosal surface and gastric glands of the antrum and corpus in 3 representative high power fields (Zeiss Axioskop 50). Staining intensity (SI) and the percentage of positive cells (PP) were assessed using the following semiquantitative score: SI was classified in 0 (no staining), 1 (weak), 2 (moderate) and 3 (strong); PP: 0 (no positive cells), 1 (\< 10%), 2 (10-50%), 3 (51 - 80%), 4 (\> 80%). For each slide the immunoreactive score (IRS) was calculated as \[SI x PP\] with a possible maximum score of 12. Immunohistochemical expression of Progranulin was separately scored for surface epithelium and glands, and then these scores were summarized as \"total score\" that were statistically analyzed among the three groups. The maximum score for epithelial expression of Progranulin was \"24\". Since all type of immune cells showed constantly strong expression of Progranulin, only the number of these infiltrating cells was semiquantitatively assessed. Progranulin-immunoreactive immune cells were evaluated for their quantity in the lamina propria (1 = few, 2 = moderate, 3 = abundant). Therefore, the maximum score of immune cell-related expression of Progranulin was \"3\".
Cell Culture and *in vitro*studies
----------------------------------
AGS (CRL-1739) gastric cancer cells were purchased from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). Cells were maintained in 25 cm^2^cell culture flasks (NUNC GmbH, Wiesbaden, Germany) in a cell incubator at 37°C and 5% CO~2~using RPMI-1640 containing 10% FCS, 100 U/ml Penicillin, 100 μg/ml streptomycin and 100 μg/ml gentamycin (all reagents; PAA, Colbe, Germany).
Infection studies were performed using wildtype *H. pylori*strain purchased from ATCC (No. 43504). *H. pylori*was cultivated on selective agar plates (bioMerieux, Marcy I\'Etoile, France) under microaerophilic conditions at 37°C for 2 days, and then resuspended in PBS (pH 7.4). Bacterial suspensions were adjusted based on optical density at 535 nm (OD = 1 corresponds to 1 × 10^9^bacteria). To ensure functional active bacteria, suspensions were microscopically inspected for shape and motility. After washing cells twice with medium without FCS and antibiotics, cells were infected with *H. pylori*at a \"multiplicity of infection\" of 50 in medium lacking antibiotics for 24 h.
For siRNA transfection, 4 × 10^5^cells were seeded in complete medium in 6-well plates and cultivated for 24 h. Cells were transfected with either SLPI-siRNA\#1 (No: S100726383) or All-Stars™ negative siRNA control at a final concentration of 3 nM using HiPerfect™ transfect reagent as described by the manufacturer (all reagents, siRNA from Qiagen). Cells were cultivated in the presence of siRNA for another 48 hours at standard conditions, and then infected with *H. pylori*as described above.
After completing transfection and/or infection experiments, 0.8 ml of the cell culture medium was collected, centrifuged at 8.000 × g, and the supernatant stored in aliquots at -80°C for analysis. AGS cells were washed three-times with PBS (pH 7.4), and then harvested by PBS (pH 7.4) using a cell-scraper. Cells were washed once (8.000 × g, 4°C, 15 min) and resuspended in 1 ml PBS (pH 7.4). The sample was aliquoted (2 × 500 μl) into two Eppendorf tubes™ (Eppendorf AG, Hamburg, Germany), cells were obtained by centrifugation and the resulting pellets were stored at -80°C until analysis. Three individual experiments (each as duplicate) were performed for all experiments settings.
Statistical Analysis
--------------------
All data were entered into a database using the Microcal Origin™ 8.0G program package (Northhampton, MA, USA). Data are expressed as raw, median, mean ± standard deviations error (SD), or 95% CI (confidence intervals), if not stated otherwise. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were applied for multiple and pairwise comparisons between groups, respectively. Immunohistochemical data were analyzed by One-way ANOVA (as global test for multiple testing) and LSD as post hoc analysis for pairwise comparisons if global test reached significant level. Correlation analysis was performed by Pearson test. All test were applied two-sided with a level of significance of P \< 0.05.
Results
=======
Expression of Progranulin in gastric mucosa in relation to *H. pylori*status and SLPI levels
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Progranulin gene expression and corresponding protein levels were identified in all mucosal samples from antrum and corpus as well as serum levels. As shown in figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}, protein levels demonstrated normal distribution, while gene expression levels revealed skewed distribution. Therefore, we decided to apply nonparametric tests for both methodologies.
{#F1}
*H. pylori*-infected subjects had about 2-fold higher Progranulin protein levels (median: 0.43, range: 0.33-0.63 ng/μg protein) compared to levels after the successful eradication (median: 0.25, range: 0.25-0.46 ng/μg protein) or the unrelated *H. pylori-*negative group (median: 0.34, range: 0.27-0.46 ng/μg protein; p \< 0.05) (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}, upper panel). Progranulin protein levels in corpus mucosa (medians: 0.19 - 0.26 ng/μg) and serum samples (medians: 173 - 206 ng/ml) did not differ among the three groups (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}, upper panel). Progranulin-mRNA amounts differed significantly in antrum among the three groups. As illustrated in figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"} (lower panel), *H. pylori*-negative subjects revealed highest transcript amounts (median: 0.38, range: 0.2-1.3 a.u.), followed by the *H. pylori*-positive subjects (median: 0.17, range: 0.02-0.58 a.u.), and were lowest after eradication (median: 0.06, range: 0.03-0.07 a.u.). Similar results were obtained for corpus mucosa without reaching significance (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}, lower panel).
To investigate a potential association between mucosal Progranulin and SLPI levels, correlation analysis was performed between both parameters. Please note that data concerning SLPI expression in these cohorts were published previously; therefore these data are not shown in detail in this study \[[@B20]\]. As illustrated in figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}, a significant positive correlation was identified in eradicated subjects, whereas no correlation was seen in both other groups as well as in the combined data set. No correlations between Progranulin and SLPI were identified in corpus mucosa and serum of the three individual groups (data not shown).
{#F2}
Immunohistochemical localization of Progranulin in the gastric mucosa
---------------------------------------------------------------------
As illustrated in figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}, both epithelial and infiltrating immune cells contribute to the mucosal Progranulin expression. Immune cells (granulocytes, lymphocytes) showed constantly high expression of Progranulin except cells of lymphoid follicles. Higher numbers of Progranulin-expressing cells were associated with gastritis in *H. pylori*-infected subjects (Figure [3A+D](#F3){ref-type="fig"}). For the epithelium, strongest expression was observed in the gastric glands followed by the basis of the foveolae mainly in areas of dense inflammatory infiltrate. Surface epithelium between gastric pits showed weak or no expression of Progranulin. Semiquantitative scoring revealed significant higher expression scores of Progranulin for *H. pylori*-infected subjects compared to both other groups in antrum (Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}, left panel), whereas a tendency was observed for corpus (Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}, right panel). Furthermore, the number of infiltrating Progranulin-expressing immune cells was significantly higher in both antral and corpus mucosa of *H. pylori*-infected subjects (Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F3}
{#F4}
Expression of Progranulin and SLPI in epithelial AGS cells infected by *H. pylori*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To investigate the regulatory link between SLPI and Progranulin, both molecules were investigated in relation to *H. pylori*infection and siRNA-mediated downregulation of SLPI expression in AGS cells. As demonstrated in figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}, cellular SLPI levels were significantly reduced by 33%, 63%, and 81.3% by *H. pylori*, siRNA, and both factors, respectively. SLPI levels in the supernatant were strongly reduced (-65%) by siRNA, but not by *H. pylori*(Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). The analysis of Progranulin levels in the identical samples, revealed no effect of SLPIsiRNA treatment. Both cellular (94.7 ± 9.4%) as well as secreted (109.4 ± 3.3%) Progranulin levels were similar to those of controls. *H. pylori*-infection was associated with elevated Progranulin level in supernatant (353 ± 109%), while cellular levels were found to be slightly reduced (70 ± 5.9%, P \< 0.05). The combined effect of *H. pylori*and SLPI-siRNA approach resulted in similar changes (331 ± 97% and 61.3 ± 8.9% of Progranulin levels in supernatant and lysate, respectively (P \< 0.05, Figure [5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F5}
Discussion
==========
Here we demonstrate that (I) the *H. pylori*infection is associated with increased Progranulin levels in the antrum of infected subjects, and (II) that both epithelial and infiltrating immune cells contribute to this phenomenon. Furthermore, we provided evidence that (III) the upregulation of Progranulin seems to be independent of SLPI levels. Considering the central role of the elastase/SLPI equilibrium for the conversion of Progranulin to granulins \[[@B10]\] and the previously identified deregulation of elastase/SLPI expression in *H. pylori*-induced gastritis \[[@B21]\], we anticipated a negative correlation between SLPI and Progranulin for this disease. The *H. pylori*-induced reduction of mucosal SLPI levels resulted in higher elastase activities that were expected to degrade Progranulin leading subsequently to diminished mucosal Progranulin levels. In contrast to our working hypothesis (we expected a negative correlation between mucosal SLPI and Progranulin levels), we identified an increase of mucosal Progranulin levels in the antrum of *H. pylori-*infected subjects. Furthermore, correlation analyses revealed rather a trend or even a positive correlation between both proteins implying that the proposed regulatory link between SLPI and Progranulin is not present in this disease.
The fact that increased Progranulin levels were mostly restricted to antral mucosa (except immunohistochemical score of corpus glands) suggests an association of this upregulation with the degree of gastritis. As previously demonstrated, all probands presented antrum-predominant gastritis that was associated with moderate and severe activity scores reflecting the number of infiltrating granulocytes and lymphocytes \[[@B20]\]. As shown in immunohistochemical stainings of the study, immune cells were strongly positive for Progranulin and represent a major source of mucosal Progranulin levels in addition to gastric epithelial cells. Collectively, data of immunohistochemistry correspond to quantitative assessment of Progranulin by ELISA supporting the identified upregulation of Progranulin in *H. pylori*-infection.
Interestingly, *H. pylori*-negative subjects revealed significant higher *progranulin*transcript levels, which were associated with lower protein levels, compared to those of the *H. pylori*-positive and -eradicated group. The missing concordance between transcriptional and protein level is not easily explained and remains unclear. One potential explanation might be different regulatory mechanisms of Progranulin expression in gastric epithelial cells of *H. pylori*-negative subjects, who have been negative for the complete life compared to individuals after successful eradication therapy being without *H. pylori*-infection for several months only. As shown recently for mucosal infiltration and by the numbers of Progranulin-expressing immune cells in this study, samples from patients after eradication therapy contained still lymphocytes leading to slightly higher chronicity scores \[[@B20]\] or slightly increased Progranulin scores compared to *H. pylori*-negative subjects. Since in *H. pylori*-positive subjects, two major Progranulin-expressing cell types (epithelial and immune cells) are simultaneously present, *Progranulin*transcript levels can not be assessed individually for each cell type. Despite the missing concordance between protein and transcript levels, it should be emphasized that the mucosal levels of Progranulin were found to be significantly upregulated in *H. pylori*-infected subjects.
The results obtained in the AGS cell model do partially not correspond to the *ex vivo*findings. While *ex vivo*data demonstrated an upregulation of Progranulin by *H. pylori*, in the AGS cell model, only the concentration of Progranulin in the supernatant was strongly induced, whereas the cellular expression, analyzed in the lysate, was decreased. There are several aspects that might explain these disconcordant results. In AGS cells, both the intracellular and secreted proportion of Progranulin was separately analyzed. Since in *ex vivo*analysis, both compartments can not be differentiated, the increased Progranulin levels in antral mucosa might reflect both increased secretion and changes in epithelial Progranulin expression. Second, *ex vivo*analysis is performed on complex samples including epithelial and immune cells, whereas the *in vitro*model only mirrors the direct interaction of *H. pylori*to epithelial-derived AGS cells. Third, analyzing the Progranulin expression after 24 hours represents the effects of an acute infection, whereas changes in mucosal biopsies can be considered as long-term effects of an chronic infection that are in a \"steady-state\". Despite these limitations, data from the *in vitro*model allow the conclusion that a down-regulation of epithelial SLPI expression (either by *H. pylori*or siRNA) does not affect the expression of Progranulin in AGS cells. Owing to the low molecular weight of granulins, no method is currently suitable to analyze quantitatively the levels of the Progranulin-derived degradation products. Therefore, no statement can be made concerning the equilibrium between Progranulin and granulins in gastric mucosa that might hypothetically be shifted towards granulins even the Progranulin levels are upregulated. Furthermore, it is of note that SLPI is not the only serine protease inhibitor expressed in the gastric mucosa. Recently, we identified elevated alpha-1 protease inhibitor (A1-PI) levels in the mucosa of *H. pylori*-infected individuals \[[@B30]\]. Since A1-PI can inhibit elastase to a similar extent as SLPI \[[@B7]\], a compensatory mechanism is another potential explanation, while Progranulin is elevated, although SLPI levels are strongly diminished in relation to *H. pylori*infection.
The observed association of induced Progranulin levels in context to *H. pylori*infection and its associated gastritis does not allow functional conclusions whether the upregulation has an active regulatory role for the inflammatory process, or it merely reflects the inflammatory conditions of the underlying gastritis. Keeping in mind that Progranulin acts as epithelial growth factor in other diseases \[[@B28],[@B29]\], it is tempting to speculate that the upregulation of Progranulin in *H. pylori-*associated gastritis might be involved in mucosal healing of gastric erosions/ulcers induced by this infection. But at this moment, this remains purely speculative since no functional data are available.
Conclusions
===========
Taken together data from *in vitro*and *ex vivo*analysis, we can conclude that the proposed regulatory link between SLPI and Progranulin expression seems to be of no or low relevance in context to the *H. pylori*infection. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Progranulin is another molecule the expression of which is upregulated in relation to this infection.
Competing interests
===================
The authors declare that none of them has financial interests in context to this study. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (WE-2170/8-1).
Authors\' contributions
=======================
TW was involved in the conception and design of the study, analyzing and interpreting data, writing the manuscript and revision of the final version. DK performed immunohistochemical stainings, corresponding semiquantitative analysis and participated in writing the draft. CS and DS performed *in vitro*studies on AGS cells and the corresponding assessment and analysis of Progranulin expression in these samples. GT enrolled the patients groups, performed endoscopic evaluation including sampling biopsies, and contributed in writing the draft. PM was involved in the conception and design of the study, and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Pre-publication history
=======================
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:
<http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-230X/11/63/prepub>
Acknowledgements
================
We thank the endoscopy team for their technical assistance, Ursula Stolz, Simone Philipsen (Clinic of Gastroenterology), N. Wiest and C. Kügler (Department of Pathology) for their work.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
}
|
Search This Blog
Friday, February 12, 2010
Maddox
comme des garcons h&m jacket
zara top and bag
blanket as skirt
vintage belt
topshop boots
Sometimes when I am out of things to wear (which technically should be impossible) I wear my plaid blanket wrapped around like a skirt. I got it from one of those 'England invented checks' stores after giving up on trying to find a real skirt version.. Worn best tied around with an old belt and lace-up overknee's, that ofted have people asking me what sexshop I got them from...
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{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Q:
Retrofit 2 API Can I use local file path or json string instead of url?
Hello I am working on an Android App which uses retrofit API getting response from server. Retrofit Automatically parse the json response and creates objects of POJO class. I am storing that json into sqlite and if internet is not connected call the json from sqllite, facing difficulty have to parse json manually.
Is there any way I use retrofit library to parse json and make pojo from json string or file path?My code is here to fetch from url:
@FormUrlEncoded
@POST("getResponse")
Observable<UserResponse> getResponse(@Field("token") String token);
I want something like this if internet is not connected.
@FromStringEncoded
Observable<UserResponse> getResponseOffline(@Field("token") String token);
Thanks.
A:
You don't mentioned proposes. I use below solution for mocking server in app on very early stage of development when real server doesn't work yet.
So you can use interceptors in OkHttp. Like this:
OkHttpClient.Builder builder = new OkHttpClient.Builder();
builder.addInterceptor(new MockClient(context));
and MockClient looks like this:
public class MockClient implements Interceptor {
Context context;
public MockClient(Context context) {
this.context = context;
}
@Override
public Response intercept(Chain chain) throws IOException {
HttpUrl url = chain.request().url();
//here determine what to do base on url.
//e.g.:
switch(url.encodedPath()) {
case "some/path" :
String response = readJsonFieleFromAssestOrAnyOtherStorage();
return new Response.Builder()
.code(200)
.message(response)
.request(chain.request())
.protocol(Protocol.HTTP_1_1)
.body(ResponseBody.create(MediaType.parse("application/json"), response.getBytes()))
.addHeader("content-type", "application/json")
.build();
}
}
}
A:
Simply use Google's GSON Library that allows you to convert json to POJO and vice versa. Fetch json from sqlite and parse it using gson.
Gson gson=new Gson();
UserResponse userResponse= gson.fromJson(jsonInStringFromDb,UserResponse.class);
You can also parse JSON from file using Gson.
JSON to Java object, read it from a file.
Gson gson = new Gson();
Staff staff = gson.fromJson(new FileReader("D:\\file.json"), Staff.class);
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
// <auto-generated />
namespace Thinktecture.IdentityServer.Core.Repositories.Migrations.SqlCe
{
using System.Data.Entity.Migrations;
using System.Data.Entity.Migrations.Infrastructure;
using System.Resources;
public sealed partial class DisableSSL : IMigrationMetadata
{
private readonly ResourceManager Resources = new ResourceManager(typeof(DisableSSL));
string IMigrationMetadata.Id
{
get { return "201308171332371_DisableSSL"; }
}
string IMigrationMetadata.Source
{
get { return null; }
}
string IMigrationMetadata.Target
{
get { return Resources.GetString("Target"); }
}
}
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
/*
* SGI FREE SOFTWARE LICENSE B (Version 2.0, Sept. 18, 2008)
* Copyright (C) 1991-2000 Silicon Graphics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
*
* Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
* copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
* to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
* the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
* and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
* Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
*
* The above copyright notice including the dates of first publication and
* either this permission notice or a reference to
* http://oss.sgi.com/projects/FreeB/
* shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
*
* THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
* OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
* FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
* SILICON GRAPHICS, INC. BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
* WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF
* OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
* SOFTWARE.
*
* Except as contained in this notice, the name of Silicon Graphics, Inc.
* shall not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or
* other dealings in this Software without prior written authorization from
* Silicon Graphics, Inc.
*
* OpenGL ES CM 1.0 port of GLU by Mike Gorchak <mike@malva.ua>
*/
#ifndef __GLUES_PROJECT_H__
#define __GLUES_PROJECT_H__
#if defined(__USE_SDL_GLES__)
#include <SDL/SDL_opengles.h>
#ifndef GLAPI
#define GLAPI GL_API
#endif
#elif defined (__QNXNTO__)
#include <GLES/gl.h>
#elif defined(_WIN32) && (defined(_M_IX86) || defined(_M_X64))
/* mainly for PowerVR OpenGL ES 1.x win32 emulator */
#include <GLES\gl.h>
#undef APIENTRY
#define APIENTRY
#if defined(GLUES_EXPORTS)
#define GLAPI __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define GLAPI __declspec(dllimport)
#endif
#else
#error "Platform is unsupported"
#endif
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
GLAPI void APIENTRY gluOrtho2D(GLfloat left, GLfloat right, GLfloat bottom, GLfloat top);
GLAPI void APIENTRY gluPerspective(GLfloat fovy, GLfloat aspect, GLfloat zNear, GLfloat zFar);
GLAPI void APIENTRY gluLookAt(GLfloat eyex, GLfloat eyey, GLfloat eyez,
GLfloat centerx, GLfloat centery, GLfloat centerz,
GLfloat upx, GLfloat upy, GLfloat upz);
GLAPI GLint APIENTRY gluProject(GLfloat objx, GLfloat objy, GLfloat objz,
const GLfloat modelMatrix[16], const GLfloat projMatrix[16],
const GLint viewport[4], GLfloat* winx, GLfloat* winy, GLfloat* winz);
GLAPI GLint APIENTRY gluUnProject(GLfloat winx, GLfloat winy, GLfloat winz,
const GLfloat modelMatrix[16], const GLfloat projMatrix[16],
const GLint viewport[4], GLfloat* objx, GLfloat* objy, GLfloat* objz);
GLAPI GLint APIENTRY gluUnProject4(GLfloat winx, GLfloat winy, GLfloat winz, GLfloat clipw,
const GLfloat modelMatrix[16], const GLfloat projMatrix[16],
const GLint viewport[4], GLclampf nearVal, GLclampf farVal,
GLfloat* objx, GLfloat* objy, GLfloat* objz, GLfloat* objw);
GLAPI void APIENTRY gluPickMatrix(GLfloat x, GLfloat y, GLfloat deltax, GLfloat deltay, GLint viewport[4]);
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
#endif /* __GLUES_PROJECT_H__ */
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
/*
* This file is part of the SDWebImage package.
* (c) Olivier Poitrey <rs@dailymotion.com>
* (c) Laurin Brandner
*
* For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
* file that was distributed with this source code.
*/
#import "UIImage+GIF.h"
#import "SDImageGIFCoder.h"
@implementation UIImage (GIF)
+ (nullable UIImage *)sd_imageWithGIFData:(nullable NSData *)data {
if (!data) {
return nil;
}
return [[SDImageGIFCoder sharedCoder] decodedImageWithData:data options:0];
}
@end
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
SAN DIEGO -- Animal control officers are looking for the owner of two large dogs that viciously attacked a small Maltese and her owner on Fiesta Island Sunday afternoon, and then fled the scene.
At about 2:30 p.m., Renata took Micha to play at the off-leash dog beach on Fiesta Island. She scooped Micha up and held her over her head.
“I parked my car. I laid everything down on the sand, and next thing I know, I see two big dogs running towards our direction.”
The dogs were pit bull mixes, white with brown spots, Renata said.
“I’m holding her up and one of these big dogs, these dogs had to be 100 pounds, one of the big dogs pushes me down onto the ground,” Renata said. “It was my worst nightmare because I knew, at that point, they were just going to go for her.”
She says they bit her as she tried to save Micha.
“All over my hands, and I start screaming at the dogs to get off of her,” Renata, said. “Finally, some people came over and they pulled the dogs off of her.”
Micha was ripped open, barely alive.
Witnesses told Renata the two men who had the pit bulls put them in a white two-door commercial type-van and fled. Renata said the van had an Arizona license plate.
Witnesses got a partial plate of AC6099 or AG6099. San Diego County Animal Control ran the plate but did not get a hit. They are still searching for the dogs’ owner.
“I’d love for the public to help me right now, because I feel this incident should not have happened, and if something like this does happen, you shouldn’t leave the crime scene,” Renata said.
The Director of San Diego Animal Services said anyone with information should call 619-767-2740.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
const path = require('path');
const dist = path.join(__dirname, 'dist');
module.exports = [
{
name: 'client',
target: 'web',
mode: 'development',
context: __dirname,
entry: './client',
output: {
path: dist,
filename: 'client.js'
}
}, {
name: 'server',
target: 'node',
mode: 'development',
context: __dirname,
entry: './server',
output: {
path: dist,
filename: 'server.js',
libraryTarget: 'commonjs2'
}
}
];
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
John William Carrington
John William Carrington was the 9th Civil Auditor General. He was appointed on 1 December 1817, succeeding E. Tolfrey, and held the office until 1823. He was succeeded by Henry Augustus Marshall.
References
Category:Auditors General of Sri Lanka
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
Derivation of human embryonic stem cell line Genea019.
The Genea019 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from a donated, fully commercially consented ART blastocyst, through ICM outgrowth on inactivated feeders. The line showed pluripotent cell morphology and genomic analysis verified a 46, XX karyotype, female Allele pattern and unaffected Htt CAG repeat length, compared to HD affected sibling Genea020. Pluripotency of Genea019 was demonstrated with 75% of cells expressing Nanog, 89% Oct4, 48% Tra1-60 and 85% SSEA4, a Pluritest Pluripotency score of 22.97, Novelty score of 1.42, tri-lineage teratoma formation and Alkaline Phosphatase activity. The cell line was negative for Mycoplasma and any visible contamination.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Slip Op. 08 - 35
UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
:
THE UNITED STATES :
:
Plaintiff, :
:
v. : Before: MUSGRAVE, Senior Judge
: Court No. 07-00263
WORLD COMMODITIES EQUIPMENT :
CORP., and HARTFORD FIRE :
INSURANCE COMPANY :
:
Defendants. :
____________________________________ :
:
HARTFORD FIRE INSURANCE :
COMPANY, :
:
Plaintiff, :
:
v. :
:
WORLD COMMODITIES EQUIPMENT :
CORPORATION, :
:
Cross-Defendant. :
____________________________________ :
[Denying Customs’ out-of-time motion for out-of-time service of process upon defendant World
Commodities Equipment Corp. and dismissing action as to that defendant; denying motion to
dismiss as to Hartford Fire Insurance Co.]
Dated: March 21, 2008
Court No. 07-00263 Page 2
OPINION AND ORDER
Jefferey S. Bucholtz, Acting Assistant Attorney General; Jeanne E. Davidson, Director,
Franklin E. White, Assistant Director, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, U.S.
Department of Justice (Sean M. Dunn) for the plaintiff;
Barnes, Richardson & Colburn (Frederick D. Van Arnam) for defendant Hartford Fire
Insurance Company;
Defendant World Commodities Equipment Corp. did not participate in this action.
On July 16, 2007 the United States Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border
Protection (“CBP” or “Customs”) filed with the Court a summons and complaint to enforce civil
penalties and recover unpaid duties pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1592 (2000) for an entry of fresh garlic
imported into the United States on July 16, 2002.1 Customs alleges that Defendant importer World
Commodities Equipment Co. (“WCE”) attempted to enter the fresh garlic into the commerce of the
United States by means of documents containing “material false statements” showing that the garlic
originated from Mexico, when the actual country of origin was the People’s Republic of China.
Compl. at ¶ ¶ 5, 7. However, Customs has apparently failed to effect service of process on WCE
within the 120-day time period required by CIT Rule 4; currently before the court is Customs’ out-of
-time motion to serve the summons and complaint on WCE approximately one month beyond the
120-day deadline.
Co-defendant surety Hartford Fire Insurance Co., (“Hartford”) asserts that Customs’ failure
to effectuate service of process on WCE within the 120-day deadline requires dismissal as to WCE.
Hartford asserts further that if dismissal is granted as to WCE, the court must grant its motion to
1
Pursuant to the five-year statute of limitations provided in 19 U.S.C. § 1621, July 16,
2007 was the last date in which the action could be filed.
Court No. 07-00263 Page 3
dismiss the action against Hartford as well (pursuant to Rule 12(b)(5)) or, alternatively, “to convert
this matter to summary judgment” or decide the action in Hartford’s favor based on the pleadings.
Hartford’s Mot. In Opp. at 13. For the reasons set forth below, the court will (1) deny plaintiff’s out-
of-time motion and dismiss the matter as to WCE, and (2) deny Hartford’s motion to dismiss.
Background
On July 16, 2007 Customs sent to Hartford and WCE a notice of the commencement of the
current action with a request that each of the defendants waive formal service of a summons. See
CIT Rule 4(d). Defendant Hartford signed and returned the waiver on August 28, 2007; defendant
WCE apparently never acknowledged receipt of those documents. Because WCE did not waive
formal service of process, Customs was required, pursuant to CIT Rule 4(m), to formally serve the
summons and complaint on WCE within 120 days after the July 16, 2007 filing of the complaint.
Day 120 fell on November 13, 2007, but Customs had not served WCE. On November 30, 2007,
Customs filed with the Court a pleading entitled “Plaintiff’s Out of Time Motion for Leave to Serve
Summons and Complaint Out of Time on Defendant [WCE].” In that motion, Customs states that
the summons and complaint had not been served on WCE, but that service was expected to occur
“on or about December 3, 2007.” Pl.’s Out of Time Mot. at 1. Customs eventually served WCE on
December 10, 2007. Pl.’s Resp. to Hartford’s Mot. in Opp. at 8.
Discussion
I. Dismissal as to WCE
Rule 4(m) of the Court’s Rules provides
(m) TIME LIMIT FOR SERVICE.
If a service of the summons and complaint is not made
upon a defendant within 120 days after the filing of the complaint, the
Court No. 07-00263 Page 4
court upon motion or its own initiative after notice to the plaintiff,
shall dismiss the action without prejudice as to that defendant or
direct that service be effected within a specified time; provided that
if the plaintiff shows good cause for the failure, the court shall extend
the time for service for an appropriate period. This subdivision does
not apply to service in a foreign country pursuant to subdivision (f)
or (j)(1).
CIT R. 4(m). Subsequent to the passage of the 1993 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure, most jurisdictions require that the consideration of whether to extend the time for service
of process under Rule 4(m) requires a district judge to engage in what is essentially a two-part
inquiry.2 First, the court must determine whether “good cause” exists for an extension of time; if the
court finds that good cause exists, it must extend time for service “and the inquiry is ended.”
Petrucelli v. Bohringer and Ratzinger GMBH, 46 F.3d 1298, 1305 (3d Cir. 1995). Second, “even
if there is no good cause shown,” the court must then consider whether the circumstances of the case
warrant the grant of a discretionary extension of time. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m) and Fed. R. Civ. P.
advisory committee notes, 28 U.S.C. App., p. 654 (authorizing courts discretion to grant an extension
of time “even if there is no good cause shown,” noting that “[r]elief may be justified, for example,
if the applicable statute of limitations would bar the refiled action, or if the defendant is evading
service or conceals a defect in attempted service.”); Henderson v. United States, 517 U.S. 654, 662
(1996) (recognizing that the 1993 amendments to the rules accorded courts the discretion to enlarge
the 120-day service period even without a showing of good cause).
Prior to the 1993 Amendments, this Court established a standard for demonstrating “good
2
Prior to December 1, 1993, CIT Rule 4(m) was designated as 4(h) and the comparable
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure was 4(j). After December 1, 1993 (and the 1993 Amendments)
the letter designations were harmonized so that CIT Rule 4(m) and Federal Rule 4(m) are the
same rule.
Court No. 07-00263 Page 5
cause” pursuant to Rule 4 in United States v. Gen. Int’l Mktg. Group, 14 CIT 545, 742 F.Supp. 1173
(1990). In that case, Judge Watson concluded that
a fair standard of good cause is one which requires people to show
behavior consistent with the recognition that a 120 day deadline
exists. It is worth noting that the word “deadline” originated in
prisons to describe a line or boundary, the crossing of which
subjected prisoners to the penalty of death. It would seem reasonable
therefore to require plaintiffs to make such efforts at service as are
consistent with a recognition that 120 days may otherwise mark the
death of the action.
14 CIT at 548, 742 F.Supp. at 1176. In Gen. Int’l, the Court found that the plaintiff failed to
demonstrate good cause because the plaintiff’s efforts at service were essentially limited to simply
mailing the summons and complaint to the defendant’s last known address. Although Gen. Int’l
preceded the 1993 amendments to Rule 4, the court sees no reason to deviate from the “good cause”
standard established therein to address the first part of the inquiry.
In the current matter, Customs asserts that “good cause” exists for an extension of time
because the principal attorney on the case suffered “a broken arm, which required surgery upon two
occasions and significant time out of the office for recovery and medical appointments.” Pl.’s Out
of Time Mot. at 2. Customs contends that the court’s standard of “good cause” should include an
attorney’s illness, as noted in LeMaster v. City of Winnemucca, 113 F.R.D. 37 (D. Nev 1986)
(finding “good cause” for 17-day delay in service where plaintiff’s sole attorney was being treated
for terminal cancer). Additionally, Customs notes that “WCE would not have good arguments based
upon the delay,” because “it appears that WCE attempted to evade service.” Customs bases this
allegation on its contention that (1) service of process was delayed by a week because WCE’s
registered agent was not found at the address listed by the Texas Secretary of State; and (2) “it took
Court No. 07-00263 Page 6
the process server numerous attempts” to serve additional documents on WCE. Pl.’s Resp. to
Hartford’s Mot. in Opp. at 8.
Customs argues further that even if no good cause exists, the court should exercise its
discretion to grant an extension of time for service. Customs urges the court to consider (1) the fact
that the running of the statute of limitations would bar refiling of the claim; (2) that WCE was served
“less than one month beyond the statutory deadline” and would suffer no prejudice from the delay;
and (3) that Hartford has suffered “no prejudice whatever” as a result of the delayed service to WCE.
Id. at 10. Finally, Customs asserts that Hartford “lacks standing to assert the legal rights of WCE
as to the delayed service,” because Hartford was timely served with the complaint. Id. at 11.
The court cannot find that good cause exists for the delay in service here. Given that
Customs agreed to accept the waiver of service within 60 days of July 16, 2007, Customs would
have been aware on September 15, 2007 that WCE refused to waive service, yet it took no further
action in the matter until November 30, 2007, almost two weeks after the expiration of the 120-day
service period. Except for the initial request for waiver of service, Customs apparently made no
attempt whatsoever to serve WCE within the 120-day period. Such complete inaction cannot
plausibly be interpreted as “behavior consistent with the recognition that a 120-day deadline exists.”
Further, even if the court were to adopt the “good cause” standard from LeMaster, it is unlikely that
that standard would affect the court’s decision here. In LeMaster, the only attorney serving the
plaintiff underwent weekly treatments of chemotherapy and radiation to treat what eventually
became terminal cancer. LeMaster, 113 F.R.D. at 38. In this case, the plaintiff is represented by the
United States Department of Justice, and the individual attorney assigned to the case broke his arm
Court No. 07-00263 Page 7
on September 22, 2007. Although the court is sympathetic to counsel’s injury, a broken arm cannot
realistically be compared to terminal cancer. More importantly, counsel for the plaintiff is hardly
a solo practitioner with limited resources: counsel is an attorney for the Department of Justice. The
plaintiff has provided no reason why counsel could not have obtained assistance on this matter after
his injury, or why counsel’s supervisor could not have the matter reassigned to another attorney.
Finally, although a defendant’s attempt to evade service of process is generally a compelling
reason to find good cause, Customs’ vague allegations as to a single address change and difficulty
in serving other pleadings (which, pursuant to CIT Rule 5(b), may be served by “[m]ailing a copy
to the last known address of the person served”) cannot reasonably be viewed as evasion of service.
Moreover, because the difficulties resulting from the address change or in serving other pleadings
took place well after the 120-day service period, Customs cannot realistically expect the court to find
that those occurrences were a cause of the belated service.
However – as noted above – even without a showing of good cause, the court must still
consider whether the totality of the circumstances warrant a permissive extension of time. Paneras,
94 F.3d at 341. Unfortunately, other than noting that relief “may be justified” in situations where
the statute of limitations has expired or where the defendant is evading service, neither the caselaw
nor the Advisory Committee notes provide clear guidelines as to what other circumstances may
warrant a discretionary extension of time. Moreover, even the passage of the statute of limitations
is far from a guarantee of discretionary extension, as Courts in most jurisdictions routinely dismiss
actions where other factors are more compelling. See Tuke v. United States, 76 F.3d 155, 156 (7th
Cir. 1996) (upholding dismissal and observing that “an attorney who files suit when the statute of
Court No. 07-00263 Page 8
limitations is about to expire must take special care to achieve timely service of process, because a
slip-up is fatal”)3; Coleman v. Milwaukee Bd. of School Dir., 290 F.3d 932, 934 (7th Cir. 2002)
(upholding dismissal where statute of limitations had run, noting that “the judge understandably was
troubled by the fact that the plaintiff had delayed till almost the last minute in attempting service.”);
Zapata v. City of New York, 502 F.3d 192, 199 (2nd Cir. 2007) (upholding dismissal in spite of
passage of the statute of limitations where plaintiff “made no effort to effect service within the
service period, neglected to ask for an extension within a reasonable period of time, and has
advanced no cognizable excuse for the delay”). With no concrete factors, district judges have
essentially determined each case on an individual basis while taking care not to “overlook any of the
factors urged . . . by the plaintiff for exercising discretion in [its] favor.” Coleman, 290 F.3d at 934.
In this case, the court is unconvinced that a discretionary extension of time is appropriate.
Customs waited until the last day of the five-year statute of limitations to file the action, but instead
of “taking special care to achieve timely service of process” Customs sat on its hands until two
weeks after the passing of the 120-day service period. Even in cases deemed worthy of a
discretionary extension because the plaintiff was pro se or because the method of service was
unusual or complicated, the plaintiffs made some (albeit botched) attempt at service that oftentimes
had the effect of providing actual notice of the claim to the defendant. See Coleman, 290 F.3d at
935-36. However, nothing indicates that such is the case here: the plaintiff is not pro se, the rules
3
The court notes that Zapata v. City of New York, 502 F.3d 192 (2nd Cir. 2007) and
other cases support the notion that the filing of an action actually “tolls” the statute of limitations
until service of process is completed or the 120-day period expires. Hence, a plaintiff who had
60 days left in the statute of limitations when he filed would have that 60 days tacked onto the
end of the 120 day period in order to refile.
Court No. 07-00263 Page 9
of service are no more complex than any other customs case, and there is no clear indication that the
defendant had actual notice of the claim. Accordingly, the court will deny the plaintiff’s out-of-time
motion and dismiss the action as to WCE. Although the court’s dismissal is technically without
prejudice to refiling, the expiration of the statute of limitations essentially ends the action as to WCE
because Customs appears to be time-barred by the statute of limitations from refiling the claim.
II. Dismissal as to Hartford
The court must now determine whether Custom’s action against Hartford must be dismissed
if WCE is no longer a party to the case. Hartford argues that the court must dismiss the case against
it because, without WCE as a party to the case, “the government cannot establish at court the
elements proving that WCE violated 19 U.S.C. § 1592(a).” Def.’s Reply to Pl.’s Resp. to Mot. to
Dismiss at 10. Hartford essentially contends that the government must establish the elements of the
section 1592(a) violation in an action “against the importer as a predicate to prosecuting a claim for
duties against the surety under section 1592(d).” Def.’s Reply to Pl.’s Resp. at 7 (emphasis added).
The court does not agree. Nothing in section 1592(d) indicates that the only manner by
which the government may prove a violation of section 1592(a) is via successful suit against the
importer. 19 U.S.C. § 1592(d) provides:
(d) Deprivation of lawful duties, taxes, or fees
Notwithstanding section 1514 of this title, if the United States
has been deprived of lawful duties, taxes, or fees as a result of a
violation of subsection (a) of this section, the Customs Service shall
require that such lawful duties, taxes, and fees be restored, whether
or not a monetary penalty is assessed.
19 U.S.C. § 1592(d) (2000). Although section 1592(d) requires a “violation of subsection (a)” as
Court No. 07-00263 Page 10
a prerequisite for an award pursuant to section (d), nothing in the plain language of section 1592(d)
indicates that such a violation can only be established in a suit against the importer. This Court has
discussed this concept in a number of cases involving sureties. In United States v. XL Specialty Ins.
Co., the Court addressed this very issue:
Of course, such violation must be established for there to be any such
collection, but it does not necessarily follow that that predicate be
established in an action between the government and the importer.
That is, Blum held there to be a direct cause of action against a surety
for recovery of lost duties due to violation of section 1592(a), which
is this matter at bar. The government is not foreclosed from
commencing this kind of action first. To be sure, when it does so, it
bears the burden of proving such violation of the statute, just as it
does in any action brought by it against an importer pursuant to 19
U.S.C. § 1592.
462 F.Supp.2d 1364, 1366-67 (2006) (emphasis added) (discussing United States v. Blum, 858 F.2d
1566 (Fed. Cir. 1988). See also United States v. Washington Int’l Ins. Co., 28 CIT__ , 374 F.Supp.
2d 1265 (2005) (surety successfully defended against Customs’ suit for duties by showing importer
had committed no violation under section 1592(a), even though the importer was not a party to the
case).
The only difference between XL Specialty and the current matter is that instead of bringing
an action against the surety first, Customs is now maintaining an action only against the surety.
However, the court sees no reason to bar such a lawsuit: pursuant to the concept of joint and several
liability that is the mainstay of the surety-principal relationship, as well as the language of the bond,
Customs has the option to sue either party for duties. See 19 C.F.R. § 113.62 (“Basic importation
and entry bond conditions”); Washington Int’l Ins. Co. v. United States, 25 CIT 207, 225, 138
F.Supp. 2d 1314, 1331 (2001) (holding that the joint and several liability stemming from the
Court No. 07-00263 Page 11
language of the bond “grants the United States the discretionary authority to seek payment from [the
bond surety] independently of any action that may be brought against the principal.”); Blum, 858
F.2d at 1570 (holding that § 1592(d) “provides the United States with a cause of action to recover
duties from those parties traditionally liable for such duties, e.g., the importer of record and its
surety.”); Balboa Ins. Co. v. United States, 775 F.2d 1158, 1160 (Fed. Cir. 1985) (holding that a
surety bond “creates a three-party relationship, in which the surety becomes liable for the principal's
debt or duty to the third party obligee (here, the government).”). As the United States Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit observed:
The surety's obligation to pay does not wait for completion of legal
contests between the principal and the creditor. If a surety's
obligation to pay only arose upon conclusion of lawsuits, the creditor
would lose a significant part of the protection it bargained to obtain.
Ins. Co. of North America v. United States, 951 F.2d 1244, 1246 (Fed. Cir. 1991). Hence, the court
finds no support for Hartford’s contention that Customs cannot establish a violation of section
1592(a) without WCE as a party to the suit, and can see no reason why Customs inability to bring
an action under section 1592(a) would otherwise preclude it from suing a surety under section
1592(d), see United States v. Jac Natori Co., Ltd., 108 F.3d 295 (1997) (permitting recovery of
duties under section 1592(d) even where the statute of limitations under former 19 U.S.C. § 1621
barred an action for recovery of penalties under section 1592(a)).
The court recognizes that Hartford may have several defenses against the current action
pursuant to its status as a surety and relating to whether its obligations as a surety have been
Court No. 07-00263 Page 12
discharged.4 However, Hartford has asserted no defenses in this regard and it is not within the
purview of the court to do so on its behalf. Accordingly, the court will deny Hartford’s motion to
dismiss and allow the suit against Hartford to proceed. If Hartford wishes to submit a proper motion
for summary judgment to this effect, it must do so in accordance with CIT Rule 56.
Conclusion
Upon consideration of the foregoing, Customs’ out-of-time motion for out-of-time service
of process upon the defendant WCE is denied, and the matter dismissed as to WCE. Hartford’s
motion to dismiss is denied.
SO ORDERED.
/s/ R. Kenton Musgrave
R. KENTON MUSGRAVE, Senior Judge
Dated: March 21, 2008
New York, New York
4
See Restatement (Third) of Suretyship and Guaranty, § 43.
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Q:
Authors on "the Trouble with the Revolutions of the Mind"
Accepting that planet Earth was not at the centre of the universe and the stars were like just like the Sun but only much further was a "revolution of the mind" that took centuries to accept. Accepting that species evolve and change through time has not been fully accepted. In the USA for instance 38% still believe that humans were created by God (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism).
The scientific knowledge and technology of people today exceeds most Jules Verne novels who was taken as mere entertainment during his time only 130 years ago. Is it hard to accept that perhaps science and technology of people of the 22nd century will exceed shows such us "the Matrix", "The X Files", or "Transcendence"?
Where does this trouble accepting these revolutions of the mind come from? Is there a defect in the brain not being efficient at re-wiring new ideas? Is it a need to believe a much more pleasant existence? Is it perhaps that it takes effort to accept new ideas and we don't want to over-complicate our existence or is it an ego-related thing because the longer you have been wrong about things the harder it gets to admit it?
What if 9/11 was an inside job or maybe the existence of alien civilisations were real? Could those be potential "revolutions of the mind" that most people would have trouble with?
I'm looking for authors that explore these ideas.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you,
then you win". Mahatma Gandhi
"Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the
world" Arthur Schopenhauer
"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he
generally believes to be true." Demosthenes 384-322 BC
“Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want
their illusions destroyed.” Friedrich Nietzsche
A:
One of those authors Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and his Owl of Minerva or Athena
The 19th-century idealist philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
famously noted that "the owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with
the falling of the dusk"—meaning that philosophy comes to understand a
historical condition just as it passes away.[17] Philosophy appears
only in the "maturity of reality," because it understands in
hindsight.
“ Philosophy, as the thought of the world, does not appear until
reality has completed its formative process, and made itself ready.
History thus corroborates the teaching of the conception that only in
the maturity of reality does the ideal appear as counterpart to the
real, apprehends the real world in its substance, and shapes it into
an intellectual kingdom. When philosophy paints its grey in grey, one
form of life has become old, and by means of grey it cannot be
rejuvenated, but only known. The owl of Minerva takes its flight only
when the shades of night are gathering.
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Frank Mula
Frank Mula is an American Television writer. He has written for Cosby, Madame's Place, Grand, The Simpsons and created the series, Local Heroes, which lasted 7 episodes.
Mula was raised in South River, New Jersey.
__TOC__
Writing credits
The Simpsons episodes
He has written the following episodes:
"I Love Lisa" (1993)
"The Last Temptation of Homer" (1993)
"Faith Off" (2000)
References
External links
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American television writers
Category:Male television writers
Category:People from South River, New Jersey
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(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The Wall Street Journal and New York Times are both reporting that the Trump administration will be rescinding Obama-era guidance on the use of race and ethnicity in student admissions (higher education) and assignments (K–12).
This is good news. As I explained on NRO as the Obama statements were issued — here and here and here, for example — they misread the law and were bad policy as well.
It’s not that complicated: As a policy matter, skin color and national origin should not play a role in deciding where a student can go to school. The costs of such discrimination overwhelm any claim of “educational benefits” from having a politically correct racial and ethnic mix of students. As a legal matter, while the courts have, alas, left the door ajar for this sort of discrimination, they have also placed significant restraints on it. The federal government should not be encouraging schools to do as much of this as they can get away with, which is what the Obama administration’s guidance did.
Most of the arguments against politically correct racial discrimination have been around for a long time, but I’ll mention briefly the two that have recently, and rightly, attracted greater attention.
First, it is not just white students who are frequently discriminated against, but Asian-American students as well. Indeed, as America becomes increasingly multiracial and multiethnic — and as individual Americans are themselves more and more likely to be multiracial and multiethnic — it becomes more and more untenable for our institutions to sort people according to what color skin they have and where their ancestors came from.
Second, the evidence is now overwhelming that, because of the “mismatch” phenomenon, it is not only the students who are discriminated against who are hurt by these policies, but also those who are supposedly receiving racial preferences. That is, if a student is admitted to and attends a school where his or her academic qualifications are significantly below the rest of the student body’s, that student is less likely to graduate and more likely to flunk out or switch majors, and will receive lower grades — all to the student’s detriment.
I should also note a wonderful essay published last week by John McWhorter on why this discrimination should end.
So the Trump administration is wise to set a new course and to jettison the Obama administration’s bad guidance in this area. Here’s hoping that the administration issues new guidance and, in particular, supports the lawsuit that Asian Americans have brought against Harvard and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill for their admissions discrimination.
No doubt the Left will characterize this shift as somehow racist, but in fact it is not only nondiscriminatory but also the only approach that will not divide our multiethnic and multiracial society. It’s worthy of the nation whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow. E pluribus unum.
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/(7 - (-1 - -1)). What is the third smallest value in -0.5, -1, p?
p
Let y(o) = o**3 - 4*o**2 - o + 7. Let x be y(4). What is the second smallest value in 4, x, 0.4, 0.3?
0.4
Let f = 0.16 - -6.84. Let d = f + -12. Which is the smallest value? (a) 2/9 (b) 2 (c) d
c
Let z = 0.05 - -1.95. What is the third smallest value in 3/4, -3, z?
z
Let o = -3.95 - 0.05. Which is the second biggest value? (a) -0.5 (b) 2 (c) o
a
Let r = 2913/7 - 417. What is the fourth smallest value in r, -5, 3/5, 1?
1
Let f = -4/203 - 16/29. Let h = 3 - 3.4. Which is the biggest value? (a) 0.5 (b) h (c) f
a
Suppose -289 - 191 = 2*l. Let n = l - -955/4. What is the biggest value in n, -1/5, 5?
5
Let r be (2/(-16) - 0)*-2. Let i = 18 + -15.7. Let n = i - 0.3. What is the third biggest value in 0.4, r, n?
r
Let f = 1 - 1.3. Let j = 4.6 + -5. Which is the second smallest value? (a) f (b) -5 (c) j
c
Let p = 3 - 2.7. Which is the smallest value? (a) -20 (b) p (c) 0
a
Let w be -48*(-2 + 20/16). Let g be (3 + (-116)/w)/(-1). Let h = 0.6 - 1. What is the biggest value in g, -2/7, h?
g
Let s = 20 - 106/5. Let z be (1/12)/((-6)/18). Let l be (-5)/(-9)*(-18)/(-45). Which is the third biggest value? (a) l (b) z (c) s
c
Let w = 1 - 1.04. Let p = 0.06 - 0.6. Let u = w - p. Which is the third smallest value? (a) -3 (b) u (c) 3
c
Let l be (-6)/9 - 6656/(-66). Let k = l - 100. Which is the biggest value? (a) 0 (b) -1 (c) k
c
Suppose -13*y = -5*y + 40. Which is the fourth biggest value? (a) 2 (b) 0.02 (c) -3 (d) y
d
Let d be 3/(-2)*(-48)/396. Which is the third biggest value? (a) d (b) 3/5 (c) 4
a
Let p = -0.127 + 0.027. Let u(y) = -4*y - 1. Let q be u(-1). What is the second smallest value in q, p, 0.4?
0.4
Let d = 141 - 287/2. Which is the third biggest value? (a) 5 (b) d (c) -0.3
b
Suppose -68 = 5*g + 77. Let c = -2 - g. Let o be (-3)/(c/(-6))*-3. What is the biggest value in 1, o, 4?
4
Let r = -11 - -14. What is the second smallest value in 1/8, r, 4?
r
Let v = 0 + 0. Let a = -0.52 - -5.52. Suppose 2*x + 2*w + 10 = 4*x, 2*x - w = 7. What is the second smallest value in v, a, x?
x
Let i = 735/8 - 92. Let o = -31993 - -127305/4. Let m = o - -166. Which is the second biggest value? (a) m (b) 0.1 (c) i
c
Let p = -5 - -4. Let u = 0.05 - 11.05. Let m = 10.8 + u. What is the third biggest value in -2/9, p, m?
p
Suppose -v = -4*v. Let h be (2 + -1)*(v - 2). Let a = -4.9 + 5.1. What is the third biggest value in a, -1/4, h?
h
Let h = 185.9 + -186. Let k be 24/(-14) + (-4)/14. What is the second smallest value in h, 1/3, k?
h
Let f(h) = h**2 - 4*h - 3. Let c be f(5). Suppose -2*x + 0*x = 8. Let y = -34 - -32. What is the third biggest value in x, c, y?
x
Let l = -1 + 4. Suppose 0 = -j - 2 + 26. Suppose 5*h - 5 = y - j, 3*h - 5*y + 7 = 0. Which is the second biggest value? (a) l (b) 0.5 (c) h
b
Let z = -97/11 - -9. Let o = 12 + -19. Let n = -4 - o. What is the second biggest value in z, -4, n?
z
Let i = 352/5 - 70. Let o = -0.1982 - 0.0018. What is the smallest value in i, o, -1/4?
-1/4
Let m be (-7)/(-12) - (-2)/3. Let p = -5 - 6. Let g = 12 + p. What is the third biggest value in g, m, 0?
0
Let q be 1 - (-1 + -1 + 3). Let t be 0 + 0 - -3 - 3. Suppose q = 5*j - t*j + 20. Which is the third smallest value? (a) -2/11 (b) 1 (c) j
b
Let o = 5.3 + -5. Let p = -3.2 - -3. Which is the second biggest value? (a) -1 (b) o (c) p
c
Suppose 10 = -7*t + 2*t. Let p = -3.9 + -0.1. Let o(i) = i**2 - 16. Let l be o(4). Which is the second smallest value? (a) p (b) t (c) l
b
Let l = -7757/462 + 219/11. Let k = l + -17/6. Which is the smallest value? (a) k (b) 2/11 (c) -1/4
c
Suppose -4*o - 5 = -5*d, -3 = 5*d - 2*o + 2. Let z be d/(-7) - (-48)/(-14). What is the second biggest value in -2/13, -1/2, z?
-1/2
Let a(m) = -m**2 - 5*m. Let k be a(-4). Suppose -5 = -5*h + 8*i - 3*i, k*h + 4*i = 28. Suppose h + 5 = 3*v. What is the second smallest value in v, 0.4, 2?
2
Let x = -7.023 - -0.023. What is the third biggest value in 0, -4, x?
x
Let v = -26 - -26.4. Which is the biggest value? (a) -1 (b) 5 (c) v
b
Let x = 47.96 - 46. Let w = x + 0.04. Which is the third smallest value? (a) 4 (b) 1/3 (c) w
a
Let m be (-21)/(-12) - (51/(-12) - -4). What is the second biggest value in m, 1, -9, -1/2?
1
Let w = 3.7 - -7.9. Let d = 12 - w. What is the second biggest value in d, -5, 0?
0
Let g = -77 + 382/5. Let u(z) = z + 2. Let n be u(-5). Which is the smallest value? (a) g (b) n (c) 3/7
b
Let k be (6/(-9))/((-32)/12). Suppose -5*w + 5 = -2*t, -17 = -3*w - 2*t + 2. Let c be 3*3/45*w. What is the second smallest value in 4, c, k?
c
Let f = -5.14 + 0.15. Let q = 0.01 - f. What is the third smallest value in -0.2, 0.03, q?
q
Let t be 13/(-15) - ((-5)/(-5) - 2). What is the fourth smallest value in t, 3, 0, -2/7?
3
Let c = -6 - -8. Suppose -c*a + 1 + 3 = 0. What is the third biggest value in a, 1/11, -0.3?
-0.3
Let v = -203.6 - -227. Let g = v - 23. Let k(o) = -o**3 - 5*o**2 + 5*o - 1. Let w be k(-6). Which is the biggest value? (a) w (b) g (c) 4
a
Let q = 0 - -0.3. What is the second smallest value in q, 0.1, -0.1, 2/7?
0.1
Let q = 1.1 + -1.4. Which is the fourth smallest value? (a) 2 (b) 3 (c) -8 (d) q
b
Let x = -2.302 + 0.312. Let g = 2 + x. Let q = g + 0.39. What is the second biggest value in -2/3, q, 4?
q
Let z = -2/11 - 29/22. Let g = 0.1 - 0.1. What is the third smallest value in z, g, 5/2?
5/2
Suppose -2*j = 3*n + 2*j - 13, 0 = -5*n + 3*j - 17. Let u be 0/(-4)*(0 + n). Let q = 59 - 58.5. What is the biggest value in q, 0.2, u?
q
Let c = -14.86 - 0.14. Let d = c + 17. What is the third smallest value in 0.4, 5, d?
5
Let h = 3/40 - -1/8. Let w be (-1)/(-3)*(-24)/10. Which is the biggest value? (a) h (b) w (c) 1/7
a
Let y be 3/2*(-16)/(-6). Suppose -2*l + y*l = -18. Let t be (-3)/l*1*2. Which is the third biggest value? (a) t (b) 5/3 (c) 3
a
Let z be (-17)/(-3) + (-30)/6. Let j = 35/2 - 181/10. What is the second smallest value in z, j, -0.2?
-0.2
Let p = 0.14 + -0.34. Which is the third biggest value? (a) 2/5 (b) 0.1 (c) p
c
Let o be 4/(-6)*(-18)/36. What is the smallest value in -4, o, 0?
-4
Let d be ((-12)/10)/(3/10). Let f be (2/(-28))/((-1)/d). What is the third biggest value in 3, f, -1?
-1
Let v = 0.01 + 0.22. Let r = -12.07 + 12. Let d = v - r. What is the biggest value in -1/5, d, 2/7?
d
Let t = -113 + 117. What is the third smallest value in 3, -1/3, 1, t?
3
Let y = -0.8 + 4.8. What is the third biggest value in -0.5, y, -0.1?
-0.5
Let x = -4 + 4.6. Which is the second smallest value? (a) -2/3 (b) x (c) 0
c
Let l be 33/(-22)*(-8)/(-54). Which is the third smallest value? (a) -0.4 (b) 0.5 (c) l
b
Let w be ((-2)/(-10))/(7/(-14)). Let p = -0.08 + 0.08. Which is the second smallest value? (a) p (b) w (c) 2
a
Let h = 3 - 2.52. Let w = h + -0.08. Suppose -3*q + 2*q - 4 = 0, 4*u = 4*q + 36. Which is the second biggest value? (a) w (b) 0.5 (c) u
b
Let x = -81 + 63. Which is the biggest value? (a) x (b) 2/23 (c) 3
c
Suppose 3*l + 17 = -3*t + 89, -5*t - 4*l + 118 = 0. Let r be 1 - (-2 + t/8). Let m = -0.9 + 0.84. Which is the smallest value? (a) -0.5 (b) m (c) r
a
Let j = 4.99 + 0.01. Let f = -18/19 + 232/285. What is the biggest value in f, -5, j?
j
Suppose -2*p + 4 = -0*p. What is the smallest value in p, -3, 0?
-3
Let q = 112 - 113. Which is the second smallest value? (a) -0.8 (b) q (c) 3
a
Let v = -3 + 2. Let j = 1.1 - 1.2. Which is the second smallest value? (a) v (b) 1 (c) j
c
Let k = 28 + -28. Which is the second smallest value? (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) k (d) 9
a
Let o = -1.98 - 0.02. Let v = 1.12 + -1.42. What is the third smallest value in v, -5, o?
v
Let j = 198 - 194.04. Let f = -0.04 - j. Let d = f - -9. Which is the third smallest value? (a) -1/4 (b) -2 (c) d
c
Let i = -132 + 128. Let j be 4/10 + 64/315. Let f = -8/9 + j. Which is the third biggest value? (a) -2 (b) i (c) f
b
Let p = -17 - -16.96. Which is the biggest value? (a) p (b) 0.2 (c) 4/7
c
Let o be 3/(-10)*(-1)/3. Suppose -6*p + 14 - 2 = 0. What is the second smallest value in o, -0.2, p?
o
Let u = -4.3 - 0.7. Let i(p) = p - 1. Let s(w) = 9. Let k(r) = i(r) - s(r). Let h be k(10). Which is the third smallest value? (a) u (b) h (c) 3
c
Let p = -111 + 1
|
{
"pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics"
}
|
Most notably, we now know the play will be a sequel and should be considered the series’ “eighth story,” set to take place 19 years later, contradicting early reports predicting the play would be a prequel.
We’re also now seeing the first images of the play’s official artwork, which shows a child hunched inside a nest that appears to have black wings.
Below is a brief plot decription about what we can expect from the production:
“It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”
Preview performances will officially begin on June 7 and July 30 will mark the world premiere opening night.
That would be “The People Smuggler,” by Robin de Crespigny. It tells the story of an Iraqi dissident called Ali Al Jenabi. As a teenager he joined the Shia uprising against Saddam Hussein after the first Iraq war in 1991. He was captured by Saddam’s secret police, sent to Abu Ghraib and tortured. He watched his father being tortured to the point of insanity and thrown into a pit below the madhouse. He saw his kid brother being dismembered.
When he got out of Abu Ghraib he tried to join anti-Saddam groups in Kurdistan, but they were too divided by infighting to be effective. So he turned his attentions to trying to get his remaining family out of Iraq. The numerous reverses and betrayals make the plot of “Les Misérables” look like plain sailing. In Indonesia, he found the operation for shipping refugees to Australia so useless and corrupt that he decided to run it himself. Having eventually got several boats safely to Australia, he found himself tried and imprisoned there for “people smuggling.” This is an astonishing story, at times barely credible, but very unsettling.
In the same week, I read Norman Lewis’s war diary, “Naples ’44,” an account of his time as an intelligence officer in a city where everyone was starving and two-thirds of the women of nubile age were selling their bodies. It is a wonderful book, droll, shocking and humane.
When and where do you like to read?
I read the above two books on a plane, but generally I read in my office, a two-room apartment overlooking a small park in West London, sitting in a hideous though comfortable leather recliner (think Joey in “Friends”). It is death to books to read them in 15-minute bursts in bed late at night when you are tired. I know that for people with real jobs there may be little choice, but the best way to read a 300-page novel is in three or four sittings. I do occasional crash courses to see what’s new in contemporary fiction and have just read Evie Wyld, Scarlett Thomas, Ross Raisin and Adam Foulds.
Having written one of the post-Ian Fleming Bond books, you must have opinions on 007. Which is your favorite Bond book?
I like the climactic scene in “Live and Let Die” when Bond and the girl are towed behind a speedboat as shark bait. I lost interest in the films after Sean Connery, but I did enjoy “Casino Royale” — though Daniel Craig looked as though he had been assembled in a factory. Eva Green was very good in it.
And now taking on the new Jeeves book, tell us about your favorite P.?G. Wodehouse.
I like all the Jeeves books, the early ones especially. My favorites are “The Code of the Woosters,” ?“The Mating Season” and “Right Ho, Jeeves.” But they all have their glories, whether entire plots, set pieces or just single phrases. They depict a world that never truly existed yet in some odd way feels familiar. Heaven may be the cocktail hour at Brinkley Court, with Nobby Hopwood just arriving and Anatole preparing dinner.
Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite?
“Human Traces” is the one I would want to be buried with. It’s long and it has some sticky parts, including a couple of lectures. But I like it because it deals with what to me is the great theme: Why are human beings so odd — and so much odder than any evolutionary theory can explain.
It took me five years’ research in musty libraries and psychiatric back wards, including a day at Broadmoor high — security hospital, but I never lost my belief that these tangled lives were both worth fighting for and highly instructive. I visited three continents and met some inspiring people, both patients and doctors, in the course of it.
Sometimes writing fiction is very technical, to do with finding the voices, tones and registers that best articulate your themes; I love all that, but there is no doubt that if you have some crusading purpose as well, it does put extra fire in your belly. I suppose for that reason I would also want “Birdsong” to be there or thereabouts when they put me under the ground. My younger readers would all vote for “Engleby.” But it’s my funeral, so I’m going with “Human Traces.”
“The most important thing for us is making sure that people are safe, so people who live in the affected street are being advised to stay in their homes until the water is cleared.
“Then we will be helping to clear water out of basements, homes, and local businesses.”
“Two fire engines from Brixton and West Norwood fire stations are at the scene with two fire rescue units from Lewisham and Battersea fire stations. Fire crews are using special dinghy-style boats to get around the flooded area.”
Fans of the BBC’s runaway hit Sherlock (a modernization of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes franchise) have been eagerly anticipating a third season since the cliff-hanger ending to the season two finale, “The Reichenbach Fall”. Co-creator Steven Moffat dosed that fire with more fuel a few months ago, when he announced a three-word tease hinting at which stories from Doyle’s source material are going to serve as the basis for each of the season’s three 90-minute episodes.
Sherlock Season 3?s planned premiere date changed from ‘When We’re Ready’ to Fall 2013, after Moffat dropped that juicy tidbit. Unfortunately, the latest reports indicate that date has been moved back due to scheduling issues – namely, those resulting from the newfound popularity of the show’s stars, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
Now, any Sherlock fan worth their salt knows that the show/mini-series’ principal players (Moffat, Cumberbatch, Freeman) are very busy men. Moffat is currently serving as the showrunner for Doctor Who, which Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss writes for (in addition to making occasional onscreen appearance). Not to mention, it wasn’t that long ago that Cumberbatch wrapped his still-mysterious villain role in Star Trek: Into Darkness and shot a supporting role in Steven McQueen’s true-story slavery drama Twelve Years A Slave; similarly, Freeman finished the first chunk of principal photography on Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy this summer.
EW says the production start date for Sherlock season 3 has been postponed until March 2013, meaning the show won’t be hitting the BBC until late 2013 (with PBS airing the series in early 2014). No specific schedule conflict is cited in that report, but – in appropriate Sherlock-ian stye – it’s easy to deduce what other projects could be responsible for the delay.
In a Yash Chopra world; everything is punctuated by love, reality is in a distortion field and everybody lives in grand castles; or something similar. We all know that truth can be rather different, but there is no harm in a dream. The movie name was ironic; as it turned out to be his last outing. Despite a few critics; ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ is a fitting end to the Yash Chopra saga.
Meet Samar Anand(Shah Rukh Khan); a character straight from Mr. Chopra’s storybook; a musician and waiter who is in love with a rich heiress, Meera Thapar(Katrina Kaif). Now, Samar possesses the capacity to charm anybody and everybody; and has a heart of gold. If we could more people like this in real life, I would indeed be very happy. Samar promises to teach Thapar a Punjabi song, and wants to learn the Queen’s English in return.
Hindi film stereotypes abound in the conversations with God; Jesus here to be precise. A freestyle dance sequence was one of the best parts of this movie, in my opinion. Made at a budget of a paltry fifty crores; a little less by contemporary Bollywood standards, the movie has blockbuster locations such as Canary Wharf, Ladakh and the great English outdoors. The pacing is a little stilted at times; and the music from Rehman is not as great as expected from him. Gulzar should learn a trick or two from Javed Akhtar to make the lyrics a little palatable for current audiences.
In the beginning, or the middle. Samar suffers a knock on his head and we learn that this is the reason why we met the intense brooding Major in Ladakh, who likes to sing Rabbi Shergill songs for stress relief. The Discovery channel photo-journalist Akira(Anoushka Sharma) has been treated to the inner life of Samar Anand courtesy his personal diaries. As her future hinges on the documentary being produced on him; she invites him to London again.
Twist here; Shah Rukh again suffers a bump on his head. Some of the screenplay elements defy commonsense, but movies are meant to be make-believe anyways. Before I give the whole story away, people who want to watch it can book a ticket. As a swansong for a great director, Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a mixed bag.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Orthobula impressa
Orthobula impressa is a species of spiders of the genus Orthobula. It is native to India, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles.
See also
List of Phrurolithidae species
References
Category:Phrurolithidae
Category:Spiders of Asia
Category:Spiders described in 1897
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
add your own caption
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add your own caption
"Fuck me, right?!" Yes. Fuck you.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
"Since 2007, there have been nearly 2,000 calls reporting human trafficking in our state," said Priola. "Colorado is a hub for one of the most atrocious human rights violations of our time, and it's happening on our watch. We have to act now to give law enforcement every possible tool to put an end to this heart breaking tragedy."
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
// Copyright 2014 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
// +build darwin dragonfly freebsd linux netbsd openbsd
package test
import (
"bytes"
"crypto/rand"
"testing"
"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
)
// Test both logging in with a cert, and also that the certificate presented by an OpenSSH host can be validated correctly
func TestCertLogin(t *testing.T) {
s := newServer(t)
defer s.Shutdown()
// Use a key different from the default.
clientKey := testSigners["dsa"]
caAuthKey := testSigners["ecdsa"]
cert := &ssh.Certificate{
Key: clientKey.PublicKey(),
ValidPrincipals: []string{username()},
CertType: ssh.UserCert,
ValidBefore: ssh.CertTimeInfinity,
}
if err := cert.SignCert(rand.Reader, caAuthKey); err != nil {
t.Fatalf("SetSignature: %v", err)
}
certSigner, err := ssh.NewCertSigner(cert, clientKey)
if err != nil {
t.Fatalf("NewCertSigner: %v", err)
}
conf := &ssh.ClientConfig{
User: username(),
HostKeyCallback: (&ssh.CertChecker{
IsHostAuthority: func(pk ssh.PublicKey, addr string) bool {
return bytes.Equal(pk.Marshal(), testPublicKeys["ca"].Marshal())
},
}).CheckHostKey,
}
conf.Auth = append(conf.Auth, ssh.PublicKeys(certSigner))
for _, test := range []struct {
addr string
succeed bool
}{
{addr: "host.example.com:22", succeed: true},
{addr: "host.example.com:10000", succeed: true}, // non-standard port must be OK
{addr: "host.example.com", succeed: false}, // port must be specified
{addr: "host.ex4mple.com:22", succeed: false}, // wrong host
} {
client, err := s.TryDialWithAddr(conf, test.addr)
// Always close client if opened successfully
if err == nil {
client.Close()
}
// Now evaluate whether the test failed or passed
if test.succeed {
if err != nil {
t.Fatalf("TryDialWithAddr: %v", err)
}
} else {
if err == nil {
t.Fatalf("TryDialWithAddr, unexpected success")
}
}
}
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Ossonoba
Ossonoba may refer to :
Ossonoba, a Roman city at the site of modern Faro, Portugal
the former Diocese of Ossonoba, with see in that city, precursor of the Algarve bishopric of first Silves, (now) Faro
Ossonoba (moth), a genus of moths
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
Scottie Pippen's claiming he attacked a fan in Malibu this weekend in self-defense ... after the man called him the n-word and then spit at him.
Sources close to Pippen tell us, the middle-aged man who got his ass kicked by Pippen outside Nobu Sunday night was a drunk, overly aggressive fan who had been badgering Pippen for attention all evening ... beginning inside Nobu, where Pippen was eating with friends.
At one point, we're told one of Pippen's dinner guests went to the bathroom ... and the man sat in the guest's place ... continuing to pester Pippen with questions. We're told Pippen bit his tongue and politely asked the man to leave.
After the meal, we're told Pippen agreed to take a photo with the man outside the restaurant ... but the man continued to be aggressive, demanding an autograph as well. Pippen refused and we're told that's when the man dropped the n-bomb, shoved the NBA legend, then spat at him.
Sources close to Pippen say he lost it when the spit landed on his young daughter -- and Pippen flew into attack mode.
As we reported, the alleged victim was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital with severe injuries to his head, face, and back. Pippen has since spoken with authorities and he was not arrested.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
A NSW woman was in a rage over money when she assaulted her brother with a tyre lever before driving her car into a river as she fled police, a court has heard.
Louise Bittar had shown up at her brother’s Sydney house demanding money when she started hitting him with the implement in October of last year, Bankstown Local Court heard on Monday.
Richard Bittar said he punched his sister several times in self-defence before she tore off with police in pursuit.
“The rage she was in, I could have struck her a million times and it wouldn’t have made any difference,” he said.
Bittar would later that day have to be rescued from her sinking Toyota Yaris after driving it off a boat ramp into the Georges River.
The 33-year-old was found guilty of her brother’s assault on Monday and has previously pleaded guilty to negligent driving, destroying or damaging property and the police pursuit.
She has not yet entered a plea to charges of driving in a dangerous manner, driving at excessive speed and driving under the influence.
Her brother in a recorded police interview on the day of the assault said he’d been safekeeping some money she got in a payout and giving it to her as she required it.
He alleged she always blew the money on drugs, and had attacked him when he said he couldn’t give her some cash she’d requested until the following day. “She’s got hardly any bills, she’s got f*** all rent, today she wants $1000,” he said during the interview, in which he also alleged his sister was “heavily juiced on ice”.
Bittar, who has told the court she’s seeking drug rehabilitation, will remain in custody until her case is resolved despite making a bid for bail while her mother is in hospital.
Defence lawyer Uzma Abbas said her mother was critically ill in intensive care, and Bittar was also in danger of losing her housing.
But magistrate Kathy Crittenden ultimately found she posed an unacceptable risk to the community that couldn’t be mitigated by strict bail conditions. The magistrate considered the health of Bittar’s mother as well as Bittar’s criminal history and mental health issues in determining the “very difficult” release application.
The matter is next scheduled for court on January 31.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
Combined phacoemulsification and XEN45 surgery from a temporal approach and 2 incisions.
To assess the safety and effectiveness of phacoemulsification combined with XEN45 implant surgery in patients with cataract and open-angle glaucoma, with 12-month follow-up. A prospective study conducted on 30 eyes requiring phacoemulsification with, at least, 2 medications to control intraocular pressure (IOP). Phacoemulsification combined with XEN45 implant surgery was performed within 15minutes of administering subconjunctival mitomycin C. Surgery was performed through 2 temporal incisions, separated by 90°, using the inferior to enter the XEN45 and to implant it in the superior nasal region. A record was made of the best corrected visual acuity, IOP before and 1 day, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months after surgery, the number of antiglaucomatous medications, and complications. The best corrected visual acuity was 0.37±0.2 and 0.72±0.15 before and 12 months after surgery, respectively. The pre-operative IOP was 21.2±3.4mmHg, with 3.07 drugs, decreasing by 61.65% on the first day, 37.26% at 1 month, 35.05% at 3 months, 31% at 6 months, 30.6% at 9 months, and 29.34% at 12 months. The number of medications decreased by 94.57%. Complications occurred in 3 eyes, 2 of them were excluded because we could not complete the implantation (280° subconjunctival haemorrhage and XEN extrusion when trying to reposition). In a third case, the bleb was encapsulated at 5 months after surgery. The phacoemulsification combined with XEN45 implant surgery can effectively reduce IOP and the number of drugs in mild-moderate open-angle glaucoma, as they rehabilitate the VA. The use of only 2 micro-invasive incisions makes it simple, quick and safe, with few complications at 12 months follow-up from surgery.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Kersey Coates
Kersey Coates (September 15, 1823 – April 24, 1887) was a businessman from Kansas City, in the U.S. state of Missouri, who developed Quality Hill, founded the Kansas City Board of Trade, and was among those who attracted the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad to the city.
Born a Quaker in Pennsylvania of Lindley Coates (1794–1856) and Deborah Simmons (1801–88), he was educated at Phillips Academy, Andover. He moved to Kansas City in 1854, a year after it was formally incorporated. He purchased land on the bluffs above the Missouri River on Quality Hill to develop an upscale neighborhood. In 1855 he married Sarah Walter Chandler, who was also from Pennsylvania and had come to the area with her family a year earlier. They had four children.
He was active in the Free State Movement during the Bleeding Kansas skirmishes with neighboring Kansas. During the American Civil War he became a colonel in the Missouri Militia. He turned his planned hotel at 10th and Broadway into a Union Cavalry stable. After the war the stable was to become the Coates Hotel.
Future Secretary of War Stephen B. Elkins served under Coates in the Battle of Lone Jack, the only battle in which Elkins served. Elkins was to say that the experience at Lone Jack filled him with disgust about war.
After the war, he along Robert T. Van Horn and Charles E. Kearney persuaded the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad to build the first bridge across the Missouri River in Kansas City at the Hannibal Bridge. The bridge made Kansas City rather than Leavenworth, Kansas, the dominant city of the region.
References
Kansas City Public Library profile
Category:1823 births
Category:1887 deaths
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
"Dr. Brantley's book is clear and warm. It takes the mystery out of meditation and explains how things that at first sight appear 'ordinary' are in fact very important. His extensive clinical experience and his empathy constantly shine through the book."
—Jonathan Davidson, MD, director of the Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Program at Duke University
"I think the book is fantastic and believe it will fill an important niche in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The information on the physiology of anxiety and the stress response helps to demystify the symptoms for readers, making their problem seem more manageable. Beautifully guided meditations anticipate and address the questions that anxious new meditators will have. The instruction to stay present with the anxiety is powerful and healing. I know I will be recommending it to my patients and colleagues."
—Holly B. Rogers, MD, staff psychiatrist with Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services
"As a psychotherapist and teacher of stress reduction, I find this book helpful to clients and clinicians, as well as to meditators wishing to deepen their own practice. Brantley gives practical and compassionate guidance to anyone seeking skillful ways to work with anxiety and panic."
—Allie Rudolph, LCSW, founder and codirector of the University of Virginia Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program
_Publisher's Note_
_This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought._
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2007 by Jeffrey Brantley
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup; Cover Image by Brand X Pictures/Jupiter Images;
Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes; Acquired by Melissa Kirk; Edited by Gail Saari
Poem from the book _She Had Some Horses_ by Joy Harjo. Copyright ©1983, 1997. Appears by permission of the publisher, Thunder Mouth Press, A Division of Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.
William Stafford, "Being a Person" from _Even in Quiet Places_. Copyright ©1996 by William Stafford. Reprinting with the permission of Confluence Press.
David Budbill, "Don't Speak in the Abstract" from _While We've Still Got Feet_. Copyright © 2005 by David Budbill. Reprinted with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0271.
All Rights Reserved.
ePub ISBN: 978-1-60882-124-2
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brantley, Jeffrey.
Calming your anxious mind : how mindfulness and compassion can free you from anxiety, fear, and panic / Jeffrey Brantley. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-57224-487-0
1. Anxiety. 2. Fear. 3. Attention. 4. Meditation. I. Title.
BF575.A6B737 2007
152.4'6--dc22
2007008085
_This book is dedicated to all whose lives are driven or constricted by fear, anxiety, or panic. May you find peace, and may that peace penetrate the entire world._
# Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction to the Revised Edition
Part 1: Getting Oriented
1. A Mindful Approach to Fear & Anxiety
2. Paying Attention on Purpose
3. The Body & Its Fear System
4. Anxiety & the Power of the Mind
5. Mindfulness & Meditation
6. Your Attitude Is Important
7. Building Your Practice Foundation
Part 2: Practicing Mindfulness
8. Mindfulness in Everyday Life
9. Establishing Mindfulness, Breath by breath
10. Mindfulness of the Body
11. Bringing Full Attention to Life
12. Befriending Your Anxious Mind
13. Making Room for the Upset
Part 3: Mindfulness to Fear, Anxiety & Panic
14. Common Concerns about These Meditation Practices
15. Feeling Safe, Resting in Silence
16. Applying Mindfulness to Fear & Anxiety
17. Taking a Larger View
resources
references
# Foreword
It gives me great pleasure to introduce this book to you. Jeff Brantley is a devoted practitioner of mindfulness meditation and a longtime teacher of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Dr. Brantley has a great deal of clinical experience in working with people suffering from chronic stress, pain, and illness, and in particular, with chronic anxiety. This book is a welcome introduction to mindfulness practice for all those who experience anxiety in their lives. That turns out to be just about all of us at one time or another. For anxiety is rampant in our age, a kind of cosmic background radiation impinging continually on our individual and collective psyches and amassing a deep cumulative tension in the body. Currents of anxiety can be behind the smallest things we choose to do or refrain from trying—at work, at home, and in our interior lives. Knowingly and unknowingly, anxiety can shape the very fabric and direction of our lives, whether we have a diagnosed anxiety disorder or not.
For regardless of how well-off or healthy we may seem to be to others or even to ourselves, being human, we are hardly immune, at least on occasion, to the mental state we know as fear and to the short- and long-term consequences it can have on the body and on how we carry ourselves and respond to stresses and challenges. For the most part, we tend to run from fear rather than to examine it. It remains unexamined precisely because it is so terrifying a prospect actually to take a peek at it, and to acknowledge to ourselves how fear-based our lives and our decisions can be, and how inexperienced we are at facing and freeing ourselves from the inner workings of such pervasive and potentially destructive mental states.
But taking a peek and letting yourself actually feel the fear in your body is worth doing, strange as that may at first seem. Anxiety, it turns out, can be a great teacher. And the lessons to be learned if we can be mindful, calm, and clear-sighted in the face of fear, anxiety, and perpetual worrying are profound. The mind's anxious preoccupations, proliferations, vexations, and frustrations sometimes seem endless. But, as Dr. Brantley points out, they do not have to be ultimately confining or imprisoning. And over time, their "volume" in our lives can turn itself down considerably.
This book and the methods it presents can serve as a remarkable pathway to freedom from the imprisonment of chronic anxiety and panic, at whatever level they may manifest in your life. Mindfulness practice can serve as a doorway giving ready access to deep and profoundly healthy dimensions of your being that you may have been ignoring for too long, to what you might call your "best self." It turns out you do not have to fix anything, or make anything go away to get in touch with yourself in this way. As you will learn in this book, all that is asked of you is that you start paying attention to aspects of your life and your immediate experience that you may have previously pretty much taken for granted. Several medical studies that we conducted on people with anxiety and panic disorder referred to our clinic for training in MBSR showed that the participants benefited enormously from this systematic cultivation of attention, as described in this book with great thoroughness and clarity by Dr. Brantley.
From the point of view of MBSR, no matter what has transpired in your life up to this point, no matter what you are facing, no matter what feels "wrong," you are fundamentally okay, worthy, and secure in this very moment, even if you don't know it or feel it. This is so even when the outer world appears overwhelmingly disorienting and threatening, and even when the interior world of your own mind feels tumultuous and shaky. But of course, you have to test out for yourself whether this is indeed true. The great adventure of mindfulness is to discover or recover that intrinsic, spacious, secure, aware, innermost quality of your being, way deeper than your thoughts and feelings, and allow it to inform and guide the moment-to-moment conduct of your life, even, if not especially, when faced by great inner or outer turmoil.
This approach involves intentionally cultivating greater intimacy with the interior landscape of your life—that is with your mind and your body and the breath that serves as a convenient link between them in the only moment you ever have, namely this one. That is what mindfulness offers you. It is not a matter of eradicating anxiety but rather becoming intimate with it through awareness because it is already here. In making room for it, you discover that the anxiety you are experiencing in any moment is not you, but merely a constellation of strongly habitual thoughts, feelings, and body sensations that you may be investing with a power they would not otherwise have over your life, and which might therefore severely restrict your options for responding effectively in situations you find stressful and which trigger these habitual patterns of reactivity. You discover "you" are mysteriously larger than these conditioned patterns hijacking the mind and body, and that your awareness of anxiety, fear, and worry is not anxious at all. It is already okay. Learning to "inhabit" your own awareness and deepen its scope and stability is a way to give you back to yourself and add significant degrees of freedom to your life.
The great painter Georgia O'Keefe once said: "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I want to do." If we are willing to patiently and lovingly watch our own minds, our own mental turmoil, our own fears and hesitations and despairing thoughts, and our own body reactions to those very thoughts, we will come to see how much bigger we are than they are. We will discover something of our own truest nature.
It may come as a surprise to experience for yourself how large and beautiful and transparent you already are. This book is an invitation to practice mindfulness, whether on any given day you feel like it or not, as if your life depended on it . . . and be surprised.
—Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine _emeritus_ University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society
# Acknowledgments
In writing this book, I am once again in awe of the amazing interconnectedness of life. I would like to thank and to acknowledge the following people. Without them, this book would not have been possible.
My parents, Garland and Irene Brantley, for giving me this life, and their love and support.
My mother-in-law, Mary Principe, whose love and generosity have made so many things possible.
My sister Carolyn, and all my kin, by blood and by marriage, who have been there for me over the years.
All the friends and colleagues whose support and examples have inspired and strengthened me.
My patients and their families, whose burdens and courage have taught and enriched me.
My spiritual guides and meditation teachers, among them especially the following.
Roger Walsh, MD, who showed me how mindfulness could exist in academic medicine and as part of medical education.
Joan Halifax, Ph.D., who has been a dear friend and guide over the years, always pointing to the next horizon.
The monks and nuns of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, especially Ajahn Sucitto and Ajahn Sundara, for their example and inspired teachings.
The teachers and staff of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, for providing a place—visible and invisible—that supports awakening.
To all the wonderful people working in integrative medicine at Duke and elsewhere who value mindfulness and its place in the healing process.
To Marty Sullivan, MD, whose vision, courage, and efforts made Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at Duke possible.
To my fellow instructors in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program and our staff: thanks for all you do. Because of you, our program, and my own practice, is immeasurably enriched.
To everyone at New Harbinger Publications, and especially, the editors of the first edition Jueli Gastwirth and Jess Beebe: thanks for all your wisdom and skill in making this book happen. To the editors of the second edition, Melissa Kirk and Gail Saari, and to Michele Waters: thanks for bringing this book to life.
A special acknowledgment to Jon Kabat-Zinn: thank you for the leadership in bringing mindfulness forward all these years, and especially for the friendship and support you have given me.
And finally, a very special acknowledgment to my wife, Mary Mathews-Brantley. Without your love, wisdom, and support, this book would definitely not have happened. Many thanks!
To Tracy Gaudet, Sam Moon, Sylver Quevedo, Ruth Wolever, and Linda Smith, for boundless support, friendship, and inspirations.
To John Tarrant, for being there with poetry, joy, wisdom, and friendship.
To ALL who read and used the first edition of this book. Thanks for your questions, your courage, and for being my teachers.
# Introduction to the Revised Edition
Who are we apart from the agitation of anxiety, fear, and panic?
Can we learn to re-member ourselves, to re-collect our greater wholeness and meet the intensities of anxiety, fear, and panic—especially in a world that seems too often to be going mad?
Can reconnecting with our own wholeness provide a safe enough context for wise relationship to the enormous challenges of fear, anxiety, and panic? Could this self-remembering lead us to a path of healing and transformation not only for ourselves but possibly for those around us facing the same challenges? And, could our own healing and transformation somehow contain benefits beyond ourselves, to our world, which is so often driven and shaped by fear and anxiety?
It is not often that one is offered the opportunity to go back and add to a work already completed. But, when I was asked if I had anything else to say about mindfulness and anxiety, and would I be interested in doing a revised version of _Calming Your Anxious Mind_ , I was given just that opportunity!
In the several years now since the book was first published, I have been amazed and honored by the positive reception it has received. I have heard from readers around the world, and from health care professionals and clients, all wishing to thank me, and telling me how much the book has helped them.
So what could be added to the revised edition?
Since the first book, I have had the opportunity not only to speak to readers, but also to teach classes based on the approach of applying mindfulness and compassion to manage fear, anxiety, and panic. In those conversations and classes, I have heard requests for more information about research and meditation, and also more specific instruction for meeting the difficult energies of fear, anxiety, and panic with spaciousness and openheartedness.
Of course, people have also had new and very thoughtful and challenging questions.
Finally, many have noted how practicing mindfulness seemed to put them in touch with a dimension within that changed their relationships with their lives in a positive way. Practicing mindfulness with kindness and compassion, they really did begin, it seems, to reconnect with a sense of wholeness that had never left them, but that they themselves had somehow forgotten existed.
So, the emphasis in this revised edition is on these emergent areas: more clarity and data about meditation and its benefits, especially related to anxiety; some new and expanded instructions for actually practicing mindfulness and resting in spaciousness and stillness; new questions and responses; and some additional emphasis pointing at wholeness through poems and narrative, in brief and selected language in many of the chapters.
Supporting these additions are two entirely new chapters. And existing chapters have new sections on research, more questions, and additional discussion. There are also new references and resources at the end of the book.
As with the original edition, it is my deepest hope that this revised version may help all those who struggle with fear, anxiety, and panic, and that to the extent they can find peace and ease, may their ease help our world become more peaceful.
So, many thanks to all who read about and practice mindfulness, and now, back to the original introduction . . .
## When Worlds Meet & Merge
We live in truly interesting times. In the pages of this book, you will find ideas and information from two apparently very different worlds.
From the world of evidence-based Western medicine, you will hear about the connection between mind and body, and about the vital role of thoughts and emotions in health and illness. In addition, you will learn more about the body's fear system and how it functions and malfunctions to produce anxiety and panic.
From the world of meditation and inquiry into meaning and purpose, you will learn about the practice of mindfulness and the potential for presence and stillness in every human being. You will discover that you have the same potential for awareness and peace as everyone else, and that you have an untrained mind with its own hindrances, just like everyone else.
In a curious sense, this book represents a major trend in modern society: we now see the crossover between traditions and areas of knowledge and information previously regarded as quite separate and distinct. In this book, you will find references to current medical views alongside citations from meditation teachers of international renown.
This convergence of worlds opens many questions. At present there are not so many answers. But the fact is that treatments offered by Western medical science do not work for everyone. This is especially true of treatments for anxiety and panic.
Consequently, many health care providers have been looking to other sources for ways to promote healing and health. This has led many to investigate the health and healing potential of meditation. As a result, meditation has become much more widely used in Western health care settings over the past twenty-five years.
## Who This Book Is Written For
This book is designed to help anyone who is burdened by fear, worry, anxiety, or panic and would like to do something to improve the situation.
If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and are being treated for that, or if you have no diagnosis but feel the pain of fear, worry, anxiety, or panic from whatever source, the approach in this book is directed at you.
Health care providers who seek to aid those beset by fear, worry, anxiety, or panic will find useful information about mindfulness and meditation, as well as valuable support for their own meditation practice experience.
## The Invitation, Challenge & Opportunity of Mindfulness
The approach offered in this book relies on a basic human quality called _mindfulness._ Mindfulness may be understood as friendly, nonjudging, present-moment awareness. To succeed with this approach, you must learn and use a variety of meditation practices all directed at cultivating mindfulness.
As a training program in mindfulness aimed at dealing with fear, worry, anxiety, or panic, this book is an invitation, an opportunity, and a challenge as well.
It's an invitation in that the practices you will learn are a gentle call to stop and pay more attention to yourself and your life. They invite you to allow the awareness that flows naturally from that act of paying attention to inform how you live, each day and each moment, in each relationship, and with yourself. The invitation to practice mindfulness is an invitation to come into a new and more wholesome relationship with your own experience—including fear, worry, anxiety, or panic.
As you practice mindfulness, you will have a rich opportunity to discover the inner space, stillness, and simplicity that are our natural heritage as human beings. It is a heritage we so often forget, yet we long for it deeply as our lives seem to spin more and more out of control. By taking this opportunity to learn and develop skills for being more present, you can realize in yourself the spaciousness and stillness that can safely contain even the most anxious moments of heart and mind.
But be warned! Doing what is asked here is a challenge. Mindfulness is not always easy to achieve or to sustain. You will have moments when you are filled with doubt and don't want to do any more meditation. There will be times when you don't like it. But you don't have to like it—just do it!
Cultivating awareness takes effort. Changing the habits of inattention and distraction we have developed over a lifetime is hard work. It is more hard work to allow yourself to stop and feel the present moment in its fullness. And it can be very hard work learning to open when you desire to close down, or learning to stay present for what is painful and unwanted in your life, especially when it is clouded by fear and great anxiety.
## Kindness & Compassion
Mindfulness is practiced by paying attention on purpose, nonjudgmentally, and with a welcoming and allowing attitude. It means turning toward present-moment experience rather than away from it. Two qualities that support this way of relating to experience are kindness and compassion.
Kindness here means friendliness, or openheartedness. It enables you to welcome experience.
Compassion is usually associated with feelings of empathy and concern for pain or suffering in another. With this recognition of pain and suffering comes the wish for it to end. The practice of compassion carries with it a willingness to remain present and in contact with the painful situation, in the hope of bringing some measure of relief.
In this book, you will be invited to apply kindness and compassion to yourself and to the pain you feel from anxiety, fear, and panic. You will learn a specific meditation practice to cultivate these qualities in your life. For your mindfulness practice to deepen, it is very important that you open to and explore these qualities of kindness and compassion in yourself.
Mindfulness and compassion can free you from anxiety, fear, and panic as you learn to be present with an awareness that remains soft and open to pain and suffering. Learning to remain present with compassion for yourself as you bear the pain of anxiety, fear, and panic is an important part of your inner journey in meditation. As you learn through meditation to remain soft and openhearted in the presence of pain and fear, you will also learn what it means to be free of their control.
## Self-Help Is Not a Substitute for Treatment
When you learn to do something to help yourself, you become an even more active and effective partner in your own treatment and health care. If you're receiving treatment for a diagnosed condition, this activity on your part can make a crucial difference in the progression and outcome of your illness. Self-help skills and practices can also have a significant and positive impact on your quality of life as you cope with the illness.
The mindfulness training offered in this book is a powerful self-help resource. However, it is in no way intended to be used as a substitute for any medical or psychological treatments you are already receiving.
While meditation is an extremely friendly and safe activity, please consult with your therapist or physician before doing the practices in this book if you are currently in treatment for any psychological or psychiatric condition. If you have a history of severe anxiety or trauma, you may need to use meditation in partnership with good treatment.
## Mindfulness: A Way of Living, Not a Technique
Although many people learn to practice mindfulness as part of a larger treatment plan for a specific medical or psychological condition, it is a mistake to think of mindfulness as simply a treatment technique. While there is exciting evidence that practicing mindfulness might aid treatment, mindfulness itself is most powerful and most effective when practiced as a way of living.
Failure to appreciate this larger view of mindfulness ignores the ancient tradition of mindfulness as a practice pursued by countless people in many places and times. The essential power of the practice of mindfulness may be distorted or even lost by those who see it as only a technique.
Mindfulness is based in a daily meditation practice. In this book, you will be encouraged and guided in starting and maintaining your own meditation practice as a vehicle to cultivate mindfulness in your life. If you are interested in using mindfulness as part of a larger approach to treatment for an anxiety problem, the approach in this book will certainly help you. But you can enrich your life even more by considering mindfulness an integral approach to being in the world.
## Experiential Learning
You must actually do the meditation practice to benefit. It will not help you much if all you do is read about mindfulness. In fact, some of it may sound crazy until you actually try it.
For example, in doing the body scan, you will be asked to breathe in and out of your toes. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? This instruction has to do with feeling the direct sensations of your breath and the sensations in your toes and holding all of that with steady attention. At this point, maybe that sounds crazy too.
Please make no judgments until you actually do the meditation practices. To realize what mindfulness means and how it can transform your life and your relationship to fear, anxiety, and panic, you must actually experience mindfulness through practice.
There is a capacity inside each of us to be calm and stable. We are capable of containing even the most intense fear and anxiety. This capacity is not something you can think about and understand. It is a direct experience that is always available. It is not a destination but a way of being.
Discovering your own capacity for calm, steadiness, and awareness requires turning inward and using your natural ability to pay attention. To turn inward this way _is_ to meditate. This book is about learning to meditate in a very basic way that nourishes mindfulness, or friendly, nonjudging awareness.
The practices you will be invited to do in this book are about stopping and looking around. You will be invited to practice being and not doing. You will discover that it is possible to be more present with just about everything you do.
To support this, you will learn how to establish calm attention and a relaxed feeling in the body. A calm attention and a relaxed body are important elements of meditation. The practices in this book are compatible with any faith tradition or religious practice. They are simply about being present, in this calm and relaxed way, and opening to what is here—in us and in our life.
If you accept this challenge, commit to practicing meditation regularly, and have enough energy and discipline to make the practices in this book a part of your life, there is a very good chance you will begin a process of profound life change and transformation. Take as much time as you need to develop these practices. The important thing is that you remain committed.
In making this commitment to being aware and paying more careful attention, you will join people from all walks of life, cultures, and creeds who have discovered the profound richness that is available when we become mindful, or truly present to life. And you will realize what it truly means to calm your anxious mind.
## The Goals of This Book
The goal of this book is to offer a self-guided training program in mindfulness meditation to ease the burden of fear, panic, and anxiety. It is suitable for people who wish to begin a mindfulness practice or to deepen a practice they already have. The meditation practices taught here are typical of those taught in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. They are accessible and easy to learn.
More specifically, as you read this book and learn the practices, you will gain:
* A direct and real sense of what it means to practice mindfulness. Armed with this understanding, you will be able to use mindfulness practice to more effectively manage fear, panic, and anxiety in your life.
* A real and direct understanding of mindfulness as a way of living and being in life, with all the richness that brings. Beyond managing fear, you will discover unexpected benefits of being more present for life.
* A deep sense of your own wholeness and potential for healing and transformation through the process of facing fear, worry, and anxiety.
## How to Use This Book
This book contains several different types of information. It provides current information and resources about mind-body health, mindfulness, meditation, and applications to conditions such as fear, worry, anxiety, and panic.
I include numerous examples of people facing situations of fear, anxiety, and panic. These examples come directly from my experience with hundreds of meditation students. Of course, their names and identifying personal details have been changed for confidentiality.
A large part of this book is devoted to the instruction and practice of mindfulness. Commentaries and guided meditation narratives focus on specific mindfulness practices. The power to heal and transform lies in doing the practices.
You will notice that there is great detail in the guided meditations. You might try breathing several times gently and naturally between each line of the narrative. This will help you do your practice better.
Reading can be distracting. It may work better to have someone read the guided meditation slowly to you. Alternatively, you could make your own tape or CD using your own voice or another person's voice reading the guided meditation phrases. Then practice by listening to your tape or CD.
The goal is to eventually learn to meditate without the guided meditation phrases. They are not the only words to use to do any of these mindfulness practices. The guided meditations give you a place to start. As you become more practiced and confident, you can let the guided phrases go. Learn to trust your own awareness and wisdom.
I will offer many suggestions about making these practices your own and weaving them into your life. Please make the commitment and find the discipline to do this. Move at your own pace. You might find you work with a particular practice quite some time before moving on. That is okay. When you have done them all, you will begin to see how they work together, but each works quite well by itself. Please give yourself—and each practice—a fair chance by working faithfully and patiently.
## See for Yourself
You have to do the practices to get the benefit! The direct experience you gain through meditation is crucial. What you see for yourself makes all the difference. In fact, if you have to make a choice between practicing mindfulness and reading about it, practice first. And keep practicing! If you practice, you will find that what you do read will make a lot more sense, and you will find that your practice will go deeper and farther.
Don't ever think you "know" what is happening. Words, thoughts, and the illusion that we "know" are very tricky! It is better to practice not knowing. Don't think your ideas are the way it really is. The map is not the territory.
And when you do the practices and start to feel some benefit, don't stop. Keep practicing! Don't try to make something come back or happen again. Just keep paying attention. You already have what you need to succeed. You are starting a journey down a path of awakening. On that journey, you are required to do some work, be persistent, and keep coming back to it even when you feel lost or discouraged.
If you stay on this path of awakening, your life will change in unexpected and wonderful ways. It is guaranteed!
Part 1
Getting Oriented
Chapter 1
# A Mindful Approach to Fear & Anxiety
From the point of view of mindfulness, everything happens in the present moment. All we have is the present moment. What we call the past is a memory that actually occurs in the present moment, and what we call the future is something we are imagining or planning now—in the present moment. This present-moment focus is crucial to understanding all our experiences, including fear, anxiety, and panic. In the present moment, the mind and body interact with the environment in an ever-changing and dynamic way.
If you desire to teach yourself a better way to manage fear, anxiety, and panic, then the lesson must begin with what is happening in the present moment. Through meditation, you learn to establish and maintain attention in the present moment. From this base of attention, awareness or mindfulness produces clarity and understanding. From understanding flows constructive and compassionate action.
Physical experience is deeply interconnected with psychological and emotional experience moment by moment. Physical sensations can trigger thoughts (as when you perceive pain in your knee as arthritis and begin to think of the story of your arthritis and your fear of arthritis), and thoughts can stimulate physical responses (as when you recall an angry outburst in a meeting, and your neck and shoulders immediately tense up).
Fear, anxiety, and panic also occur as experience, flowing into and out of the present moment. They command physical, psychological, and emotional attention as well. To view them as experience in the present moment may seem radical. You have probably thought of fear, anxiety, or panic more as problems you had to deal with, or as conditions (or even illnesses) that too often seemed to have the upper hand in your life.
You may even have come to identify with them. Have you referred to yourself as "an anxious person" or "a frightened person," in a way that suggests that anxiety or fear is mostly who you are, or mostly what your life is about?
In fact, such a limiting definition of who you are is completely inaccurate, even if:
* at times anxiety is so strong you fear you are going crazy
* it seems that your heart is always pounding
* you avoid people and places because you are afraid you will make a fool of yourself
* you are a perfectionist tormented by guilt because you feel like you never measure up
The truth is that you are much more than any momentary experience, even if it is an intense one like fear, anxiety, or panic.
You have the capacity to recognize this and reconnect with the whole of who you are. By teaching yourself the art of attention and awareness, or mindfulness, you will come to understand deeply what it means to be present, and how, by learning to listen with your whole being, you can be free from the limitations and distortions of fear, anxiety, and panic.
## Understanding Fear, Panic & Anxiety
Both fear and anxiety share the intensely unpleasant feelings of dread and foreboding, but when the source of the dread is a threat that can be identified, the feeling is called _fear._ Fear may be defined as the feeling of agitation, apprehension, dread, or even terror caused by the presence or nearness of a danger or threat.
For example, you see a snake and feel fear. Or you find a lump in your breast and feel fear. Or you hear on your car radio that a tornado has been sighted in your area of town, and you feel fear. Or as you get near the top of a high cliff, you slip and fall toward the edge, and you feel fear.
When the feelings of dread and foreboding are not so clearly associated with an identified danger or threat, they are called _anxiety._ Indeed, this difficulty or inability to identify exactly what you are anxious about is a hallmark of anxiety.
The word "anxiety" comes from the Latin word _anxius_ , which means a condition of agitation and distress. With anxiety, this agitation and distress is felt deeply—in the mind and body—in the present moment. The fearful feeling is more internal and seems to be in response to something threatening but hazy, something vague or far away. You cannot identify the danger but feel the fear anyway.
For example, you have awakened every morning for weeks feeling afraid, and you do not know why. Or you know it is "irrational," but you are terrified to ride the elevator in the building where you work. Or you are so frightened about flying that you have turned down job opportunities that would have required air travel.
_Worry_ is the mind's expression of anxiety. It can be understood as the combination of the physical experience of anxiety (fear without the identified danger) and the thoughts, stories, images, and other cognitive activity driven by the anxiety.
For example, you cannot plan a vacation without thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Or you cannot stop anticipating every detail of a meeting with your boss scheduled in two weeks. Or you cannot stop worrying about how dangerous the wiring is in your home since a neighbor's house caught fire.
When the feeling of fear is intense, sudden, and overwhelming but comes without any apparent cause, it is called _panic._ Panic attacks can come from out of the blue, with no apparent cause. People experiencing such acute apprehension and intense fear often think they are about to die. Panic is so unpleasant that people usually begin to modify and restrict their activities because of it.
It is important to acknowledge that whether it is fear or anxiety, whether the danger is present or vague, the experience of the _fear reaction_ —what you feel as fear or anxiety—in the present moment is compelling.
The fear reaction is expressed and experienced in the body, in the mind, and in behavior. When you experience the fear reaction, you endure some (or even many) of the following as the physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral elements flow into and out of the present moment.
Physical Experience
Your heart pounds and races. Your muscles tense and tighten. You sweat, tremble, or shake. You feel tingling sensations or numbness. You may have a sense of choking or difficulty breathing. You may have discomfort or even pain in your chest. A feeling of queasiness, abdominal distress, or nausea often arises. Headaches and backaches are common. You may feel dizzy, unsteady, or like you might faint.
Psychological & Emotional Experience
The interior psychological and emotional experience is also intense. You may have feelings of unreality and dissociation. You fear losing control or going crazy. If the anxiety is very intense, you may wonder if you are about to die. Your ability to concentrate and to think clearly is disturbed. Your mind is confused. Thoughts repeat. You may become preoccupied with a particular thought or idea, so that you feel "stuck" on a theme.
Feelings of despair and hopelessness arise. You feel helpless or powerless to do anything about these deeply unpleasant feelings and the burden they create.
Behavioral Experience
Anxiety may manifest itself in your behavior. For example, you may avoid people or situations. You may develop elaborate rituals that must be performed before you can do any other activities. Or you may be bound by repetitive compulsions such as hand washing or door checking that interfere with the flow of daily life.
When the fear reaction arises repeatedly and persists over time, it is called _chronic._ We could say that to call fear or anxiety chronicmeans that it is a frequent visitor to the present moment. Chronic fear and anxiety can affect your relationships, work, social life, personal health, and inner life.
When you suffer from chronic fear and anxiety, your feelings of restlessness and ill ease grow stronger. Your energy is low, and you are easily fatigued. Sleep is disturbed. You may be unable to think or concentrate. You may feel like your mind is going blank. Participation in conversations, even social ones, can become difficult. You may feel more irritable, lash out at others, become overly critical, or withdraw from people. The use of alcohol and drugs (prescribed or recreational) often increases.
## Normal or Excessive Anxiety?
Everyone experiences anxiety. The arousal from anxiety, in its milder forms, can actually be helpful. Anxiety increases your attention, as when a barely avoided collision brings your attention back to your car and the traffic for the rest of your drive home. Mild anxiety can enhance performance and productivity, as when speakers become more focused or athletes are motivated to put aside all other distractions immediately before the game begins.
Everyone worries. Many people regard some worry as good. In its milder forms, worry can warn of danger or point toward useful action.
When anxiety is moderate or high rather than mild, however, the results are usually not so positive. The experience of moderate levels of anxiety can be notably uncomfortable. This level of anxiety can lead to cognitive disorganization and to some or many of the physical symptoms mentioned earlier. High levels of anxiety definitely interfere with daily life and function, and, if chronic, may need professional treatment.
You may have mild, moderate, or even occasional high levels of anxiety and _not_ have an anxiety disorder. Just reacting to life can evoke those feelings.
The following criteria can help you understand the difference between normal and excessive anxiety. It is the presence of excessive or _pathologic_ anxiety that defines _anxiety disorders._ Excessive anxiety:
* has very little recognizable cause and is present for no good reason
* has a disturbing level of intensity well beyond everyday anxiety
* lasts longer than everyday anxiety, up to weeks or months at times
* has a significant and detrimental impact on living. in fact, the pain may lead to destructive behaviors such as withdrawal, avoidance, or abuse of food, alcohol, or other substances.
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of all psychiatric conditions. They are a huge burden for the afflicted individuals and their loved ones, and also for society through lost work productivity and the high utilization of health care resources by those suffering from anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders afflict 15.7 million people in the United States each year, and 30 million people in the United States at some point in their lives (Lepine 2002).
The American Psychiatric Association (1994) recognizes ten distinct anxiety disorders, plus "anxiety disorder not otherwise specified." From the viewpoint of mindfulness, the important thing to remember is that the characteristic symptoms in these disorders—combinations of physical arousal, intrusive and disturbing thoughts, and intensely unpleasant sensations—all occur in the present moment. Excessive anxiety is the fear response happening in the present moment for no apparent reason, or for a reason that does not justify the intensity of the fear.
Self-help is a vital component of a comprehensive treatment plan, but it is not a substitute for needed treatment. If you think you may have a diagnosable anxiety disorder, you should consider consulting a qualified mental health professional.
## Causes of Anxiety & Anxiety Disorders
Our understanding of the causes of anxiety and pathologic anxiety has increased dramatically in recent years as the physical and neurochemical pathways of fear and anxiety have been studied. However, much more research is needed, and our understanding is far from complete at present. This incomplete understanding is reflected in the variety of models that seek to explain anxiety and its pathologic forms.
Current understanding of fear and anxiety identifies the causes as a powerful interaction of biology, cognitive-emotional influences, and stress.
Biology
Each person has a body. Your body is the fundamental biological and neurological platform from which your moment-by-moment experience and interaction with life occurs. Crucial elements of the body's role in anxiety lie in the function of the central and peripheral nervous systems, and in the array of organs and systems that respond to and communicate with the nervous system.
Since the body is vital to experience, it makes sense that the genetic influence on anxiety would be important. Although there is limited evidence at present, it does appear that, to some degree, anxiety disorders are inherited. This inheritance is probably mediated through differences in each person's sensitivity in key areas of the brain. These areas vary in their response to the array of stress modulators and neurotransmitters active in the brain and body. However, there is much more to be learned about how this tendency to be anxious is passed on from generation to generation and how this tendency should be handled in treatment.
In some ways, you have little control over what your body does reactively, but your body is intelligent and can be trained. There is growing evidence that people can learn to exert considerable influence over the reactions and ongoing activities of the body by learning and using a variety of _mind-body_ methods. The meditation and relaxation practices you will learn in this book are potent examples of the mind-body connection.
Certain medical conditions, medicines, and other substances can contribute to or cause anxiety and panic attacks. A detailed discussion of these is beyond the scope of this book. However, if anxiety interferes significantly in your life, please consult a medical professional to determine if there is a treatable medical cause for the anxiety. Consider your own use of medications and other substances, since the list of anxiety-causing agents is quite long and includes such common items as caffeine, tobacco, and aspirin.
Cognitive-Emotional Influences
A second important contributing factor in anxiety and panic seems to be the effect of childhood experiences and the family environment on a person's self-perception, ways of relating to others, and ways of handling the demands and stressors of living.
For example, factors such as your view of the world as threatening or supportive, your level of self-confidence and belief in your ability to handle stressors, and how you handle and express feelings (toward yourself and toward others) have all been shown to have a major impact on health and the ability to cope. Each of these sets of views arises repeatedly in you—in the present moment—and in turn influences how you experience what is happening and what you do about it.
Your experience of fear and anxiety is directly affected by the thoughts, perceptions, and emotions you have in that moment. Just as you can learn skills to work with the physical reactions of fear and anxiety in the present moment, you can also work with these powerful attitudes and views. It is crucial to realize that views and patterns of reactivity can be recognized, they can be changed, and they can be replaced with more adaptive and healthy alternatives.
Stress
The third major factor contributing to the development of anxiety—and especially anxiety disorders—is the cumulative or long-term role of stress. There can be many sources of this chronic stress, but the effects of leaving it unmanaged are clear. Chronic stress greatly increases the likelihood of illness and the breakdown of physical, emotional, social, and even spiritual life.
## Treating Anxiety Disorders
The most widely used mainstream approaches to treating anxiety are medications, specific types of psychotherapy, or both.
Commonly prescribed medications include _tricyclic antidepressants_ and another class of antidepressants known as _selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors_. In some cases, _monoamine oxidase inhibitors_ may be prescribed instead.
The most common psychotherapies are _behavioral therapy_ and _cognitive behavioral therapy._ Behavioral therapy uses methods such as relaxation training and gradual exposure to whatever frightens a person as a means to cope with fears. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches people to recognize thought patterns, body sensations, and situations that trigger fears, and to react differently.
However, even after a number of years of research and concerted efforts to develop more effective treatment for anxiety disorders, the currently available treatments do not work for everyone with an anxiety disorder.
Because of this, health-care providers and researchers continue to seek new approaches. In recent years, self-help methods, including meditation, have gained attention. There is a growing recognition that individuals have an important part to play in their own treatment and recovery.
Meditation methods that specifically emphasize mindfulness are being used more often in clinical treatment settings. Medical literature concerned with anxiety treatments is beginning to reflect this trend. The term _mindfulness-based cognitive therapy_ is gaining popularity, and a growing number of professionals are working to research and apply this combination of mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and colleagues (2000) have published research that suggests a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy approach can prevent relapse and recurrence in major depression. In 2002 Lizabeth Roemer published a comprehensive review of cognitive approaches to anxiety and discussed the role of mindfulness in treating anxiety. She concluded that mindfulness may be particularly useful for individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. Although both articles caution against drawing premature conclusions, the authors make a strong case for exploring this interface of mindfulness and therapeutic approaches. In 2005, Susan M. Orsillo and Roemer edited a book titled _Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Anxiety_ that suggests exciting new treatment possibilities using mindfulness in a variety of anxiety disorders.
## Keep in Mind
Fear, anxiety, and panic can be overwhelming experiences. They can also be understood as experiences that flow into and out of the present moment. This is true of either normal or excessive anxiety.
You can learn to handle fear and anxiety by bringing relaxation and attention into your life and keeping a present-moment focus. Because fear and anxiety happen in the present moment, it is vital that you learn to establish yourself—and remain—in the present moment in order to manage them. Mindfulness meditation practice establishes attention in the present moment. There is a growing body of evidence that developing a daily practice of meditation—one that emphasizes mindfulness (friendly, nonjudging awareness)—is something you can do to help yourself manage fear, anxiety, and panic.
Chapter 2
# Paying Attention on Purpose
Practicing mindfulness means learning to relax and stay present with a nonjudging and friendly awareness. Mindfulness is cultivated by paying attention—on purpose and carefully—to the contents of this moment in a friendly and allowing way. As we are using the term in this book, mindfulness is developed through a daily practice of meditation.
To teach yourself a better way to manage fear, anxiety, and panic, it is important for you to learn to relax, and practice this way of "paying attention on purpose." As you develop your capacity to be mindful through meditation, you will discover that you can be relaxed _and_ aware. You will begin to relate _to_ the experiences of fear, anxiety, or panic rather than _from_ them or as if they are who you are.
As you increasingly come to see these experiences as conditions in the present moment instead of as your enemy or your "problem," they will no longer dominate your life. You will make more effective responses to them.
In this book, several themes will appear and reappear.
* Although you may be struggling with fear, anxiety, or panic, _you already have what you need to transform your life._ Mindfulness, kindness, and compassion are within you.
* _The ground for this transformation is mindful presence_ , which is nonjudging, nonstriving, accepting, present-moment awareness. The emphasis when practicing mindfulness is on being, not doing.
* _Your experience of fear, anxiety, or panic is transformed when you make it the direct object of mindfulness._ In a mindfulness-based approach, the instruction is to turn toward fear, anxiety, and panic when they arise. You do not recoil, run away, or try to suppress them.
* _This approach to fear, anxiety, and panic works best when you make mindfulness a way of living._ To approach life mindfully is to meet and connect with each experience as it arises and flows through the present moment of life. Mindfulness will not work so well if you think of it as a method or technique and wait to use it only when fear, anxiety, or panic is here and troubling you. Mindfulness becomes a way of living when you ground it in a daily practice of meditation and extend this practice into your life.
* Specific meditation practices, including those in this book, are meant to assist you in making mindfulness a way of living. _The focus varies in different practices, yet all aim to help you be present for the moments of your life_ , regardless of what is happening in and around you during those moments.
## Does Practicing Mindfulness Really Help?
The only way to know whether mindfulness will work for you is to try it. However, a growing, encouraging body of medical research suggests that people facing a wide variety of problems, including anxiety and panic, can enjoy significant benefits when they develop mindfulness through a committed practice of daily meditation.
Mindfulness itself is a basic human quality. It is the capacity for conscious presence. It is the awareness that is friendly, nonjudging, and allowing.
People have systematically cultivated this quality through meditation for thousands of years. Historically, the goal has been to enhance spiritual practice and to aid the realization of a higher purpose and meaning in life.
Since the 1960s, when a large-scale social transformation sparked interest among Westerners in meditation, Eastern spirituality, and altered states of consciousness, there has been growing interest in meditation and mindfulness as it relates to health and healing.
Lyn Freeman points out in _Mosby's Complementary and Alternative Medicine_ (Freeman and Lawlis 2001) that despite thousands of years of human experience with meditation, "it has only been in the last twenty-five years that meditation has been researched as a medical intervention in Western cultures" (168). According to Freeman and Lawlis, this research has focused on four separate forms of meditation: _transcendental meditation_ ; _respiratory one method_ ,developed by Herbert Benson; _clinically standardized meditation_ ,developed by Carrington and others; and _mindfulness meditation_.
Freeman notes that mindfulness meditation "differs significantly from the other three" in that the first three are all essentially _concentrative_ techniques that instruct the meditator to focus attention on a single object, such as a phrase or a sound. Mindfulness is a _nonconcentrative_ technique in which the person widens his or her consciousness "to include the observation, in a nonjudgmental way, of his or her mental activities and thoughts" (Freeman and Lawlis 2001, 168).
Jon Kabat-Zinn pioneered the medical use of mindfulness meditation when he founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979. The approach used in that program has come to be known as _mindfulness-based stress reduction_ (MBSR). In MBSR, Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues used a combination of mindfulness meditation methods and mindful yoga to help thousands of participants cope more effectively with stress, pain, and illness.
## Mindfulness & Medical Research
Since 1979, a number of clinical studies have documented the health benefits of practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness has been reported to be associated with improvements in levels of anxiety, panic, and general mood disturbance. In addition, mindfulness has been reported to be useful as a self-regulation practice in a variety of other conditions.
Kabat-Zinn and colleagues (1992) published results from the Stress Reduction Clinic documenting significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety and panic in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and panic disorder with _agoraphobia_ (fear of being in a place or situation from which escape is difficult).
In 1995, J. Miller and colleagues published results of a follow-up report on the earlier group studied by Kabat-Zinn in 1992. They found that after three years, a majority of subjects still practiced meditation and had maintained significant improvements in reduced anxiety.
Speca and colleagues (2000) reported significant benefits from mindfulness meditation in a group of cancer patients. Meditation reduced mood disturbance in general and significantly reduced depression, anxiety, anger, and confusion.
In 1998, Shapiro, Schwartz, and Bonner reported findings from a group of medical and premedical students who practiced mindfulness-based stress reduction. They found significant reductions in overall psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. They also reported increased levels of empathy and increased scores on a measure of spiritual experiences.
John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and colleagues (2000) reported results from a multicenter trial in Canada and the United Kingdom. They studied the application of mindfulness with cognitive therapy to prevent relapse in people with major depressive illness. For people with three or more previous episodes of major depression, they found that mindfulness practices combined with cognitive therapy principles significantly reduced the risk of relapse.
Linehan (1993a, 1993b) described the use of mindfulness techniques as a way of integrating acceptance into change-based psychotherapies. Her work has focused on individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and the model she developed, _dialectical behavior therapy_ (DBT), has been widely replicated.
Other reports support the use of mindfulness meditation in chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn et al. 1986), fibromyalgia (Kaplan, Goldenberg, and Galvin-Nadeau 1993), psoriasis (Kabat-Zinn et al. 1998), with a population of inner-city residents (Roth 1997), in binge eating (Kristeller and Hallett 1999), and stress reduction (Astin 1997).
There is still much to be understood about how practicing mindfulness actually helps in these various conditions. That it helps seems clear.
## What's New
Since the first edition of _Calming Your Anxious Mind_ was released, many interesting and important developments have occurred in the areas of medical research and treatments for anxiety and panic. While it is beyond the scope of this revised version to detail all of this new information, some highlights are worthy of note.
Can Nonstriving and Nonjudging Attention Actually Help?
Steven C. Hayes has been the leader of an approach to transforming emotional pain, including anxiety and depression, that utilizes mindfulness and acceptance as starting points for relating to the experiences themselves (Hayes, Strosahl, and Wilson 1999; Hayes and Smith 2005). Hayes calls his approach "acceptance and commitment therapy." In this approach, Hayes notes that mindfulness acts to enable you "to look at your pain rather than seeing the world from the vantage point of your pain" (Hayes and Smith 2005, 6). A growing number of professionals have taken an interest in this method, and there is an expanding body of research that supports its value.
Is Mindfulness Really Useful for a Variety of Anxiety Disorders and Conditions?
As mentioned earlier, Susan M. Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer have edited a book, _Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Anxiety_ (2005), that is of particular note. This is the first such work bringing together both clinicians and clinical researchers specializing in anxiety disorders who present perspectives on the integration of mindfulness and acceptance-based behavioral therapies. In addition to relevant theoretical models and research data, the book details applications of mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches with specific populations, including people with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Can Meditation Cause Changes in Your Brain & Body?
A final study that is worthy of particular note due to its innovation and intriguing findings was done by Richard Davidson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and their colleagues and published in the journal _Psychosomatic Medicine_ in February 2003.
In this study, brain activity and immune system response to flu vaccine were measured in a group of twenty-five subjects who were taught and practiced mindfulness meditation over an eight-week training period. The group was compared to a control group of sixteen people who received no instructions and did not meditate.
The results of the study showed that, compared to the control group, the group that meditated had significantly increased electrical activity in the left frontal region of their brains. Such increased activity in this region of the brain has been associated with reduced anxiety and a positive emotional state.
In addition, the group that meditated had significantly more robust immune system responses to an injection of flu vaccine than did the control group.
This is believed to be the first study to correlate changes in brain activity with reduced anxiety, and changes in immune function directly with the practice of mindfulness meditation.
## Keep in Mind
In this book we will look at some of the basic understandings about fear systems and anxiety, and the role of thoughts and attitudes in health. Medical science has not yet reached a final conclusion about how anxiety and panic happen or how they should best be treated.
By learning to be present and to stay connected with your body and mind and what is happening in the present moment, you have your best chance of understanding your own experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic. Out of that understanding, you will make the most effective response for healing.
There is a promising new body of research that supports mindfulness meditation as an aid in a variety of medical conditions, including anxiety and panic.
Chapter 3
# The Body & Its Fear System
You already know how it feels to be afraid. It has been said that fear is one of the most basic of all human emotions. A key point here is that fear is something you can actually _feel._ The racing heart, the tensing muscles, the heightened sense of alertness, and the sweaty palms can all be felt. Deeper in the body, in the layers of muscle and in the visceral organs, you can feel sensations, movements, gripping, and hardening.
You may have noticed that the feelings in your body associated with fear are very similar to feelings you may have associated with anxiety, worry, or panic. Based on what we know about the mind-body connection, this is not surprising.
In the 1990s, research related to the brain's anatomy, neurochemistry, and electromagnetic operation was intense and productive. We now know much more about how the brain functions under both normal and abnormal conditions. These discoveries are quite relevant as you practice mindfulness and face fear and anxiety in your own life.
Research is beginning to reveal how deeply the body and mind are interconnected. The emerging picture is both complex and fascinating. As a human being, you are in a dynamic, continuously changing, and interactive relationship involving your mind, body, and the surrounding environment.
This relationship requires that you have functioning systems to take in information via the senses. More systems must then act to assess, compare, and process the new information. Finally, you need systems to store, manage, and retrieve the information for future use.
Your brain and nervous system communicate with each other and the rest of your body constantly to assess and maintain contact with your surrounding external environment; to generate, measure, and direct your responses to that environment; and to maintain the moment-by-moment conditions of your interior environment.
As a key part in this interactive relationship, you have a built-in emergency capacity called the _fight-or-flight reaction_ , and you also have a powerful built-in quieting and calming capacity called the _relaxation response._ Each of these responses is wired into us as human beings. The responses function in such a way that they can happen in your body yet outside of your conscious experience, but, importantly, they can also be modified by your conscious experience.
Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is a founder of the field of _affective neuroscience_ , a branch of psychology that studies the brain circuitry involved in the experience of emotions. Dr. Davidson is quoted by Daniel Goleman in _Destructive Emotions_ (2003, 189): "One of the most exciting discoveries in neuroscience over the last five years is that the areas of the brain . . . the frontal lobes, the amygdala, and the hippocampus, change in response to experience. They are the parts of the brain dramatically affected by the emotional environment in which we are raised and by repeated experience". In other words, your brain function can actually change in response to experience. And what you do as part of that experience—for example, learning to meditate—has the power to change how your brain actually functions.
Fear is the reaction you feel in your body in the presence of an external threat or danger, and anxiety is the reaction you feel in your body when the danger or threat comes from within and is more vague. Either way, the fear system of the body is operating.
What exactly is happening in the brain and body when you experience the fight-or-flight response, or the fear reaction?
## Fight or Flight
The fight-or-flight response is what you feel in your mind and body and call fear. This response is also sometimes called the _stress response._ Early researchers in the field of stress, such as Walter B. Cannon and Hans Selye, came to recognize and describe the arousal and physical changes animals experience in the face of danger or _stressors_ (Freeman and Lawlis 2001). They saw that the increases in blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tone, and alertness—paired with the secretion of powerful hormones in the body—prepared the animal to defend itself or to flee. It was Cannon, working in the 1920s, who coined the term _fight-or-flight._ Selye, working in the 1950s, popularized the term _stress._
It is interesting to note that Selye defined stress as a response to a stressor or demand. He viewed stress as the total response—mind and body—to whatever pressure or demand the animal (or person) faced.
To summarize, what we call fear, anxiety, or even panic is the felt or sensed component of a mind-body experience that is activated and controlled by a fear system wired into us as human beings.
The connections of the fear system involve several brain centers and body systems. The messages are transmitted over nerve pathways and through the blood as it circulates, and modulated by an astonishing array of stress hormones, proteins, and other neuroendocrine substances.
As a result, dramatic physical, cognitive, and emotional elements activate when the fear system alarms go off. This experience in its totality is designed to prepare you either to defend yourself or to flee from danger. When viewed as a response to a danger or stressor, this total mind-body response is also called _stress._
When a person says, "I feel stressed," what he or she actually feels is the various sensations of arousal and preparation to fight or flee that have arisen in the mind and body. The reason the feelings are so intense and unpleasant is usually that they have been building up over time as extended or chronic stress, or have developed especially strongly in a sudden, intense, and acutely stressful situation.
The dramatic physical changes are mediated by a variety of powerful chemical messengers (stress hormones) in the body. The best known are _adrenaline_ and _cortisol._
Adrenaline plays a major role in the activation of the body for fight or flight. The racing heart, the rapid and shallow breathing, the profuse sweating, and the shaking and trembling are all due to the action of adrenaline.
The known effects of cortisol include mobilizing _glucose_ (stored sugar) to provide immediate energy, increasing the body's sensitivity to other stress-related hormones, and inhibiting the immune and inflammatory responses.
In the _acute_ or immediate stress response, adrenaline, cortisol, and all the other stress hormones are released and act on their target organs and tissues. As the threat subsides, the response eases, and the body returns to a more balanced state.
## How the Fear System Operates
According to current research, the key to understanding the fear system lies in the _amygdala, a small, almond-shaped structure located deep in the brain. This structure has powerful connections to a wide range of brain and body regions. It is the area of the brain most involved in fear._
Joseph LeDoux calls the amygdala the "hub in the wheel of fear" (1996, 168). To understand this, imagine the following.
In the center of a wheel is the amygdala. Surrounding it and connected to it by the spokes of the wheel are information-processing systems of the brain and body. These systems gather, send, and receive information constantly from the amygdala. This information includes:
* Direct sensory input (what is coming in from the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body).
* Sensory input that has been processed by "higher centers" in the brain. For example, when the _sensory cortex_ decides that the shape on the ground in front of you is a stick and not a snake, it sends signals to the amygdala to turn off the fear reaction.
* Input not related to the senses, but associated with memories and contexts. For example, simply having a certain thought or memory may stimulate a feeling of fear or worry.
* Input that can inhibit or turn down the amygdala's alarm. This inhibitory action is believed to be centered in an area at the front of the brain called the _prefrontal cortex._
There is a very fast, direct pathway for input from any of the senses straight to the amygdala. The information is not "clean" or precise, but because it arrives so quickly, the body can respond almost immediately to danger.
A dog charges at you out of nowhere, a fire alarm goes off nearby, a truck runs the stop sign and almost hits you: such vivid sights and sounds can set off the amygdala. The message travels by this first, most direct route.
The amygdala sounds the alarm to the rest of the fear system. It activates the _hypothalamus_ (a regulatory center in the brain), which fires signals to the _autonomic nervous system_ (a part of the nervous system that acts without our conscious control), which in turn sends the signals to release the chemical messengers that act on organs and tissues to produce the fight-or-flight reaction.
There is a second, slower pathway that the incoming message also takes while the first, most immediate pathway is activating.
In the normal (nonstressed) order of brain function, various higher brain centers also process the incoming sensory data. They assess the information, compare it with similar information or experience stored in the memory, and interpret the situation as safe or dangerous. When the incoming information is judged safe, these centers have the power to override or inhibit the emergency alarm activated by the amygdala.
The fast pathway brings new sensory information to the amygdala and triggers the emergency response. The slower pathway processes the same information and can then communicate with the amygdala to either turn off or sustain the emergency response.
This means the higher centers must process the message correctly to turn off the emergency response. The main function of the higher centers is to prevent the inappropriate emergency response from continuing.
If this inhibitory function of the higher centers—especially the prefrontal cortex—does not operate correctly, or if the higher centers mistakenly identify the input as dangerous, then the alarm sounds louder. Many researchers now believe that this dysfunction or failure of inhibition in the fear system contributes to the development of anxiety disorders. As Edmund J. Bourne (2000, 38) notes, "panic attacks are more likely to occur when this entire 'fear system' is overly sensitized, perhaps from having been previously activated too frequently, too intensely, or both." Bourne further suggests that "changes in this system can take place as a result of acute stress, or as the long-term result of multiple stresses over time."
The implications are clear. If anxiety arises out of fear system dysfunction, then management of anxiety depends on doing everything possible to enable the fear system to function properly. Developing skills in relaxation and present-moment awareness through meditation is an important way to support the healthy functioning of your body's fear system.
## The Intelligent Body
Your body doesn't forget its experience with fear. It is quite intelligent. It has the ability to learn and to remember so that when a similar situation arises in the future, it can return automatically to the learned postures, movements, and responses.
This bodily intelligence is obvious when you think about such ordinary activities as walking, toothbrushing, or knitting. At some time (maybe years ago), you did not do the activity. Then you started it. At first it was not so smooth, but gradually your body learned how to move in that way, and it became "natural."
The body learns and remembers from every experience. For example, if you are in a traumatic or highly charged emotional situation and the fight-or-flight reaction is triggered, simply recalling the event at a later time is enough to arouse a similar physical experience in your body. Your body stores the memory of the situation, and remembering it activates the muscles into the particular patterns of tension they held and learned in the situation.
According to current understanding, memory is the result of several different systems at work in the brain and body. There are in fact different types of memory. _Emotional_ or _fear_ memory is stored and retrieved through a different system than is _conscious_ or _declarative_ memory. LeDoux states that "in the case of the amygdala system, retrieval results in expression of bodily responses that prepare for danger . . ." (1996, 239). When the body is aroused through its fear system, the arousal is remembered.
There is much yet to be learned about fear conditioning, body memory, and their relationship to anxiety. We do know that it is important to develop awareness of the body, to recognize thought and memory patterns, and to be patient in working with the deeply conditioned habits of the fear response, both physical and cognitive.
## Anxiety & Chronic Stress
So the fear system is wired in, the brain may either override the emergency alarm triggered by the amygdala or sustain it, the override action depends upon processing activity in higher brain centers, the resulting fight-or-flight reaction is very intense and involves many body systems, and the body can remember its experience.
All of this was built into us as human beings in order to survive _immediate_ danger. As a way of dealing with immediate danger, the fight-or-flight response makes sense and works pretty well. But what happens when the system developed to be a short-term answer to an occasional emergency becomes a long-term way of living?
Chronic stress is the persistent and repeated activation of the fear system over extended periods of time. In essence, the fight-or-flight response activates the body and readies it for vigorous physical action. But in the stressors that most of us encounter—the demands of daily life at work and in our family, for example—there is little relief or problem resolution from physical action. It literally doesn't help to fight or to run.
Medical research has shown some interesting and important effects of long-term arousal of the fear system. Shelley E. Taylor, a psychologist at the University of California at Los Angeles, has been a leader in understanding the effects of stress on health, and has done pioneering work in the different responses of men and women to stress. Taylor highlights the health effects of chronic stress in her 2002 book _The Tending_ _Instinct:_
* Repeated fight-or-flight responses that increase heart rate and blood pressure contribute to the development of high blood pressure and heart disease.
* Repeated activation of stress hormones, especially the _glucocorticoids_ ,can lead to immune deficiencies, cause or worsen depression, and disrupt memory and other thought processes.
* If chronic stress leads to chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels, insulin activity can be impaired, and the risk for diabetes increases.
* The risk of cancer increases with chronic stress because the immune system—which normally catches cells in the earliest stages of cancerous growth—becomes less efficient.
Chronic stress can also be a major factor in the development of anxiety disorders. As Bourne states, if your weakest point "is the neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter systems of your brain, you will be more subject to developing a behavior disorder such as mood swings, generalized anxiety, or panic disorder" (2000, 34).
Chronic stress means chronic hyperarousal of the body through its fear system. The price for this is high, both physically and emotionally. Fortunately, there is good news. You have a balancing response to fight-or-flight wired into you. There are different ways to activate it, and meditation is one of them.
## The Relaxation Response
The mind-body connection is at work again in the relaxation response, only this time it serves to reverse the activation characteristic of fight-or-flight. In short, heart rate slows. Breathing slows. Blood pressure comes down. Muscles soften and relax. There is a growing sense of ease and calm in the body and mind.
When the crisis or emergency has passed, the body restores balance through the action of the branch of the nervous system that controls calm, relaxation, and the resting body functions such as digestion and resting heart rate.
Herbert Benson, working at Harvard Medical School, is a pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine. In the late 1960s, he began studying subjects who practiced transcendental meditation. In this practice, the people meditating would sit quietly and repeat a phrase to themselves for a period of time. Whenever their attention wandered, they were instructed to resume repeating the phrase. Benson and colleagues measured physiological functions while the subjects were meditating and while they were engaged in everyday thoughts.
Benson (1993) summarized the remarkable results of this study: Breath rate, oxygen consumption, and levels of _blood lactate_ (a chemical which in high levels has been associated with anxiety and in low levels with calm) all decreased markedly when the subjects were meditating. Also, brain waves associated with rest and relaxation (alpha, theta, and delta waves) increased in frequency, while beta waves (associated with normal waking activity) became fewer.
Benson had measured and named something meditation practitioners had known for thousands of years. Human beings have the ability, by directing attention and awareness, to enter extraordinary states of calm and relaxation.
Benson named this the _relaxation response_ , and in the years since he coined that term, much has been learned about the body's ability to calm and relax, and the mind's power to activate this state.
In _Don't Panic_ , R. Reid Wilson (1986) makes the point that many panic-prone people fear losing control if they relax or "let go." Wilson prefers the phrase "calming response"to "relaxation response" for this reason.
Whatever you choose to call it, the ability to calm and relax the mind and body is an important ally. By learning to calm and ease your mind and body, you can begin to balance the distortions of hyperarousal from chronic stress. This will bring many benefits.
From the point of mindfulness, relaxation is not the ultimate goal. However, it is crucial to have a calm and relaxed attention in order to remain present and to be mindful. Learning to activate calm and ease in mind and body through concentrated attention will provide a strong foundation for the presence you will need to manage fear, anxiety, and panic.
## Keep in Mind
The fear reaction is extremely powerful. It happens almost instantaneously. Yet each of us has the capacity to change how we react. Learning to meditate can give you the power you need to become more responsive and less reactive when fear happens.
Chapter 4
# Anxiety & the Power of the Mind
In the early 1600s, at the height of the Renaissance, French philosopher René Descartes proclaimed, "I think, therefore I am." Living as he did in a time of intellectual awakening and the embrace of reason and knowledge, Descartes focused on the activity of thinking, especially questioning, and based identity there.
Today, in the early years of the twenty-first century, and from the perspective of mind-body medicine, it might be more accurate to say "I am what I think," or "I am not my thoughts," or even "I am more than my thoughts." These statements reflect more completely our emerging understanding of the connection of mind (the interior world of awareness that contains thoughts, feelings, memories, and more), through brain and body interrelationships and actions, to overall health.
What has long been observed in common language and folk wisdom about the power of the mind (and heart) to impact the body and health is now being documented by medical researchers. What you think and feel, how you talk to yourself, and what view you take about what is happening to you and around you has a powerful impact on your health and well-being.
## The Power of Thought
Anxiety and panic often arise from fear-provoking thoughts or attitudes rather than physical threats or danger. Indeed, the attitude or meaning in the mind is crucial to the perception of danger. In his 1986 book _Don't Panic_ , R. Reid Wilson points out that "people, places, and events are panic-provoking only _after_ we apply meaning to them. A store is just a store, a speech is just a speech, a drive is just a drive, until the brain interprets them as 'dangerous' or 'threatening.' To conquer panic, then, you must intervene at the _point of interpretation_ " (133).
We know that the mind and body are not separate. The links include the brain and the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. And, while there is still very little agreement or understanding about how crucial elements of mind such as consciousness actually happen in the brain and nervous system, much has been discovered about the connections and communications between brain and body.
Through its connections with the sense organs and the body, the brain receives information from the body and from the surrounding environment. The higher brain centers process this extraordinary mass of incoming information, store it as memory, and generate directions for the body and its various systems based on this processed information.
The body's fear system includes specialized areas of the brain that process sensory information and add contextual meaning to it before sending messages back to the body that modify the fight-or-flight reactions.
Other areas and systems of the brain provide familiar and crucial functions such as language, short- and long-term memory, attention, arousal, awareness, cognition, emotion, control of movement and activity, and social behavior.
The underlying physical and chemical base for this brain-body function is astounding. According to some estimates, there are as many as ten billion neurons in the human nervous system, wired together in enormously complex ways. It is this amazing array of information-systems activity that helps to create for each of us the sense of self and the moment-by-moment consciousness of body and the world outside the body.
So thoughts have power.
And they have the connections—through the brain-body links—to exert their power!
And what we call _self_ , including our mind, is actually arising moment by moment (in ways that are not well understood by science) out of the interconnected activity of the brain and body interacting with the ever-changing environment. The thoughts that occur, the emotions—such as fear and anxiety—that flavor each moment, and the deeper attitudes and views each person holds have an immediate and profound impact on the actual experience arising in each moment. This is because the thoughts, emotions, and views have direct and ongoing feedback into the systems as they are processing all the incoming and outgoing information.
From the standpoint of managing fear and anxiety, this is both good and bad news.
The bad news is that fearful or anxious thoughts can continue to fuel and drive the body's fear system, mediated largely through connections with the amygdala. The input to the amygdala includes sensory and modified sensory data, plus data from other related nonsensory higher centers such as those involving thinking and memory.
All of this higher-level input is designed to enable an override of the amygdala's emergency messages to the rest of the body once the higher centers have had time to assess the situation. If the higher input (thinking) does not override the amygdala but rather stimulates it, then more fear-system activity happens. In other words, if the higher brain centers decide that the situation is dangerous, they confirm the amygdala's initial danger message rather than sending a reassuring message that everything is safe. This serves us well when the situation really _is_ dangerous. But when our higher brain centers produce anxious thoughts about something threatening but vague—when we are in no real danger—our fear response stays turned on for no immediate reason.
The good news is that the higher centers _can_ override the fear system and turn it down.
It is easy to see why becoming aware of your thoughts and learning to let them be instead of identifying with them might be very important in learning to manage fear and anxiety. Learning to recognize your thoughts and views, and to modify the ones that stimulate the fear system, is an incredibly powerful tool.
So, can you change how your brain functions? Can you alter the "hardwired" response by practicing meditation? There is growing evidence that the brain is much more malleable or _plastic_ than was formerly believed. And the answer is yes, maybe you can change how your brain functions by meditating.
In a study cited in chapter 2 of this book, Dr. Richard Davidson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and their colleagues (2003) studied brain function and mindfulness meditation in employees of a local business. The employees were taught mindfulness meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn over an eight-week period. Brain function in the employees was measured using MRI scans and EEG measurements before they learned to meditate, after eight weeks, and again sixteen weeks later.
The differences were clear. The results showed that activity in the frontal cortex in the meditators had shifted. There was an increased pattern of activity associated with feelings such as joy, happiness, and low levels of anxiety.
While this is only one study, it adds weight to the thesis that the links between the brain's thinking regions and feeling (emotional) regions are much more plastic than previously believed. This suggests that you can indeed learn to monitor moods and thoughts, learn to drop the disturbing ones, and enjoy less anxiety and more energy and joy as a result.
## The Impact of Thoughts & Emotions on Health
Reflect on your own everyday experience for a moment. Have you noticed how holding a thought can lead to a body reaction? Are there particular stories or thought patterns that you have repeatedly? Have you recognized how they connect with feelings of fear, anxiety, or worry? Have you ever noticed how your own body is recruited into action by these thought patterns and stories?
Common expressions demonstrate that many people have observed such mind-body connections.
_He was bursting with anger._
_She died of a broken heart._
_He worried himself sick._
_She was scared to death._
These are but a few familiar examples of how we acknowledge in everyday language the powerful impact of thoughts and emotions on health. Medical researchers have made interesting discoveries in recent years about the link between thoughts, emotions, and health.
Anger & Hostility
Redford Williams of Duke University Medical Center is a pioneer in the field of behavioral medicine. His work has led to a much clearer understanding of the connection between hostility and illness, especially the effects of hostility on the human heart.
In the 1960s, cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman had identified behavioral characteristics that seemed to be present in most of their cardiology patients: constant hurriedness, intense competitiveness, and free-floating hostility. Friedman and Rosenman labeled people with this specific cluster of characteristics _type A_ (Hafen et al. 1996).
Williams and Williams (1993) focused on the hostility factor in type A people. In one study, they found that over 70 percent of patients with high hostility scores (measured by a widely used psychological test) also had severe blockages of their coronary arteries. In contrast, less than 50 percent of those with low hostility scores had significant blockages.
We now know that hostility is an _independent risk factor_ for coronary artery disease. In other words, reducing hostility and anger in your life will reduce your chances of coronary disease.
Current health-psychology research links unskillful management of anger and hostility with a number of other health problems as well. Hafen and colleagues (1996) summarize these findings related to anger and illness in _Mind/Body Health_. They note that prolonged or chronic anger can impact almost any part of the body. In particular, chronic anger can have adverse effects on blood pressure, coronary artery disease, migraine headaches, skin disorders, and even the common cold.
This is everyday anger. In _Anger Kills_ , Redford and Virginia Williams (1993) point out the widespread and ordinary nature of this anger: "We're speaking here not about the anger that drives people to shoot, stab, or otherwise wreak havoc on their fellow humans. We mean instead the everyday sort of anger, annoyance, and irritation that courses through the minds and bodies of many perfectly normal people" (xiii).
Worry
Worry is another way thoughts and feelings can affect health. We have seen how worry can be understood as the patterns of thinking driven by feelings of anxiety. Often, the content of the thoughts reflects a person's attempt to cope with or eliminate the discomfort and ill ease present as part of their experience of anxiety.
Hafen and colleagues (1996) report some interesting facts about worry and health:
* About two-thirds of Americans classify themselves as worriers.
* About half of that group classify themselves as moderate worriers who worry between 10 and 50 percent of the day.
* The rest of the worriers report that they worry more than eight hours a day.
* Worry has been related to health problems. These include cardiac arrhythmias in patients who have had heart attacks, increased blood pressure in laboratory animals, and asthma in both adults and children.
* Uncertainty as an aspect of worry is particularly potent and toxic. When people are confronted by situations of high uncertainty, when they do not know what will happen next or how they should act, they can experience destructive feelings of helplessness and frustration. Uncertainty keeps people in a constant state of semi-arousal, unable to relax, and the price of this ongoing tension and stress is high.
Staying in the present moment is the key. In an article in _Prevention_ , Cathy Perlmutter (1993) quotes Jennifer Abel as saying that to deal with worry, it is important to focus on what's going on right now. Worry is almost always future-oriented, Abel says, "so if we can focus on what we're doing right now—the sentence we're reading, the voice of the person speaking—rather than thinking about what someone might say next, we're better off" (78).
Attitudes & Beliefs
Besides anger and worry, deeply held attitudes and views of self and the world have been demonstrated to have potent effects on health.
The power of attitude has come under intense scrutiny by health researchers. Of particular importance to your health are thought patterns that shape your sense of personal power and control, your confidence in your ability to handle problems and stress, and your sense of hope and optimism or pessimism about situations you face.
Attitudes & Stress
Why is it that some people handle stress with few problems, while others facing the same stressful conditions fall ill?
Suzanne Kobasa (1987, 1990) and her colleagues have studied stress and stress reactions in a variety of people, including business executives, attorneys in general practice, and women in an outpatient gynecology setting. The subjects in each of these groups faced roughly the same kinds of stressors, yet had different health outcomes. Kobasa and her colleagues studied the personalities and styles of coping of each group. The studies went on in some cases for as long as five years. In the end, the researchers found a powerful correlation between physical health and certain attitudes and beliefs. _They found no correlation between stressful life events and physical illness_. In other words, what the people believed and thought seemed to make all the difference!
Kobasa coined the term _stress hardiness_ to describe the qualities of the individuals who managed stress with few or no significant health problems. The three elements of stress hardiness she found to be crucial are _commitment_ , _control_ , and _challenge_.
**Commitment here means a deep and abiding interest and involvement in what is happening around you, including yourself, others, work, and a set of important values.** In other words, feeling a sense of connection is important.
**Control means being confident that you have the ability to cushion the hurt or destructiveness of a particular stressful situation.** It does not mean that you have to control other people or all aspects of a situation. Control is the refusal to become a victim. It is the ability to focus on what you can control and not be distracted by what you cannot.
**Challenge means having the ability to greet the stressful situation as an interesting opportunity for growth and excitement.** This inevitably means also welcoming and accepting change, which is constant, rather than feeling overwhelmed by it.
These findings reflect a common and recurring theme in stress research: The stress itself does not cause illness. How a person reacts to stress is crucial. Your way of viewing and explaining what is happening determines the impact stress will have.
Explanatory Style
How do you explain to yourself what it means when something bad happens to you? Do you view the glass as half empty or half full? Everyone has this tendency to explain the unpleasant or "bad" events of their life. The basis of each person's explanation lies in his or her deeply held views or ideas. These ideas form a person's _explanatory style_.
A pioneer in the understanding of the impact of explanatory style is Martin E. P. Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania. In his studies, Seligman observed that how people explained the "bad" things that happened to them had a powerful effect on their health and wellness. Many others have added to this work, including Yale surgeon Bernie Siegel, Charles Carver at the University of Miami, and Michael F. Scheier at Carnegie-Mellon University (Hafen et al. 1996). The results of research in this area of explanatory style indicate that, in truth, we are what we think.
**Pessimists tend to view themselves and most situations negatively.** They tend to blame themselves for all "bad" events happening to them, and they tend to _catastrophize_ , or inflate every situation into the worst thing imaginable.
Pessimists have worse health outcomes, and the correlation is so strong that the pessimistic style actually has predictive value. In other words, researchers have been able to predict which members of a study would have negative health outcomes based solely on their style of viewing life events pessimistically.
**Optimists tend to see the good in situations, expect things to go their way, see controllable aspects to situations and focus on those, resist giving up easily, and avoid blaming themselves for what has happened.**
In contrast to pessimists, individuals with an optimistic style have repeatedly been shown in studies to have better health outcomes. It is even suggested that having an optimistic style can actually protect you from getting sick.
Wielding the Power of Thought
The majority of this research in attitudes and health points to an important conclusion. The attitudes and views that so powerfully impact an individual's health are learned and can be changed.
When you recognize and understand the attitudes, views, and emotions operating within you, you gain the power to evaluate and change your attitudes. While this change can take time and varies from person to person, the message is clear. You can be a healthier person by recognizing and managing the power of your own thoughts and emotions!
## How Mindfulness Can Help
Mindfulness is an awareness that is _not_ thinking. It is an awareness that is capable of recognizing thoughts and emotions as they occur and does not identify with them. Mindfulness is friendly, nonjudging, allowing, present-moment awareness.
We know that thoughts play a crucial role in fear, anxiety, or even panic. Consider the following anxiety-based thoughts:
_What if I cause an accident because I can't handle the machine?_
_If I did have a panic attack right now, I wouldn't be able to cope._
_I am tired all of the time. What if I have cancer and it is too late?_
_It will be impossible for me to go into that meeting tomorrow. There will be too many people there who are just waiting to laugh at me._
_I am not smart enough to do the job the boss just gave me._
Any of these thoughts (or ones like them) can provoke the fear response. The stress reaction is then underway. If the type of thinking that follows is generated from a deeper thought base of a pessimistic explanatory style, self-blame, or poor self-confidence, there is even more fuel for the body's fear system to burn.
Subjectively, it can go something like this. The body's fear system is aroused. The hyperarousal is experienced as somewhat unpleasant. The body and the mind are buzzing. Thoughts get started. They can be worrisome and frightening themselves. The fear system response intensifies. The sense of self, of _I-me-mine_ , may grow very strong. It can even feel rocklike and heavy. Sometimes _I-me-mine_ feels so threatened that overwhelming panic seems to be all that is present. Annihilation of self, of _I-me-mine_ , is the compelling moment-by-moment concern.
That is when mindfulness practice is so important. When you practice mindfulness, you make the decision to stay present and examine your own unfolding inner experience. Attention is poured into your interior landscape. You turn toward fear and anxiety, toward thoughts and sensations as objects of your kind attention. You don't expect to fix anything as you pay attention this way. All that is asked is that you bring compassionate attention to what you are experiencing, moment by moment.
In this practice, it is _not_ a mistake to feel upset, fear, or even panic. You have not done anything wrong when you feel such energies. Your practice of mindfulness has not failed! Indeed, such moments are the precise time to _use_ your practice of mindfulness to change how you relate to and experience the intense forces of fear, anxiety, and panic.
You establish attention on the experiences themselves, using an anchor such as the sensation of your breathing to help you stay present. As you open to and observe the body sensations, and the thoughts, and the next wave of sensations and thoughts, and so on, you recognize all of these occurrences simply as impermanent, passing events. A sense of spaciousness and ease arises and can surround the disturbing experiences. You feel calmer and your attention has a sharper focus.
Each encounter with fear, anxiety, or panic is an opportunity to practice being with that upset in a different way. It is a chance to practice being more spacious within, being at peace with yourself and the upset, and listening without believing any disturbing thoughts. Your new method is mindful, allowing attention paid directly to the disturbing elements of fear, anxiety, or panic.
By allowing the thoughts to happen and recognizing them as simply another experience in the present moment, you can stop the cycle of identifying with and reacting to the experiences. It is now possible to connect more deeply with yourself and your inner life as it is unfolding.
From the perspective of the mind-body interaction, now there is a break in your identification with the experience of anxiety—both the physical and cognitive aspects of it. Mindful attention breaks the cycle of thoughts fueling the fear system. It also gives the balancing activity, the relaxation response, a chance to activate. And by breaking the identification with the fearful thoughts, mindfulness supports the natural capacity of the higher cortical centers to contextualize and interpret the situation correctly. They can do their usual job of turning down the fear system by acting on the amygdala.
## Keep in Mind
Thoughts are powerful. They can have a helpful or a harmful interaction with the body's fear system and the experience of anxiety.
You can learn to manage the power of your thoughts and their effects on fear and anxiety by learning to be more present and to pay attention on purpose as the experience of thoughts and feelings and body sensations unfolds.
You may not be able to stop or control your thoughts, but you can learn not to identify with them and not to believe them automatically. You can learn to recognize and allow your thoughts to happen. When you hold your thoughts in awareness this way, you use the power of mindfulness to manage their power.
Then, whether you can stop the thoughts is no longer so important. Even when anxious thoughts are present, they lose their ability to intrude and control you. By being present with awareness, you gain new power over the experiences of your own mind and your life itself.
Chapter 5
# Mindfulness & Meditation
Everything happens in the present moment. It is in the present moment, the _now_ , that you live. All of experience, whether it occurs inside your skin or outside your skin, is happening in this moment. In order to live more fully, to meet the stressors and challenges of life (including fear, panic, and anxiety) more effectively, and to embrace the wonder and awe of life more completely, it is fundamental that each of us learns to connect with and dwell in the present moment.
To teach yourself the art of attention and presence is both a difficult and beautiful undertaking. The habits of inattention and absence are strong, yet the experience of life, moment by moment, is precious.
## The Value of Mindfulness
In the 1997 best seller _Tuesdays with Morrie_ , Mitch Albom recounts a series of conversations he had with his favorite professor from college, Morrie Schwartz. Morrie was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. Mitch visited Morrie every Tuesday. One Tuesday, they talked about death. Mitch asked Morrie why it was so hard to think about dying. Morrie answered,
"Most of us all walk around as if we're sleepwalking. We really don't experience the world fully, because we're half-asleep, doing things we automatically think we have to do."
"And facing death changes all that?"
"Oh, yes. You strip away all that stuff and you focus on the essentials. When you realize you are going to die, you see everything much differently." He sighed. "Learn how to die, and you learn how to live" (83).
Morrie goes on to tell Mitch that a key to learning how to die is to accept that "you can die at any time." From this truth, Morrie's appreciation for life is strengthened. He tells Mitch, "Because I know my time is almost done, I am drawn to nature like I'm seeing it for the first time" (84).
In his wise way, Morrie shares with us a deep appreciation of the preciousness of life's moments.
But what of the moments filled with fear and pain? Are they precious also? What is there to be gained from being present in these moments?
In _The Places That Scare You_ (2001), popular meditation teacher Pema Chödrön tells a story from her childhood about facing pain. Pema was about six years old, walking down a street and feeling "lonely, unloved, and mad, kicking anything I could find." An old woman saw her and laughed. The old woman told Pema, "Little girl, don't you go letting life harden your heart." The lesson for Pema was clear. "Right there, I received this pith instruction: we can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder and more open to what scares us. We always have this choice" (3).
As a human being, you already have what you need to experience the preciousness of each moment. You have the quality you need to open up to what scares you instead of hardening into resentment and fear.
Mindfulness is that quality. Mindfulness empowers you to be truly present.
## Mindfulness Is to Be Experienced
_Mindfulness_ is a word in the English language. In any word, or concept which the word represents, there is limited understanding. If you read different books about mindfulness, or hear different people talk about it, you will likely hear different definitions. There are different cultural uses of the concept, as well as different words and symbols used to represent it. So from the beginning, you must recognize that simply to talk about mindfulness, to think about it, or to read about it is not adequate to understand mindfulness.
The words we use to convey ideas about mindfulness are only symbols, only a kind of map. The actual experience of mindfulness lies beyond words and ideas. You can only get this experience through your direct practice. In the truth of your own direct practice experience is the real understanding of mindfulness.
Having said this about direct practice experience, however, we can now discuss some ideas about mindfulness that point in the direction of what happens in direct practice.
## What Is Mindfulness?
The word _mindfulness_ is popping up everywhere these days. Some people seem to confuse it with the word _mindlessness_ , which is actually the opposite! Others seem to think being mindful means having a mind that is full of something, or trying to make the mind full of something. All of this talk can make something confusing out of what is actually a simple thing. Let's try now to move toward a more precise understanding of mindfulness, where it comes from, and what we mean by that term in this book.
Webster's _New World College Dictionary_ , Fourth Edition, does not actually define _mindfulness_ , but does define mindful as "having in mind, aware, heedful, or careful" and _mindless_ as "not using one's mind, showing little or no intelligence or intellect, senseless, or thoughtless."
Social psychologist Ellen Langer (1989) used the word _mindfulness_ in the context of her important work studying the relationship between mind-states and actions in diverse and common human activities. As she points out, however, her work has been conducted almost entirely from the Western scientific perspective.
Langer does not use the word _mindfulness_ in the context of meditation practice. She relates this more to Eastern views of mindfulness. In fact, her work on the subject began with the study of _mindlessness_ , or the sort of automatic, unheedful behavior which can cause so much difficulty in daily life. She explains how holding fixed views and mind-sets can make us blind to things right in front of us, and how we pay a high price for this.
These definitions and examples of mindfulness are based in the Western cultural perspective, with its emphasis on thinking, mind-sets, and cognitive perception. They are valuable and have some remarkable similarities to the concept of mindfulness presented in this book. However, there is one important difference as well.
Mindfulness Is Based in Meditation
The approach presented in this book is based upon an understanding of mindfulness developed through _meditation_. This meditation-based approach is grounded in a direct experience of attention and awareness applied to thoughts, as well as to all other facets of experience in this moment. The understanding and the benefits of mindfulness arise directly out of the experience of the person practicing the meditation. For this approach to help you, you have to actually meditate.
Meditating is not as difficult as you may think. First, you don't have to disappear for years into a cave or go onto a mountaintop to gain benefits. Second, you already have the capacity for attention and kind awareness within, and don't have to get it from anyplace else. Finally, it helps to understand that meditation is basically about paying attention in a friendly, nonjudging way as life happens. You can do that in the time it takes to breathe in and out one time!
However, because of the old habit-energies of distraction and inattention—powerful tendencies we all face that break our connection with the present moment and ourselves—it is important to make a commitment to being mindful and to make the effort to pay attention on purpose in daily life. Meditation is both a skill and an art. There is skill that comes with practice as you learn different methods to establish attention and unfold awareness, especially in difficult moments. And, meditation is an art, perfected through experience, for it takes wisdom and experience to see each situation clearly, and to choose from the many meditation methods available one that will best support you in meeting that situation.
Perhaps the best way to teach yourself both the skills and the art of mindfulness meditation is by building a stable and dependable practice.
There is much in this book to help you start your practice and to sustain it when the inevitable obstacles and hindrances arise. However, it is you who must actually do the practice. Reading about it without practicing will not be very useful.
Meditation Is Inclusive & Accessible
Buddhists have been practicing meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, for over 2,500 years, and have amassed quite a bit of useful information about how to do it. It is this accumulated experience and wisdom that informs the way mindfulness is taught in this book.
Although the meditation methods in this book do have roots in Buddhist traditions, the actual practices are quite generic. They require no special belief system or spiritual or religious views. Mindfulness is not bound to any spiritual or religious form.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, in _Full Catastrophe Living_ (1990), offers this definition of mindfulness: "Simply put, mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness. It is cultivated by purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment's thought to. It is a systematic approach to developing new kinds of control and wisdom in our lives, based on our inner capacities for relaxation, paying attention, awareness, and insight" (2).
Experience is your best teacher. Give yourself this experience of mindfulness by building your own meditation practice. Through practice, you can discover a great, still center of awareness within that both includes and contains the ever-changing and intense flow of life. As you increasingly learn to access this inner stillness, patterns of reactivity and identification with experience will soften, and you will find more choices and greater harmony with life, even the challenging moments.
## A Closer Look at Mindfulness
To better understand how mindfulness-based meditation works, let's take a closer look at the different aspects of mindfulness.
Mindfulness as the Capacity for Accurate Reflection
Mindfulness can be thought of as a capacity for accurate reflection that all human beings possess. Unfortunately, many people do not recognize that they have this capacity or that they could and should develop it. Meditation teacher Larry Rosenberg (1998) speaks to this view of mindfulness.
We human beings have an extraordinary capacity, which we sometimes take for granted until it is called to our attention: unlike other beings in the world who are living out their lives, we have the ability to be conscious of that process as we do so. Mindfulness is often likened to a mirror; it simply reflects what is there. It is not a process of thinking; it is _preconceptual_ , before thought. One can be mindful of thought. There is all the difference in the world in thinking and knowing that thought is happening, as thoughts chase each other through the mind and the process is mirrored back to us. (15)
Mindfulness is always there as a potential, but you may not always (or even often) be using it. It is precisely because you fail to recognize and use this potential to be aware that you miss so much of your life and are so imprisoned by habitual ways of perceiving, thinking, feeling, and acting.
Mindfulness as a Quality
Mindfulness is sometimes discussed as a quality rather than a capacity.
Nonjudgment & Openness
As a quality, mindfulness is said to have certain characteristics, including nonjudging and not interfering, or allowing. Mindfulness is also described as nonstriving, not rejecting, and not denying.
Mindfulness opens to and includes whatever arises, just as the mirror reflects whatever comes before it. Mindfulness is not for or against anything. It doesn't try to add or subtract, to improve or change in any way.
Kindness & Intimacy
Intimacy and kindness are other important characteristics associated with mindfulness as it is practiced and developed through meditation.
Rosenberg (1998) recalls the thirteenth-century Zen teacher Dogen, who described the awakened mind as the mind "intimate with all things" (16). This kind of intimacy means not being detached or separate from what is happening right now, in this moment, but rather being awake, open for the direct experience of life in the midst of it. Practicing mindfulness, you are not aloof or distant but awake and in contact with experience as it happens.
Kindness is a vital characteristic of mindfulness. Many meditation teachers emphasize the importance of having a friendly or welcoming spirit toward whatever arises when practicing mindfulness.
The welcoming spirit of kindness or friendliness helps you to be more open to moment-by-moment experience. It also helps you overcome the deeply rooted habits of judging and aversion that often operate strongly just out of awareness and interfere with your being present and paying attention on purpose.
The popular meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh invites his students to smile more when meditating. In his 1987 book _Being_ _Peace_ , he tells us that "life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects. Please do not think we must be solemn in order to meditate. In fact, to meditate well, we have to smile a lot" (4). He continues, "This is the only moment that is real. To be here now, and enjoy the present moment is our most important task."
Stillness & Silence
Practicing mindfulness, you may begin to notice that a sense of stillness is discernible within. You have entered a new territory or dimension—one of vast silence. This experience of stillness and silence can be uncomfortable at first, but is worth getting to know. It will not harm you!
The popular spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, author of _The Power of Now_ , _Stillness Speaks_ (Namaste Publishing, 2003), and _A New Earth (Dutton, 2005)_ , has noted, "beauty arises in the stillness of your presence" (Tolle 1999, 79). He speaks here to the majesty and beauty of the world around us, but also to the mystery of our deepest essence as human beings, both of which are accessible through our presence and the stillness that he points to as always available.
Meditation teacher Christina Feldman, in her beautiful book _Silence_ (2003), describes silence not as the opposite of sound, but as a dimension of consciousness that actually contains sound. You may find this view of silence—as a dimension or actual territory to be inhabited—strange or upsetting. That is fine, but if you let yourself explore it a bit, you will likely find that the sense of silence grows as you meditate. Over time, you may begin to notice that the silence may actually be a kind of ground from which experience emerges and to which it returns.
Attention to these qualities of stillness and silence as they emerge and strengthen in meditation can be a powerful aid to your meditation practice. Later in this book, in chapter 15, you will find more discussion and some practice suggestions for working more explicitly with the qualities of stillness and silence.
Facing Pain with Compassion
Intimacy and inclusiveness mean that it takes courage to practice mindfulness. As awareness of what is here grows, the awareness of painful and unpleasant things also grows. It can take courage and endurance to face such pain. This raises the same choice Pema Chödrön described: will you become hardened and resentful, or softer and open? Compassion is a willingness to stay present and open to the pain that arises, in the hope that presence might bring relief.
You May Feel Worse Before You Feel Better
Because mindfulness practice increases your awareness of and sensitivity to _everything_ —including pain and fear—you should be aware that you may actually feel worse in the beginning. However, this is only a stage in the process of healing and transformation. As your meditation practice strengthens, you will learn to relax and stay present even when anxiety, fear, and panic move through the present moment. This is not an act of willpower, but a capacity that you develop through meditation.
Finding Your Core of Openhearted Awareness
One of the fruits of mindfulness practice is the discovery, over time, of the core of steadiness and harmony at your center. This core is dependable, unwavering, and a source of inner peace. Standing at this core, relating to experience—even painful experience—from this place, you have an increased capacity to remain present.
With mindfulness, even the most disturbing sensations, feelings, thoughts, and experiences—including fear, anxiety, panic, and worry—can be viewed from a wider perspective as passing events in the mind rather than as "us" or as necessarily true. By simply being present in this way, you support your own deep healing, and you will discover and dwell more steadily in your own inner space of peace and equanimity.
Meditation teachers often refer to mindfulness as _heartfulness_ to reflect these characteristics of intimacy and kindness. Here it is helpful to note the limitations of the English word _mindfulness_ , with its emphasis on mind and thoughts. Consider that the character in Chinese that means _mindfulness_ has two parts: the upper part means _now_ , and the lower part means either _mind_ or _heart_.
From this perspective of heartfulness, perhaps another word for mindfulness might be _presence_. To practice presence means to be here with the essence of your being. When you are not here, are distracted, you are _essentially_ not here. So to be mindful means to be here with openhearted awareness, essentially and completely, in the present moment.
## What Is Meditation?
As I am using the term in this book, mindfulness is developed through meditation. Before going further it is therefore important to be clear about what meditation is and how that term is used in this book.
Meditation teacher Christina Feldman (1998, 2) offers a valuable insight into the meaning of meditation practice: "There are several core principles which run through all meditative disciplines. Attention, awareness, understanding, and compassion form the basic skeleton of all systems of meditation."
**Attention is "the means of establishing ourselves in the present moment."**
**Awareness "develops a consciousness that is light, unburdened, sensitive, and clear.** It provides an inner environment that is intuitive and still."
**Understanding "is born of the direct and immediate perception of our inner and outer worlds."** It provides "the possibility of traveling new pathways in our lives and is part of the tapestry of deepening wisdom."
**Compassion directs our kind, nonjudging attention to ourselves and then extends it to every living thing.**
Thus, meditation can be understood as a process of transformation involving:
* directing attention in a calm and steady way
* developing an awareness that is light and clear
* gaining understanding and wisdom about yourself and life
* having the embedded qualities of kindness and compassion
There are literally thousands of ways to practice meditation. As it has been developed as a spiritual practice, the purpose of meditation has been to transform and awaken us as human beings. Through practice, experiential learning occurs. This informs and inspires transformation and awakening. The practice of meditation is equally powerful as a way to transform your experience of anxiety, fear, and panic.
The many different meditation practices may be grouped into two general categories: concentrative practices, which emphasize single-pointed or narrow attention, and mindfulness practices, which emphasize awareness or mindfulness. As we'll see, mindfulness practices are uniquely suited to addressing fear and anxiety because they emphasize taking a different approach to fear and anxiety in the present moment.
Of the four major methods of meditation researched in the past twenty-five years or so by Western medical science, three (transcendental meditation, respiratory one method, and clinically standardized meditation) emphasize the concentrative approach. Mindfulness meditation is different in that it emphasizes awareness.
Mindfulness benefits from the ability to concentrate or focus attention, but is not the same as concentration. And, in practice, all meditation methods must employ some combination of concentration and awareness. However, knowing the difference in emphasis between concentrative and mindfulness approaches will help you understand why mindfulness meditation is so powerful in managing anxiety.
Concentrative Approaches
To practice meditation in a way that emphasizes the concentration of attention, you would usually take a narrow focus on a single object. The object could be internal or external. The object could be the sensation of your breath, or it could be a sound outside of you. It could be the repetition in your mind of a simple phrase or word.
If the context is spiritual or religious, this phrase might be a meaningful or sacred one, even a prayer. Or, in a spiritual context, you might fix your attention on an external object such as a sacred figure, a painting, or a burning candle. If the purpose and context of the meditation practice is health-based (for instance, to lower blood pressure), then the object of concentrated attention is typically more everyday or neutral, such as the breath sensation or a sound or repeated phrase without specific religious or spiritual meaning.
In practices that emphasize concentrated attention, when the attention wanders or is drawn away from the object, the practitioner gently returns attention to the object. Although the meditator may notice where the attention goes, the practice is not to dwell there, but to return attention as gently and patiently as possible. This must be done literally thousands of times and is viewed as necessary in order to train the mind. It is by concentrating attention that the relaxation response is elicited.
Mindfulness Approaches
The second category of meditation practices emphasizes awareness or mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation involves paying attention in a way so as to be more aware of the present moment and all that is here now, without judgment. Mindfulness is a practice that is not about thinking but is nonconceptual.
Mindfulness builds on your innate capacity for knowing what is here, now, including thoughts. This awareness is cultivated by paying attention on purpose, broadly, deeply, and without judgment of whatever arises in the present moment, both inside and outside your skin. True present-moment awareness is the key to transforming your relationship to anxiety. It allows you to observe your anxious thoughts without judgment, recognize them simply as thoughts arising in this moment, and maintain a calm center that is not defined by fear.
## What Meditation Is Not
With so many ideas circulating about meditation, it is important to consider some of the things mindfulness meditation is not.
**Meditation is not "positive thinking."** In fact, it is not thinking at all, but includes paying attention to thinking. In mindfulness practice, thoughts become objects of attention just like everything else.
**Meditation is not just another relaxation technique.** Although it is supported by relaxation and calm, mindfulness meditation is far more than that. Mindfulness meditation seeks increased awareness, and that awareness brings wisdom and freedom from habitual reactions.
**Mindfulness practice does not mean going into a trance.** You are not trying to leave or change the experience in this moment; rather, you are trying to stay present with it.
**Meditation does not mean trying to "blank your mind."** By practicing mindfulness, you become more conscious and will have a deeper connection with yourself and life, moment by moment.
**Meditation is not just for priests, monks, and nuns.** You don't have to do or be anything special. Meditation is a way of remembering and reconnecting with the natural quality of awareness and presence all humans have.
**Meditation is not selfish.** _Self-full_ might be a better word to describe the changes that come with mindfulness meditation. True, you can neglect your duties and relationships in the name of meditation, but this is a distortion of meditation. As you practice mindfulness meditation correctly, you will become more aware, and others will be more likely to experience you as helpful, present, and compassionate.
## Keep in Mind
The meditation practices included in this book are based on the key principles of attention, awareness, nonjudgment, and openheartedness. As we move forward, we will see how this approach can guide us in applying mindfulness, kindness, and compassion to the experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic.
The goal of this book is to help you build and sustain a daily mindfulness meditation practice and bring it forward in your everyday life. As you do that, you will teach yourself to manage fear, anxiety, and panic most effectively.
Chapter 6
# Your Attitude Is Important
A rose needs certain conditions if it is to flower. Good soil, sunlight, air, moisture, proper nutrition, and protection from pests are some of the key ingredients. Likewise, anyone starting or maintaining a meditation practice needs certain conditions if their practice is to thrive.
A main goal in this book is to help you establish a strong and supportive daily mindfulness meditation practice. Such a practice will help you overcome the powerful intrusions of fear, anxiety, and panic into the routines of daily life.
A successful meditation practice requires both internal and external conditions of support. This chapter is focused on the internal conditions. In the next chapter, we will take a look at the necessary external conditions and some practical issues related to meditation practice.
## The Key Factors Within
There are four important internal factors that support your meditation practice.
**Attitude.** Your attitude about practicing meditation should not be too idealistic or too cynical. The _don't-_ know-it-all attitude is best.
**Curiosity.** Cultivate the interest and desire to discover something more about yourself and your life as it unfolds, even in the unpleasant or difficult moments.
**Motivation, determination, and discipline.** To benefit, you have to practice mindfulness faithfully and regularly. You don't have to like it, but you do need to do it!
**Belief in yourself.** This means developing confidence in your own ability and power to do something to help yourself manage fear, anxiety, or panic.
## What Approach Will You Take?
Take a moment to consider the inner orientation you are bringing to this practice of mindfulness. The orientation or position you take at the beginning is absolutely critical. It is probably the most important condition of all.
The Cynic
Have you become cynical, even bitter, about your situation? Are you discouraged about ever finding relief? Are you feeling hopeless? Have you given up on the possibility of overcoming the fear and anxiety that interrupt your life?
The cynic might approach the idea of practicing mindfulness for help with fear, panic, and anxiety with an attitude something like this: "I know nothing can really help me, but I will do this meditation anyway and prove it!" Then, the first time fear or panic returns, the cynic says, "See, I told you so. Mindfulness can't help me either."
The True Believer
Or are you the "true believer"? True believers come to meditation practice (like so much else in life) with an idealized view that "this is the answer to all my problems. This will take care of me." They don't understand that effort and practice are required, or that life will continue to present challenges and ups and downs. When fear or panic returns, the true believer becomes discouraged and says, "Oh well, I guess it wasn't the answer after all. I must keep looking."
The Curious Skeptic
There is a middle ground that is far more realistic and more potent. The most helpful attitude you can bring and maintain throughout your practice is what Jon Kabat-Zinn (1990) has called _skeptical curiosity._ You are not a true believer, and you are not a hopeless and bitter cynic, either.
You are skeptical in that you do not automatically assume that your practice of mindfulness will relieve all your problems or that it will happen without effort and commitment on your part. In fact, you are willing to admit that you do not know how or even whether it will really help.
But, at the same time, you are curious. You recognize that any worthwhile pursuit takes commitment, discipline, and effort. You are willing to give your best effort to your mindfulness practice over time to find out where that might lead. You are willing to give yourself and the process some time and energy, and are curious to learn what might happen if you stick with it.
If you want to develop your ability to calm your mind, relax your body, and be truly aware, now, in the present moment, then you must examine your attitudes and be willing to change them if necessary.
## Embarking on an Experiential Journey
To cultivate the healing power of mindfulness in your life requires more than just sitting in a meditative posture, or following a set of meditation instructions, or listening to a tape. By taking on this practice, you are embarking on a new way of learning. The focus is on you and your life as it unfolds moment by moment. And this way of learning happens from the inside out.
This is experiential learning. You learn by having the experience directly. As you practice mindfulness, your life continues to unfold, and your practice changes your experience of your life.
What and how much you learn depend directly on you. You learn through your entire being, not just the part that thinks. You learn by being present as experience occurs in your body—through your senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting—as well as what is happening in your thoughts.
This learning takes place only through your own practice and willingness to be present and to pay attention. It is not based on preconceived ideas or what you think you know. Your understanding grows over time as you gain direct experience practicing meditation regularly.
This learning cannot be forced but is a process of allowing, discovery, and unfolding. The awareness you develop does not try to change anything. Change comes later, and is guided by awareness. It is very likely that you will make significant changes in how you handle fear, anxiety, and panic, but you will do so only after you have touched each of those experiences deeply with mindfulness. Acceptance and openness to what arises in the present moment are vital.
It is helpful to view the activity of meditation and its application to healing your life as a process or a journey. It is ongoing, changing in each moment, and changing over time as you develop consistent habits of attention and presence.
From this view, the attitudes you hold (especially the unrecognized ones), the attitudes you let go of, and the attitudes you cultivate all have a deep impact on the process of learning and being present.
## The Seven Essential Attitudes
In _Full Catastrophe Living_ (1990), Jon Kabat-Zinn outlines seven specific attitudes that form a foundation for mindfulness. They apply directly, moment by moment and day by day, as you cultivate and deepen mindfulness. These attitudes are _nonjudging_ , _patience_ , _beginner's mind_ , _trust_ , _nonstriving_ , _acceptance_ , and _letting go_. Throughout this book you will be called on to recognize and apply these important attitudes as you learn to cultivate mindfulness and apply it to face fear, anxiety, and panic.
The attitudes support each other and are deeply interconnected. Practicing one will lead to the others.
Your ability to bring these attitudes forward in your mindfulness practice will have a great deal to do with your long-term success and ability to calm your anxious mind. In the actual meditation practices you will learn, you will revisit them many times, and will come to understand what vital supports they truly are.
Nonjudging
Mindfulness is compassionate, openhearted, choiceless awareness. It is cultivated by taking the position of an unbiased, attentive witness to your own experience as it happens in the present moment. To do this requires that you begin to relate to the contents of experience, without judgment, as the present moment unfolds.
The habit of categorizing and judging experiences locks you into patterns of reacting and repeating thoughts, feelings, and behavior. You may not even be aware of these patterns. Judging acts to separate you from the direct experience of each moment and from the unfolding reality of life. When you practice mindfulness, it is important to recognize the judging quality of the mind and identify judgmental thinking as it arises. It is equally important not to judge the judging! Simply note that judging is present.
Bill's Story
Bill has generalized anxiety disorder. He lives with intense worry and imagines a terrible variety of things that could happen in almost every situation he enters. Over the years of his suffering, Bill has come to hate the worry and fears. To make matters worse, he has become a harsh critic of himself in the process. Whenever a fearsome fantasy arises, it is accompanied almost immediately by mean and insulting thoughts like "I am such a weakling" or "I am so crazy."
After Bill began to practice mindfulness, he started to notice the patterns of his thoughts and the habits of criticizing and judging that arose whenever the anxiety and worry came. He remembered to practice nonjudging.
After a while, Bill was able to recognize at least some of the judgments as just another set of thoughts passing through the present moment.He found he could relax a bit, could soften in his mind and body, despite the fact that his anxiety was still intense at times.
Bill also began to notice that he could allow the feeling of anxiety itself to be present along with all the scary thoughts. They happened, but they had lost a lot of their hold over him. He was able to view these events, unpleasant as they were, as something else passing through the present moment.
Patience
Patience is the ability to bear difficulty with calmness and self-control. It requires connection with your calm inner core and also some faith and courage. Patience also requires a degree of kindness and compassion for yourself as you bear the upset of the situation. Often, impatience arises when the _ego_ ,the self-centered part in each of us, screams for things to be different than they actually are.
There is a certain wisdom that supports patience. This wisdom recognizes that things have a life cycle of their own and that the ego is not always calling the tune. As you learn to rest more and more with this truth, your patience will grow even stronger.
To become more patient, you must learn to recognize impatience. Notice any tendency to rush through one moment to get to the next.
Helen's Story
Helen does not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder. She lives a busy life, holding down a good job while maintaining a home for her husband and two children. She also helps care for her elderly mother, who lives in a nearby town. As her mother's health began to decline, Helen became more worried about her mother's health and ability to care for herself.
About nine-thirty in the evening on a weeknight, Helen got a phone call from her mother's neighbor. He was at the hospital with Helen's mother, who seemed to have had a stroke. The neighbor told Helen the situation was very serious and urged Helen to come to the hospital immediately.
Helen's mind instantly began to fill with all kinds of fear-driven stories and ideas about her mother and what needed to be done. She felt her body begin to tighten up and noticed aches in her back and neck where she usually feels her stress. She was aware of a sinking feeling, and some deep dread began to arise.
Helen had been in a meditation class for a few months before receiving this phone call. She had been learning about mindfulness and practicing some. She had started to pay attention more closely to her breathing, breath by breath. She had acknowledged more deeply the upset and pain in her own mind and body. She had learned to remember the quality of patience. Even while her ego voice was screaming at her, she was able to remember that life moves in cycles of creation and dissolution, and that she would have little or no control over the situation with her mother.
In the moments after the phone call, Helen was able to use the conscious breathing method from her meditation class. She felt more centered. She informed her family, left a message on her supervisor's voice mail, and prepared to leave for the hospital.
As she traveled to be with her mother, Helen stayed present with herself with patience. She continued to acknowledge the fear and dread, the body reactions to the stress, and the cascade of plans and thoughts roaring through her mind. She remained patient with all of this and rested a bit in the wisdom that things are the way they are, and she was doing all she could do.
Beginner's Mind
When you begin to observe what is here in the present moment, the thinking mind tends to believe it knows all about what is happening. Or it tries to control what is happening by desperately seeking more information. The activity of thinking forms as a kind of filter between you and the direct experience and true richness of life as it unfolds moment by moment.
To practice beginner's mind means to open to the experience in each moment as if meeting it for the first time.
Imagine the wonder of a child as she encounters something for the first time. The first smell of a flower, the first drop of rain, and the first taste of orange: all are experienced without the intermediate layer of thought or comparison to the past. These moments are experienced just as they are, in the now, directly, as smell or touch or taste, as sound or sight.
In truth, each moment _is unique. Though you may have experienced a thousand sunsets, you have not experienced _this particular sunset. The same is true of a lifetime of in breaths, or the hundredth time you taste your favorite dessert. This particular breath and this particular taste have never happened before and will never happen again.__
When practicing mindfulness, you are asked to cultivate this same quality of direct experience, receiving whatever arises as a unique and precious experience. To do this is to practice beginner's mind.
Anne's Story
Anne woke in the middle of the night with her heart racing, feeling she was choking, in a sweat. Thoughts about immediate death filled her head. She was having a panic attack. It had happened before. She had had the attacks for over three years and was under psychiatric care for them. She had noticed that they seemed to come more often when she was "stressed out." Just that morning, Anne had told her best friend that her work and the breakup of a relationship after eight months had "really stressed me out."
As the minutes dragged by and Anne felt worse and worse, the thought "I hate these panic attacks" came to her. "This feels like the last one! I couldn't breathe then either. I think I am going to die."
Then Anne remembered what she learned in her mindfulness meditation class. She acknowledged the fear and upset she felt, and the intense physical sensations in her body. She got out of bed and took a seat in the chair where she meditates each day. She focused on her breathing, breath by breath, until she felt a bit more present. She was still experiencing terror, but she was also aware of some space in herself that seemed to be able to contain the terror.
Anne remembered something about beginner's mind; about trying to meet each experience as if for the first time; about how it doesn't help to assume anything about the experience. That the way you talk to yourself about what is happening can actually worsen things. Anne tried to meet the panic attack as if she had never seen it before.
She had learned to bring mindfulness into her body in her class, so she began to pay careful attention to the actual physical, emotional, and mental experience unfolding as her panic attack. She allowed the sensations to come and go, just as she had been taught. It was not easy. She had to come back repeatedly to her breath for a focus.
After a bit longer, the attack passed. Anne was very relieved. She noticed the clock and thought to herself, "It was over quicker than the usual ones. Maybe these attacks _are_ different each time. Maybe I can do something to manage them myself using meditation."
Trust
A basic part of learning to meditate is learning to trust yourself and your feelings. You learn to trust that you can see clearly what is actually happening to you.
As you practice mindfulness, you will deepen your awareness of life and your own moment-to-moment experience. You will develop increasing sensitivity and accuracy in discerning what is here now, and what is happening in your own body and mind, as well as what is happening around you. You will learn that you and you alone are the best person to know what is going on inside your own skin and what is happening outside of it. You do not need an expert to tell you these things.
You can learn to pay attention and to be present using powerful capabilities of attention and awareness that you already have. It is important to learn to trust in your own authority to know yourself, rather than to look outside yourself for authority. In this process, you discover what it really means to be your own person and to live life with authenticity.
Mack's Story
Mack is a veteran of the Vietnam War. For almost thirty years, he fought to hold back the memories that intruded on his daily life. His head filled with terrible scenes and sounds, and his body recoiled from these every way it could. He paid a horrific price, but he managed to hold a job and to maintain his second marriage successfully.
Mack began to have more problems with high blood pressure and disturbing dreams. His medications didn't seem to be working as well. His psychiatrist advised him that he "needed to do something" to break out of the cycle he was in.
Mack heard about a mindfulness-based meditation program. He signed up. After about four weeks of meditating daily and opening his awareness in his body and to his thoughts, he began to feel more relaxed. His blood pressure went down, and his sleep got better.
Then, things got tougher. Mack began to have more vivid flashbacks. They were extremely intense and painful. The details were agonizing. He began to question whether he could survive the experiences.
Mack had a talk with his meditation teacher. The teacher reminded Mack that he is no longer in Vietnam. What is happening is happening only in the present moment. The flashbacks are only memories. The body sensations are only reactions, and they will pass.
Mack began to trust that he was in touch with exactly what was happening. He practiced mindfulness faithfully. As he paid more careful attention, moment by moment, he could see the thoughts and pictures arise, feel his body stiffen and react, and then, amazingly, he watched as the entire experience faded and was replaced by something else. His confidence in himself grew immensely.
It was not easy going, however. Mack had to use all of his new meditation skills to remain present during the worst of the flashbacks. He spent extra time practicing meditation to calm and relax his mind and body. He refused to give up or to give in.
After a few more weeks, Mack was visibly relaxed and happier. He told his meditation teacher and his psychiatrist, "I fought those memories for thirty years because I thought they would kill me. Now I know them for what they are. I trust myself enough to take them on, and I know that I can handle them."
Nonstriving
We spend so much of our lives doing things and trying to change things. This habit of _doing_ often carries over into meditation, and it can be a real problem. The ego mind wants to get more of what it likes and wants to get rid of what it doesn't like. When it decides you aren't the way you should be, the ego mind even puts on the pressure to change _you._
This pressure to do and to change is felt as striving, or straining to be different, to go elsewhere, or to do something else.
The practice of mindfulness involves simply paying attention, without judgment, to whatever is happening. In this sense, meditation is a unique human activity. Meditation is about nondoing instead of doing. To practice meditation is to practice being, not doing.
When you feel a sense of striving or of trying to change things, notice that without judging yourself. In a deep sense, the practice of mindfulness is about truly relaxing, allowing whatever is happening to happen, and bringing clear, compassionate awareness to it as it happens.
Meditation involves a paradox. The best way to achieve your goals about meditation (whether they be control of anxiety and panic, stress reduction, spiritual growth, personal development, or anything else) is to back off from striving for results and instead start to focus carefully on seeing and accepting things as they are, moment to moment.
Jackie's Story
Jackie is a worrier. She introduces herself that way at parties sometimes. But it is no joke to Jackie. Although she has never talked with a doctor about it and she has no diagnosis, Jackie wonders sometimes if her worrying isn't a bit more severe than normal.
She worries about what can happen in practically every situation she faces. She especially worries about work. Jackie is single and has a demanding job with a lot of responsibilities. She often works overtime or steps in for others who are sick or on leave. Jackie is well liked by her coworkers, and many people depend on her. But she finds it nearly impossible to leave work. In the evenings, on weekends, even during vacations, she often worries about people and situations at work.
A few months ago she began to notice that she was even more keyed up than usual and felt tired more often. Some of her friends said she was more irritable, and she felt tight in the neck and shoulders almost every day.
Jackie heard about a stress-management program through a notice at work. In order to participate, she would have to meditate for an hour every day for eight weeks. Although she didn't know how she could possibly find an hour each day to meditate, she decided to try it and see if her worry would stop.
Jackie joined the class and began to meditate. She did not do a full hour every day, but surprised herself at how much she did do. She began to experience some relaxation in her mind and body. Her muscles didn't ache quite so much, and her sleep improved. She even thought she had a bit more energy at work.
In class one night, the teacher talked about how much people strive and strain, and how meditation is about just _being._ Jackie began to notice how that applied to her. She reflected on how much she felt she took on the responsibility to change things in everything she did. She began to notice this attitude more and more on the job, and began to allow herself to feel it without identifying so much with it.
Jackie made an interesting discovery about herself in meditation. While she was meditating, she began to notice how much she felt a restless tension in her body. The more she paid attention to this, the more she could begin to hear thoughts of criticism and urgency in her mind. She began to try to just let things be, as her teacher advised.
The restlessness in her body seemed to ease, but the thoughts got meaner. Jackie kept practicing. She even stopped trying to make the thoughts go away or change. As she just let the thoughts "chatter on," they began to quiet.
Jackie had succeeded in being and not-doing. She stopped _trying to stop worrying and, in that way, became free from worrying after all._
Acceptance
The process of acceptance begins with the willingness to see things exactly as they are in the present moment. Can you keep your attention focused exactly here and now, taking each moment as it comes and connecting with whatever presents itself?
Often, to be able to accept what comes into awareness, you must pass through periods of intense feelings such as anger, fear, or grief. These feelings themselves require acceptance.
Acceptance means seeing things exactly as they are rather than as you think they are or as you think they should be. Remember, things can only change in the present moment. You have to see things as they are and yourself as you are—truly—in this moment if you wish to change, heal, or transform yourself or your life.
Acceptance includes softening and opening to what is here. The sense of struggle is released. By ceasing to deny and to fight with the way things are now, you can find yourself with more energy to heal and to transform what is here.
Acceptance does not mean you have to like everything or that you have to take a passive attitude. It does not mean you have to be satisfied with things as they are, or that you have to stop trying to change things for the better. As we are speaking of it here, acceptance simply means willingness to see things as they are, deeply, truthfully, and completely. This attitude sets the stage for acting in the most potent and healthy way in your life, no matter what is happening.
Sam's Story
Sam had never liked going to the dentist. As a child he had to have quite a lot of dental work, and it left its mark on him. All he could remember was the pain, the smells, and the sounds as the dentist worked in his tiny mouth. His childhood experience was so damaging that as an adult Sam simply did not go to a dentist.
Then, the day came when he could stay away no longer. He had been having pain in a right lower molar for weeks. Advil and aspirin had lost all effectiveness. Sam was distracted by the pain and couldn't chew easily on that side. His wife did not have this fear of the dentist and made regular visits to her dentist, whom she liked. Sam decided he had to go, and made an appointment with his wife's dentist.
In the dentist's chair, with his mouth open while the dentist did the exam, Sam began to be flooded by the fear and painful memories of his childhood dentist visits. He began to sweat, and his heart raced even faster. He began to wonder if he could go on.
Then he remembered the talk in his meditation class about being relaxed and present, and being willing to see clearly exactly what is here. The teacher had defined acceptance that way. He had invited the class to practice mindfulness by softening and opening in whatever situation or experience they found themselves.
Sam figured he didn't have anything to lose. He shifted his attention away from the memories and thoughts in his head, and concentrated all of his attention on his breath. He used his breath to connect his attention to his mind and body in the present moment. He felt the in breath and the out breath. On the out breath, he felt the sense of relaxation in his body and allowed it to strengthen. Sam began to feel a little better.
He began to let himself feel the different sensations, to hear the sounds, and even to smell the smells. He came back repeatedly to his breath and, whenever he felt his body stiffen, he imagined the breath went out exactly at that spot and brought a feeling of relaxation with it. He was breathing into the experience and staying present with the experience as it was.
The dentist said, "Good news. You just have a small cavity and some gum infection around the tooth. We'll fix you up in no time."
Sam remembered more about acceptance from his class. He said to himself, "This is not pleasant, but it is the way it is, and I seem to be managing it better than I expected. I will just keep on trying to be here with things since it won't help to fight them." And he kept on working with his breath and relaxing, paying attention to things as they unfolded.
When the work was finished, the dentist actually thanked Sam for his cooperation.
Letting Go
Letting go, or _nonattachment_ , is another attitude essential to mindfulness. Much of the time, people are practicing the opposite attitude, clinging, without even knowing it. Often, what you cling to most strongly are ideas and views about yourself, others, and situations. It is a kind of clinging on the inside. It may be difficult to see, but is easily felt.
These ideas to which you cling filter and shape your moment-by-moment experience in profound ways. When you start paying attention to your inner experience through meditation, you will rapidly discover which thoughts, feelings, and situations your mind seems to want to hold onto. And you will notice other things that it wants desperately to get rid of.
Clinging is driven by liking and disliking, and by judgments about things. As you practice mindfulness, it is important to put aside the tendency to judge each experience. Instead, you teach yourself to _recognize_ judging. Don't get caught up in good or bad, high or low, pleasant or unpleasant. Just let your experience be what it is, moment by moment.
This _letting be_ is actually a way of _letting go._ By not interfering, by just letting things be, you give them a better chance to go.
Can you feel the sense of contracting and hardening that arises around both pleasant and unpleasant situations? Letting go just means releasing the contraction around the thing and allowing it to be. It is not necessary to push the thing away. No force is required. Just soften the contraction. Just let go. You do it all the time, actually. Make a fist. Squeeze it tight. Now let go. Notice the feeling. Try it again. This is the physical sensation of letting go. Practicing meditation, you are practicing letting go on the inside. Become familiar with the interior sense of contraction, in the body and the mind. Then practice letting go of that.
Alice's Story
Alice is troubled by an irrational fear. She knows it is irrational. She has lived with it since her teenage years, and yet, at age twenty-eight, she still experiences it frequently. She recently read a magazine article about social phobia and thought it described her perfectly.
Alice's fear usually has to do with the irrational idea that she will embarrass herself in some way in front of others. She is tormented by thoughts that she will do something "stupid" or "crazy" in public and be humiliated. This fear has led Alice to avoid situations with others, especially social situations involving strangers. On occasion, she has declined job opportunities if they involved public speaking or making presentations to large groups.
Alice knows her fear is out of proportion to the situations of her life. She is quite intelligent and did well in school. She has some good friends, but sometimes feels she must decline their invitations because her fear of embarrassing herself is so strong.
The article Alice read mentioned that learning relaxation skills and meditation might help some people with social phobia. She decided to find a meditation class and see if it could help.
Alice joined a mindfulness meditation class taught at a local hospital. As she began to meditate, she recognized the powerful interaction of her mind and body. She learned to connect with her body and to relax her body simply by paying attention to the parts, something her teacher called the _body scan._ Then she was amazed to notice how having just one or two of the fearful thoughts about humiliating herself in public would cause her body to stiffen and her heart to race.
She heard the teacher explain that letting go is important and that sometimes the only way to let something go is to let it be. Alice decided to practice doing that with the irrational fears that were disrupting her life. Whenever she had the thoughts about public embarrassment, she just listened. Even though they continued to frighten her, she tried to let them just be there, in her awareness, without doing anything about them. After a while, Alice could see the thoughts in a wider and softer way. She didn't think of them so much as her enemies anymore, but as just some passing noise. Alice began to think she might be able to accept more of the invitations from her friends.
## Keep in Mind
In this chapter we have learned about the important inner conditions and attitudes that form the foundation for your mindfulness practice. Meditation will be most effective if you approach it as a curious skeptic, motivated to practice and confident in your innate power. Mindfulness is founded on the seven essential attitudes of nonjudging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, nonstriving, acceptance, and letting go. Recognizing and cultivating these inner qualities will create the optimal conditions for you as you teach yourself to be present in order to manage fear, anxiety, and panic.
Chapter 7
# Building Your Practice Foundation
Although the internal conditions—attitudes and habits of thinking and feeling—are crucial elements of support for your mindfulness practice, there are external conditions and issues that deserve your attention as well. If you are to have a reliable meditation practice, you need a strong foundation.
Where you do your formal meditation practice and when you do it, having the support of those you live with, gently reminding yourself to return to the present moment in different situations, and the skillful use of readings, tapes, and other guides are all elements of a strong foundation for meditation. You will also want to consider things that might be hindering your practice.
## Formal & Informal Meditation Practice
In this book, and generally in mindfulness-based meditation, we talk about _formal meditation_ and _informal practice_.
**Formal meditation is the period of time when you practice meditation as your main activity.** I recommend you do a mindfulness practice as a formal meditation at least once daily for at least thirty minutes.
**Informal practice means that throughout the day, in different situations, you practice mindfulness of what is happening.** You can pay attention on purpose to the activity itself, or use conscious breathing as a way of establishing contact with the activity and linking mind and body in the present moment.
The suggestions in this chapter will help create the best possible conditions for your formal practice of meditation. Your informal practice of meditation will flow naturally from your formal practice.
## Supporting Your Formal Practice of Meditation
Let's look more closely at the external conditions, along with some practical suggestions to optimize the support that each can provide.
Where to Meditate
It is important to make an actual place in your physical environment for meditation. The idea is to avoid having to decide where to meditate each time you want to do your meditation practice. This will help make meditation a routine in your life, which is what you need for it to actually help you.
Pick a comfortable chair or cushion in one room in your home and let that be the usual place you practice. Of course, you can go outside or use another place at times, but having a designated spot is a great support. Some meditation traditions refer to this as _the one seat_.
You will be more inclined to meditate if the room is inviting. Make it beautiful. If there is clutter everywhere, and that distracts you so much that your mind spins story after story about cleaning up the clutter and all you have to do, then do something about the clutter and keep the area clean.
Include some personal items that help create a sense of security. This will help you feel safe as you challenge yourself to remain present when fear or anxiety arises.
It helps if your beautiful, safe place to meditate is also reasonably quiet. While it is not necessary that you have absolute quiet around you (indeed as your practice grows you will learn how to work with all kinds of sounds and distractions), it is a good idea to let your phone or pager ring in another room and to turn off the TV, radio, computer, CD player, or whatever else is in the background.
It is often said that the world around us, the outer world, accurately reflects the world within us, the inner world. And, to some extent, having a peaceful outer world can help you reconnect to the peace and calm within. You can take advantage of this relationship between the inner and outer world explicitly as you set up the place where you meditate each day. Let the inner world of peace, calm, and beauty show itself in how you establish the physical place where you do your meditation practice.
When to Meditate
In the same way that you need to make a place in your home to meditate, you need to make a place in your schedule. When are you most likely, each day, to have the time and the energy to do your meditation? The goal is to establish a habit of meditating, like the habit of brushing your teeth. Pay attention that the time you choose enables you to practice almost every day at about the same time. Don't be too rigid, however. First thing in the morning, mid-afternoon, or early evening could be just fine. You probably cannot practice at precisely nine in the morning or three in the afternoon or seven-thirty at night every day. Choose a time when, for the most part at least, you will not be interrupted by outside demands or other people.
Wakefulness is important. The time you pick to practice meditation should be a time when you have enough energy to practice. Some people try to practice just before they go to bed. Then they find they are too sleepy to meditate! It can be helpful to do some meditation before going to bed, but if you find yourself repeatedly falling asleep or feeling too dull and drowsy to pay attention, try another time of day.
You will need to experiment to discover the best way to bring meditation into your life. If there is a time of day when you feel particularly anxious, you might try meditating then. If you do so, consider also meditating at a time when you usually feel less anxious and can more easily gain perspective on the anxiety without danger of becoming lost in it. Remember that the practice is to hold the experience of anxiety in the focus of mindfulness.
Developing Your Own Program of Daily Meditation
With place and time established, you will want to consider your program of practice. What should you do during the meditation time you have now created?
In this book you will learn several methods of meditation, all aimed at developing mindfulness. _Awareness of breathing_ , _choiceless awareness_ , _body scan_ , _walking meditation_ , and _loving-kindness_ are the formal meditation practices you will learn. The emphasis is slightly different in each one.
I recommend that you begin with two to three weeks focusing on awareness of breathing, body scan, and walking meditation. (If you happen to already have a yoga practice, you can continue doing it mindfully in place of the walking meditation. Both yoga and walking meditation are _body movement practices_.) In weeks four and five, begin the practices of choiceless awareness and of loving-kindness.
In general, you should do some _sitting meditation_ and some _body-focused meditation_ each day. Sitting practices include the awareness of breathing, choiceless awareness, and loving-kindness. The body-focused practices include body scan and walking meditation (as well as yoga, which is outside the scope of this book).
People often manage this by doing about twenty to thirty minutes of sitting practice plus another twenty to thirty minutes of body-focused practice each day. They often split these up into two different practice sessions.
After about six weeks of practice, you will be ready to develop your own schedule for practice using the different methods. This calls for experience with the different practices, and for recognizing your own resonance with a particular one. Some people choose to deepen the practice method they felt most at home with, while others spend at least some time working on a method they found more difficult.
It is very important to stick with whatever practice you choose. A good program would be to do the same sitting practice daily (at least five to seven times a week) for at least two to four weeks. The same commitment is good for the body-centered practice. Try to avoid "sampling" one, then the next, without really digging in and experiencing a single practice deeply.
As you actually do the practices in this book, you will develop a feel for them and how they fit for you. Your goal is to experience growth in your capacity to be present with clarity and openness. Each of the different practices offers something valuable to help you.
If you like, you can use the meditation instructions in chapters 8 through 12 as scripts to make a tape or CD to practice with. Remember to read slowly and to pause a few breaths between each section of the instructions.
Being a Gentle Reminder for Yourself
Bringing mindfulness into your life is a kind of training of the mind and heart. Like any other training, it takes some work. Effort, energy, and discipline are required. You can help yourself by taking a patient and gentle attitude. By being a gentle reminder to yourself, being a friend, essentially, to your own practice, you will find powerful support and assistance opening to you as you meditate daily.
Overcoming Resistance
Encouraging yourself to practice formally, especially when you don't feel like it, can make all the difference in establishing a regular practice habit. First, just recognize the resistance that is present. Then, try to be kind and patient with yourself if you don't feel like practicing. At the same time, you must be firm, like a good parent, or encouraging, like a good friend, so that you do continue to meditate despite the habits of resistance, which everyone faces and must overcome.
Cultivating Informal Practice
It is very helpful and important to develop your informal practice of mindfulness by reminding yourself throughout the day to be present. For example, you might stick a little note with a single word such as _remember_ or _breathe_ in places where your daily routine takes you: the bathroom mirror, the phone, the refrigerator, the dashboard of your car, or your computer monitor at work. When you see this word, simply remind yourself that you are alive. Return to presence by paying attention to your breath and your body for a few moments without striving or judging.
Keeping a Journal
A final suggestion is to keep a log or practice record. By noting what you did each day and any questions or problems you faced, you can support the development of your meditation practice. Many people like to record the actual number of minutes they practiced and which practice they did. Over time, this provides a point of reference and a foundation for deepening your practice.
Enlisting the Support of Others
The support of the people you live with is especially important. They do not have to meditate with you, or even at all, but it is important that they respect your choice to meditate. This support ranges from not dismissing or demeaning what you are doing to helping more actively by maintaining relative quiet during your practice time or taking care of children, pets, or other responsibilities long enough for you to have time to meditate.
Finding other people to meditate with, at least some of the time, is also a powerful support. People often comment about the increased strength and clarity they feel when meditating with even one or two friends. If you have this support even once or twice weekly or monthly, it can be a great help, especially in difficult times when your own meditation practice feels shaky or fragile.
## Counseling or Other Professional Support
Meditation is not the same as counseling or psychotherapy. Meditation is not a substitute for counseling or psychotherapy, either. Today, many professional counselors and therapists are encouraging their clients to learn and practice some form of meditation as part of the process of therapy, and there is a growing interest in how these two processes can work together.
Many people who take up mindfulness practice are not in any sort of counseling relationship, nor do they need to be. However, professional support may be particularly helpful when you are learning meditation to address anxiety or panic. By practicing mindfulness meditation, you are inviting whatever is inside to come out. Meditation is a very inclusive practice. This is a key element of the power of mindfulness to heal and transform you.
But a price comes with this. It is possible that you may actually feel _more anxious_ at times as your awareness grows. You may begin to connect with pain, old wounds, grief, or fears that become so intense that you would benefit from the help of a professional counselor or therapist. There is no shame in this. Be prepared to recognize this if it happens to you, and take the appropriate next step.
## Meditation & Prescribed Medications
Some prescription medications can work against your meditation practice by making you too drowsy or too restless. If you find this is the case, consult with your prescribing physician and work to try to reduce these disruptions. It is important that you do all you can to enable yourself to be present and alert.
Many people take up mindfulness-based meditation with the hope of actually stopping or reducing their medications. This is a worthy goal and is realistic for some people. However, you should not stop or change how you take your medication without first consulting with your physician. As your meditation practice grows and strengthens, you may well be able to reduce or even discontinue a medication. As you feel able to do this, be a good partner with your physician by asking the safest way to proceed.
## Readings, Tapes & Other Meditation Guides
There are thousands of books, tapes, and videos about meditation. In using these, it is important to recognize the context and message of the material. You may have already discovered that different aids can give what appears to be directly conflicting advice. In using any such aid skillfully, it is important to remember that meditation must be experienced and that you must do it for yourself.
Mindfulness is about being present with openness and clear awareness of whatever is here. Sensitivity and clarity grow over time with your practice of meditation. The goal of any aid is to help you develop this quality of awareness, often by emphasizing a particular aspect or factor useful in practice. Keep in mind that a particular aid with its specific set of instructions is only one way, not _the_ way.
Different meditation teachers often give somewhat different instructions or emphasize a different aspect of the instructions. If you work with different meditation teachers, books, and tapes, you will probably notice these variations. Do not take any one too literally. Instead, try to understand the essence of what is being taught. Do not let minor variations in instructions or wording throw you off in your own practice. Learn to stand strong in your own mindfulness practice by your own direct experience of wakefulness and presence.
Your goal should be to build a regular meditation practice that does not depend on any tape, book, or script. As you gain meditation practice experience—as you learn through your own experience—you will become less and less dependent on such guides. However, you will probably always find it valuable to continue to read and try on different ideas and practice instructions in your meditation practice. In this way, your practice stays alive and supports your own growth and transformation.
## Deepening Through Intensive Practice & Retreats
The habits of inattention and absence are strong. They are cultivated by our tendency to be busy every waking hour. Practicing meditation an hour or so each day is a powerful way to begin to break the habits of inattention and to replace them with habits of presence. Longer, more intensive periods of meditation can also be very helpful in deepening practice.
Many meditation centers offer daylong retreats at which everyone practices meditation and mindful movement. These retreats are usually conducted in silence, and provide a powerful taste of the levels of stillness and clear awareness that are difficult to access in the rush of daily life.
This form of intensive meditation practice is worthy of your consideration. As your practice experience grows, you might experiment with longer periods of meditation and mindful movement. For example, you could do a single two-hour session or a half day devoted to meditation and movement. At some point, you could try a full day. Somewhat later, you may want to consider a weekend or even a weeklong meditation retreat.
In any of these longer and more intensive experiences of meditation, you would be wise to work with an experienced teacher. Fortunately, there are a growing number of retreat centers and other facilities offering teacher-led retreats.
## Possible Hindrances to Meditation
In order to have success with your mindfulness meditation practice, it is important to examine areas of your life that may be especially painful or difficult. Use of alcohol or other drugs or ongoing trauma or toxicity in a relationship or other situation deserve particular attention.
Use of Alcohol & Other Drugs
It is practically useless to meditate if you are under the influence of any intoxicant. Your meditation practice should not be clouded by the effects of alcohol or other drugs. Take the time to look carefully at your own life. If you have started using alcohol or drugs, or increased your use, consider honestly the effects on you, your relationships, work, finances, and literally everything else. Complete abstinence is not required, but when alcohol or other drugs are interfering with your life, the interference must end before meditation practice can truly help.
Ongoing Traumatic or Toxic Situations
Meditation is not a magic cure. Beginning to meditate can be a powerful stabilizing factor in your life, but if you are living in an ongoing situation that is dangerous or otherwise traumatic or toxic to you, do not expect all of that to change just because you started meditating! What changes as you meditate is _you_ —how you respond, how you feel, how present and aware you are.
It is very common for people who begin meditating to make significant changes in the circumstances of their lives—after a while. This action comes as the result of stopping and paying close attention to their own circumstances and their own reactions in those circumstances. It may help to remember that mindfulness is about being, not doing. By being more present, the doing becomes wiser. You could say that _being informs doing_.
So if you are in a toxic situation, _you_ may have to change before significant change happens in the situation. However, these situations are similar to the ones involving alcohol, drugs, or medication side effects. If the toxic situation is so disturbing that it actually interferes with your meditation practice, you may have to make a determined effort to take care of yourself first so the meditation can have a chance to help.
## Keep in Mind
For meditation to help you calm your anxious mind and live the life you deserve, these internal and external supports are vital. As you learn to handle skillfully the internal attitudes, the external conditions, and some difficult but common obstacles, you will begin to realize the profound power of mindfulness in your life. Remember to remain kind and patient with yourself and what you encounter. In this way, you will deepen your meditation practice immeasurably.
Part 2
Practicing Mindfulness
Chapter 8
# Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Everything happens in the present moment, yet how many of your moments go unnoticed?
Each breath is precious, supporting life moment by moment, yet how often is your attention elsewhere as the breath rises and falls in your body?
Your thoughts are not you, yet how much of your attention is spent in repeating stories and thought patterns while life goes on around you?
Does fear, worry, or anxiety intrude into your awareness, distracting you and separating you from the unfolding experience of your life?
As human beings, we have all answered yes to these questions at one time or another. You are not different from anyone else in that regard.
We develop habits of inattention, distraction, and absence over years. Endless busyness and hurrying weaken our concentration and ability to connect deeply with things.
Modern culture encourages us to practice _not_ being present. As a result, it is to be expected that teaching yourself to be more present will take some energy and determination. It takes a commitment on your part, and daily effort.
Being present could be easier than you think. It could be just a breath away.
You may find it helpful to think about "being present" not so much as _doing_ something, but as entering a familiar territory and _being_ there deeply. In this view, it can make sense to say "coming into _presence_."
Here, "presence" could be thought of as a dimension of consciousness that welcomes and receives all experience arising in the present moment. Presence is a dimension you can enter, leave, and return to, and one that you can recognize.
Presence has qualities of attention, awareness, stillness, and spaciousness. The attention is sharp, steady, and welcoming; the awareness is bright, clear, and without prejudice; and stillness and spaciousness are palpable and vast.
Perhaps practicing the art of mindfulness is actually your doorway into the dimension of presence, a place where there exists the possibility of inclusion, connection, and understanding with anything in your life.
You already have what you need to be more present in your life. The power of mindfulness is in you now. To realize that power requires that you begin to pay attention more closely and with the essential attitudes of nonjudging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, nonstriving, acceptance, and letting go. Your mindfulness will grow stronger as you practice it. In addition to formal meditation, it is very important to practice mindfulness informally in the ordinary activities and experiences of daily life.
As you develop your practice of mindfulness, this apparent separation of formal and informal practice will begin to fade. A stronger sense of presence develops within, regardless of outer circumstances. This strengthened capacity to be present will empower you to overcome fear, worry, and anxiety when they appear. It will also empower you to experience more fully the richness and joy in your own life.
A good place to begin practicing mindfulness is in everyday activities. To be more present, you can begin by paying attention to the things you would not and do not usually notice:
* The sensation of this breath going in and out
* The feeling of pressure or contact of your back against the chair
* The sound of a car passing outside on the street
* The smell of your food just before it goes into your mouth
* The taste of the _third_ and _fourth_ bites of your sandwich
* The way shadows fall on your table from the afternoon sunlight
This list could go on and on. It is literally endless. The point is that so much of life is unnoticed that not noticing has become a habit.
To build a new habit, a habit of being present, you only have to begin to pay attention to what is already here. It is simple, but it is not easy!
How you pay attention is crucial. Pay attention _mindfully_. This means noticing without judgment and without trying to make anything happen. Stop trying to change things. This attention is _allowing_. There is curiosity. There is beginner's mind. There is not-knowing (not telling a story about it, not thinking you already know what is here because you have a lot of thoughts about it).
Paying attention mindfully also means paying attention gently, softly, and steadily. And, paying attention not just with your eyes, or your mind, but with your whole body, your whole being. Can you open to the fullness of experience arising in this moment? Can you include in awareness the experience arising in each of your senses?
As you approach life this way, being more sensitive to the details of daily experience, paying attention on purpose, you are training your mind to be present. You are awakening to the experience of living fully. You begin to discover the spaciousness and stillness that is inside. This spaciousness can begin to support you. It is there for you in managing fear, panic, and anxiety. It will be there for other demanding visitors like anger, grief, or despair, as well. And it will be there for the joys of life, too.
## The Joy of Being Present
A woman in a meditation class I once taught told me a lovely story about being present.
_I have been going to services at my church every Sunday for years. I love the music and have heard all the hymns so many times that I feel like I know them all. But yesterday was different. Since I have been in the mindfulness classes, I have learned to be more present for everything. Well, it really worked for me yesterday! At church Sunday, I was worried about some things. But I just stopped and began to focus on my breathing like we do in class, and on my body sensations. After a few minutes, I felt calmer. Then the choir started on one of my favorite hymns. I must have heard that one hymn a thousand times over the years, but this time it was different. It had never been so beautiful. I just listened. I really listened. And I really heard it: the organ, the voices, the words, all of it. It was so beautiful! I realized afterward that I had never been so present before. I had always been caught up in my thoughts or something else. It was wonderful to be present and to really hear the music!_
This woman's story is an uplifting example of the power of being present. Being present, being more mindful, opens you to the richness of life in unexpected ways.
You probably started this book seeking help with difficult or unpleasant experiences of fear, anxiety, or panic. That is fine, and there is a good chance that if you do the practices you learn in this book, your experience of anxiety and its grip on your life will diminish.
However, now is a good time to recall that mindfulness is more than a technique for overcoming problems. In fact, the more you are able to let go of outcomes and just pay attention to what is here, the more powerful your mindfulness practice will become. That is one of the paradoxes of mindfulness. And one of the rewards is the fresh connection you will make with the everyday threads of your life.
Be here for the beautiful music.
Be here for the wonderful sunset.
Be here for the warm touch of your loved one's hand.
Be here whenever beauty graces your life.
Mindfulness is strengthened through daily habits of paying attention and practicing presence. It is not mysterious or difficult to understand. It does take effort, especially at first.
So please don't be hard on yourself when you notice that your mind wanders repeatedly. Don't let frustration or doubt keep you from starting again. Just pay attention _again_ to the little things. Relax and pay attention _again_. Keep coming back to the present. Let yourself fully notice what is here.
## Mindful Eating
When I teach a meditation class, I often lead a mindful eating exercise at the first class meeting. I do this for several reasons.
First, it demonstrates that mindfulness is a quality each of us already has. Even people who are new to mindfulness discover it right in the very first class.
Second, people usually have some fun with it. Regardless of the serious and even painful problems that have brought them to the class, participants find themselves laughing, or remembering things, or just feeling more alive after the mindful eating. This demonstrates another basic point. By being more present, you are more alive! And you can actually feel it.
Third, by slowing down and paying attention on purpose with an attitude of curiosity and not-knowing, the participant is practicing core elements of the mindfulness approach. This stopping and being with what is here with nonjudging awareness _is_ mindfulness practice. The participant gets a powerful lesson immediately in how to practice.
Other valuable lessons are embedded in this exercise. They include realizing that any activity can be the focus for mindfulness, getting a taste of the wandering habits of the mind, and recognizing how easily thoughts and "stories" come between you and the direct experience of the moment.
You can begin your mindfulness practice on this vital element of daily living, eating. You can experience directly the naturalness and availability of mindfulness for yourself. _You_ can begin to realize the joy of being present and the power of paying attention on purpose. And you will begin to get to know the wandering, doubt, and distractedness of your own mind! Be friendly and compassionate with yourself and all of these tendencies.
Are you ready? Let's begin.
Mindfulness is nonjudging, nonstriving awareness. It is cultivated by paying kind and careful attention in as much detail and with as much sensitivity as possible. You can apply this attention and awareness to any activity. Eating mindfully demonstrates the natural availability of mindfulness as well as the potential richness in each activity and moment if you can be present for it.
In practicing mindful eating, you simply pay attention to the experience of eating moment by moment. To do this, you must stop everything else you are doing and really pay attention.
Guided Meditation: Eating a Raisin Mindfully
1. Select three or four raisins. Hold them in your hand. Sit comfortably and begin to examine them as if you have never seen or tasted a raisin before. Use all your senses. Look at the raisins. What can you discover about the raisins and about eating them? Let curiosity arise in you. Whenever your mind makes up a story about what you are doing, try to let go of that story and return your focus to the raisins.
2. After a bit, select one raisin and pick it up with your fingers. Let yourself feel it. Turn it over and look at it more closely. Try holding it to the light and notice how the light shines through it or not. Take plenty of time. Notice any tendency to feel impatient or bored. Notice any movement of your mind away from the raisin or into a story about it or a story about anything else. Whenever your mind moves away into a story or another focus, be kind with yourself. You have not made a mistake or done anything wrong. Just bring your attention back to the raisin as gently as you can.
3. Bring the raisin to your ear. Rub your fingers across it. What do you hear? Try the other ear. Try different speeds for your fingers. Can you stay present? Does the raisin make a sound when rubbed? Notice any thoughts or judgments in your mind. Kindly and gently let them go. Return to listening to the raisin. Take all the time you need. Notice any tendency to rush. Notice impatience or frustration. Be kind to yourself. Gently acknowledge these feelings and return attention to the raisin.
4. Bring the raisin near your nose. Can you smell it? How does it smell? Can you stay present for the smell itself, not getting lost in the story, not making up a story about how you like or don't like what is present? Is the smell earthy, sweet, sour, or perhaps nothing much? Is it pleasant or unpleasant?
5. Bring the raisin to your mouth, but don't put it in yet. Notice what is happening inside your mouth. Is saliva forming? Where is it concentrated most strongly? Is your tongue moving? Pay attention as carefully as you can.
6. After a time, move the raisin to your lips, open them, and take the raisin into your mouth. Pay careful attention to what happens next. How does the whole raisin feel in your mouth? What else is happening in your mouth? Let the raisin move around some before you chew it. How does that happen? How does that feel? Notice whether there are thoughts going on, or stories, or judgments. Just let them go. Try to keep the focus on the direct sensation unfolding in your mouth around the raisin.
7. When you are ready, begin to chew the raisin. Notice what happens with the first bite into it. What is the taste? Is it sweet, sour, earthy, bitter, or something else? Is it smooth, grainy, chewy, or what? Does the taste change as you chew it? How? Where in your mouth is the taste the strongest? Try to stay present for the changes that happen as you chew. What can you discover about the taste of the raisin and the activity of chewing? Notice how the raisin disappears. How swallowing happens. What is left? Is there still some taste after the chewing and the swallowing stop? Where in the mouth is there taste? Please allow yourself to sit with all that is here now. What do you notice?
8. After a time, bring your attention to the second raisin. As you look at it, you might allow yourself to reflect on what is in the raisin and on the conditions required to bring it here to you now. This is not an exercise in deep or heavy analysis. It is simply allowing yourself to see how the raisin is the product of conditions of sunlight, earth, water, nutrition, and the care and activity of living things, including human beings. It started as part of a grapevine, grew into a grape, was picked, dried, packaged, and brought to a market, where you found it and brought it home and into your hand just now. Reflecting on anything in this way can help you to see the connectedness and interdependency of things all around you, including things as simple as a raisin.
9. Gently bring your attention back to the second raisin. You have not seen this raisin before. It is not the same raisin as any other raisin you have ever seen or eaten. Notice any tendency to lose interest or to break contact with this raisin because a part of your mind thinks it knows all about raisins or has "been here, done this" before. Can you let that "knowing" mind go? Can you be here with this raisin with the beginner's mind? Can you be at least as focused (if not more) on this raisin as you were on the first? Look at it. Touch it. Listen to it. Smell it. Chew and taste it. Swallow it. Notice it. What do you discover about this raisin-eating experience?
10. Repeat the practice with the third and fourth raisins. Try to be fresh and present with each one. Notice impatience and boredom, or frustration, or doubt, or any form of thinking or mental conditions that separate you from the direct experience of each raisin you eat. In noticing these tendencies, be kind to yourself. When your mind does wander, when stories or judgments or impatience do arise, it is okay. You have not made any mistakes! This is exactly what happens. You are using your mindfulness now. You are noticing what is happening now. Can you practice acceptance and patience with the experience of being mindful now?
Being Present with a Calm Mind & a Relaxed Body
How did you like the raisin-eating practice?
When people first try this, they are often amazed at what they discover about raisins and about themselves.
They may say something like "I didn't know they were so sweet." Or "I don't really like raisins, but now I don't know why." (Or "I do know why!") Or "They don't have much taste until you bite into one."
It is also common for people to get into elaborate stories or just bursts of memories related to raisins, like "I remembered helping my grandmother make oatmeal-raisin cookies at Christmas."
There is no right or wrong about what you notice. The whole point is to establish mindfulness by making the effort to pay attention on purpose and in an allowing, nonjudging way.
The discoveries you make about raisins or anything else in daily life, on the inside of your skin or the outside of it, depend directly on the quality of attention and awareness you develop.
## Mindfulness & the Relaxation Response
Did you notice any difference in the state of your mind or body as you went through the exercise? Many people report they feel quieter, more relaxed, and more present after mindfully eating the raisins.
This illustrates another basic principle of mindfulness. When you concentrate attention without striving or judging but with the attitude of curiosity and caring, the relaxation response can arise. This natural capacity to calm the mind and relax the body is wired into each of us.
This calming and relaxing of mind and body is an important element in all meditation practices. A base of calm and relaxed attention in a relaxed body is vital for mindfulness to deepen.
But remember, the ultimate goal in mindfulness practice is not simple relaxation! Mindfulness is about paying attention with sensitive and nonjudging awareness. If fear or worry or anxiety is here, you practice mindfulness by paying attention to it, just like you tasted the raisins. Calm and relaxation support you in staying present, especially with upsetting and stressful conditions like fear, worry, and anxiety.
## Invitations to Practice Mindfulness in Daily Life
As a gentle way of growing your mindfulness practice, start to pay more attention to the everyday activities of your life.
**Eat a meal mindfully at least once a day.** Or eat at least a few bites mindfully. Snack mindfully. If you snack for reasons besides being hungry, pay attention more carefully to what is happening.
**Pick a daily activity to do mindfully.** This could be brushing your teeth, getting dressed, taking a shower, walking the dog, washing the dishes, or anything else. Slow down enough to notice the various experiences you feel, see, hear, smell, and taste, and notice what your mind is commenting or thinking.
**Pay more attention in the different situations of daily life.** As you travel from place to place. In meetings or at work. Taking breaks at your workstation. In your garden. At sunset. At sunrise. At the gym. Wherever you are, try to taste the experience like you tasted the raisins.
Don't worry if you do not have much time. You have all the time you need. As you start to make time to be present, you will find that the feelings of urgency and low-grade panic that drive your life are only feelings themselves. They arise and change and pass away like everything else.
## Keep in Mind
We live in the present moment, yet habits of inattention and absence keep us from living fully and connecting deeply with what is here. By becoming more mindful of everyday activities such as eating, doing chores, or bathing, you can discover a richness and intimacy with life. This intimacy then becomes the base for increasing joy and wonder as you face life's challenges.
Chapter 9
# Establishing Mindfulness, Breath by Breath
Establishing a calm and focused attention links the mind and body to the experience of the present moment. This principle is central to all meditative traditions. In times of fear and great anxiety, it can also be one of the most difficult aspects of meditation practice.
Meditation teachers emphasize that you must train your attention. The tendency of the mind is to wander. In this chapter, you'll discover the benefits of learning to establish calm and focused attention.
## Using Mindful Breathing to Relate to Fear: The Balloon Story
Several years ago my wife, Mary, and I were invited by an old friend, Steven, to join his balloon crew at the annual hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We said yes enthusiastically. As crew members, Mary and I joined a team of several others, all of whom were needed to handle our balloon.
The basket of our balloon was enclosed by wicker-like material from the floor up to a railing at a height only slightly above my waist. Riders in the basket held on either to one of the four corner rods connecting the basket to the balloon or to the waist-high railing.
Now, to be perfectly honest, I have never been that comfortable with heights. At least not heights where the only thing between me and the ground hundreds or thousands of feet below is a waist-high guardrail. I have no explanation for this reaction in myself. I have learned to work with it over the years, and it has not limited my activities.
After seeing the basket and hot air balloon setup, my first instinct was that I would be wise to remain a ground-based crewmember. However, Steven was very excited, and quite emphatic and persuasive about how much I would like the trip. As a token of our friendship, he offered Mary and me a place in the basket on one of the first flights in the festival. How could I refuse?
The next thing I knew, I was climbing into the basket, Steven was firing the gas heater overhead, the balloon was expanding, and suddenly, silently, we left the ground.
Everything was fantastic for the first few minutes, as the ground fell away and I looked around, feeling the cool air and captivated by the spectacle of other balloons rising in the beautiful Albuquerque dawn. Then I felt the basket move sideways as the balloon caught a wind current. I looked down over the railing and saw the ground crew, the vehicles, buildings, everything, shrinking. Then I felt the first wave of fear.
My experience of fear was the usual one. There was a feeling of slight dizziness, some weakness in the knees, a sense of my heart pounding, and a tightening feeling in the throat and gut. My hands were already clutching the railing. I didn't want to move in any direction, and wasn't sure that I could.
Around me, Mary and Steven were excitedly pointing at things going on all around us. They moved about easily in the open basket, despite its now frequent slight swinging motion. They implored me to let go of the rail and turn and look in other directions. Steven kept firing the heater, and we rose higher and higher. I could only grin through clenched teeth and turn stiffly to look either way over my shoulder while maintaining my death grip with both hands on the guardrail. I wished I had stayed on the ground, but knew at that point there was no going back.
The realization that I had to cope was actually helpful. There was no choice except to deal with the fear. There was literally no way to get relief until the balloon landed. I remembered that I did have many years of meditation experience and decided that I would likely need all of it! So I began to focus my attention very deliberately and sharply on the experience of my breathing.
Just as I had been taught and had done in my own meditation practice over the years, I let the breath be just as it was and let the situation be just as it was.
I directed my complete attention to the unfolding sensations of my breath, especially my out breath. After just a few breaths, I noticed some relief. I was able to locate the feelings of fear in my body. I was able to breathe in and out with the fear, holding the sensations in the cradle of the breath. I was able to soften some around the sensations and the situation, and could actually begin to see and appreciate the spectacular scene unfolding around me. I started to move about in the basket and began to take more interest in the ride.
I rode quite a distance with fear that morning. In fact, fear came and went and came back again many times. But each time it came, I was able to meet it the same way, using awareness of the breath as an anchor and consciously breathing in and out with the unfolding experience.
Through this practice of mindful breathing, I was able to change my relationship to the fear experience in a fundamental way. I was able to stop relating _from_ the fear, or _as_ the fear, and instead relate _to_ the fear. I began to relate to fear as just another element of my deep inner landscape.
Each experience of fear, intense and disturbing as it was, became just something else floating there inside me in the cool New Mexico sky. Like the clouds that passed us, or the sunlight, or the other balloons, the fear experience itself changed moment by moment. It was not permanent. And it was not _me._
With my attention anchored on my breath, my mind and body calmed. Calm and focused attention enabled me to hold the fear as an event in my awareness and to notice its passing as well as its coming. After a while, I noticed it wasn't always there. I could pay attention to the ride. Then, when fear returned, it didn't seem so powerful. I began to feel more confident that I could handle the fear, and with that, I began to relax even more. By the time we landed the balloon, I really had enjoyed the ride.
## Responding Wisely to Fear & Anxiety
Everything happens in the present moment. The elements of your life experience are happening now, in the present moment. There is always a choice in how you respond. In those moments when the fear reaction is present, in response to a real threat or as anxiety, the habitual and "unmindful" way is to feel overwhelmed and upset, and to react in fight-or-flight mode. In this "unwise" response, the tendency is to relate and to act _from_ the experience of the feeling.
You might even come to believe that you _are_ the feeling. You might express this feeling of identifying with the fear reaction, thinking you have become the fearful experience, literally by saying, "I am such a coward" or "I am such an anxious person."
Everything else in your awareness in that moment is tainted by the fear reaction. Everything else is flavored by the intense unpleasantness of the fear reaction. You are literally seeing the world, living life, through the filter of fear.
You may notice a tendency to contract and harden on the inside. You may begin to feel more solid, even clenched or gripping in your inner life in reaction to the unpleasantness you feel.
The usual but unskillful reaction is to fight the unpleasantness of the fear reaction or try to flee from it. If you have a name for the fearful feeling, something like _panic attack_ or _fear of heights_ , you might feel even more helpless or even defective in some way because you have found no effective way to fight or to flee. This named unpleasantness keeps coming back into your inner world despite all manner of treatments and analysis. You may have come to believe this is a condition, a thing, which is stronger than you are.
But, whether or not you have a name for the fearful condition, reacting from the feeling or identifying with it holds little promise of success.
This is an "unwise" response because it is not based in the truth of how things are.
Actually, "uninformed" might be a better term than "unwise."
In fact, you are not your fear reaction and it is not you. Also, no matter how intense your fear reaction is, it is not permanent. It depends on certain conditions and will leave when those conditions are no longer present. Most people have not been properly informed about these truths, and therefore continue to act in "unwise" ways when facing fear, anxiety, and panic.
To have more hope of controlling fear, panic, and anxiety in yourself, you must forge a more skillful relationship to the moment-by-moment experience. This means relating to the fearful experience in a way that allows you to be with it instead of fighting with it or reacting blindly to it. The wise response, the mindful response, is to turn toward the experience with calm and focused attention.
"More skillful" also means recovering (or discovering) your sense of ease and safety. It means softening and relaxing enough on the inside to be comfortable here in the present moment. It includes learning to enter and rest in the vast possibility of peace and stillness within.
## Discovering Calm & Ease by Paying Attention
We have seen how meditation emphasizes directing attention and increasing awareness. Nonjudging, nonstriving, acceptance, letting go, and patience are crucial attitudes in practicing meditation. These attitudes must be practiced with each breath, especially in the intense moments dominated by fear and panic.
The paradox is that the better way to gain control of fear, panic, and anxiety is to practice _being_ , not _doing._ You must actually stop trying to control the feelings and instead allow them to unfold in the light of calm and focused attention.
By allowing things to be as they are precisely in the moments that are most intense, you can break free from the old patterns of thinking and behaving that arise when your reactive, habit-driven mind is urging you to do something.
The way to practice being is not by exercising willpower and gritting your teeth. Clenching and waiting is only another way you continue relating from the unpleasantness, though you might think otherwise. You are still in the center of it, fighting and reacting.
The better and more skillful way to practice being is to let go of the fight and change your relationship to the unpleasantness. You can do this by paying attention in the moment in a different way. It is nonjudging, allowing, and nondenying. Mind, body, and experience are linked in awareness. This way is what we have been calling _mindfulness._
In order to establish mindfulness in the midst of intense unpleasantness and to calm your mind and body, it is usually necessary to start by taking a concentrated focus for your attention.
Developing your capacity to access the deep calm at the innermost level of your being takes effort and patience. Periods of formal meditation, even periods of extended and intensive practice, are important. You can think of meditation as training for the mind. The habits of distraction and inattention that are so deep must be replaced by new habits of concentration and awareness. You only acquire these new habits by actual practice. Practicing leads to the direct experience of your deepest quality of being, a quality that is spacious and secure.
Having a daily meditation practice is very important. It can start to help you right away. Doing formal and informal mindfulness practices is the way to develop these habits of awareness and concentration.
## Awareness of Breathing
One of the oldest and most common meditation practices to build concentration and mindfulness focuses on the breath itself. We can call this meditation practice _awareness of breathing_ , _mindfulness of breathing_ , or _awareness of the breath_.
Practicing awareness of breathing immediately brings you back to the present moment. With the breath as your focus, the natural ability of the mind and body to calm can arise. Also, very importantly, with the breath as your focus of attention, there is an immediate shift in perspective. You are now capable of taking a different relationship to all the other elements of your life experience present in the moment. It becomes possible for you to see them just as they are. This means that you are able to come into relationship _to_ them and are no longer living _from_ them or _as_ them.
The remainder of this chapter is devoted to the practice of awareness of breathing, both as a formal meditation practice and informally in situations of daily life. You will find meditation instructions and suggestions for your daily practice.
You will benefit from taking this practice seriously. Practice as if your life depended on it. You never know when you will find yourself in a rapidly rising hot air balloon!
meditation practice: awareness of breathing
This is a simple yet profound meditation practice. The sensation of the breath is the primary object of nonjudging, allowing awareness. You practice by simply paying attention on purpose to the direct sensations of breathing as they arise, change, and disappear. Whenever your attention moves off of the breath sensation, just notice that and gently escort your attention back to the breath.
Concentrating attention in this way connects mind and body to the present moment and to a deep inner calm and steadiness. In this practice, you actually experience the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable, even in intense moments. The calm and steadiness extends to the body as you practice. Over time, in both formal meditation periods and informally in daily life, with consistent and regular practice, you can expect to feel a deeper sense of ease and relaxation in your body. You will discover a much more grounded and stable present-moment awareness.
With attention established on the breath, you can use this conscious breathing practice to stay connected in difficult situations. By learning to breathe consciously into and out with whatever is happening, you teach yourself to remain present with calm attention. The breath is truly the anchor in the present moment.
It can be helpful to remember that you do _not_ have to _do_ anything _to_ your mind. You do not have to quiet it, or "blank your mind." Your mind (and body) already know how to become quiet! All you have to do is give them the chance to do what they know how to do.
By taking a gentle, welcoming, nonjudging attitude and paying attention on purpose to the sensations of this breath—now—here, your mind and body can do what they know how to do: enter a state of calm and ease, and provide a steady platform for observing and connecting with all that is happening in this moment.
And, very importantly, from this base of calm and focused attention, your relationship to the moment-by-moment contents of your life experience actually changes. You can begin to recognize fear, panic, anxiety, or any other unpleasantness as a condition rather than as an identity or point of reference. From that realization, everything—your experiences and what you feel, think, and do—can change for the better.
guided meditation: awareness of breathing
1. Take your seat in a comfortable position in the place you choose for formal meditation. Allow yourself twenty to thirty minutes for this practice. Try to minimize distractions and interruptions.
2. Spend the first few moments of your practice period reflecting on the attitudes that form the foundation for mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is about noninterfering, allowing _presence._ Recall nonjudging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, nonstriving, acceptance, and letting go. In the beginning, pay particular attention to nonjudging and nonstriving. Let go of any agenda about changing fear, anxiety, panic, or anything else, and don't try to make anything happen.
3. Place both feet flat on the floor. Do something comfortable with your hands. Sit in a dignified way with your back, neck, and head in good alignment. Sit in a way that promotes alertness and wakefulness. Let your eyes close gently.
4. Gather and collect your attention in the sensations of your body. Notice your feet on the floor, your back against the chair, your hands resting where they are, and your face and head where they are. Allow yourself to feel the heaviness of your body directly. Allow yourself to relax into the support of the chair and the floor beneath you. Let your body ease and settle as much as possible.
5. Bring attention to your abdomen. Allow your abdomen to relax and become soft. Let the abdomen stay soft.
6. Gather and collect your awareness on the sensations of your breath as it comes and goes. Concentrate your attention at the place in your own body where you can feel your breath come and go most easily and naturally. For some this is the abdomen, for others the chest, for others the nose or even the mouth (if you tend to breathe with your mouth open). Let your attention settle and focus exactly on that place where the breath sensations are easiest for you to feel. If you aren't sure exactly where to focus, the abdomen is a good place to start. Let your attention rest there now. Allow yourself to feel the sensation of the breath moving in the body just as it is.
7. Allow the breath to come and go without interfering or trying to control it. This practice is about strengthening attention and awareness, not controlling the breath. Keep the focus on just this breath. Let go of any thoughts about how many breaths or the next breath or the last breath. Just this breath. If it helps you to focus, you could whisper quietly to yourself _in_ on the in breath, _out_ on the out breath, and _pause_ or _space_ for the space between the breaths.
8. Try to remain present for the entire cycle of each breath: in, out, space, in, out, and so on. As your attention strengthens and mindfulness grows, you can begin to notice the beginning of the in breath, the middle, and the end of it. Do the same for the out breath and the space.
9. Let your attention settle more deeply into the variety of sensations of the breath in the body. Allow the feeling of the rise and fall of the abdominal wall, the actual stretching sensation, to be the focus. Notice the changing patterns of sensation, how each breath is different—some shallow, some deep, some strong, some weak, some rough, some smooth. Meet each breath with beginner's mind, sensing it as if for the first time. In truth, each breath is here once and only once. Welcome it.
10. When your attention wanders away from the breath sensation, do not be surprised. Gently notice where it went. Is it on another part of the body? A thought or series of thoughts? A sound outside someplace? Perhaps fear, or worry, or anxiety? No matter where your mind wanders, patiently and gently escort your attention back to the place in the body where you are concentrating on your breath sensation. Praise yourself for noticing that your attention has wandered. You have not made a mistake or done anything wrong. This is the habit of every mind. It will wander. Recognizing when the mind wanders is a moment of mindfulness. It is a part of the training of the mind that you have undertaken.
11. Keep your belly soft. Notice if there is tightening and tension in the body. Allow softening and relaxing as much as possible. Do not try too hard. Do not try to make anything happen. Do not even try to become a "good" meditator. Simply make your best effort to pay attention to the breath sensations with nonjudging, allowing awareness. Let things be. Let distractions go. Return attention to your breathing.
12. Please keep practicing this way until the end of your formal practice period. It is fine to open your eyes now and then to check the time. Just notice if you are checking very frequently. In that case, check the body for tension and the mind for distraction, boredom, or impatience. Try to let them be, and gently return attention to the breath sensation. Continue opening as much as possible and allow yourself to feel the sensations of each breath directly, as best you can.
13. When distractions like fear, anxiety, restlessness, boredom, or sleepiness become intense and demand your attention, gently notice that. Notice any tendency to fight them. Try to let them be. Breathe in and out with them, including the distractions, as you focus on the breath. Allow the distraction. Consciously breathe in and out through it. Or, if the distractions are still too much, you might try to focus more sharply and closely on the breath sensation. Try focusing on a smaller area in the body. Try to feel the sensation in more detail and more continually. In this way, you actually strengthen concentration. You can find a steadiness inside. Be patient with yourself. None of this happens on the first try. The mind wanders. It is a fact. This is a practice that takes some effort and perseverance. You must find your own balance between making just enough effort to be present, and straining and striving too much. Each time you practice will be different. You are learning how to breathe mindfully in different situations: finding your breath, allowing, and breathing with and through any distractions.
14. When the time has come for the end of your formal meditation practice period, gently open your eyes, wiggle your fingers and toes, and stretch your body if you like. Notice how you feel, then let that feeling go. Do not try to make any single meditation session, or how you feel afterward, the standard for how all others must be. Let the next practice be just that and only that. Let this practice session stand alone. If your mind tends to compare and to judge one session against another, just notice that and let it go. You haven't made any mistakes by comparing. It is the habit of the judging mind. Be easy on yourself. Just let it go.
Suggestions for Practicing Awareness of Breathing
Awareness of breathing is a fundamental formal meditation practice. Through informal practice, it can become an integral part of your experience of being in the world. Both formal and informal practice of mindful breathing will help change your relationship to anxiety.
Formal Meditation Practice
Give yourself at least twenty to thirty minutes for each period of formal meditation. You can do more than that if you wish. This amount of practice will give you time to experience different things in your meditation and allow the mind and body to settle a bit. When you feel resistance to practicing, try to let it go. Keep practicing. Remember, you don't have to like it, you just have to do it!
Try to practice at least five days out of seven. The benefits you get from mindfulness are directly related to your practice of it. Even if you do not have your usual time to practice, do as much meditation as you can in the time you have. On the other hand, if something happens and you do not practice formal meditation on a given day, do not get discouraged or give up. It happens to everyone. Just begin again as soon as possible.
Build your practice so that you do not rely on written or recorded instructions. It is okay to use these aids to get started, but the actual meditation instructions are not complicated. Eventually, you should be able to practice awareness of breathing without any external supports.
Informal Meditation Practice
Informal meditation practice means literally taking time throughout your day to stop and do the practice in different situations. You will find you can do any and all of the meditation practices in this book either formally (explicitly and primarily for longer periods of time) or informally (explicitly but for a moment here and there, while things are happening). Try this informal practice of awareness of breathing: Stop and breathe consciously. Practice breathing in and out with what is happening. Do it often. Experiment with it. Play with it. Discover the power of attention and presence in your life.
Let go of any attachment to outcome. Don't try to make anything happen or to change anything. Bring a sense of curiosity and exploration to your life and to this practice. What would it be like to pay attention to the breath before, after, or during various situations? Don't judge yourself by anything, especially feelings of calm or relaxation. This is a practice of awareness and attention. Calm and ease might arise, probably will arise, but they are not the primary goal.
## Keep in Mind
In this chapter we have introduced and practiced awareness of breathing as a method of mindfulness. By paying attention on purpose to your breath, allowing it, and allowing yourself to feel your breath in different situations, you can break the habits of reacting and instead connect with your experience in a way that brings you freedom.
Try to think of this practice of awareness of breathing as your friend. Bring it into everything you do. You don't need to think of it as a chore or assignment. You are already breathing. Just start to pay attention more often to what is already happening.
Chapter 10
# Mindfulness of the Body
When aroused, the body's fear system, acting through the amygdala, gives your mind and body quite a jolt.
Muscles contract, leading to feelings of tightness in the chest and throat, along with the fear of not being able to breathe. The heart begins to race. Breath becomes rapid and shallow. You sweat profusely, and tremble and shake. Sugar is released into your blood from body stores. Thinking becomes confused, slowed, or speeded up. Thoughts focus on frightening and disturbing subjects.
When the fear reaction occurs, the experience that arises could be called the _fear body._ From the present-moment perspective of mindfulness, you could say, "the fear body is present now."
The fear body is not easy to ignore. When it is present, the mind gets more excited and exchanges more and more information with the body. Body sensations intensify. Alarming thoughts appear and become louder. Your inner life goes on emergency mode.
The feelings of fear and anxiety seem to feed on the experience unfolding in the body and mind. The effect is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Panic and anxiety ignite. The feelings of panic and anxiety rage intensely in the body. The fear body feels more and more solid. As this happens, the proliferation of thoughts and worries fills the mind. And so it goes, on and on.
This is the vicious cycle in which people with panic disorder often become caught. Interrupting this cycle wherein bodily sensation leads to fearful thinking, which leads to more bodily sensationis difficult but necessary in order to manage fear, anxiety, or panic.
But you don't have to have panic disorder to feel your fear body or to recognize when it has arrived. Whatever the cause of the fear body, your experience from the inside is _felt_ and direct. While it is here, you are living in the fear body.
The fear body demands attention. The fear body experience is so strong that the mind can become absorbed in reactions to the body. So the real question is how to work with something so intense and demanding as the fear body.
The answer to that question brings us again to a paradox of mindfulness: the best results come when you let go of attachment to any desired outcome and allow yourself to experience things just as they are.
To practice mindfulness, you must be aware of, and establish and maintain contact with, the object of mindfulness. If you want mindfulness to help you manage the alarm and discomfort of the fear body, it is crucial that you learn to recognize and maintain awareness and contact with your body _just as it is_ in each moment.
Doing this means allowing the experience of the body directly and accepting that experience just as it is. It is best to make this a way of approaching life in your body. _Mindfulness of the body_ , we could call it. _Inhabiting your body with awareness_ is another way to put it.
How you pay attention is important. Especially when the fear body is present, or if physical pain is present, learning to relax and make space for the intense places of contraction is very helpful. With practice, you can learn to trust your ability to find the edges of contraction and pain within and to open to a larger territory of space and stillness. Over time, with experience and practice moving in these inner landscapes, you will find the confidence you need to meet the pain and contraction of the fear body, and to transform it.
When your body is your object of mindfulness, your meditation practice becomes attention and awareness of the body in different situations—indeed, in all situations. You are there for sitting, walking, standing, and lying down. As you are able to be more present with the body experience anytime and in any position, then, when the fear body does arise, you will have developed the concentration and flexibility of attention required to manage what is unfolding.
## Increasing Your Awareness of Your Body
Have you ever stopped to consider how rarely you pay attention to your body when the fear body, or other physical discomfort, is _not_ present? How much of your life do you live above your nose? How much time, attention, and energy do you spend on mental activity such as thinking, planning, or remembering?
People seem to pay little attention below the nose except when the body yells for something to eat, has to void, wants sex, feels pain, or has some other immediate desire. Even then, in the midst of satisfying the immediate craving, their attention often moves back above the nose.
This habit of living above the nose, or out of the body, is common. In fact, people will go to considerable effort to keep their attention above the nose. Just look at any gym or health club. Have you ever noticed how many people are reading or listening to headsets while their body works out? Is their attention below the nose? Or is it in the future, the past, or a daydream?
Of course, people tune out of the body for many reasons. The reasons vary from the fact of being overloaded with work and trying to multitask, to not understanding the benefits of presence, to a deeper discomfort and ill ease with the body. At times, there can even be a disturbing sense of alienation from the body.
This alienation from the body requires attention and healing. In some cases, the alienation is so deep and the wounds causing it are so painful that good counseling is needed along with mindfulness. In other cases, the habits of inattention, absence, and disconnection from the body can be corrected with mindfulness practice only. In either case, teaching yourself to pay attention mindfully to your body is a great boost to the process of healing and transformation.
In this chapter you will learn a meditation practice called the body scan. You will also learn to do walking meditation. There are other mindfulness-oriented movement disciplines, such as yoga, tai chi, and qi gong. It is beyond the scope of this book to provide detailed instruction in these other practices, but there are many excellent books and videotapes available. Yoga classes are available in many urban and suburban areas.
Many people find that doing a mindful body practice enables them to feel their body as they have never felt it before. They are able to inhabit their bodies freshly and deeply. This leads to a positive experience of being in their bodies and with their bodies. Sadly, many people have not had such a deeply positive experience in or with their bodies since childhood, if at all.
In the body scan, you focus kind and allowing, nonjudging and nonstriving attention on the body itself. Attention is concentrated on each part of the body as closely and in as much detail as possible. You move your attention systematically throughout the body, excluding no part or region. Your focus is supported by linking breath awareness to the sensations in each region of the body. You practice allowing yourself to feel your body deeply, _from the inside_ , as you breathe in and out of each region.
Paying mindful attention to the body leads to a deeper sense of connection with and awareness of the body. You have the experience of inhabiting your own body with a deeper and steadier sense of calm and relaxed attention. Your ability to focus on any part and remain present there becomes much greater. And your body itself can relax deeply. All of these benefits establish a strong foundation for relating to the fear body mindfully whenever it arises.
guided meditation: body scan
1. Take a position seated comfortably or lying down with pillows supporting your head and knees. Many people prefer to do the body scan lying down, and it works well as long as you remember that this is an exercise in _waking up,_ not in falling asleep! Make sure you are warm enough. Allow enough time to do the practice slowly, at least thirty minutes, and practice going even more slowly as you become familiar with the meditation. When you are ready, let your eyes close.
2. Once settled in, spend a few moments recalling the key attitudes that form the foundation for mindfulness practice. Recall especially nonstriving, nonjudging, and acceptance. They are crucial to discovering how your body is right now, in this moment.
3. Let yourself feel the breath moving in and out of the body. Allow yourself to relax and feel the whole body. Feel the mass of it. Feel the points of contact and support with the chair or floor. Don't try to change anything you feel, just let it be. You are here for the _felt_ experience of the body, just as it is. The practice is to experience the body, not to think about the body.
4. Bring attention to the toes on your left foot. Feel what you can. After a bit, try to direct your breathing in and out of the toes. Let this be a _sensation_ you feel of the breath extending through the body to and from the toes. Don't make it a picture in your mind. Simply relax and see how much of the unfolding sensations of the breath and the toes you can connect with. Try to allow the breath sensation flowing in and out of the toes to sharpen your focus on what you are feeling in your toes. It is as if you become more present and more sharply focused on the toe sensations by holding them in the cradle of the breath.
5. If you don't feel any sensations, just notice that. Allow yourself to feel "no feeling." Notice if your mind makes up a story about this, and let the story go. Come back to the region of the toes.
6. Allow yourself to feel changes in sensation in the region of the toes. Feel the temperature, the contact with socks or shoes or air. Sharpen your attention as much as you can. Feel sensation in as much detail as you can, toe by toe, if you can. Stay with direct experience and with the breath sensations, in and out. Allow the sensations to come and go. Allow them to release naturally.
7. When you are ready to move on, take a deeper breath and release the focus on the toes. Keep attention on the breath sensation for a few breaths, then repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 focusing on the bottom of the foot. Then move to the heel, the top of the foot, and the ankle _._ Keep working with the breath and the body sensations this way. Continue to extend the breath awareness into and out of each region as you breathe in and out with the body sensations you discover there. Hold the sensations of each region in the cradle of the breath. The body sensations are the primary object of attention, while breathing in and out with them helps you stay connected and present.
8. Move through the regions of the left leg to the hip joint the same way. Continue holding the sensations in each region—lower leg, knee, upper leg—in focus as you breathe in and out. Then release the sensations in each region, staying present with the breath and moving on to the next region. Whenever your attention wanders, be patient with yourself and gently return awareness to the region you are focusing on and to the breath sensations.
9. In this way, continue to move slowly through the rest of your body. Scan the right foot and leg, the pelvis, the abdomen and lower back. Scan the chest and upper back. Go on to the shoulders. Scan the fingers, hands, and arms—first one side, then the other—and return to the shoulders. Maintain the focus on sensations and the breath as you move attention from region to region. Continue on through the neck, the head, and all the regions of the face, including the inside of the mouth and throat.
10. When you have scanned all the regions of your body, allow yourself to rest with the breath and the body as they are. Let the breath sensations come in through the top of the head, as if you had a large opening there, and then wash through the entire body and exit through the toes of both feet simultaneously. Stay with this direction—in through head, through body, out through toes—as long as you like, then try reversing the direction. Breathe in through the toes, move breath through the body, and exit through the top of the head. Do this as long as you like.
11. By the time you have done all of this, you may not even feel your body. Don't worry about that. Simply allow yourself to rest in the silence and stillness that are present. Recognize the deep peace and ease that is possible in the body experience. Realize how much control and authority does lie within you.
12. When you are ready to stop your practice, simply acknowledge that, take a few deeper breaths, open the eyes, and begin to move the body slowly.
Practice the body scan daily, especially in the early days of building your mindfulness practice. You can also practice on specific regions without scanning the entire body. Try going into greater and greater detail with a particular region, moving inch by inch or millimeter by millimeter, over the face or the lower back, for example. Make it your own practice. Become comfortable and confident about connecting with your body.
The activity of walking offers an excellent opportunity to come into the present moment. Mindful walking means walking with primary attention focused on the activity of walking itself. In this way, the sensations and experience of walking link the mind, body, and present moment, just as the breath awareness practice does. In addition, by walking mindfully, you will begin to inhabit your moving body more consciously.
Mindful walking can be done as a formal meditation practice or informally as a way to connect to the present moment in the midst of physical activity and movement. The same principles of mindful walking can apply to mindful exercise or other moving activities.
Guided Meditation: Mindful Walking
1. Find a place where you can walk back and forth for about fifteen to twenty paces without interruption and without feeling self-conscious. Plan to go back and forth on this meditation path for the time you do this formal period of walking meditation.
2. Stand at one end of your path and concentrate attention in your body. Notice the sensations that are present. Do something comfortable with your arms: either fold them in front or behind you, or let them hang loosely at your sides. Gather your attention in your feet, feeling the sensations there.
3. Slowly begin to lift one foot and begin walking. It helps to walk quite slowly, especially at first. Let your attention be on the unfolding sensations in your feet and legs as you walk. Bring attention in fine detail to the lifting of the foot, the stepping forward, and the placing of the foot on the ground. Notice how the weight shifts from foot to foot as you walk. Notice how the legs feel, and what movement in the body feels like. When attention moves away, or the mind wanders, gently return it to the sensations in the feet and legs.
4. Walk to the end of your path in this manner. Stop when you get there.
5. Bring attention to the experience of being stopped. Listen carefully to your body. Notice when the urge to move arises again, or the intention to turn and to resume walking. Become mindful of the arising of intention—it precedes all voluntary movement in the body. When you are ready, turn around and pause. Connect with the body and the sensations in your feet. Notice how it happens that you take the first step forward, and what that feels like.
6. Practice walking meditation this way at least fifteen to twenty minutes if you can. Notice whatever arises. If thoughts or sounds or anything else become very distracting, stop walking and focus attention on that. Remain mindful, noticing the distraction, then gently return focus to the feet and resume walking.
7. Although you begin walking at a very slow pace, you can experiment with different speeds, up to and beyond normal walking speed as you become more practiced. If you are very upset or agitated, it is often helpful to begin walking at a faster rate and then slow down as you become more concentrated and present. When walking fast, it may be easier to focus on a single sensation, such as the right foot pushing off or the left foot striking the ground. Let this single sensation become your object of attention, using it to anchor attention in the midst of rapid movement.
When walking "to get somewhere," as often as you can, practice walking mindfully. You can do this while walking at any speed. As in doing fast walking meditation, it may be helpful to focus on a single walking sensation as your anchor. Let the foot lifting or the foot striking the ground become your object of mindfulness, linking you to the present moment. Bring mindfulness into everyday activity this way. Enjoy how it can lead to a deeper connection with life. Walk mindfully in nature, in woods, or by the sea. Walk mindfully in times of urgency and hurry. Walk mindfully when you feel fear or anxiety, and discover the power you have to be present.
## Keep in Mind
In this chapter we have looked more deeply into the intensity and demands of the fear body. The way to manage this intensity with mindfulness is to make mindfulness of the body a habit. The body scan and mindful walking are two ways to establish mindfulness of the body in daily life. As you make conscious bodily experience a daily practice, the fear body becomes just another way the body can be. By breathing and remaining mindful of the fear body, you gain freedom from its distortions and limitations on your life.
Chapter 11
# Bringing Full Attention to Life
A central truth emerges in profound ways as you practice being present: you are not your thoughts, feelings, or sensations. No matter how intense, pleasant, or unpleasant the thought, feeling, or sensation might be, it can be observed using the mirror of mindfulness and can be seen to be changing and impermanent. This is a crucial fact to remember when you are trying to free yourself from the bonds of fear, panic, or anxiety.
## Hijacked by Desire & Ill Will
There is intense unpleasantness in the fear reaction and its extreme form, the panic attack. Everything in you screams to get away from it. There is a deep and disturbing feeling of vulnerability and exposure. All of your physical and psychological systems are mobilized to fight or to flee. But what can you do if there is nothing to fight except the unpleasant feeling itself—as in anxiety and panic? Where can you go to get away when the unpleasant feeling is inside your own skin? What can you do when the feelings are so intense that they defeat your every effort, even those aimed at concentrating attention on the breath or a body sensation?
As human beings, we all have developed deep and habitual reactions to moment-by-moment experience. These reactions are driven directly by the feeling of pleasantness, unpleasantness, or neutralityassociated with the experience in the moment. The reactions to this moment-by-moment feeling of pleasantness, unpleasantness, or neutrality are expressed in psychological and physical ways. The reactions themselves are simple. The tendency is to grasp or hold onto the pleasant, reject or push away the unpleasant, and "space out" or disconnect if there is no strong feeling quality (the situation feels neutral).
For the most part, these reactions occur rapidly and out of awareness. You usually do not realize how much energy you spend trying to hang on to the pleasant feeling or trying to avoid the unpleasant one. Your energy is hijacked by desire for the pleasant, or ill will for the unpleasant. What you probably do notice is the experience of frustration, struggle, fear, or anxiety. In turn, these experiences become another set of unpleasant feelings to avoid or push away.
The tendency toward grasping or avoiding experiences has important implications. For example, when fear, panic, or anxiety arises in all of its unpleasantness in the present moment, it is very likely that you find yourself in a familiar pattern of thoughts, feelings, and actions aimed at ridding yourself of the experience almost immediately. This reaction is driven by aversion or ill will toward what is here in this moment, and results in a desperate sense of needing to "fix" the problem or to "do something" immediately. This habitual reaction then unfolds in cognitive, emotional, and physical dimensions. The unpleasantness of the reaction feeds the feeling of needing to escape.
Allen's Story
Five years ago, when he was forty-seven, Allen suffered a mild heart attack. Although he recovered well, Allen developed a strong fear that he would die from another heart attack. After a time, he began to have panic attacks.
Since then, Allen has seen different doctors and therapists who have suggested various treatments for his panic attacks. In addition to using medication, Allen has been taught biofeedback and visual imagery. He has had some counseling. He has been in support groups. He has had some benefits from all of these, but admits there are still times when the panic returns and is stronger than his ability to manage it with the therapies he has learned.
Allen has come to feel that the panic attacks are his enemy and that the panic is often stronger than he is. The more he reflects on this me-versus-my-panic relationship, the more depressed and hopeless he becomes. When there is a sensation of panic, Allen's next experience is often a sense of dread and fear about what that means. Allen has become a prisoner to fear and worry about his panic, as well as to the panic itself.
Allen has come to the place where he meets the unpleasantness of his panic attacks with intense aversion. He greatly wants to be rid of all of it. The sensations lead to thoughts and more sensations, all of which are unpleasant. Allen describes one of the low points:
I wake in the middle of the night shaky, sweating, and afraid. Immediately I know there will be no more sleep this night and feel angry, hopeless, and depressed. I get up and sit in a comfortable chair. I try to do the visualization, then the relaxation exercises. I barely get started when the panic really gets going and distracts me. I try again, but can't keep my mind on it. I feel very upset now, even agitated. I try listening to some relaxing music, but the panic won't go away and I find myself feeling worse and worse. I start to get mad at myself. I start to curse kind of quietly to myself. I hate it when that happens, and I start to hate myself for not being able to handle it better. Everything seems to get worse. I sweat, my heart pounds, my mind races with scary thoughts about dying. At a time like this, I actually start to think about suicide. Maybe I ought to go ahead and die on my own terms. Sometimes I even begin to make a plan. Then I get hold of myself and remember my wife and kids, and it helps me let go of the suicide thoughts. I wouldn't do it, really. But I just get so desperate because I can't seem to do anything in those bad times that helps.
## Staying Present with What Is Unpleasant
Can you relate to Allen's struggle? When you see the elements of your life experience as the enemy because they're unpleasant, suffering and powerlessness are almost unavoidable.
The painful and upsetting things never seem to leave as quickly as one would like. What can be done with these stubborn and unpleasant visitors?
Whether it is fear, panic, anxiety, physical pain, illness, or loss, there will always be something that comes along that you cannot completely cure, push away, or escape. This is where mindfulness can help you.
Instead of fighting or trying to flee from the unpleasantness, mindfulness invites you to turn toward experience. Staying present with calm and relaxed attention, you are encouraged to investigate and connect with the experience. Freedom from suffering in the unpleasant experience comes from learning to soften and relax, and remain present and aware in the midst of it. This calls for making room inside for the experience and allowing it to unfold within the space you open.
There is relief in the next mindful breath you take. Even one breath taken mindfully can change your relationship to the contents of your life experience in this moment. The breath can help you open to your inner capacity for spaciousness. As well as gaining immediate benefit from the change in relationship to what is here, by remaining present and seeing clearly, you have your best chance to discover any additional responses that might improve the situation.
So far, you have been practicing mindfulness with a focus on the breath sensations and the body experience. These meditation practices have emphasized concentrating attention narrowly and discovering how mindfulness can connect you deeply with the object of attention as you hold it in focus.
When attention wanders, the practice has been to return it gently to the breath or body sensations. When there are distractions, or simply as a way of focusing attention more sharply, you have also practiced breathing into and out of any intense distraction or body region. In this way, you have been using the actual sensations of the in and out breath to help you stay connected with the focus of your meditation and with the present moment. This helps you stay connected and work with powerful mental states like fear, anxiety, and panic.
So, attention to breath sensations helps "anchor" you in the present moment when the habitual energy of resistance and distraction is great. By steadying your attention mindfully on the breath sensations, you open the doorway for greater awareness of all that is happening in this moment.
And, it is important to recall that mindfulness is _not only about the breath_. It is possible, as you have seen, to be mindful of any experience arising before or within you. The key is to observe the experience with kind and allowing attention, and to return attention there whenever it moves away.
In this chapter, we will explore taking a wider view in your mindfulness practice. In essence, you are now invited to make whatever experience is most dominant or most insistent the object of mindfulness. Nothing is excluded from your kind and allowing attention. In this approach, there are no "distractions." Whatever arises becomes the object of mindfulness. Your practice leads you to intimacy with each experience, each "distraction," via attention and awareness.
From this expanded perspective, life in each moment becomes deeper and richer. The practice is literally to connect with increased sensitivity to whatever presents itself.
Opening through awareness, your recognition and understanding of habits of ill will and desire deepen. As this understanding grows, you will be able to stand firm in who you are and release the old habits of grasping or avoiding experience, and the suffering that brings.
## Letting Go of Your Agenda
You might be asking yourself about now, "How can I stay present when the worry or the panic or the fear is so strong?" You may have had some real success in calming and relaxing the mind and body using breath awareness and body scanning, and you may not want to open to the "bad" feelings you are trying so hard to get away from. You may have been using the breath awareness or the body scan to make the anxiety or panic "go away," and may even have thought you did on some occasions.
If you can identify with any of these themes or variations on them, you might still be caught in the me-versus-my-problem mentality. And you are not alone! This is a very common situation, and you should know you have not done anything wrong or made any mistakes. But it is critical that you do not stay stuck in this mentality.
If you have been trying to "use the meditation" to "make the anxiety go away," just recognize that. It is an example of how truly powerful the habits of grasping and avoiding experience are.
It can help to recognize how the desire to change your situation or be rid of pain, fear, or anxiety is actually driven by strong feelings of dislike for what is happening in this moment.
Bringing mindful and gentle attention to the intense energy of dislike and aversion is a powerful shift.
Likewise, directing kindness and compassion to yourself—in this moment, in the midst of upset—is important. Learning to find more inner space, to make room for the upset and to have compassion as you bear the pain will help release the grip of the habitual undesirable energies.
The skills and art of meditation focus precisely on recognizing upset and aversion, on finding inner space, and on making room for experience with kindness and compassion. As you practice mindfulness daily, in different situations, formally and informally, you prepare yourself to meet increasingly challenging upsets more skillfully.
Determination and courage are called for if you wish to transform your response to the upsets and pain life can present. Challenge yourself to look more deeply at your own experience so far. It is crucial to recognize when the urge to fix or change things is present. That urge must be made an object of mindfulness like everything else. Isn't now a good time to do it? Can you open to your desire to change how things are, to fix things, and simply allow that urge to be, making it the object of attention?
In all likelihood, when you have felt any benefit from your meditation, it was because you were including nonstriving, nonjudging, acceptance, and the rest of the key attitudes in your practice. When you felt frustrated and said, "It doesn't seem to work," most likely you had a goal or outcome you wanted and didn't feel it happening. You were likely striving for peace, relaxation, freedom from worry, and so on, and you were judging yourself and the meditation and probably this book in the process.
## Embracing the Entire Range of Experience
Remember that practicing mindfulness means exploring ways to be more aware and awake in _all_ corners of your life. It calls for recognizing the entire range of inner experience and trusting yourself to connect with, and to allow, all of these experiences. It invites a compassionate connection with the contents of your inner life and a real willingness to allow and experience each one.
In this sense, practicing mindfulness becomes a process of growth and self-discovery supported by kindness and compassion for your own pain and distress. It is an art that you teach yourself. Give yourself permission to move at your own speed as you learn this art.
You are invited to discover a spaciousness within that can contain the flux of experience. You can learn to apply precise, noninterfering awareness and sensitivity to each element of life experience as it arises in the present moment. As you discover the spaciousness and stillness within, you will be able to listen for the song of each experience and to recognize the lesson it has for you.
meditation practice: choiceless awareness
_Choiceless awareness_ is a practice of gently opening and kindly including whatever is here in your field of attention. This practice is also sometimes called _bare attention_ or _mindfulness_ _of the full field of awareness._ It emphasizes recognizing and resting with whatever is predominant in the field of awareness in the present moment.
The predominant thing changes after a bit and is replaced by something else. The practice is to stay relaxed and grounded in the present moment and to recognize and keep attention on whatever is here now. Doing this involves recognizing and accepting the elements in the changing flow of experience.
Practicing choiceless awareness means literally practicing a different relationship to the elements of life experience. Instead of the usual and habitual way of fighting with, fleeing from, or identifying with what is here, everything gets equal attention. Everything gets noticed by kind awareness. The method is the spaciousness and steadiness of mindful attention.
In this practice, _bare_ means nonjudging, noninterfering, and allowing. _Attention_ means mindfulness, wakefulness to what is here, awareness. _Choiceless_ means literally that: making no choice, but instead allowing whatever is in the foreground to be the object of attention. You do not leave what is here but look more deeply, listen more fully, feel more completely, as you stay present with it.
The instruction is simple. Establish attention in the present moment and open awareness to what is here. Then stay present in the moment, holding the changing experiences in mindfulness as they unfold and releasing them as they disappear.
Through this practice, your ability to work with the intensity of fear, panic, and anxiety will increase. These experiences will be held more easily in the spaciousness of mindful attention. Their tendency to intrude and drive you will diminish. You can regain control of your life.
The following guided meditation is divided into four parts. The first part is a preliminary activity to remind you about setting up the conditions for formal practice. The second part is a reminder to establish mindfulness on the breath, as you have already learned to do. The third part is a detailed instruction in opening awareness to the different senses and the experiences at each sense gate. The fourth part is a detailed guided meditation for choiceless awareness.
The methods in the first three parts of this exercise provide a foundation. Parts 2 and 3 can be practiced as separate meditations themselves. The actual practice of choiceless awareness is to be aware, to not hold on to anything or try to make anything happen, and to simply open awareness to all that comes and goes.
It may take some time and practice for your concentration and mindfulness to become strong enough so that you are not swept away or lost in the river of experience flowing through the senses in each moment. Grounding yourself in the foundation practices and being patient will provide the support you need, however, and soon you will become more comfortable with the choiceless awareness practice.
guided meditation: choiceless awareness
Part 1: Establishing the Conditions & Attitudes for Meditation
1. Take your seat in a comfortable position in the place you choose for formal meditation. Make sure you have allowed enough time for practice (twenty to thirty minutes at least) and that you have minimized the risk of distractions and interruptions.
2. Spend the first few moments of your practice period remembering and reflecting on the key attitudes that form the foundation for mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is about noninterfering, allowing presence. Recall nonjudging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, nonstriving, acceptance, and letting go. Each of these will be needed at some time or another as you practice and deepen mindfulness. Pay particular attention to any reactions you are having. Try to let them go. Let go of any agenda for changing things. Acceptance is the willingness to see things just as they are and to let them be.
Part 2: Establishing Attention on the Breath in the Present Moment
1. Practice awareness of breathing as you have learned to do. Gather and collect awareness on the sensations of the breath and the heaviness and presence of the body. Allow the belly to remain soft and relaxed. Use the technique of quietly noting or naming "in," "out," "space," "touch," and so on if it helps you sharpen your attention on breath and body. Do this long enough to feel grounded and present. Keep the focus more narrow at first, centered on breath sensation and body presence. Allow yourself to relax into what is happening. Try to feel the space around the breath sensations and the body feelings.
Part 3: Establishing Mindfulness of All Sense Experience
1. After you have established calm and focused attention through connection with breath and body, widen the focus to include any and all sounds that may be present. Allow yourself to hear as carefully as you can. If you find yourself commenting or reacting to a sound, notice that and let it go. Come back to the activity of listening directly. Allow yourself to hear the sound without commentary. Just the sound as it is. Try to notice the sound vibration as intense or soft, low or midrange or high, near or far. Listen deeply for the space between the sounds. Notice when the vibration arises, how it changes, and how it fades. If it helps to focus attention, you could note quietly, "hearing, hearing" with each sound. Try not to get stuck in thoughts about the sound. Recognize thoughts such as "that is a loud car" or "there goes my telephone again." These are just thoughts that have taken you away from the direct experience of hearing the sound. They will happen. Praise yourself when you realize you are not simply listening and go back to that. Try to rest in the spaciousness of mindful listening. Allow the sense of spaciousness to include and hold all the sounds, and the silence itself.
2. Whenever you get lost, confused, agitated, or distracted, relax. Gently take the narrow focus on the breath again. Reestablish mindfulness on the breath. Practice awareness of breathing for a few breaths. Let the breath be your anchor in the present moment. You can always come back to the breath sensation. If the distraction is intense, let it be and try breathing in and out with it until it changes or until you can feel the breath more clearly. Notice your abdomen. Let it soften and relax. Come back to the breath and the soft belly as often as you need to in order to stay present and grounded in the now.
3. Keep your body and belly soft and relaxed as much as possible. When you are ready, widen the focus to include all the changing body sensations as well as the breath and sounds. Let yourself experience the inner body, the felt sense of your body. Keep it simple. Let go of trying to make anything happen. You do not have to go looking for breath, sensation, or sound. Simply let them come into your awareness. Relax and soften into the body and keep the awareness open and inviting. Notice the body sensations as vibrations, pressure, contractions, expansions, warmth, coolness, and so on. Notice how they come and go, moment by moment. Again, if it helps you to focus, use a quiet mental notation to help you connect with each thing that is happening. You might say, "tingling," "pressure," "pulsing," "contracting and hardening," "softening and releasing," and so on, for the flow of sensations. Try to soften and allow each sensation to be, in the open space of awareness.
4. Open the awareness again and include any smells and tastes that are present. You do not have to manufacture these. Simply rest in awareness and notice what might be present. Be alert for the reactions and judgments of thinking about any smell or taste. Allow yourself the direct experience. Is it sweet? Sour? Salty? Stuffy? Heavy? Light? Where is it sensed: in the nose, or the mouth? Does it change, move, or get stronger or weaker?
5. Allow yourself to relax. Don't try too hard. Practice being soft, open, and receptive. Stay grounded in the sensations of the breath and the body. Allow yourself to experience directly the breath, the body sensations, the sounds, the smells, and the tastes. If you are using a quiet mental notation or labeling of experience to help stay connected, the noting should be only a whisper in your mind. Let at least 95 percent of your attention be on the direct experience of feeling, hearing, smelling, or tasting. Whenever you are lost or agitated or distracted for any reason, return to the breath awareness. Establish attention on the breath. Relax. Breathe in and out with whatever is happening. Keep the belly soft. Then open to the spacious awareness that includes everything.
6. Open the awareness to include all forms of thinking. There are many of them. Just acknowledge what is going on now. Is there commentary? Judgment? Planning? Remembering? Storytelling? What is the difference between being lost in a story and recognizing that storytelling is going on? That is a moment of mindfulness. Notice certain themes in your thinking. Is it the Love story? The Boss story? The Anxiety story? The Worry About Whatever story? Learning to become aware of these stories is a moment of mindfulness. In this practice the relative truth or importance of the thoughts is not the issue. All thoughts are treated the same. Allow them to be as they are instead of meeting them with more thoughts, stories, or explanations. They are just thoughts. They are just something here in this moment along with the breath, sensations, sounds, and everything else. Find the spaciousness within and allow any thoughts to float there. Rest in the open space of nonjudging, nonthinking, allowing awareness.
Part 4: Practicing Choiceless Awareness
1. Include everything that arises in your practice of choiceless awareness. Whatever it is, it is just another condition that is here now. Recognize mind-states and emotions like anger, fear, boredom, sleepiness, restlessness, desire for something else, impatience, calm, peace, excitement, joy, jealousy, rage, kindness, love, and compassion. Allow yourself to open to the entire range of your experience. Feel the energy associated with each condition or emotion. Practice holding each one in the open space of awareness without identifying with it, grasping at it, or pushing it away.
2. Open to everything that is present. Each sound, each sensation, each smell, each taste, each thought, each emotion is treated the same way. Each is just another object arising in awareness now. Notice the one that is in the foreground now. Relax into softness and allow that object to be here. Pay attention and connect with it as deeply as you can. Let yourself feel as much spaciousness as possible and rest there as you pay attention to each object that comes forward. Try to stay connected. Hold it in view as long as it is here. You might need to note it several times before it changes and is replaced by another object. For example, you might note, "hearing, hearing, hearing," or "pressure, pressure, pressure," or "thinking about work, thinking about work, thinking about work." If the noting is distracting, just let it go and stay 100 percent with the direct sensation of each object. Be patient and stay present.
3. Continue your practice this way. This is the practice of choiceless awareness. You are strengthening awareness and presence. Remember to keep the belly soft. Relax. Allow things to present themselves. When fear or worry or even panicky feelings arise, try to meet them with the same kind attention. Look deeply. Feel deeply. Listen deeply. Allow them to come and go. Breathe with them consciously if it helps you to maintain the connection. When they stay, pay careful attention to what is happening in your mind and body. Shine the light of mindfulness directly on whatever is the strongest or loudest part of the fear, panic, or anxiety. Hold that part in mindful awareness. Return attention to the breath and soft belly if necessary. Breathe consciously. Then allow the thoughts to go on. Notice their "attitude" or "tone of voice." Feel the body sensations. Allow the softening and relaxing wherever possible. Remember patience and trust. Notice thoughts about failing and feelings of hopelessness and despair. Have kindness and compassion for yourself. See the thoughts as just thoughts. Feel the feelings in the body and notice how they come, change, and go. Keep the wider view. Rest in spacious and open awareness of all that comes and goes. Allow yourself to sense each object, but do not remain identified with it or swept away by it.
4. End your practice by opening your eyes and moving gently.
Suggestions for Practicing Choiceless Awareness
As you learn to do this practice formally, you will also be able to carry it over informally into daily life. You will learn to find and to rest in the open space of awareness more often throughout the day.
Formal Meditation Practice
Practice for at least twenty minutes at a time when doing choiceless awareness as your formal meditation. Over time, you can move up to sessions of thirty, forty-five, or even sixty minutes. Similar to what happens in an exercise program, you are building a level of "fitness" or strength to meditate, and it is important that you practice long enough to get stronger.
Expect to meet resistance. Your mind doesn't want to be trained. There will be doubt, boredom, irritation, desire for other things, restlessness, and sleepiness. Please notice your reaction to any of these or anything else. Make the reaction or the resistance the object of mindfulness just like anything else. Just keep practicing being present as best you can. Recognizing and staying present with whatever resistance you feel builds real power and gives you freedom from the unconscious patterns of reactivity that drive daily life.
As you gain experience with practicing choiceless awareness, begin to let go of the written instructions or the tape or CD you have made. Trust yourself to be able to establish attention in the breath and body and to open to whatever is here. As you practice over time, your ability to refine attention, sharpen focus, and hold the predominant object in view will strengthen. Be patient with yourself. Don't try to get anywhere or make anything different. Just practice letting things be the way they are and knowing something about how that is by paying attention on purpose.
Informal Meditation Practice
Try practicing choiceless awareness informally in the different situations of your daily life. Allow yourself to hear the sounds, taste the tastes, smell the smells, all directly and without commentary or judgment. When you notice thinking in any form, note and welcome it. Try to remain friendly and open to all that you notice. Your thoughts are _not_ the enemy. Thinking is just another condition. Use it when it is useful. Notice it when it is not useful. Just thinking.
Look for opportunities to take a time-out from _doing._ Allow yourself to _be_ with what is here. Really see the beautiful sunset. Really taste the delicious food. Really feel the hand of your loved one in yours. Open more fully to the richness of your life by strengthening presence.
When fear, panic, or anxiety arise, notice your reactions to the unpleasantness. Try to find compassion and kindness for yourself and the pain you feel in the moment. Keep it simple. As best you can, see and feel what is happening as deeply as you can, with attention and nonjudging awareness. Can you notice the changing patterns of thought and sensation in mind and body?
After you have met fear, panic, and anxiety with calm and kind awareness, ask what needs to be done. If there is a specific step or action you need to take, do it. In this way, your actions are guided by presence. Being informs doing.
## Keep in Mind
You are not your thoughts, feelings, or sensations. These are events in the present moment that can be observed kindly and compassionately in the mirror of mindfulness. Learning to experience these events mindfully through the practice of choiceless awareness will give you new power to live with fear, panic, and anxiety.
These events include especially what is happening in your inner life. As you learn to recognize and witness the changes in these inner experiences, you also discover your deepest quality of being and the peace and stability within you.
Chapter 12
# Befriending Your Anxious Mind
Larry Rosenberg, a well-respected meditation teacher, once observed that mindfulness without kindness is not mindfulness. What does this mean?
So far, we have understood and practiced mindfulness as allowing, nonjudging awareness. A crucial element of this allowing is the spirit of friendliness, or kindness. Kindness here means a welcoming, friendly, and generous attitude. Having this attitude toward whatever arises as you are practicing mindfulness is essential.
Shauna Shapiro and Gary Schwartz, psychologists and medical researchers, have also suggested that mindfulness has specific affective ("heart") qualities that are important to elucidate. In addition to the seven qualities noted by Jon Kabat-Zinn (see chapter 6 in this book), Shapiro and Schwartz (2000) include loving-kindness as one of these qualities, along with gratitude, gentleness, generosity, and empathy.
They define loving-kindness as "a quality embodying benevolence, compassion, and cherishing, a quality filled with unconditional love" (Shapiro, Schwartz, and Santerre 2005, 640).
And, you may recall from chapter 5 of this book that meditation teacher Christina Feldman describes kindness and compassion as "embedded" qualities in mindfulness.
In this chapter, you are invited to explore a meditative approach aimed at bringing forward and refining the feeling of kindness. By learning to cultivate kindness deliberately in this meditation, you will find that the quality of kindness in your mindfulness practice will become brighter, and mindfulness itself will be more accurate and steady.
Kindness as an inner quality is something that you can actually practice.
You already have the capacity for kindness in you. There is a naturalness to feeling and being kind that you do not have to force. You do not have to manufacture it. You do, however, have to cultivate it. Cultivating kindness means learning to recognize and overcome the obstacles that block your awareness of your deep capacity to be kind.
Doing a meditation focused on kindness can help you discover directly what and where the blocks are to your natural and genuine impulses toward kindness. And, of course, doing the meditation can lead to more discovery about the profound nature of the quality of kindness within.
## Cultivating Kindness
You can practice kindness in your actions. The quality of kindness shines through when you do something for someone or respond kindly in a situation.
Perhaps you have seen the popular bumper sticker that advises practicing random acts of kindness. This idea encourages acting kindly without expecting anything in return. Kindness is freely given. Undoubtedly, you have already done kind acts for others many times in your life. But there is more to kindness than external action.
There is an interior feeling of kindness behind all kind actions. This feeling can be strengthened through meditation practice. The kindness you feel is directly related to your sense of well-being and connection with life and others. It is an essential feeling of well-wishing. It has warmth and is friendly. This kindness reflects the capacity to love.
Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield (1993) speaks to this relationship between happiness and love: "The longing for love and the movement of love is underneath all of our activities. The happiness we discover in life is not about possessing or owning or even understanding. Instead, it is the discovery of this capacity to love, to have a loving, free, and wise relationship with all of life" (18).
## Cultivating Compassion
Kindness supports the presence and growth of compassion as well. There is a deep link between kindness and compassion. In our common experience as human beings, we all share the feelings of warmth and kindness, and we all feel the inevitable pains of living, aging, and dying.
Compassion can be understood as a powerful inner feeling that involves the opening of one's own heart in sympathy and tenderness in the presence of pain or sorrow in another. Along with this opening, there is a sense of connection with the other. And often there is a strong urge to take action to relieve the pain.
While people may be deeply moved by the presence of pain in others, all too often they have little or no compassion for the pain and sorrow they feel in themselves. They view their own pain as vulnerability, or consider their own sorrow to be a sign of weakness. Anxious or fearful people who judge their own anxiety as a defect or failure are especially likely to deny themselves compassion.
As we have seen, the negative self-talk and critical attitudes that often grow around experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic can be the worst stressors that are present. To break this toxic cycle of meanness and criticism means developing the capacity to feel compassion for your own pain and suffering.
## The Power of Kindness & Compassion
We saw in chapter 4 how thoughts and attitudes are very powerful, and how they have the "connections" through brain and body to exert their influence on the body's fear system. Working through the mind-body connection, such habits of mean thinking can be strikingly deep and strong. Consider the destructive potential of self-critical thoughts like Ellen's.
Ellen's Story
Ellen was in her late fifties when she enrolled in a mindfulness-based meditation class. She joined the class to get help with her experiences of intense anxiety, panic attacks, disturbed and nonrestful sleep, and chronic pain.
Ellen had been married to an abusive, alcoholic man for many years. She finally divorced him, and a few months later came to the meditation class.
One day after several weeks in the course, during which she had practiced mindfulness faithfully, Ellen arrived late to class. She was visibly upset and explained what had happened.
"I had a flat tire on my car," she told the class, "and it was very stressful."
Someone asked Ellen what it had been like.
She paused for a moment before she answered. Then with an angry and anxious tone she said, "I kept telling myself how stupid I was to have a flat tire. Stupid! Stupid! I told myself, 'You are too stupid to live.' I say that to myself a lot. Whenever something goes wrong. _You are too stupid to live_. My husband used to say that to me a lot. Now I say it to myself."
## Are You Practicing Meanness?
Since kindness can be practiced, it is also important to understand that its opposite attitude, meanness, can also be practiced. In fact, meanness is practiced quite a lot. Most often, we aim it at ourselves. We usually don't fully recognize how mean we are to ourselves. This meanness is a habit of thinking and feeling that arises often and is felt deeply in the body.
Meanness expresses itself in critical tones and self-statements. You might tell yourself, "I am such a jerk," or "I am so stupid," or "I always make a mess of things."
The inner habit of mean thoughts and comments, and the related sensations of hardening and contraction in the body, arise repeatedly. It may seem that you have always had them. Until you actually bring attention to them, you may not even know where they are. Most of the time, you probably do not even notice them, at least not until the feelings or the comments are especially uncomfortable or harsh.
Like Ellen, you can be living in a world of inner meanness and come to identify it as self. You can come to believe all the harsh judgments, and live in the fear body whenever the judges speak.
When this meanness happens in you, you become your own worst stressor. No matter how bad the situation is, your mean attitude amplifies and adds to your misery, usually through the addition of criticism, judgment, and blame.
Of course, meanness also lashes out at others. "You," "they," "that one"—all become the objects of the criticism. The tone of anger and hostility that drives the meanness spares no one.
By practicing mindfulness, kindness, and compassion in a steady and committed way, you will begin to recognize the habits of meanness toward self or another when they surface. You can become free of their hold. Their reach into your other experiences and relationships will diminish. The toxic effects of meanness in your body will be reduced.
The way to manage the damaging energies of anger and hostility lies in establishing a conscious connection with them in the present moment. This means establishing a kind attention on your inner experience of anger and hostility, recognizing it as experience, not as self. It means being a friend to yourself and to the anger.
The same applies to fear and anxiety. Indeed, fear and anxiety usually lie beneath anger and hostility. Can you learn to befriend your anxiety and fear when they arise? Can you hold them in kind awareness?
It is only when you can stay connected with the present moment that real caring can arise. The kindness within can shine through, and compassion can awaken. To evoke this kindness, you must teach yourself to stay present with pain and difficulty as well as everything else.
Can you find a way to cherish yourself in the midst of a storm of fear, anger, or anxiety? Acknowledging your own courage in bearing the distress and upset? Holding yourself in a cradle of compassion?
Kindness and compassion directed to self and experience can help you stay connected with the present moment in a way far more powerful than mere willpower. Kindness within can shine through, and compassion can awaken in the midst of pain and upset. A good way to explore this depth of kindness within is to work with meditations focused on directing kindness to your own pain and to difficult people.
## Opening to the Pain in & Around You
Have you ever stopped to ask the question: What is my relationship to the pain I feel? This includes the pain of fear and the pain of anxiety and panic.
You _do_ have a relationship; you just may not recognize it. For many people, the relationship they have with any kind of pain is one of denial and dismissal. For others, the relationship is flavored by anger, fear, or a desperate attempt to escape the pain. Driven by pain, people fall into patterns of addiction and despair.
Remember Pema Chödrön's story of the old woman telling her, "Don't go letting life harden your heart"? Has your relationship to pain caused your heart to harden? Are you less connected with life as a result? Do you feel less alive?
To practice mindfulness means to pay attention to life with an open heart. Meditation can actually help this way. Meditation is a heart-opening activity!
On a meditation retreat once, I entered a phase when either sitting or walking, all of my periods of meditation were consumed by angry, destructive images and stories filled with hostility and rage. When I asked the teacher about this, he responded with great gentleness and kindness. He told me, "Beneath anger is fear. Beneath fear is a belief about something. Keep sitting with each thing and let it be. Let it reveal itself to you. When you get to the belief, investigate that. Is the belief true? Is the belief you?" Sitting with the experience, I connected with deep feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy about a new job situation. Sitting longer, I found that the feelings left me. I saw how untrue they actually were.
We all have a relationship with pain and habits for dealing with it. We all have developed attitudes and views about the pain we feel. In many cases we have also developed an identity around the pain. To the extent these attitudes and identity have become fixed, we are prisoners of the pain.
How might this be true for you? How does it apply to the impact of fear, anxiety, or panic in your life?
Practicing mindfulness wholeheartedly requires the willingness to pay attention, stay present, and investigate your deep inner pain—including the pain of fear, anxiety, or even panic. Approaching the pain with kindness and compassion is crucial. Meeting pain with anger does not help. Meeting fear or anxiety in oneself with anger or hostility simply multiplies it.
Meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg has been a leader in bringing Western students meditation practices focused on kindness and compassion. In her 1995 book _Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness_ , Salzberg describes compassion meditation as "purifying and transforming our relationship to suffering, whether it is our own or that of others. Being able to acknowledge suffering, open to it, and respond to it with tenderness of heart allows us to join with all beings, and to realize that we are never alone" (117).
In this chapter, we will learn loving-kindness meditation, a practice aimed at strengthening attitudes of kindness and compassion. As you will see, it is a basic meditation practice that is friendly to any faith tradition.
Mindfulness helps you recognize any mean thoughts or feelings that are here. The meanness may be blocking you from experiencing your deep capacity for kindness and compassion. You can learn to hold the feelings of anger and meanness with more kindness. You can teach yourself to meet fear and anxiety with compassion. This is deep inner work that allows you to access a profoundly healing dimension in your being.
## Meditation Practice: Loving-kindness
With a kind and compassionate heart, all you attempt—including your practice of mindfulness—will flow more easily. Loving-kindness meditation uses repeated phrases, images, and feelings to evoke kindness and compassion. It is not exactly a mindfulness practice, yet the qualities it cultivates are crucial to the practice of mindfulness.
This meditation is not about sentimentality or about manufacturing "good" feelings. It is about connecting with and cultivating a capacity for kindness and friendliness that is already within you. At first it may feel mechanical or clumsy. It may arouse painful feelings like anger or grief. Don't let this disturb you. Keep up your practice and discover what happens next. When you have difficulty, hold yourself with kindness and compassion.
When you do loving-kindness meditation as a formal practice, begin with sessions of fifteen to twenty minutes and increase to thirty to forty-five minutes at your own pace.
Guided Meditation: Loving-kindness
1. Take a comfortable position, either seated or lying down.
2. Bring awareness to the breath and the body as they are in this moment.
3. Let your body relax and be at rest. As best you can, let your mind be quiet. Let go of plans and preoccupations.
4. Allow a feeling of kindness and friendliness to arise within. Recalling a loved one or a pet can help to nurture this feeling.
5. Begin by focusing kindness on yourself. It may help to find an image of yourself in your imagination or to say your own name quietly to yourself as you repeat the phrases below. Without kindness for yourself, it is almost impossible to be kind or compassionate with others. With the focus on yourself, begin to recite the following phrases: _May I be happy. May I be healed and healthy. May I be filled with peace and ease. May I be safe._
6. Continue repeating the phrases. Let them be like a song you sing quietly to yourself. As you repeat them, adjust the language so that you find the exact words and phrases to best nourish kindness in your own heart. You might also try the following: _May I be free from all pain and sorrow. May I be at ease and at peace. May I be free from fear, anxiety, and worry. May I be well._
7. Repeat the phrases that work best for you, over and over. Let the feelings penetrate and fill your body and mind. Experiment with other phrases if you need to. Use phrases that resonate deeply within. Keep it simple and not too "heady." Use a single phrase if that helps. Put all your attention and energy into one phrase at a time. Move at your own pace, softly, gently, lovingly.
8. When you feel ready, in the same meditation period or in a separate period, expand the focus of your kindness to include others. Move to someone who has cared for you, to someone who is a friend, to someone whom you have no strong feelings for or don't know well, to one who causes pain or hurt, and to all living things, including animals and plants. Experiment. Don't be afraid.
9. Practice as long as you like. When you are ready to stop, gently open the eyes and allow the body to stretch slowly. Notice how you feel without judgment or commentary. Allow yourself to feel what you feel.
Suggestions for Practicing Loving-Kindness
With some practice, a steady sense of kindness can develop. You will be able to work with directing kindness toward all kinds of people—even difficult people.
With time you can learn to practice loving-kindness anywhere. As you silently practice repeating the phrases of loving-kindness in grocery checkout lines, in doctors' waiting rooms, in traffic, in the middle of crowds, on the streets, or in a thousand other places, a deeper feeling of connection and compassion for all of life arises. A deeper sense of calm will fill your life and keep you connected to the present moment.
## Keep in Mind
Mindfulness has a welcoming and friendly quality. To befriend what arises in awareness is essential to avoid the habits of meanness and judgment that lead to feelings of isolation and suffering. Befriending means meeting pain and distress, fear, anxiety, and even panic with kindness, compassion, and nondenying awareness. The qualities of kindness and compassion—toward yourself and others—can be cultivated by including loving-kindness meditation in your daily practice.
Chapter 13
# Making Room for the Upset
In my work teaching mindfulness meditation in health care settings, and especially in working with people struggling with anxiety, fear, and panic, a crucial question appears over and over again.
_I am so bothered by these upsetting feelings of anxiety, I don't want to pay attention more closely to them. I am afraid to pay attention more closely. What can I do?_
This is a very understandable feeling, and can be worked with, as we shall see. Such aversion actually has its roots in the processes of anxiety, fear, and panic themselves.
## Your Inner Life—& You—Are Worthy of Attention
Anxiety, fear, and panic are indeed upsetting. A central theme in this book is that most people have not been properly educated about the nature of these feelings (they are _not_ you and _not_ permanent), and certainly have not been properly trained to handle them in a skillful, _meditative_ way (using affectionate, nonjudging attention to alter the old mind-body habits of struggle and reactivity). The result is that there is a tendency to identify with anxiety, fear, or panic, and to become lost in the aversion to them as it arises, fills your awareness, and drives your consciousness moment by moment.
Remember Allen, who woke in the middle of the night panicked by fears of having another heart attack? Or Ellen, who took on her ex-husband's criticisms of her and added to her own anxiety with negative self-talk whenever anything in her life went wrong?
Allen or Ellen could be any of us. And, we could be them. They had become identified with powerful feelings and stories and were at war with themselves because of it. What helps in the face of intense upset is learning a different way to relate to inner experience that does not depend on believing the story or on making war on the unpleasant, upsetting experience as it unfolds.
It can be helpful to remember that your inner life—distressing or not— _is_ worthy of attention, and so are you! In fact, your best hope for changing the distress you feel is by trusting that turning _toward_ the experience is the way home. The processes of anxiety, fear, and panic may generate doubts and discouraging thoughts that distract you from actually turning attention toward the unfolding experience, but don't let yourself be fooled! There is a different way to relate to the pain of anxiety, fear, or panic besides taking them as an identity, or making war on them.
Vital to changing your relationship to inner experience is knowing that you can open into a place of inner spaciousness that can actually include and contain even the worst upset. In a sense, we could say that finding your inner spaciousness is really about learning how to make more room for whatever is happening on the inside—while it is happening.
To make room like this requires confidence and trust that it will not destroy you. It also requires patience and the courage to keep working at it. And, perhaps most importantly, making room for any upset depends much more on being kind, compassionate, and wise than it does on willpower or endurance.
How could you practice making room? Think about making more room at your dining room table for a loved one. It begins with a sense of welcome and valuing of the person who has just arrived. Then, here is the activity of softening and opening the existing space (with people in place and crowded together) to include them, as everyone literally moves back and apart just enough to make more space.
In practicing mindfulness, especially toward any intense or upsetting feeling or experience, can you begin to imagine how you might literally make more inner room for the upset?
Drop the hatred or dislike, perhaps, and become more welcoming? Let the out breath bring you a sense of ease and calm, possibly? Open to the always-present reality of inner spaciousness by turning attention toward the space between breaths, or sounds, or objects in your visual field, maybe? And, most important, let things be as they are by dropping any attachment to making things different.
Such things are not as difficult as you may think when you have your own meditation practice. Whenever you are meditating, you _are_ "making room" through the activity of allowing attention, and the quality of friendly welcoming toward any experience that enters your awareness.
## The Time is Now. The Place is Here. This Is the Way It Is.
Making room for things means being willing to name them and to let them be as they are. Being mindful is about being here, now, and being clear and concrete about what is here with us. The poet David Budbill offers some guidance.
_Don't Speak in the Abstract_
Say rather:
It's a nice day.
Pass the mashed potatoes, please.
Look, there's a chickadee.
Your voice makes me swoon.
Let's plant the beans.
I miss my dead mother so much today.
I want to touch your face.
Clean up this mess!
What's better than a cool glass of water?
I feel so sad; all I want to do is cry.
What time is it?
I want to touch you everywhere.
Let's go for a walk.
Will you have tea with me?
Let's play some music.
I don't want to die.
Come visit again soon.
_Now_ — _here_ — _this_ —is the way it is. Attention with compassion and welcoming friendliness puts you in touch with your whole self. It connects you with all that you are, moment by moment. The willingness to acknowledge exactly what is happening, to return attention to it repeatedly, and to soften around the hardening of resistance in the mind and body—this willingness requires faith, courage, and patience. Your rewards are a growing confidence that you are more than your worst fears or anxieties, and a deepening faith that a place of spaciousness, ease, and peace exists inside you that can contain even the most intense upsets.
## Ending the War on Anxiety, Fear & Panic
Remember the story of Sam, who was traumatized by childhood trips to the dentist and took his fear and anxiety to every visit as an adult? Things shifted for Sam when he was able to establish attention on his breath, relax a bit, and stop fighting the other experiences happening in the present moment of his current visit to his dentist.
Making room for experience, especially when it is unpleasant, usually also requires acknowledging the war you are waging to get rid of it. The very feelings of unpleasantness associated with anxiety, fear, and panic lead to a strong desire to be rid of them, and then to fighting and plotting how to become free. The same process—unpleasant feelings associated with a condition or situation leading to aversion and hatred of it leading to waging war to be rid of it—can be found in many places, from physical pain to interpersonal relationships to international relations.
It is important to recall that when you notice a feeling of aversion or hatred for something unpleasant, you have _not_ done anything wrong! It is just a habit of mind and body in reaction to the unpleasantness of the situation. Now, you may get into trouble as you follow the hatred or aversion into actions that harden the situation and make things worse, but _to recognize the presence of such aversion is a moment of mindfulness and the first step toward a different response, and to freedom._
When intense aversion and dislike are present, it is important to make room, to acknowledge, and to find space within to contain them. Then, as you continue your mindful attention to the flow of experiences, you will see how powerful _untended_ aversion and hatred actually are, and how they easily hijack all of us into destructive reactions.
The core attitudes of acceptance (the willingness to see things as they are), nonjudging, and nonstriving (not trying to change how things are) now become your good friends and allies in ending the war on anxiety, fear, and panic. Practicing these attitudes toward even the feelings of aversion is powerfully transforming.
The following meditation practices—Noticing Space and The "Yes" Practice—can be very helpful in refining your practice of mindfulness, especially when facing intense and distressing experiences like anxiety, fear, and panic. Both of these are done, as all mindfulness practices, with the qualities of acceptance, nonjudging, and nonstriving embedded and operational moment by moment, and breath by breath.
## Meditation Practice: Noticing Space
Space is always present in this moment. It is there between the things you see, objects in a room, for example, or between leaves and branches on a tree. It is also there between sounds, words, or outside noises. And, it is there between the experiences of your inner life such as the sensations of each breath or the thoughts in your mind.
When practicing either formal or informal meditation, let yourself relax, and stop trying to make anything happen. Softening a bit, perhaps, let your attention turn to the space around you and inside of you. Gently begin to notice space, wherever you can sense it.
You may want to begin with open eyes, looking and noticing the physical space around you. It is easy to see the objects first. We are conditioned that way. Shifting your attention from the objects, try seeing the space between the objects. Try noticing smaller and larger spaces, even noticing how some spaces change shape in front of you as the objects move.
When you are ready, close your eyes and begin to notice the space within. It might help to focus on the space between your breaths, or the space between the sounds you are hearing. Relax as you notice. There is no hurry. No place else to go. Let yourself rest in those spaces. Let your attention return there as often as you like. As you turn more and more attention to the space in your life, you may begin to notice that you enter a deeper and quieter interior space, and that this space within remains, and is capable of containing temporary intensities and disturbances like anxiety, fear, or panic.
During times when anxiety, fear, panic, or any distressing experience is present and crowding you, see if you can find its "edge." Turn attention gently toward the space that surrounds it. Notice and release any tendency to "make war" or to "get rid" of the unpleasantness or upset, instead making space for _that_ , and focusing kind attention on it, allowing it to exist within a larger space. See what happens next as you work with space, acceptance, and kind attention.
## Meditation Practice: The "Yes" Practice
The habits of aversion and ill will are deep, swift to arise, and often unconscious. One can be already deeply caught up in fighting the upset without knowing when or how the fight started!
Coupled with mindful attention to what is happening, the simple practice of saying "yes" to experiences as you become aware of them can release you from the deep habits of reactive aversion, and help you stay connected to the present moment.
The instructions are simple: As you are practicing mindfulness formally or informally, and you notice any pain or resistance arising, name the pain or upset that is present, and respond with a friendly "yes" to that experience, as if talking to it directly. For example: "Fear about my health, yes!" "Pain in my tooth, yes!" "Anxiety and worry about my job, yes!"
You may want to try this in informal practice (the situations of daily life). For example: "Stuck in traffic, not moving, yes!" "Angry about what my coworker just said, yes!" "Frightened by the people walking toward me, yes!"
A practical note: saying "yes" to experience assumes you have done or will do what needs to be done as a skillful response. It does not mean being a doormat.
The "yes" practice is a way for you to activate openheartedness as you pay attention moment by moment. Being mindful—noticing what is happening as it is happening—implies making space, being accepting, and not becoming lost in aversion and reactivity. By saying "yes" to experience, you can release the habits of judging and striving for something else, and thus taste true mindfulness more deeply.
## Keep in Mind
The reluctance to turn toward anxiety, fear, and panic is natural, and is a by-product of the feelings themselves. Wisdom, healing, and freedom from habits of reaction and aversion lie in learning how to make more interior space for upset, and how to stop making war on our pain.
Part 3
Applying Mindfulness to Fear, Anxiety & Panic
Chapter 14
# Common Concerns about These Meditation Practices
Now you have had a chance to do some meditation practice with mindfulness and kindness. It is likely that you have developed some questions based in your direct experience of these meditation practices. This is good. It shows that you have been practicing! You are gaining intimacy with your interior life through attention and awareness.
One of the central themes of this book is that you can better manage fear, anxiety, and panic if you can learn to make each of those unpleasant states the object of mindfulness.
You will be most successful if you make mindfulness a way of living. It should become an approach to life itself rather than a "technique" that you apply only when fear, anxiety, or panic is present. If you have gotten into daily habits of mindfulness and kindness, then when fear, anxiety, or panic arises, you will find it much easier to treat it as just something else to practice with. Establishing a daily meditation practice is the best way to make mindfulness a way of living.
As you practice meditation and mindfulness in a consistent and ongoing way, it is natural to develop questions. Asking _your_ questions and finding appropriate responses to them will deepen your meditation practice. Questioning and practice together will also add strength and confidence as you meet and manage fear, anxiety, panic, or any other stressors or challenges in life.
Reading other books, listening to tapes, and talking with other meditators and meditation teachers are all ways to answer questions that you might have. But remember, the best answers will always come from your own practice experience with mindfulness, in formal meditation and informally in daily life. Always test the answer from anyone else against your own experience. How does it work for you?
To cultivate a mindful life takes real practice and commitment. You need commitment, and the patience, acceptance, and determination that accompany it, to challenge the powerful habits of perception and strongly held attitudes that we, as human beings, develop over a lifetime.
Meditation teachers like to say that meditation is a training of the mind and heart. When you meditate consistently and with proper instructions and effort, you are training yourself to overcome the power of old habits. In particular, the habits of inattention, distraction, and absence, plus those of criticism and constant commentary, can be big obstacles and are important to overcome. This training of the mind and heart will also help you overcome habitual reactions to fear, anxiety, and panic.
When you learn to meditate, you train your mind in peaceful abiding. This means you are training your mind and heart and body to remain calm, at peace, and aware in the present moment.
Remember that you already have what it takes for peaceful abiding. From the perspective of mindfulness, you already have a mind and heart that are joyful, calm, and clear. No matter what you think is wrong with you, there is more that is right than wrong.
Unfortunately, you may not always agree. This is probably because you have encountered obstacles, both in life and in your meditation practice. These obstacles are created by habits and conditioning that block your sense of connection with—and full expression of—the deep and profound inner qualities of stillness and clarity.
It is important to see these obstacles for what they are. They are not you. They are not permanent. It is only by practicing meditation and the various mindfulness methods that you will become aware of the obstacles and limiting habits in your own life. From this point of view, any question you have is a good one. An interesting thing about these obstacles and habits is we all have them!
The questions and concerns you are about to read are ones that people have whenever they take up mindfulness meditation (or, indeed, many other types of meditation). They reflect the basic human experience of the wandering mind, desire for pleasant things, and aversion or anger toward unpleasant things. The commonness of these concerns shows that we are more alike than different as human beings.
## Common Concerns about Meditation Practice
_I don't have time to meditate. What should I do?_
Have you made meditation a priority? Having a meditation practice is just like having any other commitment. You have to make it a priority. It can help to remember your original motivation. Why do you want to take up meditation? The bottom line is this: if you want to meditate, you have to make time to do it. Do you have time to heal your life?
_Meditation is too boring._
When people complain that meditation is too boring, they usually have some unreasonable expectations about what meditation can do for them. Or they have a mistaken idea of what meditation is.
In mindfulness practice, you should investigate whatever is here. This calls for a willingness to allow yourself to experience whatever is happening, including the feeling of boredom. Can you breathe into the experience and stay present with it? Allow it to unfold and reveal itself. Boredom often has elements of negative judgment and self-talk. There is frustration that can actually be felt in the body, and aversion for some aspect of what is present. The next time you feel "bored" in your meditation, try to take a closer look at what is actually going on. What you discover will not be boring.
_When I sit still and meditate, it makes me more anxious._
Isn't that interesting? Do you think that it might be possible that you are not actually more anxious, but that by stopping and sitting still, you have become _more aware_ of the anxiety that is already present? In meditation, you have dropped the habits of inattention, distraction, and absence that have kept you out of touch with the anxiety. You are more mindful of it now.
To master the feelings of worry, anxiety, and panic, you must understand them. This does not mean merely having more thoughts or information about the feelings. Some thoughts and information are necessary, but you must also understand the experience directly from the inside as it unfolds and develops.This experiential learning aspect is integral to the mindfulness approach. You are learning what it means to work with the agitated mind by being there with kind and focused awareness while it happens. You are learning to recognize and not fall victim to the reactivity of your own mind in the face of such intense states as worry and anxiety. So when anxiety arises in your meditation, remember that you have not done anything wrong. Just breathe into the anxiety and the situation, and make the anxiety experience itself the object of your attention and awareness. See if you can make enough inner space around the experience to allow it to unfold.
_But I don't like the feeling. I want to get away from it. I don't want to feel it anymore._
That is understandable. Anyone dealing with the unpleasantness and disruption of chronic fear or anxiety has those feelings of aversion and desire for relief. But have you ever really been able to get away from the anxiety? Or has your life become a constant state of monitoring the mind and body for any trace of anxiety's return? Have you become anxious about the anxiety? Has the anxiety, in whatever form, become an enemy in your own mind and body? Do you feel at war in your own mind and body?
At some point in dealing with chronic conditions of pain, stress, fear, or anxiety, almost everyone feels this way. This is where the practices of kindness and compassion for yourself, and the capacity for deep relaxation and relief through concentration on the breath and through the body-focused practices, are very useful.
When such dislike and ill will for the anxiety is present, please recognize that it is your relationship to anxiety that must change before anything else can. This means stopping the war and being willing to be present and allow what is happening.
It can also be helpful to remember that it is often aversion or dislike for what is happening that is the most difficult energy present, even more than the unpleasantness of pain or anxiety. When you are feeling like you don't like what is happening or that you have to get away, try noticing the actual feeling of "don't like" or "get away." Try naming "aversion" or "dislike" and seeing if you can discern that energy as a separate one from any other experience that may be present. Notice where it is in your body, and how it feels; try to make room for it, allowing it to reveal itself to you more deeply.
One way I like to practice mindfulness is by the simple instruction "relax and stay present."
The first and most difficult task in working with such intense disruptions as anxiety and panic is simply establishing and maintaining attention in a relaxed and calm way. It is very difficult to remain present and mindful when there is great upset and tension.
Notice the upset. Name any aversion or dislike you feel for it. Relax, soften, and open to those feelings as best you can. Focus your attention clearly. Have patience and generosity for yourself in the situation.
By concentrating attention and by using kindness and compassion for yourself in a skillful way, you can stay present and rest in a stronger place of relaxation and attention, and awareness can become clearer.
Recognize and accept that things are this way—now. Then work in practical ways to take care of yourself and to comfort yourself just as you would your own child or a friend who was in distress. Stop the negative self-talk and the critical commentary. If it won't stop, allow it. See it as only more thinking—nothing else. Then use the body scan, walking meditation or other mindful movement, or breath awareness to focus attention and to find the stillness and spaciousness that is also present in this moment.
Practice mindful breathing as the situation is happening. Breathe with awareness in and out, over, under, and through the anxiety, and allow the cradle of the breath to hold all that is present. Let that place of inner stillness become the container for the agitated mind and all of the aversion and despair that has accumulated there.
_I'm sorry, but I just can't seem to sit still. I am just so anxious. Am I too anxious to meditate?_
This is not an unusual feeling or an uncommon question. The short answer is no, you are not too anxious to meditate. The long answer involves something more. It is related to what we talked about in the previous question.
The first thing to remember is that the truth about anxiety and worry, even about panic, is that they are not you. They are actually only conditions that flow in and out of the present moment. Confusion arises when the intensity of these conditions leads you to begin to identify with them and become lost in a reaction to them. Remember how the mind and body communicate and feed each other? This is what is happening.
A core principle of meditative disciplines is to establish calm and focused attention. What this means is that when you are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, you must find some way to focus mindful attention in the present moment. This usually means establishing and reestablishing attention.
As you work with sharpening attention, remember to let go of trying to change anything. See if curiosity about the condition can help you to focus. Remember to keep your belly soft, and to let yourself be as open and receptive to the experience as possible. Making room for the upset means recognizing any dislike for it and stopping the fight against it as you focus and refocus attention.
In this book we have worked extensively using awareness of the breath sensation as the vehicle for establishing and maintaining the connection with the present moment. You have practiced breathing in and out with whatever is happening. This conscious breathing, practiced with what is happening, establishes a focus of attention in the present moment and links the mind and body with the unfolding experience. It allows for a softening and opening that does not try to change the experience, but instead permits it to be what it is.
The method you use to establish calm and focused attention is not as important as that you do it. For example, sometimes you may be able to establish attention by practicing mindful breathing. At other times, you may have to do some kind of mindful movement like walking meditation or yoga before you can sustain attention on the experience that is happening.
When you are able to observe the anxiety with a better focus, the anxiety itself can be the object of mindfulness. You will be able to allow the sensations and thoughts more easily without becoming lost in them or reacting to them. You will have broken your identification with them, and this will allow you to respond rather than react to them.
It all begins with establishing calm and focused attention.
_I don't think I have the discipline to meditate. It's just not for me._
Challenge yourself to take a closer look at what you are saying to yourself. What is present in your own mind and heart when those thoughts arise?
When people say they don't have the discipline to meditate, it's usually because they have tried to meditate but obstacles have come up. The demands of their life and the habits of inattention, distraction, and absence have roared back at them. Self-doubt usually follows that roar. People begin to doubt their own ability and strength to deal with the obstacles.
Remember that mindfulness, kindness, and compassion are allies. The practices act as a friend to accompany you and help you deal with the challenges you meet in life. You don't have to be "perfect" at doing the meditation. There is nothing to attain. Just doing the practices is good enough. Work with them and learn how and where they fit into your life. You will change, the practices will change, and circumstances will change. Just relax and work with them now, as best you can.
Let go of any thoughts of perfection or bliss or becoming the perfect mindfulness meditation person. When obstacles arise, learn to note them. Let them be, without identifying with them or believing them. That is all you really need to do.
_It doesn't work for me. I can't get it right._
Listen to yourself, mindfully. What is the tone of voice of that statement? What feelings are present inside when you look deeply with kind awareness?
This concern represents a very common experience for almost everyone who takes up meditation (or anything else). The experience is one of inaccurate and unrealistic expectations followed by harsh judgment and waves of self-criticism, frustration, and despair.
These are some more of those strong habits that are completely revealed by the light of mindfulness. When they arise in you, just note them. Let them be. Let the thoughts, or the sensations, or whatever become the object of mindfulness. Practice kindness and acceptance for what is inside you in this moment.
## Questions About Specific Meditation Practices
_I don't have time to do everything as slowly as I ate that raisin. Does this mean I can't be mindful?_
Mindfulness is not dependent on speed. The power to be present is already in you. In the practices, like the raisin exercise, we guide you very slowly for another reason.
Although mindfulness is already in you, the habits of inattention and absence are present also. The speed at which you move through activities and experiences often reflects inattention and a sense of hurriedness that have become habits of living. All of us have gotten into habits of inattention that interfere with being mindful. If you are not paying attention in the first place, you will find it hard to be aware of what is here.
To establish attention and maintain it takes some effort. By slowing down any activity and concentrating attention in as much detail as possible, you are teaching yourself to be more present. As you develop the art of attention, you will discover that you can be more present moving at faster speeds. You can always establish mindfulness, in any activity, moving at any speed. It starts with paying attention.
_Practicing awareness of breathing, body scan, or even walking meditation, I am bothered that my mind is all over the place. I can't seem to control my thoughts._
Isn't that interesting? Where did you get the idea you should control your thoughts?
In mindfulness practices, it is good enough to recognize that you are having the thoughts. That is a moment of mindfulness. Just work with the thoughts by recognizing them. In the practices you mentioned, you are practicing maintaining a focus on the breath, the body, or the activity of walking. When thoughts (or other distractions) arise, just notice them, let them be, and return the focus to your primary object of meditation.
In meditation practice, the thoughts are treated like anything else: just something to notice. In the practice of choiceless awareness, you actually make the thoughts themselves the object as long as they are present. Hold the commentary, or the pictures, or whatever form thoughts take, in the light of mindfulness, breathing in and out with them, listening and watching them. You can literally experience them as arising, changing, and leaving. They are not you, no matter how dramatic, compelling, or important they seem.
Either way, by letting the thoughts be and returning awareness to breath or body, or by making the thoughts themselves the object, you are no longer identifying with them. Nor are you adding to them with more thoughts. You are simply recognizing that they are happening and letting them be.
_In the body scan, sometimes I love it because I get so relaxed. Other times I hate it because I can't sit still, or I fall asleep, or I don't think it is working._
Do you see how much liking and disliking depend upon feeling comfortable, or upon things going as you think they should? It is fine to feel comfortable, and to have ideas about things. But can you look more deeply?
Meditation practice empowers you to recognize how these habits of seeking comfort and answers, along with the judging they require, can be a source of pain. The pain can appear as fear of losing security, worry or anxiety about keeping security, or some variation on these themes.
The body scan practice is about connecting with and becoming more aware of the body, just as it is. While this does lead to relaxation, and while relaxation is important, the relaxation is not the ultimate goal. Awareness is. Try not to judge your practice by how relaxed or "good" you feel. Try not to judge it at all. Just try to be present and to recognize and accept what is here. Notice how things change from day to day, from practice to practice. Don't try to hold on or to make anything happen.
_Practicing choiceless awareness, I get lost easily. Anxiety is strong, my mind fills with frightening thoughts, and I worry that I am losing control of everything. What should I do?_
This is a very good question. Feeling lost, filled with anxiety, and out of control are common and intense experiences. Do not become discouraged. This happens at times to practically everyone who takes up meditation.
In fact, meditation exists to help you manage exactly these situations. As you practice and encounter these difficult visitors in meditation, you are learning how to manage them with awareness and kindness. What you learn will help you whenever and wherever the difficult ones appear.
We will discuss working with fear, anxiety, and panic in more detail in chapter 16.
The basic principles are simple, but not often easy!
* Establish and maintain attention in the present moment. As we have been practicing, this means establishing awareness on the breath and then breathing in and out with whatever is happening. We have called this _holding it in the cradle of the breath._
* With attention established and with mind, body, and present moment connected through conscious breathing, make the unfolding experience itself the object of mindfulness. Bring your curious and allowing attention deeply to whatever experience is present.
Once you have established attention on the breath, you are no longer lost. Start breathing into the feelings of anxiety in the body and let the feelings themselves be the object of mindfulness. Listen to the worried and frightening thoughts and let them be, and let the fear of losing control become the next condition you hold in kind awareness.
Remember, all of this is arising, changing, and leaving in the present moment. Your practice is to remain present with kind attention as these visitors come and go. That is peaceful abiding. And it takes practice! It may take time and effort for concentration and mindfulness to become strong enough that you aren't lost or overwhelmed by the array of thoughts and feelings. That is okay. Take all the time you need. Just keep practicing.
_When I practice the loving-kindness meditation, usually I don't feel much. It seems phony. I even get angry, or sometimes sad. I don't get it. Is something wrong with me?_
These are excellent observations, and it is a very good question. No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. These are very common feelings that arise when people begin to practice the meditations on kindness and compassion.
This practice of loving-kindness is about connecting with something you already have. The qualities of kindness and compassion are in everyone. That you are having difficulty feeling them is actually very common.
The same habits of inattention and absence that interfere with mindfulness also work to block you from feeling your own capacity for kindness, and from realizing your compassionate connection with life. Further, the habits of meanness, driven by anger and hostility, are deep. Indeed, the anger and hostility are often fed on a deeper level by fear and feelings of separation and abandonment.
As you teach yourself the art of attention and are able to connect more deeply with the present moment, you will find that you are able to hear the words of the loving-kindness meditation practice more clearly, and will begin to feel them in your mind and body more easily. It just takes practice.
As your meditation practice deepens, don't be surprised if more feelings of anger or sadness appear. With deep listening and connection comes deep release and healing. Strong feelings of anger or sadness often are simply waiting to be released. Your kind and compassionate attention gives them release. Healing and transformation are happening.
_I have trouble finding an image of myself when doing the loving-kindness practice. What should I do?_
This is an excellent question. Almost everyone who begins the loving-kindness practice has difficulty sending kindness to themselves.
Try to relax and connect with some part of yourself that you can feel or picture. If you are having difficulty, it can help to focus attention on your own body as you practice. Simply send kindness there.
Also, you aren't restricted to a "total" image of yourself. You could focus on a region of your body, perhaps one that is injured or ill. Or you could focus on part of your emotional or cognitive body, like anger, anxiety, or constant judging.
As your practice deepens and sensitivity grows, you will discover new dimensions within. This will lead to new ways to practice kindness for yourself and for others.
## More Questions
_I am confused by all these different practices. Sometimes I don't think I know what it means to be mindful._
Well, this is an excellent concern, and very common. I recall going on meditation retreats with different teachers, who taught different methods, or who gave different instructions for similar methods of meditation—and feeling exactly the same way! Thank you for raising this issue.
The truth is that being mindful is about relaxing enough to pay attention, here and now, with affection and without judging, and the wisdom and freedom that comes from such attention.
Mindfulness is _not_ just about breathing!
The different mindfulness practices you encounter (including those in this book) are only different methods to show you the range of life experience available for mindfulness (all of it), and to support you in being able to establish and sustain mindful attention toward any and all experience you have.
For example, you can be mindful of eating a raisin, of how you walk, of how breathing feels, of sounds, and of the constant flow of inner experience in the form of thoughts, feelings, and sensations. The common element is your kind and allowing attention and the awareness that arises from that in each moment.
The meditation on loving-kindness is designed to help cultivate and strengthen the feelings of kindness that are core to any practice of mindfulness. And, by doing the loving-kindness meditation, one often comes face to face with powerful insights as well as connecting more deeply with inherent energies of kindness and compassion.
So, the chances are that you actually do know what being mindful is. Most people have been doing it—at some times in life—even if they did not have the word for it. Perhaps all you need is a little more faith in yourself, and some curiosity about how to use the different practices most skillfully to help you meet and become free from fear, anxiety, and panic.
_I try so hard to meditate, but as soon as I feel any fear or anxiety, I am overcome with doubt and lack of self-confidence about what I am doing._
In traditional meditation teachings, doubt is considered one of the most common hindrances. One aspect of doubt that is considered most difficult is the inability of the mind to focus on anything when it is besieged by doubt. Sound like anyone you know?
What is doubt? Often it is a string of thoughts in the mind associated with a rising tide of fear and resistance to experience. By learning to recognize and name doubt when it is present, you can learn a good deal about how you become caught up in moods and states of mind, and about how to become free of them.
One response to doubt is to name it, over and over again, making room for it without identifying with it, or arguing with it. And, it is very important not to hate it, or yourself, for feeling doubt. Returning to the present moment with determination and steadiness of mind, focusing attention, making space—all of these can help.
When doubt is so intense that you feel muddled, it can also be helpful to rely more on simple faith and courage.
Reflecting that countless other human beings have been and are muddled by doubt is actually comforting. Reading inspiring stories or recalling how people of faith and conviction in different times and places have faced doubt and found a way to continue onward can be just enough inspiration to carry you through your own storm of doubt.
So don't let doubt throw you. It is not the enemy unless you make it that way. By learning to recognize doubt when it arises, and to be curious and attentive to it, just as to a raisin or the sensations of the breath, you will discover the true power of mindfulness to free you from pain, fear, and anxiety.
_Doing loving-kindness meditation, I realize that I need to do forgiveness sometimes before I can offer kindness. Could you speak about forgiveness, and is there a meditation I could do to help?_
Thank you. This is a deep reflection, and shows great wisdom and attention to your own inner life.
It is also a common realization that people reach as they begin to practice loving-kindness meditation.
There are, of course, many wise authorities on forgiveness and meditation. In my own experience, I have come to understand forgiveness as the end of resentment. So, to forgive means that one actually lets go of resentment, as best one can. I have found personally that this process can take some dedication, patience, and courage as well.
I have heard meditation and spiritual teachers offer various beautiful ways to practice forgiveness, and there are many ways to be found in the great faith traditions, especially. I would like to share here one I have found particularly useful, because of its simplicity, depth, and universality.
Begin by bringing to mind someone who may have hurt you in some way. Imagine speaking to this person in words like: "For any hurt or harm you have caused me, intentional or unintentional, I offer forgiveness."
Then, bring to mind someone whom you may have hurt in some way. Imagine speaking to this person in words like: "For any hurt or harm I may have caused you, intentional or unintentional, I ask forgiveness."
Finally, bring your focus to yourself, thinking of a particular situation or person. Speaking especially kindly, use words like: "For any hurt or harm I have caused to you or in this situation, I offer myself forgiveness."
As you practice, pay close attention to all that arises within you. Have patience and compassion for it, and for yourself. Be willing to work with any insights or pain that may arise.
This language emphasizes that forgiveness is offered. I like that because, in truth, we do not have control over other people or their feelings. The best we can do is to offer forgiveness, and to ask for it.
The language also points out that hurt can happen from both intentional and unintentional acts.
Another point worth emphasizing is that forgiveness actually benefits us more than them! That is, when we can drop the resentment we are carrying, then our own life becomes freer. As we become more free and available, then a world of possibilities opens in relationships and in situations.
Finally, I like to remind myself that offering forgiveness does not mean that I become a doormat, or that I invite or condone more hurtful actions from that same person. By releasing my past resentments, I may be able to protect myself more, to relate to that person in a healthier way, and to have more compassion for what drives them to act as they do.
_Doing loving-kindness meditation, I realized that I don't feel worthy or deserving of happiness or good things. I feel like I am being selfish when I am practicing loving-kindness._
Thank you for such honesty.
Unfortunately, this is also a common reaction to doing the loving-kindness meditation. I say "unfortunately" because I believe it reflects how much unconscious meanness we have learned to practice in our society.
I prefer to think of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations as being self-full. That is, they are ways we tune in and truly embrace the fullness of our humanity. For example, if you can be kind toward a perfect stranger, why can't you feel kindness toward yourself? Having kind feelings is part of being human.
For most people, the resistance to kindness toward themselves is more about inner "tapes" or "maps" that are based in self-criticism and meanness than anything else. By doing the loving-kindness meditation for yourself, you actually create a situation where the old habits of self-talk and self-criticism can be brought to light. Then, you can consider consciously and for yourself if such judgments are actually true, or if they serve you in any positive way.
You asked: "Am I deserving of loving-kindness?"
I say: "Of course you are. Why do you think you aren't?"
Chapter 15
# Feeling Safe, Resting in Silence
It is easy to approach the end of any book on anxiety, fear, and panic feeling dizzy from all the ideas and instructions you have encountered. There may have been times in this book when you felt that way. There may be doubts in your mind and heart about your ability to apply the lessons of this book and meet anxiety, fear, and panic. You would _not_ be alone, if any of that were true!
So, this is a good time to recall that this book is about much more than just information. It is really about you and how you can become wiser and kinder in relationship to all the experiences within your life.
As human beings we are all in a constant process of change and rebirth. Only our thoughts and judgments are static, until they also change. We are far more than our thoughts or judgments, or intense conditions like fear, anxiety, or panic. They, too, are only a part of our wholeness and the mysterious and awesome experience of being human.
As you have probably discovered by now, the book is actually a kind of map. It contains some different instructions—the various meditation practices—for you to use to explore and navigate the landscape of your inner life, including the areas of intense upset like anxiety, fear, and panic. Using this map requires practicing the art of "affectionate attention" (mindfulness) toward all that life brings you. And, you have no doubt realized by now that mindfulness is a practice, and that old habits of inattention and distraction run deep!
In this chapter we will explore in some depth two basic notions— _safety_ and _silence_ —and learn more about how they act to support you in any method of meditation you choose. Learning to access feelings of safety, and to rest in the vast domain of inner silence empowers you to enter and remain more steadily in your own great heart of awareness. From there, you can access freedom and wisdom regarding fear, anxiety, and panic, and perhaps, also discover an unsuspected wonder and appreciation for all of life's gifts.
## How You Listen Is Important
Consider the following poem by William Stafford:
Being a Person
Be a person here.
Stand by the river, invoke
the owls. Invoke winter, then spring.
Let any season that wants to come here make its own
call. After that sound goes away, wait.
A slow bubble rises through the earth
and begins to include sky, stars, all space,
even the outracing, expanding thought.
Come back and hear the little sound again.
Suddenly this dream you are having matches
everyone's dream, and the result is the world.
If a different call came there wouldn't be any
world, or you, or the river, or the owls calling.
How you stand here is important. How you
listen for the next things to happen. How you breathe.
When practicing mindfulness, whether of the breath, the body, any sense experience, or the inner "weather" of anxiety, fear, or panic, _how you listen_ is truly important.
Are you listening with your whole being and not just your thinking mind? Listening in a way that perhaps you come to inhabit a larger field of awareness, one that includes a feeling of vast depth and presence?
Are you listening in a way that is not waiting for anything else, but is totally focused on what is here, now, in the present moment? Listening in a way that transports you more deeply into the present moment?
Eckhart Tolle, author of such popular books as _The Power of Now_ , _Stillness Speaks_ , and _A New Earth_ , often points out how we can let nature teach us to be present and inhabit the present moment.
Tolle advises us to watch a cat at a mouse hole. The cat is just waiting. Not preoccupied with what it will do later, not worrying about the past. Just waiting with relaxed, yet total presence. Waiting with its whole being, not just the thinking mind (do cats think?). Not in a hurry, interested and alert, aware, _present_.
What if you practiced mindfulness this way? _From your whole being?_ In your body, with all senses alert, with attention and awareness open and deeply penetrating the present moment? Relaxed, with no agenda, interested, curious, welcoming and friendly (unlike the cat toward the mouse!).
Without realizing it, the cat seems to be embodying the seven essential attitudes of mindfulness that we spoke of earlier: _nonjudging_ , _patience_ , _beginner's mind_ , _trust_ , _nonstriving_ , _acceptance_ , and _letting go_. Of course, it doesn't need to think about these as it waits. Attention at the mouse hole comes naturally to it. As humans, we can learn to dwell in our wholeness and not limit the experience of life to habits of thinking and moving attention into past and future.
Remember the practices in this book. Resting in your _wholeness_ as you practice mindfulness means relaxing and letting the present moment reveal itself through your kind attention to all the dimensions of sense experience as they arise and change.
Awareness comes through paying attention on purpose, letting your body relax, yet remaining alert. Nonjudging, nonstriving, and a welcoming attitude toward arising experience are involved. Especially related to nonstriving is not wanting or waiting for something else, but connecting with what is here. Beginner's mind and letting go support you in truly being here, and letting life in all its forms come to you—without hurrying it along!
Trust and acceptance support you in remaining present for the ups and downs that arise as you pay attention and return attention to the present moment.
Remembering to cherish and welcome experience, befriending yourself and conditions arising inside and outside, maintaining gentleness and patience—all of these "heartful" aspects of mindfulness help you stay here, now, like this.
## Feeling Safe
How you breathe is important.
Do you feel safe as you breathe, or do you feel something else?
How does fear breathe? Anxiety? Panic? How does the body feel during these times? What would safety _feel_ like?
Without realizing it, you can be operating in the world from a deep base of not feeling safe. Of course, anxiety, fear, and panic are major examples, acutely, of not feeling safe, but what I am talking about here is even more basic.
You might call it a field, or a background for all experience. Only after practicing meditation for a time do some people actually realize the underlying feeling of unease, of nonsafety, that operates in the background, yet impacts, like a filter, their sense of the flow of experience.
In some of my classes, I have asked people to notice if there is anything that is _uncomfortable_ about feeling relaxed when they meditate. Interestingly, many report they don't want to get "too relaxed." If that happens, they notice feeling afraid, or at least anxious.
They reflect that they have never "been able to relax," and on deeper reflection, they often remark something to the effect that they think they "shouldn't" relax too much. Looking back in their lives, they are able to recognize that they have actually lived much of their waking life driven by a feeling of fear, of not being safe, and the belief that it would be dangerous to relax "too much."
When I ask them what it is they are afraid of if they relax, often they respond by saying something like "that I am not in control." Their answer to the question "And why do you need to be in control?" is always insightful, and usually relates to some time or place or way in their lives when they felt danger, or did not feel safe. Somehow, that sense of danger became stored in them, in mind and body, and they carry it to this day.
What then becomes very interesting is that they continue to feel and to react as if the danger were present, even when they know the threat is no longer there (indeed, it may not have been there for years).
While this book is not a place to explore in detail all of the sources of fear and feeling unsafe in one's personal life story, it is useful to recall that we have been learning meditative practices that can aid in overcoming such fear. Mindfulness, loving-kindness, and compassion for self are the practices we mean.
The loving-kindness meditation, done in a way of deliberately cherishing and wishing yourself safety and ease, especially in the context of fear and danger, is a powerful way to steady your attention and to support mindfulness in stressful or challenging situations.
## Meditation Practice: Loving-kindness for Yourself
This practice can be done as a formal meditation practice on its own, informally in different situations of daily life, or at the beginning or end of other meditation practices (for example for the first few minutes of your formal practice of breath awareness or body scan, or the last few minutes).
You were introduced to this practice in chapter 12, Befriending Your Anxious Mind. This is a reminder of that practice, along with an invitation to begin your practice with a focus on phrases of safety and ease. You are also reminded to use your phrases as often as you like, during the day, and even in combination with other meditation practices.
As always, as you practice, let go of trying to make anything happen. Let go of outcome. Practice is best done from the heart with a genuine wish for yourself (and ultimately others) to be safe, peaceful, happy, and at ease in mind and body.
Whenever you wish, whatever posture you are in, try turning to the practice of wishing _yourself_ well. Pick a word or phrase that resonates for you. Keep it simple, not too "heady." For example:
_May I be safe and filled with peace._
_May I be protected from inner and outer harm._
_May I have ease of mind and body._
_May I live in peace._
_May I live in safety._
As you practice, try putting all your attention behind just one phrase. Speak from your deepest heart and make the strongest wish for yourself. Try a pause between each repetition of your phrase and let yourself feel the phrase through your entire being. Work with your phrase as long as you like. When you like, try another phrase, putting all your attention behind that for as long as you practice.
As you practice, imagine you are speaking to a dear friend from the depth of your own heart. Be prepared for all sorts of intense feelings, pleasant and not, that may arise. When that happens, you have _not_ done anything wrong. Treat each feeling, each thought or story, each arising with the same friendliness.
Remember, kindness and friendliness are embedded in the practice of mindfulness. Practicing loving-kindness can brighten and strengthen the practice of mindfulness itself, as well as help to correct the distortions caused by deep feelings of fear and being in danger.
## Resting in Silence
Just as feeling unsafe can distort the capacity to relax and be mindful, so can being distracted by noise, either outside or inside the body.
Just as kindness toward oneself can help overcome feelings of fear, so can attention to silence help you connect to a vast and supportive field of silence within. Connecting with the depths of silence within is available to everyone, and is easier than you might think. Learning to make that connection to silence can be very helpful in meditating from a place of wholeness (not being stuck in the thinking or judging), and experiencing your fullness as a human being.
The haste and momentum of the world can easily become the clamor in our own minds. Meditation practice is an opportunity to be still, listen deeply, and be present.
The meditation teacher Christina Feldman, in her book _Silence_ (2003), suggests that silence is not the opposite of sound, but rather is a _dimension of consciousness_ that actually contains sound. Our practice as human beings is to develop an ease with silence, including our own inner silence. She points out that we have some ambivalence toward silence, wanting serenity yet being infatuated with drama; longing for wholeness yet fearing the unknown.
Meditation practice involves learning how to be still, and present, and more patient and sensitive to all the sounds and movement of our lives. Feldman likens silence to a new territory, one that we must experience, inhabit, and learn to be intimate with. Such intimacy arises through practice—by being still, sensitive, and patient, and by beginning to notice as the dimension of silence arises in your consciousness. The benefits of this are profound.
"Silence, as we come to understand, is not a denial of life, love, or community, but teaches us to celebrate the beauty of each moment. Silence empowers us. Stilling the chatter and clamor of our minds and our worries about life, we find the focus and clarity needed to end pain, alienation, oppression, and fear" (Feldman 2003, 26).
I have found this view of silence, as a dimension or territory to be inhabited, to be quite useful, both in my personal practice and in teaching meditation to others. It has been so powerful that I wanted to give it special emphasis here, near the end of the book, as a reminder to support any and all of the different practices we have explored. As you do any of the practices, look for ways that the dimension of silence arises, surrounds, and supports you in seeing clearly and staying present.
I like to practice by imagining relaxing back into this dimension. Letting it support me and hold me. Acknowledging that the silence (you might also think of it as stillness) is always there, waiting only for our gentle attention. The following meditation may help you turn more toward the silence that is always available.
Whenever you wish, either in formal meditation practice, or informally as you pause and pay attention during the activities of daily life, let yourself remember the possibility that silence exists as a vast dimension or territory, as _a ground or context for experience_.
As you practice mindfulness, paying attention on purpose in a friendly and nonjudging way, imagine that you are actually resting in this boundless territory of stillness and silence. Turn your attention toward the places and spaces of silence as you begin to notice them. Letting yourself relax more and more, remaining alert and attentive, you may begin to notice the silence before and after sounds, thoughts, sensations, and all experience. Perhaps noticing how particular sounds arise from silence and return there. You may even notice the sounds of your own breathing, and how it comes from silence and returns there.
As you practice, let the sense of silence and stillness hold and support you. Trust it to safely contain any fears you have, any worries, any anxieties. Allow yourself to open more and more to the experience of silence and stillness arising within. Notice how it arises naturally, and can contain any physical contractions in your body and any agitation in your heart or mind. Perhaps you will experience directly how awareness is brighter and remains more present, noticing the passing flow of experience, even intense feelings of fear or anxiety, as you let yourself open to and rest in silence and stillness.
Continue to practice for as long as you like. Explore how attention to silence and stillness can reward and empower you in any moment of your life.
## Keep in Mind
This chapter has explored two key concepts, safety and silence. You are invited to consider and practice with them more explicitly as you deepen your mindfulness practice.
Chapter 16
# Applying Mindfulness to Fear & Anxiety
In an interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn published in _Healing and the Mind_ , Bill Moyers (1993) asked about the purpose of meditation. Kabat-Zinn responded, "There is no purpose in meditation. As soon as you assign a purpose to meditation, you've made it just another activity to try to get someplace or reach some goal" (128).
When questioned further, Kabat-Zinn explained that yes, everyone in the mindfulness-based stress reduction program had a purpose for being there, "but paradoxically, they are likely to make the most progress in this domain if they let go of trying to get anywhere and just learn through the practice of meditation to experience their moments as they unfold" (129).
## Developing a Skillful Approach to Fear & Anxiety
Probably you are reading this book because you are seeking help for the fear, anxiety, or panic you experience. You have a definite purpose and goal. And most likely, you have done and continue to do everything you can to understand these forces and to manage them or even eliminate them from your life. Perhaps someone told you to learn to meditate to rid yourself of anxiety or panic. All of this is fine and understandable.
The Paradox of Meditation
The catch is that if you are trying to use mindfulness to get rid of something, it doesn't work. Mindfulness is nonjudging, nonstriving, and nondenying. The practice of mindfulness is about connecting with what is here and holding it in kind and compassionate awareness. This includes the experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic.
So if you have a "secret agenda" of using mindfulness against anxiety or panic, remind yourself that mindfulness involves accepting what is here. Having an agenda to get rid of something or to change something is a common source of frustration in meditation practice. Change and transformation do occur through meditation, but only when you teach yourself to allow attention and awareness to include disturbing and unpleasant conditions like anxiety and panic.
In the domain of meditation, it is the practice of being, not doing, that works. To be skillful in approaching any distress in your life—including fear, anxiety, or panic—through meditation, it is helpful to recall some fundamental points.
* Everything happens in the present moment.
* Fear, anxiety, and panic are only experiences flowing into and out of the present moment.
* Meditation can be understood as a process of inner transformation that involves establishing a calm and focused attention, cultivating awareness, developing understanding and wisdom, and activating kindness and compassion.
* By correctly practicing mindfulness of fear, anxiety, and panic, you develop a clear understanding of their lesson and begin to see what action is necessary.
Again, there is the paradox. To produce change through meditation, you have to stop trying to change anything! It is good enough to be present. It is strong practice to bring full attention to the present moment— _as it_ _is._ Doing this, you actually touch the mystery and beauty of life and resonate with it. Change and transformation follow from this contact and awareness.
Acceptance of Disturbing Experiences
Fear, anxiety, and panic are demanding visitors. They can turn your inner world upside down. It can be difficult to be allowing and accepting of them because of their intense and disturbing nature. Are there practical ways to deal with such disturbing experiences in meditation?
The final answer to this question comes through your own direct experience in making meditation a part of your life. You will need to practice mindfulness in different ways as a formal daily meditation, and without trying to get anywhere or accomplish anything other than becoming more mindful. You will also need to bring mindfulness forward as an informal practice by remembering to establish and maintain attention and awareness in the situations of daily life.
Learning to make room for upset will help. Cultivating and resting more in the "heart" qualities of mindfulness—kindness and compassion—will comfort and steady you. And, discovering your inner resources for safety, silence, and stillness will empower you to deal with the most disturbing experiences.
With this foundation of mindfulness in your life, whenever fear, anxiety, or panic arises, you will have the tools to manage it. Only through your own experience of using mindfulness to work with these powerful forces will you discover what works best for you.
## Working Mindfully with Fear
Your father is in the intensive care unit on a ventilator, somewhere between life and death. You visit him and feel overwhelmed. You are facing fear.
You have just learned that the test results from your colonoscopy show that you have cancer. You are stunned. You are facing fear.
You have just come from a meeting with your supervisor. Your job is being eliminated by the company for "budgetary reasons." You are angry and confused. You are facing fear.
You dread flying, yet you are about to board an airplane. You are flying because of a family emergency. You are facing fear.
The list of examples is endless. When you really pay attention, the experience of fear seems to be everywhere in modern life. In most cases, you know exactly why you feel afraid, yet you must still deal with the fear.
How can you use mindfulness and compassion to approach the fear in your life? In the remainder of this chapter, we will reflect on practicing specifically with fear, anxiety, and panic. There are no easy answers. Much of meditation practice involves patience and the willingness to be with distress and discomfort. Practice is about learning to find the place inside where there is ease and calm in the midst of upset. The following reflections come from the experiences of many people who have practiced mindfulness this way.
**Remind yourself that mindfulness accurately reflects what is here.** To say to yourself "This is fear" is a start. "Fear is like this." "It is like this now." Acknowledging what is here establishes presence and names what is here. Notice and name any fight you have with the fear, any dislike or hatred. This acknowledgment interrupts the habit of unconscious reaction to the fearful situation. By continuing to notice in this way, you will also notice when fear changes or is absent. Fear is not permanent. Fear is not you. These truths will also become obvious as you note what is here.
**Establish and maintain a calm and focused attention.** There are many ways to establish attention in the present moment. In this book I have emphasized using breathing. Focus attention on your breathing, as in the meditation practice for awareness of breathing you learned in chapter 9. This means breathing with the unfolding experience, not trying to run back to the breath or to hide there. Practice consciously breathing in and out with the fear experience. The body scan meditation also involves breathing with experience, and the breath is the anchor for the choiceless awareness practice.
The other core principles of meditation—awareness, understanding, and compassion—can flourish once calm and focused attention is established and maintained. Indeed, in working with fear and fearful situations, maintaining connection is usually the most difficult task.
If you are afraid of snakes, rats, or spiders and you encounter one, try breathing consciously and staying with what is happening (even as you make sure you distance yourself safely).
If you fear crowds, or open spaces, or closed spaces and find yourself there anyway, recognize what is happening. Establish connection with the breath or the body. Breathe consciously as you have practiced, into and out of the situation, establishing and reestablishing your calm and focused attention on what is unfolding.
**Try mindful movement.** Walking meditation, mindful yoga, tai chi, qi gong, and mindful exercise are all examples. You will need to experiment to discover what works best to help you stay present. The more solid and confident you are in your movement practice, the more it will help you. This is why grounding yourself in a daily practice as a way of living is the most effective way for practice to help you in times of urgent need.
**Be willing to persevere.** You may have to do your conscious breathing or mindful movement for quite a while when dealing with the fear response. Staying with the situation this way strengthens concentration and mindfulness.
Remember to make room, and to rest in your natural spaciousness and silence.
Recognize impatience and the desire for things to be otherwise. Name "doubt." Acknowledge any despair you feel. You will find that it pays off to work in these different ways with fear or any upset.
This approach calls for patience and endurance. Just stay with it anyway. There is a place for simply enduring. It will strengthen your meditation practice. Over time, you will recognize your increased power to be present.
**Cultivate allowing and nonjudging awareness.** With attention established, allowing and nonjudging awareness can rest on and include all elements present in the fear situation. Mindfulness includes all that is here. The unfolding experience of the body, the thoughts and stories in the mind: these are of particular importance. No matter how intense or disturbing, these should be treated simply as conditions present in this moment. Here again, it is easy to become lost or absorbed in the fear experiences. Breathing into them and holding them in the cradle of the breath helps you maintain the focus and connection, and realize the truth that these experiences are not you and are not permanent.
**Remember that mindfulness is spacious and light.** Mindfulness does not attach to anything. It is easy to allow yourself to be absorbed by a fearful reaction. It is easy to identify with and react to fear. If you are feeling stuck in the fear, try opening the awareness to the space around the feeling. Try opening attention to include sounds or other sensations. This is similar to practicing the body scan and opening awareness to the entire body beyond a particular region.
Alternatively, try focusing more sharply on the elements of the experience: the exact location of the sensation in the body, the very beginning of the fearful thought or negative commentary, or the precise ending of each sensation, thought, or other element.
Thus, by opening awareness to include the fear experience, you dissolve your identification with it. Similarly, you can break the identification with the fear experience by narrowing attention to a smaller part of the experience.
**Welcome the understanding and wisdom that grow from seeing clearly.** No matter what causes your fear, the most effective response comes from a clear understanding of the situation and of all your choices. As you stay present and manage the tendencies to fight or to flee from your fear, you will open to more choices for action. This will lead to more effective action and a greater confidence that you can handle difficult, fearful situations.
**Have kindness and compassion for yourself and your fear.** If you have practiced loving-kindness meditation enough that you have some confidence in doing it, this meditation can be a great support in times of fear.
_May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be filled with peace and ease. May I be safe._ Kindling the feelings of kindness and compassion using these phrases or others, you support presence and awareness. When you feel overwhelmed and distressed, gently caring for yourself with feelings of friendliness and compassion is very grounding and soothing. You can feel something inside relax and soften as you practice kindness. It becomes easier to relax and to stay present. It becomes easier to observe and listen mindfully to the unfolding experience.
## Working Mindfully with Anxiety & Worry
You have a job and a good circle of friends, yet you are bothered frequently by vague feelings of fear and dread. These feelings leave you upset and afraid you will lose control of yourself in public places. You have begun to decline invitations and dates because of this fear of losing control. You are now filled with anxiety about what might happen and what you fear you cannot do.
You are afraid of groups, and terrified of speaking in front of groups. You fear you will embarrass or humiliate yourself. You recognize that you have no reason to feel so anxious, but you do anyway. You are avoiding situations—including job opportunities—that would require you to speak in front of lots of people. You are becoming angry with yourself and feeling more anxious.
You have been anxious and worried most of the time for over six months. You worry most of the day about the stressful parts of your life. In the last six months, this has included your health, your marriage, your job, and the care of your elderly mother. You are often restless, tire easily, and have not slept well in weeks. You have anxiety about what might happen, and cannot stop worrying about things that have not happened and probably won't happen.
The experience of anxiety and worry is very common and very disturbing. However it is expressed in your life, it requires attention. How can you approach anxiety and worry skillfully with mindfulness and compassion?
Laying the Groundwork
You will do best if you build your mindfulness practice on a solid foundation. Especially when anxiety and worry are your focus, a careful assessment of causes, treatment possibilities, and the role of your own lifestyle choices is critical.
Treatments
There are many effective treatments for anxiety. Be sure to have a good medical and psychological assessment if anxiety is excessive or disturbing in your life. Meditation is a strong ally but is not a substitute for good treatment.
Life Circumstances
Bring mindful attention to every corner of your own life circumstances. Is anything about your personal life, relationships, or work life adding to your anxiety? Can you change it? How? Consider talking this over with your spouse or a trusted friend, and invite their input.
Habits
Don't forget personal habits. This includes what you eat, drink, or take in through any other form. It definitely includes the use of alcohol, drugs, or medications. Include also what you take in from mass media and entertainment sources. Without judging anything, simply begin to pay attention to what you do and absorb, and how that makes you feel. When you have identified sources of anxiety, you are ready to make changes for the better.
Daily Mindfulness Practice
After laying this groundwork, you are in the best position for your daily meditation practice to help. And as you do your daily mindfulness practice, formally or informally, it will support you in relaxing, seeing clearly, and making effective changes.
Mindfulness is not a method but a way of living. What this means is that mindfulness helps you the most when you make a daily meditation practice the foundation for developing mindfulness in your life.
The goal of your practice is simply to open to what is present with increasing sensitivity and clarity. Meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein (1993) puts this succinctly:
Our progress in meditation does not depend on the measure of pleasure or pain in our experience. Rather, the quality of our practice has to do with how open we are to whatever is there. . . . What we have experienced in the past is gone. Be watchful that you are not holding on to some past experience that you are trying to re-create. That is not correct practice; it is a sure setup for suffering. Simply be open, be soft, be mindful with whatever is presenting itself. (47)
The methods of mindfulness you use in daily practice will change, and so will the emphasis. The core activity does not change. With mindfulness you are embarking on a path of awakening and transformation. You are coming off of automatic pilot and embracing life consciously.
## Learning from Anxiety & Worry
Fear, anxiety, and panic contain information about you and how you meet your life. What is to be learned? Be curious. Curiosity and investigation empower you to discover the lessons of what Joan Halifax (1993) calls the "fruitful darkness." These are the lessons that fear, anxiety, and panic can teach you about living.
In meditation practice, you approach worry and anxiety—fear without a clearly identifiable cause—the same way you approach fear that does have an obvious source. As you practice, make the worry and anxiety the direct object of attention. Maintain contact lightly without becoming absorbed by the story or feeling. Use mindful breathing, in and out with the experience, to stay connected.
As with fear, establishing and maintaining conscious contact with the experience of anxiety or worry is often the most difficult part. It is easy to get swept into reaction and identification, or dissociation from the experience, because of its unpleasant and disturbing nature.
Meditation can be thought of as an "art" as much as a skill. There is an art to how you cultivate and sustain attention with affection and sensitivity. An art to how you relate to the awareness and understandings that arise from attention. And, an art to keeping the heart open in the face of difficulty.
The learning you gain from approaching fear, anxiety, and panic is the fruit of your meditation practice. For example, experimenting with inner space and silence, "breathing with" difficulty, doing the "yes" meditation, or putting all of your attention and energy behind a single loving-kindness phrase—all can be done with skill, grace, dignity, and artfully. Let curiosity and love of learning support you in the art of meditation.
## Choosing the Foundation for Your Practice
People often ask which kinds of practices are best matched with which types of anxiety. For example, does a person who experiences anxiety "in the head" (as worrying and obsessive thinking) need a different type of relaxation exercise or meditation practice than the person who experiences anxiety mostly "in the body" (as feelings of restlessness or other discomfort)?
Although some research has addressed this question, the findings are not conclusive and in some cases are even contradictory. Of value to mindfulness practitioners, however, is a report published by Kabat-Zinn and colleagues (1997) in the journal _Mind/Body Medicine._
In a study of seventy-four patients with elevated levels of anxiety, those with "high cognitive/low somatic" scores (those who experienced anxiety mostly "in the head") preferred somatic (body-focused) mindfulness practice. The "high somatic/low cognitive" anxiety group (those who experienced anxiety mostly "in the body") showed the inverse response: they preferred the sitting meditation. Both groups preferred the body scan, which includes both cognitive and somatic qualities, to an intermediate degree. It would be unwise to form rigid ideas based on this study; however, the results do have an interesting implication.
Mindfulness practice is most effective when it includes the mental _and_ the physical experience. Therefore, you should have meditation practices that emphasize both in your daily practice. What the methods are is not so important as the quality of attention paid to mind _and_ body in a systematic and consistent manner.
If you experience anxiety mostly in your head (that is, if you are a "worrier"), then you might want to experiment with movement practices as a foundation for mindfulness. Alternatively, you might want to begin each formal session of meditation with some movement before sitting meditation. The movement practices could be whatever appeals or is available to you: walking meditation, mindful exercise, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or something else.
Also, developing the skill of connecting with your body by using the body scan practice is likely to be a great help for you. In general, restoring attentional balance by moving out of the head and into the body more often is worth exploring.
If you are bothered more by the physical expression of anxiety, then you may benefit by emphasizing sitting practice. Breath awareness meditation and choiceless awareness meditation are good places to start. In addition, your sitting meditation should always include the bodily experience. You apply mindfulness to your body in doing the body scan, and also in the choiceless awareness practice as you include bodily sensations.
Whether you experience anxiety primarily in your head or in your body, you will probably benefit also by doing the loving-kindness and compassion meditation. This calms and relaxes your mind and body through concentration of attention on phrase repetition, and it can awaken you to a larger context of relatedness to life. This larger-vessel perspective is a good balance to the self-involvement and absorption that follows so much of anxiety and worry.
## Applying Mindfulness to Panic Attacks & Intense Fear
The intensity that accompanies panic attacks is almost indescribable. If you are subject to these attacks, please apply the basic approach first. This means seeking good treatment, analyzing your own life situation, developing a daily meditation practice, and making the panic experience itself the object of mindfulness.
Then, you might experiment with the following.
Remember that in intense situations, establishing and maintaining conscious contact with the unfolding experience is usually the most difficult task. The tendency is to be overwhelmed in the experience and swept away in reactivity to the unpleasantness. This can happen in your bodily sensations, in your thoughts, and in your behavior.
Your practice is to make the actual experience of the panic attack the object of mindful attention. Hold it in view, establishing and maintaining contact without becoming identified with it or absorbed into it.
Steady and ground yourself by acknowledging what is happening. Name the panic.
Center attention using mindful breathing, and concentrate your attention as you allow the body experience to unfold, breathing with it and into it.
Listen to fearful thoughts mindfully. Recognize them as merely more thoughts. Breathe with them. Allow them without believing them or arguing with them. If they are too intense and loud, try to breathe with them with sharper concentration on the breath. Or try moving attention to the body or to sounds in the environment.
Use kindness and compassion for yourself and for the panic elements themselves, whether they are in your body or mind. Remember: "May I be filled with peace and ease. May I be safe."
You may have already developed techniques like using affirmations (making encouraging comments to yourself). Use these to steady yourself if necessary. Stay connected. Keep the panic experience in view, but beware of becoming sucked into it. You will have to practice with the methods of attention, awareness, and kindness in order to learn how to apply these skills to the direct experience of panic most effectively.
## Keep in Mind
Remember, you _do_ have what it takes. You _can_ find the inner calm and peace you need. You _can_ change things by paying attention.
The paradox is that you practice meditation with _no_ goal in order to reach your goal of managing anxiety, fear, and panic.
By bringing a kind and compassionate attention to the experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic, you make them the objects of mindfulness. Meeting these experiences with nonjudging, curious attention is all you have to do to access the power of mindfulness.
Chapter 17
# Taking a Larger View
The intrusive and painful experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic have a way of shrinking your view of yourself and your place in the world. Indeed, this is true of any form of pain or challenge that stops you in your tracks and demands that you pay attention to it above all else.
As the demands persist, becoming chronic as well as intense, you might come to feel as if you are in a prison. Life itself seems to shrink into compartments. _What I can do_ and _where I can go_ becomes less and less, smaller and smaller.
These thoughts and feelings of restriction and "fear about the fear" can become more powerful even than the intense experience of fear in the body.
The tendency to identify with the fear or anxiety grows as the feelings themselves strengthen. "I am anxious" or "I am afraid" becomes not only a self-description but an identity. Reactivity to the pain becomes the pervasive experience in life.
In these ways, fear, anxiety, and panic have become a prison. And the prisoner is the person who somehow feels less competent, less effective, less alive than before.
The message of this book is that you can be free of the prison of fear, anxiety, and panic. The keys to freedom lie within you. They operate as you teach yourself to bring full attention to life.
From the view of mindfulness, everything happens in the present moment. The experiences of life are flowing, even now, through the present moment. This includes the powerful inner experiences of fear, anxiety, and panic. These experiences are not permanent, and they are not who you are. Your connection with life has not ceased. You are not as isolated as it seems.
## Recovering the Sense of Connection to Life
Healing is a process of making whole. For this to happen, all the parts that are separate and isolated or denied must be brought into awareness and included. This is true in healing individual people and in the healing of larger bodies such as communities or nations.
Psychotherapists have long held that this process of healing requires you to experience, accept, and take responsibility for the dark side of yourself. The dark side includes all the things that are fearsome, embarrassing, shame-filled, and the like. In short, the things you don't want to know and vigorously deny about yourself. It also includes those inner energies and forces that you feel powerless to control. The process of healing makes inquiry into this valley of darkness vital. Yet most people do not enter this inquiry willingly.
John Tarrant is a well-known Zen teacher and Jungian psychotherapist. In _The Light Inside the Dark_ (1998), he speaks of this descent into the darkness:
The journey into a life of awareness begins for most of us in a moment of helplessness. When our lives are going well, we do not feel any need to change them, or ourselves. . . . We are unperturbed, and half asleep. Then a crisis arrives . . . strips us of everything we have relied upon to stay the same. Yet this unexpected fall is also a gift, not to be refused. . . . We realize that we have no choice: before we can rise up, we must go down and through. (27)
The experiences of fear, anxiety, or panic may well have been the crisis that has driven you down into the darkness. Yet they also hold the promise of awakening into a life of greater awareness if you can manage them and learn from them. The pain you associate with them can be the link to a deeper self-understanding and to a broader connectedness with the life of the world around you.
Joan Halifax (1993), a respected Buddhist teacher and anthropologist, speaks in _The Fruitful Darkness_ to the interrelatedness of life through painful experience:
My suffering is not unique but arises out of the ground of my culture. It arises out of the global culture and environment as well. I am part of the World's Body. If part of this body is suffering, then the world suffers. Recognizing the World Wound also turns us away from a sense of exclusiveness. . . . Each of us carries or has carried suffering. This suffering is personal. But where is it that we end and the rest of creation begins? (13–14)
To recognize that the pain I feel in me is the same pain that you feel in you is to arrive at the heart of compassion and kindness. To begin to understand that the pain inside is not so much about you, in some self-centered way, as it is about a call to respond and relate to a larger context of life is to begin to awaken. These are messages that make more sense as you use mindfulness to connect with the moments of your life.
Meditation practiced correctly has no purpose other than to transform and awaken us. In connecting with the wholeness of experience in this moment, you are able to discover what matters most. The mystery and the beauty of living are experienced directly. Understanding and wisdom follow this direct experience.
As difficult as it may seem at times, you can be in a different relationship to the upset of fear, anxiety, and panic. The war with them can end. They can take their place alongside all the other experiences of your life. They can reveal their own message of mystery and awakening.
Meditation does not tell you what meaning life has. It allows you to discover the meaning for yourself. Indeed, no one can tell you what meaning life has for you.
Meaning must be discovered by listening and connecting with increasing sensitivity in each moment. It comes from asking, "What is the lesson in this experience?" Can you begin to ask that question about the fear, anxiety, or panic in your life?
Viktor Frankl survived Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz. His experiences there led him to develop a form of psychotherapy he called _logotherapy._ The name is taken from the Greek word _logos_ , which denotes "meaning." Logotherapy focuses on the meaning of human existence and on each human being's search for meaning as a primary motivational force in life. This approach puts a person immediately in a larger context beyond the small, ego-driven view of the world. As Frankl stated in _Man's Search for Meaning_ (1959, 172),"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is _he_ who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by _answering for_ his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible."
Can you move beyond the idea of fear, anxiety, and panic as intruders or enemies? Can you find the lessons of transformation they hold? Can you discover your interconnection with others through the pain of anxiety and panic? Can you find a deeper meaning and purpose by taking Frankl's approach and considering what question life is asking you through fear, anxiety, or panic?
As you teach yourself to connect with and remain present in the moments of your life, the lessons, transformations, questions, and answers will begin to reveal themselves to you.
## Come Here, Fear
To hold fear, or anxiety, or panic with kindness and compassion is powerful. The ability to do this comes from the understanding that they are not you, but are only experiences and conditions flowing into and out of the present moment. The pain and suffering they carry is only momentary experience. Yet that pain also calls for kindness and compassion.
The poet Joy Harjo speaks to this new relationship with fear in her beautiful poem "I Give You Back."
I Give You Back
I take myself back, fear.
You are not my shadow any longer.
I won't hold you in my hands.
You can't live in my eyes, my ears, my voice
my belly, or in my heart my heart
my heart my heart
But come here, fear
I am alive and you are so afraid
of dying.
It is my deep hope that you will be able to use this book to establish your own practice of mindfulness.
_May it grow and sustain you._
_May you find peace and calm as a result._
_May that practice awaken your heart of kindness and compassion._
_May clarity and understanding follow in all your days._
_May mindfulness and compassion free you from anxiety, fear, and panic._
_May the world benefit from your courage, peace, and wisdom._
# Resources
## Books on Meditation & Mindfulness
Brach, Tara. 2003. _Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha._ New York: Bantam Dell.
Feldman, Christina. 1998. _Thorsons_ _Principles of Meditation_. London: Thorsons.
Glassman, Bernie. 1998. _Bearing Witness: A Zen Master's Lessons in Making Peace._ New York: Bell Tower.
Goldstein, Joseph. 1993. _Insight Meditation._ Boston: Shambhala.
———. 2002. _One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism._ San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Gunaratana, Henepola. 1994. _Mindfulness in Plain English._ Boston: Wisdom Publications.
Kabat-Zinn, Jon. 1990. _Full Catastrophe Living._ New York: Delacorte Press.
———. 1994. _Wherever You Go, There You Are._ New York: Hyperion.
———. 2005. _Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through_ _Mindfulness_. New York: Hyperion.
Kornfield, Jack. 1993. _A Path with Heart._ New York: Bantam.
Kornfield, Jack, and Joseph Goldstein. 1987. _Seeking the Heart of Wisdom._ Boston: Shambhala.
Levine, Stephen. 1979. _A Gradual Awakening._ Garden City, NY: Anchor Books.
———. 2005. _Untended Sorrow: Recovering from Loss and Reviving the Heart_. Rodale.
McQuaid, John, and Paula Carmona. 2004. _Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive_ _Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression_. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Rosenbaum, Elana. 2005. _Here for Now:_ _Living Well with Cancer Through Mindfulness_. Hardwick, MA: Satya House Publications.
Rosenberg, Larry, with David Guy. 1998. _Breath by Breath._ Boston: Shambhala.
———. 2000. _Living in the Light of Death: On the Art of_ _Being_ _Truly Alive_. Boston: Shambhala.
Salzberg, Sharon. 1995. _Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of_ _Happiness._ Boston: Shambhala.
———. 1997. _A Heart as Wide as the World._ Boston: Shambhala.
———. 2005. _The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love & Compassion_. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
Santorelli, Saki. 1999. _Heal Thyself._ New York: Bell Tower.
Thich Nhat Hanh. 1975. _The Miracle of Mindfulness._ Boston: Beacon Press.
———. 1987. _Being Peace._ Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.
## Meditation Recordings
Sounds True in Boulder, Colorado, has a wonderful collection. Contact them at (800) 333-9185 or www.soundstrue.com (click on "shop," then click on "meditation & prayer").
Dharma Seed, Box 66, Wendell Depot, Massachusetts, has an extensive collection of Dharma talks, and mindfulness and other Buddhist meditation teachings available on CD. Contact them at (800) 969-7333, or on the Web at www.dharmaseed.org.
## Books on Yoga
Feuerstein, Georg, and Stephan Bodian, with the staff of _Yoga Journal._ 1993. _Living Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide for Everyday Life._ New York: Tarcher/Putnam.
Francina, Suza. 1997. _The New Yoga for People over 50._ Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.
Johnson, Will. 2000. _Aligned, Relaxed, Resilient: The Physical Foundations_ _of Mindfulness._ Boston: Shambhala.
## Yoga Videos & DVDs
_Yoga Journal_ 'sinstructional videotapes and DVDs are widely available in bookstores, online, and in health product stores.
## Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programs
The author is the director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine. The program may be contacted by mail at: MBSR Program, DUMC 3022, Durham, NC 27710; by phone at (919) 660-6745; or on the Web at _www.dukeintegrativemedicine.org._
Mindfulness-based stress reduction was developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The director of that program is Saki Santorelli. You may contact the program by mail at: Stress Reduction Clinic, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655; by phone at (508) 856-2656; or on the Web at _www.umassmed.edu/cfm/index.aspx._
You may also locate mindfulness-based stress reduction programs by Internet search using _MBSR_ or _mindfulness-based stress reduction_ as your key words.
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———. 2003 _. Silence_. Berkeley, CA: Rodmell Press.
Frankl, V. 1959. _Man's Search for Meaning._ New York: Pocket Books.
Freeman, L., and G. F. Lawlis. 2001. _Mosby's Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based Approach._ St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Goldstein, J. 1993. _Insight Meditation._ Boston: Shambhala.
Goleman, D. 2003. _Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them?_ New York: Bantam.
Hafen, B., K. Karren, K. Frandsen, and N. L. Smith. 1996. _Mind/Body Health._ Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Halifax, J. 1993. _The Fruitful Darkness._ New York: HarperCollins.
Hayes, S. C., with S. Smith. 2005. _Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life: The New_ _Acceptance & Commitment Therapy_. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Hayes, S. C., K. D. Strosahl, and K. G. Wilson. 1999. _Acceptance and Commitment_ _Therapy:_ _An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change_. New York: Guilford Press.
Kabat-Zinn, J. 1990. _Full Catastrophe Living._ New York: Delacorte Press.
Kabat-Zinn, J., A. Chapman, and P. Salmon. 1997. The relationship of cognitive and somatic components of anxiety to patient preference for alternative relaxation techniques. _Mind/Body Medicine_ 2:101–9.
Kabat-Zinn, J., L. Lipworth, R. Burney, and W. Sellers. 1986. Four-year follow-up of a meditation-based program for the self-regulation of chronic pain: Treatment outcomes and compliance. _Clinical Journal of Pain_ 2:159–73.
Kabat-Zinn, J., A. O. Massion, J. Kristeller, L. G. Peterson, K. E. Fletcher, L. Pbert, W. R. Lenderking, and S. F. Santorelli. 1992. Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders. _American Journal of Psychiatry_ 149:936–43.
Kabat-Zinn, J., E. Wheeler, T. Light, A. Skillings, M. Scharf, T. G. Cropley, D. Hosmer, and J. Bernhard. 1998. Influence of a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA). _Psychosomatic Medicine_ 60:625–32.
Kaplan, K. H., D. L. Goldenberg, and M. Galvin-Nadeau. 1993. The impact of a meditation-based stress reduction program on fibromyalgia. _General Hospital Psychiatry_ 15:284–89.
Kobasa, S. 1987. Stress responses and personality. In _Gender and Stress_ , edited by R. Barnett, L. Biener, and G. Baruch. New York: Free Press.
———. 1990. Stress-resistant personality. In _The Healing Brain: A Scientific Reader_ ,edited by C. Swencionis and R. Ornstein. New York: Guilford Press.
Kornfield, J. 1993. _A Path with Heart._ New York: Bantam.
Kristeller, J. L., and C. B. Hallett. 1999. An exploratory study of a meditation-based intervention for binge-eating disorder. _Journal of Health Psychology_ 4:357–63.
Langer, E. 1989. _Mindfulness._ Reading, MA: Perseus Press.
LeDoux, J. 1996. _The Emotional Brain._ New York: Touchstone.
Lepine, J. 2002. The epidemiology of anxiety disorders: Prevalence and social costs. _Journal of Clinical Psychiatry_ 63 (suppl. 14):4–8.
Linehan, M. M. 1993a. _Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder._ New York: Guilford Press.
———. 1993b. _Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder._ New York: Guilford Press.
Miller, J. J., K. Fletcher, and J. Kabat-Zinn. 1995. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. _General Hospital Psychiatry_ 17:192–200.
Moyers, B. 1993. _Healing and the Mind._ New York: Doubleday.
Orsillo, S. M., and E. Roemer, eds. 2005. _Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based_ _Approaches_ _to Anxiety: Conceptualization and Treatment_. New York: Springer.
Perlmutter, C. 1993. Conquer chronic worry. _Prevention,_ November, 75.
Roemer, L. 2002. Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/ acceptance-based approaches with existing cognitive behavioral models. _Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice_ 9:54–68.
Rosenberg, L., with D. Guy. 1998. _Breath by Breath._ Boston: Shambhala.
Roth, B. 1997. Mindfulness-based stress reduction in the inner city. _Advances_ 13:50–58.
Salzberg, S. 1995. _Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of_ _Happiness._ Boston: Shambhala.
Shapiro, S. L., and G. E. Schwartz. 2000. The role of intention in self-regulation: Toward intentional systemic mindfulness. In _Handbook of Self-regulation_ , edited by M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, and M. Zeidner, 253–73. New York: Academic Press.
Shapiro, S. L., G. E. Schwartz, and G. Bonner. 1998. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. _Journal of Behavioral Medicine_ 21:581–97.
Shapiro, S. L., G. E. Schwartz, and C. Santerre. 2005. Meditation and Positive Psychology. In _Handbook of Positive Psychology_ , edited by C. R. Snyder and S. J. Lopez. New York: Oxford.
Speca, M., L. E. Carlson, E. Goodey, and M. Angen. 2000. A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: The effect of a mindfulness meditation–based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients. _Psychosomatic Medicine_ 62:613–22.
Tarrant, J. 1998. _The Light Inside the Dark._ New York: HarperCollins.
Taylor, S. 2002. _The Tending Instinct._ New York: Henry Holt.
Teasdale, J. D., Z. V. Segal, J. M. G. Williams, V. A. Ridgeway, J. M. Soulsby, and M. A. Lau. 2000. Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. _Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology_ 68:615–23.
Thich Nhat Hanh. 1987. _Being Peace._ Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.
Tolle, E. 1999. _The Power of Now._ Novato, CA: New World Library.
———. 2003. _Stillness Speaks_. Vancouver: Namaste Publishing.
———. 2005. _A New Earth_. New York: Dutton.
Williams, R. and V. Williams. 1993. _Anger Kills._ New York: HarperCollins.
Wilson, R. R. 1986. _Don't Panic._ New York: Harper.
Jeffrey Brantley, MD, is a consulting associate in the Duke Department of Psychiatry and the founder and director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke University's Center for Integrative Medicine. He has represented the Duke MBSR program in numerous radio, television, and print interviews. He is coauthor of _Five Good Minutes, Five Good Minutes in Evening, Five Good Minutes at Work,_ and _The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook._
Foreword writer Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is the author of numerous books, including _Full Catastrophe Living_ and _Coming to Our Senses._
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Books3"
}
|
Mechanisms of antimelanoma effect of oat β-glucan supported by electroporation.
There are still not specified mechanisms how beta-glucan molecules are transported into cells. Supposing, beta-glucan toxicity against tumor cells may be related to the overexpression of the transporter responsible for the transport of glucose molecules in the cells. In this case, glucans - polymers composed of glucose units are much more up-taken by tumor than normal cells. Increased GLUT1 (Glucose Transporter Type 1) expression has been demonstrated earlier in malignant melanomas. GLUT1 expression promotes glucose uptake and cell growth in that cells. Also, in human melanoma tissues a significant correlation between GLUT1 expression and mitotic activity was found. The aim of the study was to verify if oat β-glucan (OβG) is delivered into cells by GLUT-1 membrane protein. To check it out we blocked GLUT1 transporters by an inhibitor WZB117 and then we investigated cells viability with and without reversible electroporation (EP). The obtained results bring us to elucidate the mechanism of transport of the OβG into the cells is GLUT-1 dependent and moreover can be supported by EP method.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Q:
HTML5 canvas object random path generation
I have a canvas object, a circle, that currently animates along a particular path, rather like a bounce. The simple animation code is as follows:
if (x + dx > canvasW || x + dx < 0) dx = -dx;
if (y + dy > canvasH || y + dy < 0) dy = -dy;
x += dx;
y += dy;
Where dx and dy are set offets to increase the path by.
I'd like to make it follow a random path, such as a fly might.
How would I go about this? Are there any tutorials anyone could point me in the direction of? I've struggled to find any either here or via Google.
A:
You can find an implementation of the idea you proposed here. You might want to tweak it a bit but at least it's a start. :)
In case you want to make the trajectory smoother, try evaluating a Bézier curve. Before that you'll have to generate a bunch of points in which to apply the algo.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
/*
* Copyright 2017-2020 47 Degrees Open Source <https://www.47deg.com>
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
package higherkindness.mu.rpc
package fs2
import cats.effect.IO
import higherkindness.mu.rpc.common._
import higherkindness.mu.rpc.server._
import _root_.fs2.Stream
import org.scalatest._
class RPCTests extends RpcBaseTestSuite with BeforeAndAfterAll {
import higherkindness.mu.rpc.fs2.Utils._
import higherkindness.mu.rpc.fs2.Utils.database._
import higherkindness.mu.rpc.fs2.Utils.implicits._
override protected def beforeAll(): Unit =
serverStart[IO].unsafeRunSync()
override protected def afterAll(): Unit =
serverStop[IO].unsafeRunSync()
"mu-rpc server" should {
"allow to startup a server and check if it's alive" in {
def check[F[_]](implicit S: GrpcServer[F]): F[Boolean] =
S.isShutdown
check[IO].unsafeRunSync() shouldBe false
}
"allow to get the port where it's running" in {
def check[F[_]](implicit S: GrpcServer[F]): F[Int] =
S.getPort
check[IO].unsafeRunSync() shouldBe SC.port
}
}
"mu-rpc client with fs2.Stream as streaming implementation" should {
"be able to run unary services" in {
muAvroRPCServiceClient.use(_.unary(a1)).unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
}
"be able to run unary services with avro schemas" in {
muAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient.use(_.unaryWithSchema(a1)).unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
}
"be able to run server streaming services" in {
muProtoRPCServiceClient
.use(_.serverStreaming(b1).flatMap(_.compile.toList))
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe cList
}
"handle errors in server streaming services" in {
def clientProgram(errorCode: String): IO[List[C]] =
muProtoRPCServiceClient
.use(
_.serverStreamingWithError(E(a1, errorCode))
.map(_.handleErrorWith(ex => Stream(C(ex.getMessage, a1))))
.flatMap(_.compile.toList)
)
clientProgram("SE")
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe List(C("INVALID_ARGUMENT: SE", a1))
clientProgram("SRE")
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe List(C("INVALID_ARGUMENT: SRE", a1))
clientProgram("RTE")
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe List(C("INTERNAL: RTE", a1))
clientProgram("Thrown")
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe List(C("INTERNAL: Thrown", a1))
}
"be able to run client streaming services" in {
muProtoRPCServiceClient
.use(_.clientStreaming(Stream.fromIterator[IO](aList.iterator)))
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe dResult33
}
"be able to run client bidirectional streaming services" in {
muAvroRPCServiceClient
.use(_.biStreaming(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator)).flatMap(_.compile.toList))
.unsafeRunSync()
.distinct shouldBe eList
}
"be able to run client bidirectional streaming services with avro schema" in {
muAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient
.use(
_.biStreamingWithSchema(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator)).flatMap(_.compile.toList)
)
.unsafeRunSync()
.distinct shouldBe eList
}
"be able to run multiple rpc services" in {
val tuple =
(
muAvroRPCServiceClient.use(_.unary(a1)),
muAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient.use(_.unaryWithSchema(a1)),
muProtoRPCServiceClient.use(_.serverStreaming(b1).flatMap(_.compile.toList)),
muProtoRPCServiceClient.use(
_.clientStreaming(Stream.fromIterator[IO](aList.iterator))
),
muAvroRPCServiceClient.use(
_.biStreaming(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator)).flatMap(_.compile.toList)
),
muAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient.use(
_.biStreamingWithSchema(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator))
.flatMap(_.compile.toList)
)
)
tuple._1.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
tuple._2.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
tuple._3.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe cList
tuple._4.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe dResult33
tuple._5.unsafeRunSync().distinct shouldBe eList
tuple._6.unsafeRunSync().distinct shouldBe eList
}
}
"mu-rpc client with fs2.Stream as streaming implementation and compression enabled" should {
"be able to run unary services" in {
muCompressedAvroRPCServiceClient.use(_.unaryCompressed(a1)).unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
}
"be able to run unary services with avro schema" in {
muCompressedAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient
.use(_.unaryCompressedWithSchema(a1))
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
}
"be able to run server streaming services" in {
muCompressedProtoRPCServiceClient
.use(_.serverStreamingCompressed(b1).flatMap(_.compile.toList))
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe cList
}
"be able to run client streaming services" in {
muCompressedProtoRPCServiceClient
.use(_.clientStreamingCompressed(Stream.fromIterator[IO](aList.iterator)))
.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe dResult33
}
"be able to run client bidirectional streaming services" in {
muCompressedAvroRPCServiceClient
.use(
_.biStreamingCompressed(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator)).flatMap(_.compile.toList)
)
.unsafeRunSync()
.distinct shouldBe eList
}
"be able to run client bidirectional streaming services with avro schema" in {
muCompressedAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient
.use(
_.biStreamingCompressedWithSchema(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator))
.flatMap(_.compile.toList)
)
.unsafeRunSync()
.distinct shouldBe eList
}
"be able to run multiple rpc services" in {
val tuple =
(
muCompressedAvroRPCServiceClient.use(_.unaryCompressed(a1)),
muCompressedAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient.use(_.unaryCompressedWithSchema(a1)),
muCompressedProtoRPCServiceClient.use(
_.serverStreamingCompressed(b1).flatMap(_.compile.toList)
),
muCompressedProtoRPCServiceClient.use(
_.clientStreamingCompressed(Stream.fromIterator[IO](aList.iterator))
),
muCompressedAvroRPCServiceClient.use(
_.biStreamingCompressed(Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator))
.flatMap(_.compile.toList)
),
muCompressedAvroWithSchemaRPCServiceClient
.use(
_.biStreamingCompressedWithSchema(
Stream.fromIterator[IO](eList.iterator)
).flatMap(_.compile.toList)
)
)
tuple._1.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
tuple._2.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe c1
tuple._3.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe cList
tuple._4.unsafeRunSync() shouldBe dResult33
tuple._5.unsafeRunSync().distinct shouldBe eList
tuple._6.unsafeRunSync().distinct shouldBe eList
}
}
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to production of bottles by extrusion blow molding and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for forming a neck finish in a wide range of plastic water dispenser bottles that has a smooth, straight inner diameter and is fully calibrated, not requiring any post trimming.
2. Description of the Related Art
Containers and other hollow articles are frequently formed by blow molding.
The blow molding process involves providing a tube of heated and softened plastics material (parison) about which a two-piece mold is closed. Air or another gas is introduced under pressure into the parison to expand it against the walls of the mold, forming the desired hollow article. Such blow molding machines can be of various types, the most common of which are extrusion-blow molding machines and injection-blow molding machines.
A requirement for the large bottles produced for the water bottle industry is a design that allows effective cleaning so that the bottles can be refilled and reused in a drinking water dispenser. An important feature with respect to the cleaning is a smooth, straight inner diameter for the neck of the bottle, so that there are no irregular surfaces that could retain bacteria or foreign matter. To ensure the desired surface for the inner diameter of the neck, the preferred method of the prior art has been to injection mold the desired neck geometry into a bottle preform that is subsequently reheated and blown to the final shape; i.e., form the bottles by the injection-blow molding process. While this process is very effective in producing bottles having the desired features, it tends to be relatively expensive due to the additional equipment and time associated with injection molding step.
Since extrusion-blow molding machines generally produce a less expensive container, they have also been used to some extent to form water bottles. However, they have not been well accepted because the inner diameter of the bottle neck lacks the desired smooth, straight geometry due primarily to variations in the geometry of the outer diameter. In extrusion-blow molding machines, plastics material is heated and softened in an extruder and is conveyed into a die head from which a tubular parison is extruded. The parison can either be continuous, whereby a plurality of molds are sequentially enclosed about successive, axially spaced portions of the parison, or individual parisons can be intermittently extruded into the mold area using an accumulator. In either case, the material is then ejected through an annular die to form a parison having the desired length, diameter, and wall thickness distribution.
More specifically, in the extrusion-blow molding process, the mold is closed over the parison pinching off (closing) the ends of the tubular parison. Air or another gas is injected inside the parison through a blow pin, expanding the parison to match the mold cavity. Obviously, the mold in this process controls only the shape of the outer surface of the bottle, including the neck. Since the outer surface of the neck has an irregular contour to facilitate use in dispensers or water coolers, the corresponding inner surface is also irregular since the material forming the inside wall is not constrained, resulting in varying wall thickness that further distorts as the bottle cools to ambient temperature.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
}
|
The accident occurred at the International Commerce Center, which will be 118 stories high when completed next year, making it one of the world's tallest buildings and the highest in Hong Kong.
Speaking at the scene in the Kowloon district, Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang told reporters the men fell after the platform they were working on collapsed in the elevator shaft.
All six workers died, police spokesman Michael Kwan said. The workers were believed to have fallen from around the 30th floor to the 10th floor, he said.
The building's developer, major Hong Kong property company Sun Hung Kai, has agreed to pay each of the victims' families 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) on top of normal compensation payments, Hong Kong Labor Secretary Matthew Cheung told local media.
Sun Hung Kai did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Construction accidents in Hong Kong declined by about 76 percent from 1998 to 2008, as the government worked to enhance safety amid a continuous push by developers to build the soaring office and residential towers that have become a hallmark of the city.
Even so, some workers are killed every year, with falls a major cause of death. Between 2000 and 2004, nearly 44 percent of fatal construction accidents involved falls.
There were 16 fatalities in 2006, according to the government.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Young Americans Are Already Worried About Looking Old
As much as we are living in a world that is increasingly telling us that age is beauty, research shows that the fight against aging is starting younger and younger these days.
A new poll has revealed that a surprising 30 percent of women under 35 regularly use anti-wrinkle products - and this includes one in five women under the age of 24.
The poll of 2,000 women across the country, conducted by Dermstore, found that young women of today have started using products to fend off the signs of aging much sooner than their elders, with the average millennial user starting at 26 as opposed to the average over 55-year-old who started around age 47.
Over a quarter (28 percent) of women under 25 even admit that they 'regularly' worry about their signs of aging, and this number increases to 42 percent for those aged 25-34 and then 54 percent for those aged 35 to 44.
Mercifully, however, it looks like this regular worry begins to decrease after the age of 55.
Younger women are even more likely than older women (20 percent vs 11 percent) to say they would consider getting plastic surgery to fight off signs of aging.
Cathy Beaupain, President of Dermstore said: "The findings are on point with what Dermstore has been seeing in our current audience base, which shows a shift in our core shoppers' ages-now younger than previous years-and also a growth in newer skin care and beauty categories that are more favored by younger shoppers, such as Natural."
When it comes to skincare in general, it looks like women are making use of the products out there at younger and younger ages. For example, under-25s are over three times more likely than over-55s to regularly use facemasks and nearly twice as likely to regularly exfoliate their skin.
Most people over the age of 35 believe that anti-wrinkle creams work, with nearly 60 percent of those over 45 using them regularly. Yet when it comes to sunscreen, a necessity in the fight against signs of aging, younger women are more likely to make sure they are always covered and reapply as directed than their elders.
According to the data, women under the age of 35 are more than twice as likely as those over 55 to have picked up a beauty or skincare product simply because it was recommended by someone famous.
Over 60 percent of under-25s have picked up beauty tips from an online article or video tutorial, as opposed to just one in 10 of those over 55.
The age at which women start wearing make-up is only getting younger it seems, as over 55s said they didn't start until 15, while those between 35 and 44 started at 14 and women between 18 and 24 say they started at just 13 years old.
For foundation, over 55s say they didn't start till they were nearly 18, while 18-24 years olds claim they started just after age 14. Under 25s also started wearing eye shadow or eyeliner before 14 years old, which over 55s didn't dabble in until aged nearly 17.
With all this in mind, it's not surprising that attitudes of what the appropriate age to start wearing make-up differs as well, with over-55s saying it's 15, and under 25s saying it's just under 14.
For younger women, 15 is old enough for foundation, 14 for eye shadow and just 12 for lip gloss.
As for those over 55, it's 17 for foundation, 16 for eye shadow and 15 for lip gloss.
Younger women have established their regular beauty routine by the time they are 16, while older women report that it took them until their 20s before they had nailed down their usual look.
But whether they established it sooner or later, it appears that getting a beauty routine down has always been an expensive process, with the average American woman saying they have wasted $460 on beauty and skincare products that just didn't make the grade.
Cathy Beaupain added: "We understand that investing in skin care can be a huge expense, and can be frustrating if products do not meet a consumer's expectations."
"This is why we launched glow.com, a skin care recommendation system offering personalized solutions by diving deeper into a woman's individual skin care needs and giving her dermatologist-approved product suggestions."
"Beyond glow, we will continue to curate our product offerings to ensure that we represent the best assortment that is 'good for you.' We believe the latest innovations in anti-aging technology can be found in both breakthrough skin care ingredients and new devices."
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Hong Kong designer Steven Tai created a dress from 795 pen nibs, mounted on tiny motors. As you do. The rows of pen nibs are animated to created a hypnotic shimmer of movement which changes over time, varying the tempo, pattern and the overall mood of the piece. Needless to say, we want one.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Aberdeen station (SkyTrain)
Aberdeen is an elevated station on the Canada Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. It is located in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It is named after the adjacent Aberdeen Square and Aberdeen Centre, the largest of Richmond's Asian-themed malls.
Location
Aberdeen station is located south of the intersection of No. 3 Road and Cambie Road. The station is located in close proximity to numerous Asian-themed shopping centres along Richmond's Golden Village, including (from north to south) Yaohan Centre, President Plaza, Aberdeen Centre, and Parker Place. The station's east (northbound) platform is connected via overhead walkway across to Aberdeen Square and Aberdeen Centre malls.
Station name
The station was originally planned to be called "Cambie station" by RAV Project Management (RAVCO), and the City of Richmond confirmed its preference for this name in July 2005. However, a naming study conducted by the Canada Line Project Management Ltd. (renamed from RAVCO) identified some concerns with that name, among them the potential for confusion since "Cambie" is used as a street name in both Richmond and Vancouver (where Canada Line runs under Cambie Street).
The study suggested the following alternate names for the city's consideration: "International station", "Riverside station", "Golden Village station", "Golden Plaza station", "Asia Pacific station", and "Aberdeen station". The first two options were selected as the internal staff recommendation; on the other hand, "Aberdeen station" was not recommended by the naming study in order to avoid commercial naming, although the name could be justified on the grounds that "Aberdeen Village" is the name of the planning sub-area the station is located in.
The City of Richmond's planning committee voted on April 4, 2006, in favour of renaming it "Aberdeen station", which it claimed "would be readily identifiable in the community and synonymous with economic and population growth."
Station information
Station layout
Bus routes
403 Three Road / Bridgeport Station
410 Richmond–Brighouse Station / 22nd Street Station
N10 Richmond–Brighouse Station / Downtown
References
Category:Canada Line stations
Category:Railway stations opened in 2009
Category:Buildings and structures in Richmond, British Columbia
Category:2009 establishments in British Columbia
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
(**************************************************************************)
(* *)
(* OCaml *)
(* *)
(* Xavier Leroy, projet Cristal, INRIA Rocquencourt *)
(* *)
(* Copyright 1998 Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et *)
(* en Automatique. *)
(* *)
(* All rights reserved. This file is distributed under the terms of *)
(* the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1, with the *)
(* special exception on linking described in the file LICENSE. *)
(* *)
(**************************************************************************)
(* Auxiliaries for type-based optimizations, e.g. array kinds *)
val is_function_type :
Env.t -> Types.type_expr -> (Types.type_expr * Types.type_expr) option
val is_base_type : Env.t -> Types.type_expr -> Path.t -> bool
val classify_lazy_argument : Typedtree.expression ->
[ `Constant_or_function
| `Float_that_cannot_be_shortcut
| `Identifier of [`Forward_value | `Other]
| `Other]
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Luch (landform)
The term Luch (plural: Luche) is German and refers to an area of originally expansive, marshy or boggy lowland in northeast Germany, especially in the state of Brandenburg. Luche are found mainly in Young Drift regions; but they also occur on Old Drift landscapes. According to Leser the term should not be translated.
Location and history
Luche mainly formed in the main urstromtal valleys or their side valleys. After the end of the Ice Age, the water table rose during the postglacial period resulting in the formation of bogs. The peat thickness is not particularly great; in most cases it is less than 2 metres thick. Before the installation of artificial drainage networks excess water often accumulated in the Luche in ponds. In contrast with lowlands with natural watercourses, they were give a different name from the neighbouring Bruche (carrs), such as the Oderbruch to the east and the Hohennauen Bruch on the Havel to the west.
Most of the Luche in Brandenburg have since been drained by man and have become cultural landscapes. After land improvement, they were commonly used as grassland. Archaeologists like Klaus Goldmann believe that some of this reclamation began during the Slavic period, but that this was reversed by a worsening of the drainage conditions as a result of the construction of mill dams on the Havel.
There are many Luche in Brandenburg; the largest are however beyond its state borders. Even several placenames are derived from the term Luch. Examples are Luckenwalde and Doberlug.
If the generic term Luch is used, it usually refers to the regions of the Havelland Luch or Rhinluch.
Examples
– Most of these Luche are parts of larger Luche as shown in the list –
Golmer Luch
Havelland Luch
Rhinluch
Kremmener Luch
Wustrauer Luch
Rotes Luch
Langes Luch
Luchwiesen
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References
Category:Glacial landforms
Category:Landforms of Brandenburg
Category:Bogs of Germany
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Q:
Match when column does and does not equal value across multiple rows
I have a table with a many-to-many relationship to two other tables:
CREATE TABLE assoc (
id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
ref1 INT NOT NULL,
ref2 INT NOT NULL,
INDEX composite_key (ref1, ref2)
);
I want to determine if there are associations with ref1 that match and do not match a given value for ref2. As an example, lets say I'd like to match if an association for ref1 is present with a value of 1000 and any other value for ref2:
INSERT INTO assoc (ref1, ref2) VALUES
(100, 10),
(100, 1000);
However, no match should be given if only the value 1000 is associated with ref1, or if it is solely any other value:
INSERT INTO assoc (ref1,ref2) VALUES
(101, 10),
(102, 1000);
I came up with two solutions. 1) Create a temp table with the results of rows that do match the value, then SELECT from that the rows that do not match the value, and 2) join the same table, and specify the not matching criteria from that table.
CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE set
SELECT ref1 FROM assoc
WHERE ref2 = 1000;
SELECT assoc.ref1 FROM `set`
JOIN assoc ON `set`.ref1 = assoc.ref1
WHERE assoc.ref2 <> 1000;
SELECT assoc.ref1 FROM assoc
JOIN assoc AS `set` ON assoc.ref1 = `set`.ref1
WHERE assoc.ref2 = 1000 AND `set`.ref2 <> 1000;
However, I'd like to know if there are other ways to accomplish this match?
A:
I think your second solution is the standard way to do what you want; I'd do it the same way. You have also added the INDEX composite_key correctly. However, you might add an additional GROUP BY to avoid that the same assoc.ref1 appears as many times as the join finds associated rows with ref2 <> 1000:
SELECT assoc.ref1 FROM assoc
JOIN assoc AS `set` ON assoc.ref1 = `set`.ref1
WHERE assoc.ref2 = 1000 AND `set`.ref2 <> 1000
GROUP BY assoc.ref1;
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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Pandeism
Scott Adams, God's Debris "The fact that we exist is proof that God is motivated to act in some way. And since only the challenge of self-destruction could interest an omnipotent God, it stands to reason that we... are God's debris."
Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love "God split himself into a myriad parts that he might have friends. This may not be true, but it sounds goodand is no sillier than any other theology."
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Pandeism is a theological theory which proposes that a creator (not necessarily a 'god') created our physical Universe by becoming the Universe. This creator currently exists as an unconscious or otherwise nonintervening (unable to intervene) Energy sustaining all motion in the Universe. Various explanations have been introduced as to why this happened, mostly revolving around the creator needing to learn something through the human experience, or perhaps wishing to experience nonexistence itself. The latter is the device used in Scott Adams' book God's Debris. Variations also speculate as to our purpose, and whether the creator will ever go back to being what it was before, and whether we will have a part in that.
This position is arrived at through the combination of Deism (the archetype for Have You Seen My God?) and Pantheism (the same for Pieces of God). Not to be confused with Pandaism.
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Examples
open/close all folders
Anime and Manga
Comic Books
Lucifer ends with Elaine Belloc, the new omnipotent God , choosing to do this, because having seen how the old way of doing things has gone wrong, and recognising that an omnipotent being should not be personally doing favours for individual people they personally care about at the expense of others, the best way to avoid this is to merge with the universe rather than sit on high and rule it in a top-down way.
Film
The Fountain somewhat inaccurately characterizes Mayincatec mythology as "First Father sacrificed himself for the Tree of Life," and so in essence became the world.
Some Pandeists will contend that Pandeism is what's going on in Star Wars — the source of The Force and such.
— the source of The Force and such. Oh, God! has George Burns as God giving some surprisingly pandeistic answers to questions from religions leaders. "The divine truth is not a building or a book or a story. The heart is the temple, where all truth resides".... "Jesus was my son, Buddha was my son, Mohammad, Moses, you, the man who said there was no room at the inn was my son. And so is the one who charges $11.00 for a steak in this one".... "Everything around them that they can see and smell and feel and hear they should delight in all this. That what is here are some of my very best ideas. And I want everyone to try very hard to make sure that it doesn't all go down the drain." Naturally, it might be pointed out that the God of Oh, God! appears as a separate and intervening entity, but Pandeism would simply explain God's appearance (which is in point of fact mundane and lacking in any especially mind-blowing miracles) as a projection of man — as part of our Creator — unwittingly reminding himself of some important underlying truths.
The film version of AKIRA has Tetsuo, in the end becoming a new Big Bang and being reborn as a new Universe.
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Literature
Scott Adams' "God's Debris" uses this trope and posits that the creator is wishing to experience nonexistence itself.
The Survivors, a 1976 novel by Simon Raven, features a character with this belief. One character observes, "God became the universe. Therefore the universe is God." while the other counters "In becoming the universe God abdicated. He destroyed himself as God. He turned what he had been, his true self, into nullity and thereby forfeited the Godlike qualities which pertained to him. The universe which he has become is also his grave. He has no control in it or over it. God, as God, is dead."
Critic Dan Schneider suggests this theory to be the one at work in Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, as the basis of Valentine Michael Smith's created religion.
One of Lazarus Long's aphorisms from Heinlein's Time Enough for Love: "God split himself into a myriad parts that he might have friends. This may not be true, but it sounds good, and is no sillier than any other theology."
This is how universes are created in Alan Dean Foster's Glory Lane. A god-like being commits suicide which creates another universe with another godlike being made of dark matter who commits suicide again, creating another universe and another god-like dark matter being and so-on ad infinitum.
The Jack Kerouac novel Desolation Angels comments about how we are bits of a Universe which decided to become us and then forget it had become us: "And you have been forever, and will be forever, and all the worrisome smashings of your foot on innocent cupboard doors it was only the Void pretending to be a man pretending not to know the Void...."
Alfred Tennyson personally identified as a Pandeist, and this theological underpinning influenced much of his nature poetry.
Poet Ferndano Pessoa has been identified by literary critics as a Pandeist as well.
Jorge Luis Borges hints this way in "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius ", and moreso in "Otras inquisiciones" (1952): "El tiempo es la sustancia de que estoy hecho. El tiempo es un río que me arrebata, pero yo soy el río; es un tigre que me destroza, pero yo soy el tigre; es un fuego que me consume, pero yo soy el fuego. El 'mundo, desgraciadamente, es real; yo, desgraciadamente, soy Borges." ("Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire. The 'world, unfortunately, is real, I, unfortunately, am Borges.") Borges wrote sympathetically of Philipp Mainländer: "Like me, he was an impassioned reader of Schopenhauer, under whose influence (and perhaps under the influence of the Gnostics) he imagined that we are fragments of a God who destroyed Himself at the beginning of time, because He did not wish to exist. Universal history is the obscure agony of those fragments."
One of the characters in William Peter Blatty's Legion suggests an interesting twist on this idea: the Universe did not arise from God tearing Himself apart, but of another entity created by God — who tore himself apart of his own free will, out of a desire to experience space and time and to explore physical existence. Every sentient being is a piece of this entity, attempting to learn more about himself and his relation to the Infinite; human good and evil is a manifestation of the good and evil that lay within the entity. The character comes up with a name for this entity: Lucifer, who was both the fallen angel and the Bringer of Light.
Religious writer Neale Donald Walsch espouses a pandeistic understanding of our Universe, and of man being the experience of God.
Many books along the lines of The Master Key System and The Secret fundamentally presume a pandeistic Universe, wherein man is able to unlock seemingly divine capacities by dint of our Universe being the unconscious existence of our Creator.
Cities in Flight: The final section (Triumph Of Time) has several characters decide to have themselves thrown 'outside' of the universe — it's going to temporarily cross "through" another universe; they (most likely) won't survive the process — in space suits packed with explosives. The expectation is setting off the explosives would allow each character to become a personalized "big bang", with the resultant baby universes having their physical constants being 'seeded' by the constants contained within each astronaut.
Mythology
Chinese Mythology: Pangu is a human man born in nothing ness, and he separated the sky and the earth, then died, and his body parts became everything on the world.
Live-Action TV
The Minbari religion from Babylon 5 can be summarized as this. In one episode, Delann describes it thusly: "We believe that the Universe itself is conscious in a way we can never truly understand; it is engaged in a search for meaning, so it breaks itself apart, investing its own consciousness in every form of life. We are the Universe trying to understand itself." In another episode, Delenn tells John that if they die, they will reunite "in the place where no shadows fall" because "all come together in the same place, at the end of time."
Tabletop Games
Video games
In Grim Dawn A Darker and Edgier take on it. The blood of Ch'thon, the Dying God was used to create all mortal life in the Grim Dawn universe. But he feels all the pain that they feel and has been driven mad by it.
Webcomics
In Kill Six Billion Demons, the god YISUN grew weary of having an infinite existence, and thus committed suicide by splitting itself into many lesser aspects. In White Chain's words, "It was a wretched life, without meaning or perception. Imagine infinite stories to tell, Allison, and nobody to tell them to. "
Real Life
Scores of historical philosophers have been associated with pandeistic views by various historians of philosophy, including Xenophanes of Colophon, Heraclitus of Ephesus, Chrysippus, Scotus Eriugena, Bonaventure, Nicholas of Cusa, Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont, Giordano Bruno, Anselm of Canterbury, Victor Cousin, and Friedrich Engels.
Some expressions of Hinduism delve in this direction, though this is most often through Western interpretation of Hindu doctrine.
NASA astrophysicist Bernard Haisch proposes a theological model in his book The God Theory which has an infinite God becoming an infinite number of Universes to actualise its experience of all forms of existence; human consciousness is simply a filtered fragment of the now-sublimated consciousness of this God.
Literal, self-proclaimed pandeists. Probably the most noted is Alfred Tennyson. Another is adventurer Bruce Parry.
Tropes about Pandeism itself:
Perfect Pacifist People : Justified on the belief that violence committed against another person is actually committed against the Creator; which means, ultimately, against the self.
Pieces of God: Everything is.
Puff of Logic: The view taken by Pandeism as to theistic beliefs — as Pandeism is based on logic, and claims to account for all phenomena upon which other faiths are premised without requiring additional divine capacities, it is asserted to logically supersede all faiths which do require such capacities.
Reincarnation: Some versions have it, some don't, but all suppose at least that we are pieces of God, and probably that we will at some point be reassembled into God.
Sentient Cosmic Force: In some strains of pandeistic thought.
Take a Third Option: Splits the line between atheism and theism. Or between Pantheism and Deism, which already both sort of do that.
The Omniscient: Variable within the varying schools of thought of the belief, but generally exists at least to the extent that the Creator, having become the Creation, instantly and completely experiences everything which happens within such Creation. But since the Creator is fully occupied with existing as the Creation, it can do nothing to change what is happening or will happen. The notion that the Creator knows future happenings is explicitly denied on the grounds that this would eliminate any rational basis for setting forth a Creation at all.
Who Wants to Live Forever?: One possible reason why a God would cease to be a God and become a Universe instead.
You Cannot Grasp the True Form: Those who are somehow able to contact the mind of our Creator as it unconsciously underlies our Universe find that experience so incomprehensible that their tiny human minds automatically defend themselves by interpreting such encounters as intentional communications from culturally familiar conceptions of gods, thereby explaining all revelation and scripture.
Your Mind Makes It Real: Miracles, seemingly answered prayers, and revelations occur across multiple faiths because the Universe-creating entity has become us (and the rest of the Universe) and believers in any religion are able to unwittingly tap into their own little slice of Creator-power.
Useful links
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Halloween Hunt
"Look for candy in a mansion haunted by Death!"
There has always been a creepy mansion across the street from your house looming ominously over the street. Rumors began to circulate that Death himself lived inside, waiting for innocent victims to come stumbling through his front doors. One month later, nobody would set foot within 100 yards of the front door.
But for some reason your school friends think it's a joke. They think whoever lives inside has stashed mounds of candy somewhere and they want to go get it. Due to peer pressure or something like that, you decide to follow them all inside. Upon entering, the door slams shut, locking you inside.
Then Death himself came to greet the doubtful schoolkids, and they realized how very wrong they were to think it was all a myth. But Death is smart and patient. What fun would just killing them be? He decided that the person who could find the most "spooky candy" in the house would be allowed to live. Frightened and peeing themselves, your friends take off running! Death knew that their drive to be "the best" would keep bringing them back for more...
Will you be able to get the most candy? Will you SURVIVE? Find out!
To put things simply, you roam around a dark mansion looking for candy. Some candies give you 1 pt, while others give you 3 pts. If you can find the Golden Chocolate, you will get 25 pts. There is also a 20% chance that a chest is a trick chest...
However the Reaper is looking for you. If he manages to catch you, your score will be divided by 2 and you will be returned to the entrance! The winner is the player who manages to collect the most candy when the time is up!
Extra Info
The map is a Horror/Game map, meaning that it is a little of both. The map contains mild jumpscares, unnerving ambient music, sudden noises and effects, and more. The map is not that scary though as I wished to focus on the game part primarily (competing with friends for most candy points).
There is a resource pack that is included in the download link. ALL players must be using it! Send this link (http://bit.ly/2easnJj) to your friends for ease!
The game shows five options for "Box Frequency" in the lobby. The option "Common" spawns 50 boxes around the map. Each is essentially 10 less than the prior option with Rare only spawning 10.
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Method
For the salt-roasted beetroot, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Pour the salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the egg whites, a little at a time, until the mixture takes on a thick, cement-like consistency that is firm enough to roll into a ball that will hold its shape (you may not need to use all the egg whites). Set aside any remaining egg whites to use for the egg wash on the pastry.
Spread the egg white and salt mixture all over the beetroot until completely covered. Place the coated beetroot onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for one hour.
When the beetroot has cooked, bash the salt crust with the edge of a spoon until it falls away, then peel and slice the beetroot. Set aside.
Put the courgette, fennel and garlic cloves into a roasting tray and drizzle over the olive oil, then mix to coat all the vegetables in the oil. Add the sprigs of thyme and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are just starting to go tender. Set aside to cool slightly (discard the thyme stalks and pop the garlic out of its skin).
Increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Beat the egg yolk in a bowl with any remaining egg whites. Lay the ready-rolled sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured baking tray and brush the edge with a thick border of beaten egg.
Scatter the roasted vegetables, beetroot and cherry tomatoes inside the egg-wash border and crumble over the goats' cheese.
Drizzle the tart with a little more olive oil and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the tart in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Serve immediately.
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Effect of ion-exchange treatment on mechanical properties of new dental ceramics.
To examine whether the ion exchange strengthening can be achieved for several new ceramics such as glass ceramics or castable ceramics. The ceramics selected for this study were three porcelains and three castable ceramics. 60 bend bars of the respective ceramics (1 x 5 x 10 mm) were fabricated according to the respective manufacturer's directions. Finally, the respective specimens were polished up to 0.1 microm and then divided into two groups: one was coated with an ion-exchange paste and the other was not treated as the control. Then, for the respective ceramics the hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness were investigated and compared to the control. Although the ion-exchange treatment significantly (P < 0.05, Scheffé's test) increased flexural strength and fracture toughness for the porcelain based ceramics, it did not increase these properties for the castable ceramics. The chemical treatment did not affect hardness for any of the specimens.
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Microcredit for water supply and sanitation
Microcredit for water supply and sanitation is the application of microcredit to provide loans to small enterprises and households in order to increase access to an improved water source and sanitation in developing countries. While most investments in water supply and sanitation infrastructure are financed by the public sector, investment levels have been insufficient to achieve universal access. Commercial credit to public utilities was limited by low tariffs and insufficient cost-recovery. Microcredits are a complementary or alternative approach to allow the poor to gain access to water supply and sanitation.
Funding is allocated either to small-scale independent water-providers who generate an income stream from selling water, or to households in order to finance house connections, plumbing installations, or on-site sanitation such as latrines. Many microfinance institutions have only limited experience with financing investments in water supply and sanitation. While there have been many pilot projects in both urban and rural areas, only a small number of these have been expanded. A water connection can significantly lower a family's water expenditures, if it previously had to rely on water vendors, allowing cost-savings to repay the credit. The time previously required to physically fetch water can be put to income-generating purposes, and investments in sanitation provide health benefits that can also translate into increased income.
Types
There are three broad types of microcredit products in the water sector:
Microcredits aiming to improve access to water supply and sanitation at the household level.
Credits for small and medium enterprises for small water-supply investments.
Credits to upgrade urban services and shared facilities in low-income areas.
Household credits
Microcredits can be targeted specifically at water and sanitation, or general-purpose microcredits may be used for this purpose. Such use is typically to finance household water and sewerage connections, bathrooms, toilets, pit latrines, rainwater harvesting tanks or water purifiers. The loans are generally with a tenure of less than three years.
Microfinance institutions, such as Grameen Bank, the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, and numerous microfinance institutions in India and Kenya, offer credits to individuals for water and sanitation facilities. Non-government organisations (NGOs) that are not microfinance institutions, such as Dustha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) in Bangladesh or Community Integrated Development Initiatives in Uganda, also provide credits for water supply and sanitation. The potential market size is considered huge in both rural and urban areas and some of these water and sanitation schemes have achieved a significant scale. Nevertheless, compared to the microfinance institution's overall size, they still play a minor role.
In 1999, all microfinance institutions in Bangladesh and more recently in Vietnam had reached only about 9 percent and 2.4 percent of rural households respectively. In either country, water and sanitation amounts to less than two percent of the microfinance institution's total portfolio. However, borrowers for water supply and sanitation comprised 30 percent of total borrowers for Grameen Bank and 10 percent of total borrowers from Vietnam Bank for Social Policies. For instance, the water and sanitation portfolio of the Indian microfinance institution SEWA Bank comprised 15 percent of all loans provided in the city of Admedabad over a period of five years.
Examples
WaterCredit
The US-based NGO Water.org, through its WaterCredit initiative, had since 2003 supported microfinance institutions and NGOs in India, Bangladesh, Kenya and Uganda in providing microcredit for water supply and sanitation. As of 2011, it had helped its 13 partner organisations to make 51,000 credits. The organisation claimed a 97% repayment rate and stated that 90% of its borrowers were women. WaterCredit did not subsidise interest rates and typically did not make microcredits directly. Instead, it connected microfinance institutions with water and sanitation NGOs to develop water and sanitation microcredits, including through market assessments and capacity-building. Only in exceptional cases did it provide guarantees, standing letters of credit or the initial capital to establish a revolving fund managed by an NGO that was not previously engaged in microcredit.
Indonesia
Since 2003 Bank Rakyat Indonesia financed water connections with the water utility PDAM through microcredits with support from the USAID Environmental Services Program. According to an impact assessment conducted in 2005, the program helped the utility to increase its customer base by 40% which reduced its costs per cubic meter of water sold by 42% and reduced its non-revenue water from 56.5% in 2002 to 36% percent at the end of 2004.
Vietnam
In 1999, the World Bank in cooperation with the governments of Australia, Finland and Denmark supported the creation of a Sanitation Revolving Fund with an initial working capital of million. The project was carried out in the cities of Danang, Haiphong, and Quang Ninh. The aim was to provide small loans () to low-income households for targeted sanitation investments such as septic tanks, urine diverting/composting latrines or sewer connections. Participating households had to join a savings and credit group of 12 to 20 people, who were required to live near each other to ensure community control. The loans had a catalyst effect for household investment. With loans covering approximately two-thirds of investment costs, households had to find complementary sources of finance (from family and friends).
In contrast to a centralised, supply-driven approach, where government institutions design a project with little community consultation and no capacity-building for the community, this approach was strictly demand-driven and thus required the Sanitation Revolving Fund to develop awareness-raising campaigns for sanitation. Managed by the microfinance-experienced Women's Union of Vietnam, the Sanitation Revolving Fund gave 200,000 households the opportunity to finance and build sanitation facilities over a period of seven years. With a leverage effect of up to 25 times the amount of public spending on household investment and repayment rates of almost 100 percent, the fund is seen as a best practice example by its financiers. In 2009 it was considered to be scaled up with further support of the World Bank and the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.
Small and medium enterprise loans
Small and medium enterprise (SME) loans are used for investments by community groups, for private providers in greenfield contexts, or for rehabilitation measures of water supply and sanitation. Supplied by mature microfinance institutions, these loans are seen as suitable for other suppliers in the value chain such as pit latrine emptiers and tanker suppliers. With the right conditions such as a solid policy environment and clear institutional relationships, there is a market potential for small-scale water supply projects.
In comparison to retail loans on the household level, the experience with loan products for SME is fairly limited. These loan programs remain mostly at the pilot level. However, the design of some recent projects using microcredits for community-based service providers in some African countries (such as those of the K-Rep Bank in Kenya and Togo) shows a sustainable expansion potential. In the case of Kenya's K-Rep Bank, the Water and Sanitation Program, which facilitated the project, is already exploring a country-wide scaling up.
Examples
Kenya
Kenya has numerous community-managed small-water enterprises. The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) has launched an initiative to use microcredits to promote these enterprises. As part of this initiative, the commercial microfinance bank K-Rep Bank provided loans to 21 community-managed water projects. The Global Partnership on Output-based Aid (GPOBA) supported the programme by providing partial subsidies. Every project is pre-financed with a credit of up to 80 percent of the project costs (averaging ). After an independent verification process, certifying a successful completion, a part of the loan is refinanced by a 40 percent output-based aid subsidy. The remaining loan repayments have to be generated from water revenues. In addition, technical-assistance grants are provided to assist with the project development.
Togo
In Togo, CREPA (Centre Regional pour l'Eau Potable et L'Assainissement à Faible Côut) had encouraged the liberalisation of water services in 2001. As a consequence, six domestic microfinance institutions were preparing microcredit scheme for a shallow borehole () or rainwater-harvesting tank (). The loans were originally dedicated to households, which act as a small private provider, selling water in bulk or in buckets. However, the funds were disbursed directly to the private (drilling) companies. In the period from 2001 to 2006, roughly 1,200 water points were built and have been used for small-business activities by the households which participated in that programme.
Urban services upgrading
This type of credits has not been used widely.
See also
Water supply
Sanitation
References
External links
WaterCredit by Water.org
Vietnam Women's Union
Three Cities Sanitation Project in Vietnam
GTZ, World Bank and IFAD:Pro-Poor Financial Services for Rural Water. Linking the Water Sector to Rural Finance, 2010
Category:Microfinance
Category:Water supply
Category:Sanitation
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K2-138b
K2-138b is a potentially rocky Super-Earth exoplanet orbiting every 2 days around a K1V star. The planet, along with the four others in the system, was found by citizen scientists of the Exoplanet Explorers project on Zooniverse. It was the final planet found in the system and was officially announced on January 8, 2018.
K2-138b is the smallest planet of K2-138 with a radius of 1.57 , meaning it could be rocky. It orbits its host star every 2.35 days at a distance of 0.0338 AU. At this proximity, the planet is likely very hot and receives 486 times the stellar flux as Earth. The planet has a Mass of and a bulk density of g/cm-3, which is an earth-like density. The planet has likely a rocky core and a substantial atmospheric layer, composed of volatiles.
The K2-138 system is unique for being the first exoplanet system discovered entirely by citizen scientists.
The K2-138 system, including K2-138b will be studied with CHEOPS to further constrain the mass of the planets with transit-timing variation (TTV).
See also
List of exoplanets discovered in 2017
References
Category:Transiting exoplanets
Category:Exoplanets discovered in 2017
Category:Exoplanets discovered by K2
Category:Aquarius (constellation)
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Christian County, Kentucky
Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,955. Its county seat is Hopkinsville. The county was formed in 1797.
Christian County is part of the Clarksville, TN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The county is named for Colonel William Christian, a native of Augusta County, Virginia, and a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He settled near Louisville, Kentucky in 1785, and was killed by Native Americans in southern Indiana in 1786.
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America was born in Fairview, Christian County, Kentucky, in 1808. United States Vice President Adlai Stevenson I was born in Christian County in 1835.
The present courthouse, built in 1869, replaced a structure burned by Confederate cavalry in 1864 because the Union Army was using it as their barracks.
The United States Supreme Court case Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514 (1972), arose out of a 1958 double-murder in Christian County, Kentucky.
In 2006 and 2008, tornadoes touched down across northern Christian County, damaging homes in the Crofton area.
In 2017, northwestern Christian County experienced the longest duration of totality in the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 that crossed North America. The center was in the Bainbridge/Sinking Fork area of the county, on the Orchardale farm.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. It is the second-largest county by area in Kentucky and the largest in Western Kentucky.
Adjacent counties
Hopkins County (north)
Muhlenberg County (northeast)
Todd County (east)
Montgomery County, Tennessee (southeast)
Stewart County, Tennessee (southwest)
Trigg County (west)
Caldwell County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 72,265 people, 24,857 households, and 18,344 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 27,182 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 69.92% White, 23.73% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. 4.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. This number, however, was estimated to be around 4% for a 2006 Census Estimate, according to the United States Census Bureau.
There were 24,857 households out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 16.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,177, and the median income for a family was $35,240. Males had a median income of $25,063 versus $20,748 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,611. About 12.10% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.
Education
High schools
Christian County High School
Hopkinsville High School
Fort Campbell High School — physically located in Tennessee, but serving the entire Fort Campbell base, and a member of Kentucky's governing body for high school athletics, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
University Heights Academy (private K-12)
Heritage Christian Academy (private K-12)
Colleges
Hopkinsville Community College (Website)
Murray State University (regional campuses in Hopkinsville and Ft. Campbell)
Politics
Communities
Cities
Crofton
Hopkinsville
LaFayette
Oak Grove
Pembroke
Census-designated places
Fairview
Fort Campbell North
Other unincorporated communities
Apex
Bainbridge
Bennettstown
Bluff Spring
Casky
Edgoten
Empire
Fearsville
Fruit Hill
Garrettsburg
Gracey
Hensleytown
Herndon
Honey Grove
Howel
Julien
Kelly
Mannington
Newstead
Saint Elmo
Sinking Fork
Notable people
Edgar Cayce. American Christian mystic (1877-1945)
Adlai Stevenson I, 23rd Vice President of the United States (1893-1897), was born in Christian County.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Christian County, Kentucky
References
External links
Community Data and Relocation Info
Economic Development Council- Hopkinsville/Christian County
Chamber of Commerce- Hopkinsville/Christian County
WHVO-AM (Local Radio Station)
History of Christian County
Category:Kentucky counties
Category:1797 establishments in Kentucky
Category:Clarksville metropolitan area
Category:Populated places established in 1797
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描述
The Bet50 platform is an online betting site for e-sports, live sports of various kinds as well as dice games. Bet50 token is an international payment system built on the EOS blockchain. It is used for making and closing bets on BET50 Esports platform, dice gambling and in their online Casino and will be used to buy Gift Cards.
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Kim Chul
Kim Chul (born 11 July 1980) is a South Korean field hockey player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
References
Category:1980 births
Category:Living people
Category:South Korean male field hockey players
Category:Olympic field hockey players of South Korea
Category:Field hockey players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Asian Games medalists in field hockey
Category:Field hockey players at the 2002 Asian Games
Category:Field hockey players at the 2006 Asian Games
Category:Asian Games gold medalists for South Korea
Category:Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games
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{
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'All foods affect health': understandings of functional foods and healthy eating among health-oriented Finns.
One of the recent phenomena in contemporary discussion of eating is 'functional foods', i.e. foods marketed as promoting health or reducing the risk of disease. This article analyses lay understandings of health-promoting foods in Finland by examining the ways in which middle-aged health-oriented consumers make sense of functional foods in the context of healthy eating. The article is based on an analysis of eight focus group discussions held with 45 users and non-users of cholesterol-lowering products as specific type of functional foods. The findings indicate that consumers interpret functional foods and healthy eating from a variety of perspectives. These perspectives include (1) focus on the whole diet, (2) distinguishing between healthy foods and functional foods, (3) the dilemma of eating for health or for pleasure, (4) healthfulness as an 'individual' issue and finally, (5) the duality of risk in the context of functional foods. The diversity of perspectives illustrates the ways that interpretations of functional foods and healthy eating are entangled with notions of uncertainties relating to scientific knowledge, moral undertones governing what is defined as acceptable eating and the symbolic significance of food as an inextricably social matter.
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Kimstad
Kimstad is a locality situated in Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 1,510 inhabitants in 2010. On 12 September 2010, Kimstad became the scene of a railway accident when an X 2000 high-speed train collided with a crane utility vehicle. Kimstad lies around 20 kilometres southwest of Norrköping.
References
Category:Populated places in Östergötland County
Category:Populated places in Norrköping Municipality
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Hamming weight
The Hamming weight of a string is the number of symbols that are different from the zero-symbol of the alphabet used. It is thus equivalent to the Hamming distance from the all-zero string of the same length. For the most typical case, a string of bits, this is the number of 1's in the string, or the digit sum of the binary representation of a given number and the ℓ₁ norm of a bit vector. In this binary case, it is also called the population count, popcount, sideways sum, or bit summation.
History and usage
The Hamming weight is named after Richard Hamming although he did not originate the notion. The Hamming weight of binary numbers was already used in 1899 by James W. L. Glaisher to give a formula for the number of odd binomial coefficients in a single row of Pascal's triangle. Irving S. Reed introduced a concept, equivalent to Hamming weight in the binary case, in 1954.
Hamming weight is used in several disciplines including information theory, coding theory, and cryptography. Examples of applications of the Hamming weight include:
In modular exponentiation by squaring, the number of modular multiplications required for an exponent e is log2 e + weight(e). This is the reason that the public key value e used in RSA is typically chosen to be a number of low Hamming weight.
The Hamming weight determines path lengths between nodes in Chord distributed hash tables.
IrisCode lookups in biometric databases are typically implemented by calculating the Hamming distance to each stored record.
In computer chess programs using a bitboard representation, the Hamming weight of a bitboard gives the number of pieces of a given type remaining in the game, or the number of squares of the board controlled by one player's pieces, and is therefore an important contributing term to the value of a position.
Hamming weight can be used to efficiently compute find first set using the identity ffs(x) = pop(x ^ ~(-x)). This is useful on platforms such as SPARC that have hardware Hamming weight instructions but no hardware find first set instruction.
The Hamming weight operation can be interpreted as a conversion from the unary numeral system to binary numbers.
In implementation of some succinct data structures like bit vectors and wavelet trees.
Efficient implementation
The population count of a bitstring is often needed in cryptography and other applications. The Hamming distance of two words A and B can be calculated as the Hamming weight of A xor B.
The problem of how to implement it efficiently has been widely studied. A single operation for the calculation, or parallel operations on bit vectors are available on some processors. For processors lacking those features, the best solutions known are based on adding counts in a tree pattern. For example, to count the number of 1 bits in the 16-bit binary number a = 0110 1100 1011 1010, these operations can be done:
Here, the operations are as in C programming language, so means to shift X right by Y bits, X & Y means the bitwise AND of X and Y, and + is ordinary addition. The best algorithms known for this problem are based on the concept illustrated above and are given here:
//types and constants used in the functions below
//uint64_t is an unsigned 64-bit integer variable type (defined in C99 version of C language)
const uint64_t m1 = 0x5555555555555555; //binary: 0101...
const uint64_t m2 = 0x3333333333333333; //binary: 00110011..
const uint64_t m4 = 0x0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f; //binary: 4 zeros, 4 ones ...
const uint64_t m8 = 0x00ff00ff00ff00ff; //binary: 8 zeros, 8 ones ...
const uint64_t m16 = 0x0000ffff0000ffff; //binary: 16 zeros, 16 ones ...
const uint64_t m32 = 0x00000000ffffffff; //binary: 32 zeros, 32 ones
const uint64_t h01 = 0x0101010101010101; //the sum of 256 to the power of 0,1,2,3...
//This is a naive implementation, shown for comparison,
//and to help in understanding the better functions.
//This algorithm uses 24 arithmetic operations (shift, add, and).
int popcount64a(uint64_t x)
{
x = (x & m1 ) + ((x >> 1) & m1 ); //put count of each 2 bits into those 2 bits
x = (x & m2 ) + ((x >> 2) & m2 ); //put count of each 4 bits into those 4 bits
x = (x & m4 ) + ((x >> 4) & m4 ); //put count of each 8 bits into those 8 bits
x = (x & m8 ) + ((x >> 8) & m8 ); //put count of each 16 bits into those 16 bits
x = (x & m16) + ((x >> 16) & m16); //put count of each 32 bits into those 32 bits
x = (x & m32) + ((x >> 32) & m32); //put count of each 64 bits into those 64 bits
return x;
}
//This uses fewer arithmetic operations than any other known
//implementation on machines with slow multiplication.
//This algorithm uses 17 arithmetic operations.
int popcount64b(uint64_t x)
{
x -= (x >> 1) & m1; //put count of each 2 bits into those 2 bits
x = (x & m2) + ((x >> 2) & m2); //put count of each 4 bits into those 4 bits
x = (x + (x >> 4)) & m4; //put count of each 8 bits into those 8 bits
x += x >> 8; //put count of each 16 bits into their lowest 8 bits
x += x >> 16; //put count of each 32 bits into their lowest 8 bits
x += x >> 32; //put count of each 64 bits into their lowest 8 bits
return x & 0x7f;
}
//This uses fewer arithmetic operations than any other known
//implementation on machines with fast multiplication.
//This algorithm uses 12 arithmetic operations, one of which is a multiply.
int popcount64c(uint64_t x)
{
x -= (x >> 1) & m1; //put count of each 2 bits into those 2 bits
x = (x & m2) + ((x >> 2) & m2); //put count of each 4 bits into those 4 bits
x = (x + (x >> 4)) & m4; //put count of each 8 bits into those 8 bits
return (x * h01) >> 56; //returns left 8 bits of x + (x<<8) + (x<<16) + (x<<24) + ...
}
The above implementations have the best worst-case behavior of any known algorithm. However, when a value is expected to have few nonzero bits, it may instead be more efficient to use algorithms that count these bits one at a time. As Wegner described in 1960, the bitwise AND of x with x − 1 differs from x only in zeroing out the least significant nonzero bit: subtracting 1 changes the rightmost string of 0s to 1s, and changes the rightmost 1 to a 0. If x originally had n bits that were 1, then after only n iterations of this operation, x will be reduced to zero. The following implementation is based on this principle.
//This is better when most bits in x are 0
//This is algorithm works the same for all data sizes.
//This algorithm uses 3 arithmetic operations and 1 comparison/branch per "1" bit in x.
int popcount64d(uint64_t x)
{
int count;
for (count=0; x; count++)
x &= x - 1;
return count;
}
If a greater memory usage is allowed, we can calculate the Hamming weight faster than the above methods. With unlimited memory, we could simply create a large lookup table of the Hamming weight of every 64 bit integer. If we can store a lookup table of the hamming function of every 16 bit integer, we can do the following to compute the Hamming weight of every 32 bit integer.
static uint16_t wordbits[65536] = { /* bitcounts of integers 0 through 65535, inclusive */ };
//This algorithm uses 3 arithmetic operations and 2 memory reads.
int popcount32e(uint32_t x)
{
return wordbits[x & 0xFFFF] + wordbits[x >> 16];
}
//Optionally, the wordbits[] table could be filled using this function
int popcount32e_init(void)
{
uint32_t i;
uint16_t x;
int count;
for (i=0; i <= 0xFFFF; i++)
{
x = i;
for (count=0; x; count++) // borrowed from popcount64d() above
x &= x - 1;
wordbits[i] = count;
}
}
Muła et al. have shown that a vectorized version of popcount64b can run faster than dedicated instructions (e.g., popcnt on x64 processors).
Language support
Some C compilers provide intrinsic functions that provide bit counting facilities. For example, GCC (since version 3.4 in April 2004) includes a builtin function __builtin_popcount that will use a processor instruction if available or an efficient library implementation otherwise. LLVM-GCC has included this function since version 1.5 in June 2005.
In C++ STL, the bit-array data structure bitset has a count() method that counts the number of bits that are set.
In Java, the growable bit-array data structure has a method that counts the number of bits that are set. In addition, there are and functions to count bits in primitive 32-bit and 64-bit integers, respectively. Also, the arbitrary-precision integer class also has a method that counts bits.
In Common Lisp, the function logcount, given a non-negative integer, returns the number of 1 bits. (For negative integers it returns the number of 0 bits in 2's complement notation.) In either case the integer can be a BIGNUM.
Starting in GHC 7.4, the Haskell base package has a popCount function available on all types that are instances of the Bits class (available from the Data.Bits module).
MySQL version of SQL language provides BIT_COUNT() as a standard function.
Fortran 2008 has the standard, intrinsic, elemental function popcnt returning the number of nonzero bits within an integer (or integer array).
Some programmable scientific pocket calculators feature special commands to calculate the number of set bits, e.g. #B on the HP-16C and WP 43S, #BITS or BITSUM on HP-16C emulators, and nBITS on the WP 34S.
FreePascal implements popcnt since version 3.0.
Processor support
The IBM STRETCH computer in the 1960s calculated the number of set bits as well as the number of leading zeros as a by-product of all logical operations.
Cray supercomputers early on featured a population count machine instruction, rumoured to have been specifically requested by the U.S. government National Security Agency for cryptanalysis applications.
Some of Control Data Corporation's (CDC) Cyber 70/170 series machines included a population count instruction; in COMPASS, this instruction was coded as CXi.
The 64-bit SPARC version 9 architecture defines a POPC instruction, but most implementations do not implement it, requiring it be emulated by the operating system.
Donald Knuth's model computer MMIX that is going to replace MIX in his book The Art of Computer Programming has an SADD instruction since 1999. SADD a,b,c counts all bits that are 1 in b and 0 in c and writes the result to a.
Compaq's Alpha 21264A, released in 1999, was the first Alpha series CPU design that had the count extension (CIX).
Analog Devices' Blackfin processors feature the ONES instruction to perform a 32-bit population count.
AMD's Barcelona architecture introduced the advanced bit manipulation (ABM) ISA introducing the POPCNT instruction as part of the SSE4a extensions in 2007.
Intel Core processors introduced a POPCNT instruction with the SSE4.2 instruction set extension, first available in a Nehalem-based Core i7 processor, released in November 2008.
The ARM architecture introduced the VCNT instruction as part of the Advanced SIMD (NEON) extensions.
The RISC-V architecture introduced the PCNT instruction as part of the Bit Manipulation (B) extension.
See also
Minimum weight
Two's complement
Most frequent k characters
Fan out
References
Further reading
(Item 169: Population count assembly code for the PDP/6-10.)
External links
Aggregate Magic Algorithms. Optimized population count and other algorithms explained with sample code.
Bit Twiddling Hacks Several algorithms with code for counting bits set.
Necessary and Sufficient - by Damien Wintour - Has code in C# for various Hamming Weight implementations.
Best algorithm to count the number of set bits in a 32-bit integer? - Stackoverflow
Category:Coding theory
Category:Articles with example C code
|
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Q:
MySQL settings useful to speed up a mysqldump import
Recently I had to import a 7 Gb MySQL dump file to a MySQL 5.6 server. The import took around 7 hours on a mono-core CPU with 1 Gb of RAM.
Someone else tested the import on a MySQL server which has, amongst others, the following settings:
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 8G
query_cache_size = 300M
I'm a bit skeptical about the relevancy of these settings (and yes, I even think that setting such a large query cache is bad). Would that make a difference? Aren't these settings used only when querying the database, and hence irrelevant for an import?
If yes, which settings should be set to speed up the import of a large dump file?
According to the official documentation these values should be set temporarily:
unique_checks = 0
foreign_key_checks = 0
I've read here that it should be set also
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 2
but I don't think it would help, because autocommit mode (flushing logs to disk for every insert) is already disabled by default in the mysqldump command (--opt option).
A:
SUGGESTION #1
No need to run unique_checks = 0 and foreign_key_checks = 0. See my 3-year-old post Speeding up mysqldump / reload (ASPECT #2 shows a standard header of a mysqldump. Lines 13 and 14 handle the disabling of those checks for you)
SUGGESTION #2
Please note the InnoDB Architecture (Picture From Percona CTO Vadim Tkachenko)
If you want to reload a MySQL Instance you should temporarily disable the Double Write Buffer.
STEP #1
Login to the Target Server and run
SET GLOBAL innodb_fast_shutdown = 0;
STEP #2
Restart mysqld by setting to innodb_doublewrite to OFF
service mysql restart --innodb-doublewrite=OFF --innodb-fast-shutdown=0
STEP #3
Load the mysqldump into the Target Server
STEP #4
Restart mysqld normally (Double Write buffer will be enabled again)
service mysql restart
Since the name "Double Write Buffer" implies two writes, InnoDB will only write data and indexes straight to the table files and bypass writing to the Double Write Buffer within ibdata1. Maybe this will double the import time (pun intended)
SUGGESTION #3
The default innodb_log_buffer_size is 8M. You need a bigger Log Buffer.
Please add this line to my.cnf under the [mysqld] group header
[mysqld]
innodb_log_buffer_size = 128M
Then, restart mysqld before the reload of the mysqldump.
GIVE IT A TRY !!!
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You are here
Goal Diggers earn regional invite
The Goal Diggers U11 soccer team based out of Southwest Oklahoma qualified for a regional 3-on-3 soccer tournament after winning a tournament in Mustang this past weekend.
The regional tournaments are held in September, and are in various locations across the United States.
3v3 is a national soccer organization in which teams play 3-on-3 soccer over the course of two 10-minute halves. The field and goals are smaller than usual, and there is a restricted area in front of the goal where the defending team is not allowed to enter.
The Goal Diggers team roster is made up of female soccer players between ages 10 and 11. The team is comprised of six players, four from Cache, one from Lawton and one from Yukon. They played five games on Saturday, with all six of their players scoring at least one goal throughout the day. They won their first game, 5-1, over '06 United F.C., followed by a 2-2 draw with ECL United Blue. Their third game was another big victory, 10-0 over Hotshots 2. Their lone loss of the weekend came against the Assault, 6-1. The two teams faced off in the championship less than an hour later.
Team coach Danielle Parra, who coached the Lawton High girls soccer team from 2010-13, stressed defense to her team, telling them to "defend so close, you're swapping sweat with the other team". Though her team was not kean on the analogy, they understood the point she was trying to get across.
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skip to main contentYour browswer does not support JavaScript, but you can still view the content. For the best visual presentation of the page, install JavaScript. as need select word level size, please instead keyboard "Ctrl" + "plus key" or "Ctrl" + "minus key", as need returned to Shang a page can using browser provides of "Alt" + "left arrow key (←)", print can using browser provides of (Ctrl + p) function.
Chen, Shun-Ling, accepted, “What’s in a Name? – Facebook’s Real Name Policy and User Privacy”, Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy.
Shun-Ling Chen, 2015, “Exposing Professionalism in United States Copyright Law: The Disenfranchised Lay Public in a Semiotic Democracy”, University of San Francisco Law Review, 49(1), 57-121. Links(Open link in new tab)
Shun-Ling Chen, 2011, “Collaborative Authorship: From Folklore to the Wikiborg”, University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology and Policy, 131-167. Links(Open link in new tab)
Shun-Ling Chen, 2010, “Wikipedia: A Republic of Science Democratized”, Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology,, 249-325. Links(Open link in new tab)
Shun-Ling Chen, 2009, “To Surpass or to Conform – What are Public Licenses For? ”, University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology & Policy, 107-139. Links(Open link in new tab)
Shun-Ling Chen, 2006, “Freedom as in a Self-sustainable Community: The Free Software Movement and its Challenge to Copyright Law”, Policy Futures in Education, 4(4), 337-347. Links(Open link in new tab)
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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To further advance the adoption of high security smart card-based physical access control systems (PACS), the Smart Card Alliance released a guide specifications resource that helps architects, engineers, consultants, integrators, manufacturers and end users incorporate smart card-based PACS cards and readers into architectural and engineering specifications for facilities.
This guide makes it easier and more cost effective for organizations to implement stronger physical access control based on smart card technology by providing a template that can be used through every step of the specification, design and procurement process, said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. It also sets forward clearly defined and industry-validated recommendations surrounding smart cards and PACS, ensuring that the full security benefits are achieved with each implementation.
This guide provides:
A tool for architects, engineers, consultants, integrators, manufacturers and end users to incorporate smart card-based PACS cards and readers into the architectural and engineering specification
Recommendations for the use of secure smart card technology for non-government physical access control applications instead of legacy technology
Commentary to the example guide specification to assist in choosing the appropriate technology for the application.
We are pleased to provide this resource to help organizations more easily incorporate smart cards into their secure physical access systems. The members of the Access Control Council put a significant amount of effort and thought into creating this tooltheir contributions will make a notable difference in the way the industry implements smart card-based PACS, said Dave Helbock, chair of the Access Control Council.
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{
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---
abstract: 'We classify all quadratic imaginary number fields that have a Euclidean ideal class. There are seven of them, they are of class number at most two, and in each case the unique class that generates the class-group is moreover norm-Euclidean.'
author:
- Hester Graves
- Nick Ramsey
title: Euclidean Ideals in Quadratic Imaginary Fields
---
Introduction
============
In [@lenstra], Lenstra generalized the notion of a Euclidean domain to that of a Dedekind domain $R$ with a Euclidean ideal $C\subseteq R$. He proved that if $C$ is a Euclidean ideal then the class-group of $R$ is cyclic and generated by $C$. Moreover, if $C=R$, then his notion reduces to that of a Euclidean domain and the above result reduces to the familiar fact that a Euclidean domain is a principal ideal domain. Building on work of Weinberger ([@weinberger]), Lenstra ([@lenstra]) showed (conditional of the generalized Riemann hypothesis) that any generator of the class group of the ring of integers in a number field with infinite unit group is Euclidean. As the only number fields with finite unit group aside from ${{\mathbb{Q}}}$, it is natural to inquire about the situation for quadratic imaginary fields.
It is known that, among the nine quadratic imaginary fields of class number one, exactly five have Euclidean integer rings and in each case the norm serves as a Euclidean algorithm (see [@samuel]). The purpose of this paper is to extend this result to the setting of Euclidean ideal classes by determining all quadratic imaginary fields that have a Euclidean ideal. We record them in the following theorem.
\[thm1\] The quadratic imaginary fields with a Euclidean ideal are as follows.
[class number]{} [fields]{}
------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------
1 ${{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-D})$ for $D\in\{1, 2, 3, 7, 11\}$
2 ${{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-D})$ for $D\in\{5,15\}$
In each case the unique class that generates the class-group is moreover norm-Euclidean.
If one is only interested in *norm*-Euclidean ideals, then this result is contained in Proposition 2.4 of [@lenstra]. Of course, as the results of Weinberger and Lenstra mentioned above conditionally demonstrate and examples of Clark ([@clark]) and Harper ([@harper]) unconditionally demonstrate (in the class number one case), there are ideals in integer rings that are are Euclidean but not with respect to the norm.
In the Euclidean ring setting, a construction of Motzkin ([@motzkin]) has proven to be a fruitful tool in the study of Euclidean rings that are not norm-Euclidean. In her thesis, the first author adapts this construction to the Euclidean ideal setting. Her techniques are the main tool used to prove Theorem \[thm1\].
\
[**Convention**]{} - In this paper all Euclidean algorithms are taken to be ${{\mathbb{N}}}$-valued and ${{\mathbb{N}}}$ is taken to include $0$.
A Motzkin-type construction for Euclidean ideals
================================================
Let $R$ be a Dedekind domain with fraction field $K$. We denote by $E$ the set of fractional ideals of $R$ in $K$ that contain $R$ itself. Recall from [@lenstra] that $C$ is called *Euclidean* if there exists a function $\psi:E\longrightarrow {{\mathbb{N}}}$ such that for all $I\in E$ and all $x\in IC\setminus C$, there exists $y\in C$ such that $$\psi((x+y)^{-1}IC)<\psi(I)$$ In this case $\psi$ is called a *Euclidean algorithm* for $C$. If $C$ is Euclidean then it generates the class-group of $R$. Also, if $\psi$ is a Euclidean algorithm for $C$ then it is also a Euclidean algorithm for any ideal in the same class as $C$ and no ideal in a different class than $C$. These facts are all elementary and can be found in [@lenstra].
The following definition, given in [@gravesthesis], is an adaptation of Motzkin’s construction to the Euclidean ideal setting.
\[hesterconstruction\] Let $C$ be a non-zero ideal in $R$. We define a nested sequence of subsets of $E$ as follows. Set $A_{C,0} = \{R\}$ and for $i>0$ we set $$A_{C,i} = A_{C,i-1}\cup \left\{ I\in E \left| \begin{array}{c}
\forall x\in IC\setminus C\ \ \exists y\in C
\\ \mbox{such\ that}\ (x-y)^{-1}IC \in
A_{C,i-1}\end{array}\right.\right\}$$ Finally, set $A_C = \cup_i
A_{C,i}$.
When the ideal $C$ is fixed or otherwise clear from the context, we will often omit it from the notation and simply use $A_i$ and $A=\cup_i A_i$. The significance of this construction is the following lemma of the first author (see [@gravesthesis]).
\[lem1\] The ideal $C$ is Euclidean if and only if $A=E$.
In fact, one can say more. Namely, if $A=E$, then the function $\psi:
E\longrightarrow {{\mathbb{N}}}$ defined by $\psi(I) = i$ if $I\in A_i\setminus
A_{i-1}$ is a Euclidean algorithm for $C$ and is minimal with respect to this property.
The following two lemmas furnish constraints on the sets $A_{C,i}$ that will be useful in what follows. The first is general in nature and highlights the role of cyclicity of the class-group.
\[lem2\] If $I\in A_i\setminus A_{i-1}$ then $[I] = [C^{-i}]$.
This is an immediate inductive consequence of Definition \[hesterconstruction\].
By definition, any $I\in A_i\setminus A_{i-1}$ has the property that for all $x\in IC\setminus C$ there exists $y\in C$ such that $(x+y)^{-1}IC\in A_{i-1}$. However, using the previous lemma and ideal class considerations, one can often cut down the set “$A_{i-1}$” in this statement. When $R^\times$ is finite, this observation is particularly useful because one can use it to efficiently bound the norm of a new element of $A_i$, as the following lemma demonstrates.
\[lem3\] Suppose that $R^\times$ is finite, and suppose that $S\subseteq
A_{i-1}$ is a subset with the property that, if $I\in A_i\setminus
A_{i-1}$ then for all $x\in IC\setminus C$ there exists $y\in C$ such that $$(x-y)^{-1}IC\in S$$ Then all $I\in
A_i\setminus A_{i-1}$ have the property that $${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I^{-1})\leq
|R^\times||S|+1.$$
For $x\in IC\setminus C$, the condition that there exists $y\in C$ such that $(x-y)^{-1}IC$ is a particular ideal depends only on the class of $x$ in $IC/C$. Fix an ideal $I\in A_i\setminus A_{i-1}$. For each non-zero class in $IC/C$ choose a representative $x\in IC\setminus C$ and a $y\in C$ such that $(x-y)^{-1}IC\in S\subseteq A_{i-1}$. This collection of choices amounts to a (decidedly non-canonical) function $$(IC\setminus C)/C\longrightarrow S$$ Suppose that two classes in $(IC\setminus C)/C$ map to the same ideal and let $x_1$ and $x_2$ be their chosen representatives. Then there exist $y_1,y_2\in C$ such that $$(x_1-y_1)^{-1}IC =
(x_2-y_2)^{-1}IC.$$ It follows that there exists a unit $u\in {{\EuScript{O}}}_K^\times$ such that $x_1-y_1=u(x_2-y_2)$, and hence $x_1-ux_2 = y_1-uy_2\in C$. That is, the classes of $x_1$ and $x_2$ in $IC/C$ differ (multiplicatively) by a unit. The upshot is that the set of nonzero classes in $IC/C$ modulo the multiplicative action of $R^\times$ injects into $S$, and hence $$|IC/C| -1 \leq
|R^\times||S|$$ But since $R$ is Dedekind, the left side is simply ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I^{-1})-1$, so this is the desired inequality.
Application to quadratic imaginary fields
=========================================
For the remainder of the paper, $K$ will denote a quadratic imaginary field and ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ its ring of integers. One approach to classifying the Euclidean ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is to break into cases according to the factorizations of small rational primes in ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ and use Lemmas \[lem2\] and \[lem3\] of the previous section to glean consequences about the sets $A_i$. If one uses the crutch of known lists of quadratic imaginary fields of small class number, then this approach *nearly* yields Theorem \[thm1\]. Indeed, aside from the known norm-Euclidean cases detailed in this theorem, one finds in nearly all cases that the sequence of sets $A_i$ stabilizes very quickly (one needn’t ever consider ideals with prime factors of norm larger than 7). The one vexing exception is the field $K={{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-23})$. A bit of computation with SAGE ([@sage]) reveals that the $A_i$ in this case contain at least the inverses of every ideal of norm up to $47$. Lacking the patience to continue this computation to its end (and indeed the confidence that it had one), we decided to switch perspective.
It is convenient to first dispense with the cases where ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K^\times$ is unusually large, namely $K={{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-1})$ and $K={{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-3})$. These two fields are well-known to have norm-Euclidean rings of integers, and for any other $K$ we have ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K^\times = \{\pm 1\}$. From this point on we assume that $K$ is among the latter fields. It then follows from Lemma \[lem3\] that any $I\in A_1\setminus A_0$ has ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I^{-1})\leq 3$. As a result, by Lemma \[lem2\], a Euclidean ideal class in $K$ is represented by a residue degree one prime lying over $2$ or $3$.
Fix an embedding of $K$ into ${{\mathbb{C}}}$. We will freely identify $K$ with its image in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$ in what follows. Under this embedding, the field norm corresponds to the square of the complex absolute value. Note that a nonzero fractional ideal $C$ of $K$ is identified with a lattice in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$. Consider the union of the open disks of radius $\sqrt{{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(C)}$ centered about these lattice points. It is a simple consequence of the definition and the above comments that $C$ is norm-Euclidean if these disks cover all of ${{\mathbb{C}}}$ (see also [@lenstra]). The moral of the following result is that, if this covering fails too badly, then $C$ cannot possibly be Euclidean for *any* choice of algorithm.
\[prop1\] Let $K$ and $C$ be as above, and let $U$ denote the union of the open disks of radius $\sqrt{{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(C)}$ centered at the elements of $C$. If the complement of $U$ in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$ contains a nonempty open set, then $C$ is not a Euclidean ideal.
Before proceeding with the proof, we need the following lemma, which effectively states that inverses of fractional ideals of increasingly large norm are increasingly dense in $K$.
\[lemdense\] Let $K$ be a quadratic imaginary field and let $\varepsilon>0$ be any positive real number. There exists a number $M$ such that, for all $z\in K$ and all fractional ideals $I$ with ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I)>M$, there exists an element $x\in I^{-1}$ such that ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(x-z)<\epsilon$.
Let $I_1, I_2, \dots, I_h$ be a set of representatives of the ideal class group of $K$. Viewing each fractional ideal $I_i^{-1}$ as a lattice in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$, we see that disks of sufficiently large radius centered at the elements of $C$ will cover ${{\mathbb{C}}}$. Thus, for each $i$ there exists a positive number $M_i$ such that, for each $z'\in K$ there exists $x'\in I_i^{-1}$ such that $${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(x'-z')=|x'-z'|^2<M_i$$ Now choose $M$ so that $M>\max_i (M_i{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_i)/\varepsilon)$. Let $z\in K$ and let $I$ be a fractional ideal with ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I)>M$. Choose $i$ so that $I=gI_i$ for some $g\in K^\times$ and pick $x'\in
I_i^{-1}$ such that ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(x'-gz)< M_i$. Then $$\begin{aligned}
{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(g^{-1}x'-z) &= & {{\mathrm{Nm}}}(g^{-1}){{\mathrm{Nm}}}(x'-gz) \\ &<&
\frac{{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_i)}{{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I)}M_i <\varepsilon\end{aligned}$$ so that $x=g^{-1}x'\in (I_iI^{-1})I_i^{-1} = I^{-1}$ is the desired element.
(of Proposition \[prop1\]) Suppose that the complement of $U$ in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$ contains a nonempty open set. Arguing by contradiction, let us suppose that $C$ is Euclidean for the algorithm $\psi:E\longrightarrow {{\mathbb{N}}}$, so by Lemma \[lem1\], $A=\cup A_i = E$. Since $K$ is dense in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$ under its embedding, the complement of $U$ contains an $\sqrt{\varepsilon}$-neighborhood of an element $z\in K$ for some $\varepsilon>0$. Let $M$ be as in Lemma \[lemdense\] for this $K$ and $\varepsilon$.
Suppose that $I_0\in E$ and ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_0^{-1}C^{-1})>M$. By Lemma \[lemdense\], there exists $x\in I_0C$ such that $$|x-z| =
({{\mathrm{Nm}}}(x-z))^{1/2}<\sqrt{\varepsilon}$$ It follows that $x$ lies in the complement of $U$. Since $x\in I_0C\setminus C$ and $I_0\in
E=A$, there exists $y\in C$ such that $\psi((x+y)^{-1}I_0C)<\psi(I_0)$. Define $I_1 = (x+y)^{-1}I_0C$ and note that $I_1\in E$ and $\psi(I_1)<\psi(I_0)$. By the above, we also have $${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_1) = {{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_0){{\mathrm{Nm}}}(C)/{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(x+y) =
{{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_0){{\mathrm{Nm}}}(C)/|x+y|^2 \leq {{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_0)$$ since $x$ lies in the complement of $U$.
Because of this norm inequality, we again have ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_1^{-1}/C)>M$ and can repeat the argument with $I_0$ replaced by $I_1$ to obtain a fractional ideal $I_2\in E$ with $\psi(I_2)<\psi(I_1)$ and ${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_2)\leq {{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_1)$. Proceeding in this fashion, we obtain a sequence of ideals $I_0, I_1, \dots$ in $E$ with $${{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_0)\geq {{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_1)\geq {{\mathrm{Nm}}}(I_2)\geq \cdots$$ and $$\psi(I_0)>\psi(I_1)>\psi(I_2)>\cdots$$ But the latter is clearly impossible, as ${{\mathbb{N}}}$ is well-ordered. We conclude that $C$ could not have been Euclidean to begin with.
With the running restrictions on $K$, we know that any Euclidean ideal class is represented by a prime of norm $2$ or $3$. We are led by the above to examine the union $U$ as above for $C$ a degree one prime dividing $2$ or $3$. In determining the extent to which $U$ covers ${{\mathbb{C}}}$, it is clear that one need only consider a particular fundamental domain for $C$ in ${{\mathbb{C}}}$. Let $K = {{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-D})$ for a square-free positive integer $D$. In each of the following cases, we identify which $D$ correspond to the case, and for such $D$ we draw a fundamental domain and the covering circles comprising $U$ that meet this fundamental domain. The pictures below are were generated with SAGE ([@sage]).
As we will see, as $D$ increases, the fundamental domains we choose below get too tall to be covered entirely by these disks. In each case, we illustrate the fundamental domain and the disks comprising $U$ that meet it. We do this for the following $D$ in each class: those for which $U$ covers all of ${{\mathbb{C}}}$ and the first $D$ for which it does not (keeping in mind that we are only interested in square-free $D$). For the latter $D$, as we will see, it always happens that the complement of $U$ moreover contains an open set (as opposed to having a nonempty but discrete complement), so Proposition \[prop1\] implies that $C$ is not Euclidean.
We note that in each case below, the given *ideal* generators of $C$ are also generators of $C$ as an Abelian group, as is easy to check. Thus the parallelogram that they span forms the boundary of a fundamental domain, which is the one that we consider in each case.
Since there is a degree one prime dividing $2$, $2$ either ramifies or splits in $K$, corresponding to the conditions $D\equiv 1,2\pmod{4}$ and $D\equiv 7\pmod{8}$, respectively. We consider the various sub-cases separately.
Here ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is generated as an algebra over ${{\mathbb{Z}}}$ by $\sqrt{-D}$, so a defining polynomial of ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is $x^2+D$. Modulo $2$, this is congruent to $(x+1)^2$, so the unique prime above $(2)$ is $(2,\sqrt{-D}+1)$. Thus we use $2$ and $\sqrt{-D}+1$ to span a parallelogram bounding a fundamental domain, and obtain the following pictures for increasing $D$.
  
$D=1$ $D=5$ $D=13$
We conclude that the only $D$ under consideration (recall that $D=1$ was treated separately because of additional units) in this class for which a degree one prime over $2$ is Euclidean is $D=5$.
Again the defining polynomial of ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is $x^2+D$. Modulo $2$, this is simply $x^2$, so the prime above $(2)$ is $(2,\sqrt{-D})$, and working as above we obtain the pictures.
 
$D=2$ $D=6$
We conclude that the only $D$ in this class for which a degree one prime over $2$ is Euclidean is $D=2$
Here ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is generated as an algebra over ${{\mathbb{Z}}}$ by $\frac{1+\sqrt{-D}}{2}$. The defining polynomial is then $x^2-x+\frac{1+D}{4}$, which is congruent modulo $2$ to $x(x-1)$. The primes above $(2)$ are $(2,\frac{1+\sqrt{-D}}{2})$ and $(2,\frac{-1+\sqrt{-D}}{2})$. As these are Galois-conjugate, we need only examine the first, which gives the following pictures.
  
$D=7$ $D=15$ $D=23$
We conclude that the only $D$ in this class for which a degree one prime over $2$ is Euclidean are $D=7$ and $D=15$. It is worth mentioning that the complement $U$ for $D=23$ is very small. This explains the atypical behavior of the sets $A_i$ for ${{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-23})$ in that they do not stabilize quickly.
\
Next, we examine the case of a degree one primes dividing $3$. Again, this means that either $3$ ramifies or splits in $K$, but in order associate a congruence condition on $D$, we must also take into account the residue of $D$ mod $4$ since this effects the nature of the ring of integers ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$.
These conditions are equivalent to $D\equiv 6, 9\pmod{12}$. Here ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is generated over ${{\mathbb{Z}}}$ by $\sqrt{-D}$, so a defining polynomial is $x^2+D$. Modulo $3$ this is $x^2$, so the prime above $(3)$ is $(3,\sqrt{-D})$. Already for $D=6$, we see that the complement of $U$ contains a nonempty open set.
$D=6$
We conclude that there are no $D$ in this class for which a degree one prime over $3$ is Euclidean.
These conditions amount to $D\equiv 2, 5\pmod{12}$. Again, $x^2+D$ is a defining polynomial, which is congruent modulo $3$ to $(x-1)(x+1)$. Thus the primes above $(3)$ are $(3,\sqrt{-D}+1)$ and $(3,\sqrt{-D}-1)$. As these are Galois-conjugate, we need only consider the first, which gives the following pictures.
  
$D=2$ $D=5$ $D=14$
We conclude that the only $D$ in this class for which a degree one prime over $3$ is Euclidean are $D=2$ and $D=5$.
This amounts to $D\equiv 3\pmod{12}$, and in this case $\frac{1+\sqrt{-D}}{2}$ generates ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$, and $x^2-x+\frac{1+D}{4}$ is a defining polynomial. Modulo $3$, this is congruent to $(x+1)^2$, so the prime above $(3)$ is $(3,\frac{3+\sqrt{-D}}{2})$.
  
$D=3$ $D=15$ $D=39$
We conclude that the only $D$ under consideration (recall that $D=3$ was treated separately because of extra units) in this class for which a degree one prime over $3$ is Euclidean is $D=15$.
This amounts to $D\equiv 11 \pmod{12}$. Again, ${{\EuScript{O}}}_K$ is generated by $\frac{1+\sqrt{-D}}{2}$ and $x^2-x+\frac{1+D}{4}$ is a defining polynomial. Modulo $3$, this is $x(x-1)$, so the primes above $(3)$ are $(3,\frac{1+\sqrt{-D}}{2})$ and $(3,\frac{-1+\sqrt{-D}}{2})$. As these are Galois-conjugate, we need only consider the first, which gives the following pictures.
 
$D=11$ $D=23$
We conclude that the only $D$ in this class for which a degree one prime over $3$ is Euclidean is $D=11$.
\
The upshot of this enumeration is that the only $D$ for which ${{\mathbb{Q}}}(\sqrt{-D})$ has a Euclidean ideal class are $D\in \{1, 2, 3, 5, 7,
11, 15\}$, and each the unique generator of the class-group is in fact norm-Euclidean, establishing Theorem \[thm1\].
[1]{}
– <http://www.sagemath.org/>.
– [[“]{}A quadratic field which is [E]{}uclidean but not norm-[E]{}uclidean[”]{}]{}, *Manuscripta Math.* **83** (1994), no. 3-4, p. 327–330.
– [[“]{}On euclidean ideal classes[”]{}]{}, *University of Michigan Thesis* (2009).
– [[“]{}[$\Bbb Z[\sqrt{14}]$]{} is [E]{}uclidean[”]{}]{}, *Canad. J. Math.* **56** (2004), no. 1, p. 55–70.
– [[“]{}Euclidean ideal classes[”]{}]{}, in *Journées [A]{}rithmétiques de [L]{}uminy ([C]{}olloq. [I]{}nternat. [CNRS]{}, [C]{}entre [U]{}niv. [L]{}uminy, [L]{}uminy, 1978)*, Astérisque, vol. 61, Soc. Math. France, Paris, 1979, p. 121–131.
– [[“]{}The [E]{}uclidean algorithm[”]{}]{}, *Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.* **55** (1949), p. 1142–1146.
– [[“]{}About [E]{}uclidean rings[”]{}]{}, *J. Algebra* **19** (1971), p. 282–301.
– [[“]{}On [E]{}uclidean rings of algebraic integers[”]{}]{}, in *Analytic number theory ([P]{}roc. [S]{}ympos. [P]{}ure [M]{}ath., [V]{}ol. [XXIV]{}, [S]{}t. [L]{}ouis [U]{}niv., [S]{}t. [L]{}ouis, [M]{}o., 1972)*, Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, R. I., 1973, p. 321–332.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "ArXiv"
}
|
A company spokesman confirmed that it was seeking a $250 million loan.
In preparation for his role as a White House adviser, Jared Kushner divested some of his stakes in the family business and other investments. He also resigned his position as chief executive of Kushner Companies, as well as the management positions he held in the hundreds of entities the company uses to own its projects. But he has retained economic interests in most of the company’s projects, including the Jersey City building, at 65 Bay Street, according to his government ethics disclosure.
A White House official has said Mr. Kushner shed his interests in projects expected to require large transactions with parties that had not yet been identified. It is unclear why he did not divest his stake in the Jersey City building, with the hoped-for refinancing appearing to present similar issues.
His stake in various Kushner family projects, with some other investments, could exceed $600 million, according to the government ethics filing. It lists a trust that owns a company called 65 Bay L.L.C., which has an indirect ownership in the building.
The money the Kushners seek would allow them to repay lenders and partners and keep about $30 million in cash. The tower was built with only about $30 million in equity from the Kushners and their partners, according to a 2015 presentation by the firm that helped the Kushners secure EB-5 visa funding.
The building is now valued at $340 million to $360 million, with more than half the apartments rented, according to a deal summary circulated to prospective lenders in recent weeks.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
Property Details
Stone Creek Apartments
Stone Creek Apartments offer the ultimate life-style for convenient, peaceful living. In a perfect location, Stone Creek offers easy access to the interstate and local businesses. Schools. restaurants and shopping are just minutes away. Stone Creek Apartment - for living at its best.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Q:
How to pass text from gets.chomp to a file
I want to push resources :#{get} to the bottom of resources :posts.
get = gets.chomp
@file = File.open('config/routes.rb','r+')
myString = "
resources :#{get}s
"
Rails.application.routes.draw do
resources :users do
resources :posts
end
# For details on the DSL available within this file, see http://guides.rubyonrails.org/routing.html
end
The result is:
Rails.application.routes.draw do
resources :users do
resources :posts
resources :categories
end
# For details on the DSL available within this file, see http://guides.rubyonrails.org/routing.html
end
How do I pass data from user input to a file?
A:
Making the assumption that there will only ever be one resources :posts in your routes file, a simple example could be done like:
require 'active_support/core_ext/string/inflections' # for `pluralize`
get = gets.chomp
lines = File.read("config/routes.rb").split(/\n/)
# find the line of the file we want to insert after. This assumes
# there will only be a single `resources :posts` in your routes.
index = lines.index { |line| line.strip == 'resources :posts' }
# duplicate the existing line and replace 'posts' with the pluralized form
# of whatever the user input to gets, we do it this way to keep indentation
new_line = lines[index].gsub(/posts/, get.pluralize)
# insert the new line on the line after the `resources :posts` and then write
# the entire thing back out to 'config/routes.rb'
lines.insert(index + 1, new_line)
File.open("config/routes.rb", "w") { |f| f.write(lines.join("\n")) }
Depending on what you're trying to do, though, you may find it useful to look into Rails Generators.
before
Rails.application.routes.draw do
resources :users do
resources :posts
end
end
execute
$ echo category | ruby example.rb
after
Rails.application.routes.draw do
resources :users do
resources :posts
resources :categories
end
end
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
package main
import (
"errors"
"fmt"
"github.com/geo-data/cesium-terrain-server/handlers"
"strconv"
)
// Adapted from <https://golang.org/doc/effective_go.html#constants>.
type ByteSize float64
const (
_ = iota // ignore first value by assigning to blank identifier
KB ByteSize = 1 << (10 * iota)
MB
GB
TB
)
func (b ByteSize) String() string {
switch {
case b >= TB:
return fmt.Sprintf("%.2fTB", b/TB)
case b >= GB:
return fmt.Sprintf("%.2fGB", b/GB)
case b >= MB:
return fmt.Sprintf("%.2fMB", b/MB)
case b >= KB:
return fmt.Sprintf("%.2fkB", b/KB)
}
return fmt.Sprintf("%.2fB", b)
}
func ParseByteSize(size string) (bytes ByteSize, err error) {
defer func() {
if bytes < 0 {
err = errors.New("size cannot be negative")
}
}()
val, err := strconv.ParseFloat(size, 64)
if err == nil {
bytes = ByteSize(val)
return
}
if len(size) < 3 {
err = errors.New("the size must be specified as a suffix e.g 5MB")
return
}
val, err = strconv.ParseFloat(size[:len(size)-2], 64)
if err != nil {
return
}
bytes = ByteSize(val)
suffix := size[len(size)-2:]
switch suffix {
case "TB":
bytes *= TB
case "GB":
bytes *= GB
case "MB":
bytes *= MB
case "KB":
bytes *= KB
default:
err = errors.New("bad size suffix: " + suffix)
}
return
}
type LimitOpt struct {
Value handlers.Bytes
}
func NewLimitOpt() *LimitOpt {
return &LimitOpt{}
}
func (this *LimitOpt) String() string {
return ByteSize(this.Value).String()
}
func (this *LimitOpt) Set(size string) error {
byteSize, err := ParseByteSize(size)
if err != nil {
return err
}
this.Value = handlers.Bytes(byteSize)
return nil
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Q:
Right to Left Languages in Java
When I entered
new String("<some arabic text>".getBytes(), "UTF-8");
despite displayed exactly the way it was pasted (into the eclipse editor), index 0 contained the rightmost character of the string.
(Also, each arabic letter was two bytes, the first byte being -40 for each. Does that indicate the sequence?)
I would like to know if the java compiler recognizes arabic in the background of if the eclipse editor would reorganize arabic literals? Or why the debugger knew this was arabic, which means the first to be read letter is the rightmost one and as such assigned an index 0.
A:
All text is stored in writing order, so the first (right most) letter in Arabic should be stored in index 0. It's up to the software that displays strings to recognize that the text is Arabic and lay it out right-to-left.
Also, the line of code you quote at best does nothing, at worst it corrupts the data. It encodes the given Unicode string as bytes using the system default encoding, which could be anything, and then pretends the resulting bytes represent some text in UTF-8 and decodes it.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
In this course, students explore different elements of English structure through readings, digital media, dialogs, songs, games, and student writing. By the end of the course, students should have a solid grasp of basic verb tenses, prepositional phrases, articles, and sentence varieties. Students need to be in levels 3 or 4 to take this course.
An ESL Placement Test score is required for all new students registering for this course. If you have not taken ESL classes or a Placement Test with CAPS in the past year, register for the test by calling 646-312-5000 or emailing caps@baruch.cuny.edu.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Prenatal diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the portal vein associated with right atrial isomerism.
We report the prenatal diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the portal system in a 20-week fetus with right atrial isomerism. The apex of the fetal heart pointed to the left, the fetal stomach was on the right, there was a common atrioventricular valve, the left ventricle was small and the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava were on the left side; all these features were suggestive of right atrial isomerism. An anomalous vein was connected to the portal vein which ascended above the diaphragm and ended in a confluence of pulmonary veins, posterior to the common atrium. Color Doppler imaging helped confirm the diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. The prenatal findings were confirmed on autopsy.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
Melissa, am I at liberty to discuss pricing information and to provide my
price calculation worksheets (transport capacity and pricing worksheet) with
Don Kirkendall?
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Enron Emails"
}
|
2006 Manx Grand Prix
The 2006 Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races for amateur competitors took place from 28 August to 1 September over the Snaefell Mountain Course. The English rider Craig Atkinson won both the Junior and Senior Grand Prix races.
Newcomers Race A
Monday 28 August 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Two-stroke motorcycles exceeding 250 cc and not exceeding 750 cc.
Four-stroke motorcycles exceeding 400 cc and not exceeding 750 cc.
Twin/three-cylinder motorcycles exceeding 600 cc and not exceeding 1000 cc.
Newcomers Race C
Monday 28 August 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Two-stroke motorcycles exceeding 125 cc and 6 gears.
Four-stroke motorcycles exceeding 250 cc and not exceeding 400 cc.
Senior Classic Race
Monday 28 August 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
For motorcycles exceeding 350 cc and not exceeding 500 cc.
Junior Classic Race
Wednesday 30 August 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Class A for motorcycles exceeding 300 cc and not exceeding 350 cc.
Lightweight Classic Race
Wednesday 30 August 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Class B for motorcycles exceeding 175 cc and not exceeding 250 cc.
Junior Manx Grand Prix
Wednesday 30 August 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Two-stroke motorcycles exceeding 200 cc and not exceeding 350 cc.
Four-stroke four-cylinder motorcycles exceeding 450 cc and not exceeding 600 cc.
Four-stroke twin-cylinder motorcycles exceeding 600 cc and not exceeding 750 cc.
Lightweight Manx Grand Prix
Friday 1 September 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Senior Manx Grand Prix
Friday 1 September 2006 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
Four-stroke four-cylinder motorcycles exceeding 450 cc and not exceeding 750 cc.
Four-stroke twin-cylinder motorcycles exceeding 600 cc and not exceeding 1000 cc.
Sources
External links
Detailed race results
Mountain Course map
#2006
Manx
Manx
Manx
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
3 = 4*x + l, -4*x + 8 = 3*l. Solve -5*i - 17 = -x for i.
-3
Suppose -2*x - 76 = 2*x. Let f be (-6)/9 + x/3. Let q = 7 + f. Solve -5*u + 12 + 13 = q for u.
5
Suppose 0 = 2*z - 3*z + 15. Solve z = -4*l + 3 for l.
-3
Suppose 4*n + 0*f + 4*f = 12, -3*f + 9 = 2*n. Suppose -j - 3*j = n. Solve -6*d + d = j for d.
0
Let x = -13 - -24. Let a = x + -8. Solve 4*u - a = 17 for u.
5
Let t = -10 - -30. Suppose 3*l + t = 4*k, -2*k + 9 + 1 = -4*l. Solve -2*p + k*p = 0 for p.
0
Suppose -2*o = 2*y + 1 - 3, -4*y = 3*o. Let l be ((-8)/(-10))/(o/10). Solve l*a = 2 - 0 for a.
1
Suppose 23 = 5*n + k + 2*k, -3 = -2*n + 5*k. Let s(m) = -m**3 - m**2 - 2*m - 4. Let b be s(-3). Solve n*x + x = b for x.
4
Let c(d) = d + 0*d - 2*d. Let f be c(-3). Solve f*y + 8 = -4 for y.
-4
Let c(g) = -6*g**3 - 2*g - 2. Let v be c(-1). Solve -2*i - 2 = -v for i.
2
Suppose -h = -22 + 18. Solve -r = -h*r for r.
0
Let k be (-3)/(-2) + 57/(-6). Let w(p) = p + 10. Let y be w(k). Solve -r - y = 3 for r.
-5
Let x = 41 + -22. Suppose -2*f + x = 15. Solve -2 = -f*y - 12 for y.
-5
Let w be (-1*16)/4 - -12. Solve -6*u + 2*u - w = 0 for u.
-2
Suppose 5*s - 25 + 0 = 0. Suppose 0 = -2*y + s*y - 12. Solve -14 = -y*m + 2 for m.
4
Let j = 41 + -25. Suppose 0 = -c - s - 4*s, -4*c + 25 = -5*s. Suppose 5*a = -c*b + 25, 4*a + b = -a + 17. Solve a*x = 7*x + j for x.
-4
Let z(t) = -t**3 + t**2 - t + 1. Let n be z(2). Let k be 0 - (n + (2 - 1)). Solve 0 = -3*m + 4*m + k for m.
-4
Let i = -134 - -143. Solve i = 5*z + 19 for z.
-2
Let m(b) = b + 3. Let g be m(-5). Let i be g/5 - (-4)/10. Solve i = 5*h - 1 - 9 for h.
2
Let g(u) = -u**2 - 8*u - 9. Suppose 4*y - 2*k + 16 = -14, 0 = -3*y + 2*k - 24. Let j be g(y). Solve -12 = -j*q + 6*q for q.
-4
Let z = -54 + 57. Solve o - 4 + z = 0 for o.
1
Let k = 16 - 12. Suppose k*h - q = 2*h + 13, 2*h = -4*q - 12. Solve -4 = 6*a - h*a for a.
-2
Let m be ((-3)/(-9))/((-2)/(-30)). Suppose -3*l - m*o - 15 = 0, -3*l + 4*o + o = -15. Solve -2*g - g + 15 = l for g.
5
Suppose 2 = -3*j + 5*y + 82, -128 = -5*j + 3*y. Let t be (7/21)/(3/18). Solve 3*w + t*w + j = 0 for w.
-5
Let v be 9/2*(-6)/(-9). Let b = -3 - -3. Solve -v*k = -9 - b for k.
3
Let s be -3*((-3)/(-9))/(2/(-6)). Solve -s = -3*h + 12 for h.
5
Let v(f) = 4*f**2 + 4*f + 2. Let y be v(-1). Solve -2*d - y*d - 8 = 0 for d.
-2
Suppose -y + 25 = 4*y. Let f = 78 + -78. Solve f = -y*z + 7 + 13 for z.
4
Let x = -10 + 16. Solve x*y - 3*y = 3 for y.
1
Suppose 0 = 17*v - 46 - 22. Solve -9*i - v = -5*i for i.
-1
Suppose 6*i - 6 = 3*i + 4*f, 5*i + f = 10. Solve w + 3 - i = 0 for w.
-1
Suppose -3*k + j + 9 = 2*j, -4*k + 5*j = -12. Suppose 0 = f - 3*g - 10, -k*f + 0*f = 2*g - 30. Solve -2*u + f = -0 for u.
5
Let f(d) = -2*d + 10. Let i(z) = z - 5. Let m(p) = -3*f(p) - 5*i(p). Let x be m(5). Solve w - 1 + 3 = x for w.
-2
Let g be 20/3*18/15. Solve g = -3*y - 4 for y.
-4
Let v = -7 - -13. Let h be (-2)/(1/(-2)*2). Solve 0 = 4*j + v - h for j.
-1
Let i(n) = -5*n. Suppose 5*u = 25, -5*h - 10 = -u - 0. Let c be i(h). Solve -c*d + 3*d = 2 for d.
-1
Let p(f) = f**3 + 11*f**2 + 10*f + 4. Let h be p(-10). Solve 0 = -4*i + 2*i - h for i.
-2
Let d(q) be the first derivative of -q**2 + 2. Let r be d(-2). Let l = 0 + r. Solve l*t = -t - 15 for t.
-3
Let u(v) be the first derivative of -v**2/2 + 11*v - 1. Let h be u(7). Suppose 4*c = 5*d - h + 12, -2*d - 27 = -5*c. Solve -2*j - 15 = -c for j.
-4
Let a(q) be the third derivative of q**4/12 - 3*q**3/2 + 2*q**2. Let v be (36/10)/(2/5). Let h be a(v). Solve -h = -d - 2*d for d.
3
Suppose 9*w - 8 = 5*w. Solve 4 + 0 = w*d for d.
2
Let y(k) = k**3 - k**2 - 2*k + 3. Let a be y(2). Let d(l) = -l**2 + 0*l**3 + 5*l**2 - l**a - 2*l**2 - 1. Let q be d(1). Solve 0 = -5*j - q + 25 for j.
5
Let q(v) = 3*v + 26. Let d be q(-6). Solve 2*l + 0*l = d for l.
4
Suppose -v + 11*v = 0. Solve v*l = -l + 2 for l.
2
Suppose 0 = 2*m + 4*y - 4 + 2, 5*y - 7 = -4*m. Solve -6 + m = 3*t for t.
-1
Let d(q) = q + 1. Let v be d(1). Let l be 1*-3*-1 - v. Let g = 0 + l. Solve z + 0 = g for z.
1
Let p be (-2)/(-13) - 924/(-78). Solve 3*n = 6*n + p for n.
-4
Suppose 5*n + 2*c - 22 = 0, 4*n - 4 = -4*c + 16. Let u be (2 + -32)*n/(-6). Solve 2*i = -2*i - u for i.
-5
Suppose 5*q - 11 = 4. Let m = -11 - 11. Let j = -7 - m. Solve -q*f - j = 2*f for f.
-3
Suppose 24 = 6*o - 2*o. Solve 0 = t - 3*t - o for t.
-3
Let y(v) = -v - 3. Let p be y(-5). Suppose w + 2 = -5. Let n be (w/(-14))/(2/4). Solve 0 = p*o + n - 9 for o.
4
Let v(d) = -d**3 + 10*d**2 + 10*d + 16. Suppose 4*f + z - 4*z = 59, -5*f - 2*z + 45 = 0. Let i be v(f). Solve -i*w + 2 = 27 for w.
-5
Let b(r) = 2*r**3 - 2*r**2. Let n be b(2). Let c be (n/(-20))/((-2)/20). Solve -8*l + 8 = -c*l for l.
2
Let t be (-10)/(-25) + 54/(-10). Let d = 5 + t. Solve d*g = 3*g for g.
0
Suppose 7 + 11 = 3*g. Suppose -3*o + 6*b = 2*b + 8, -g = -4*o + 2*b. Solve -o = w - 2 for w.
-2
Let p be 1*((3 - -10) + -2). Solve 4*n = -p - 5 for n.
-4
Let h(q) = -2*q**2 + 19*q - 3. Let p be h(9). Solve -p*w = -3*w for w.
0
Let s(i) = -i**3 + 10*i**2 + i - 6. Let k be s(10). Solve -k = o - 0*o for o.
-4
Let a(t) = t**3 - 8*t**2 + 6*t + 8. Let d(o) = 0 + 15 - 3*o + 4*o. Let g be d(-8). Let v be a(g). Solve 0*p - p + v = 0 for p.
1
Let r(z) = z - 1. Let k(n) = 3*n + 4. Let w be k(-3). Let t be r(w). Let b = 6 + t. Solve -3*d + 0*d = b for d.
0
Suppose -i - 4*j = -24, -2*j - 11 = -4*i - j. Suppose w - 9 = i*w. Let u = w + 8. Solve 2*l - u = -3*l for l.
1
Let g = -5 - -5. Let u be (0 - -1)/(g + 1). Solve -x + 3 = -u for x.
4
Suppose -2*g - 3 = -3*g. Let k be 0 + (-1 - g)*-5. Let o be 6/(-8)*(-1 + -3). Solve -o*p = p + k for p.
-5
Let v = -1 - -37. Suppose -5*n + v = -4*w, -2*n = -5*w - 0*w - 28. Solve 0 = n*t + t for t.
0
Let x be ((-2)/(-4))/(8/(-16)). Let y = 4 - x. Solve y = -5*p - 0 for p.
-1
Suppose 4*k - 10 = -2. Solve 4*a + k = 2*a for a.
-1
Let h(i) = i**3 - 18*i**2. Let o be h(18). Solve o = -x - 3*x - 20 for x.
-5
Let t = 2 + 0. Let g be t + 0 + (-2 - -2). Suppose 10 = -5*p, 4*p - g*p + 4 = -4*j. Solve j = -2*s - s for s.
0
Suppose 26 = 2*c + 2*g, 0 = -c + 6*c + 2*g - 50. Suppose 2*r + 3*y = 6, 5*y - c = y. Suppose -3*m + m + 4 = r. Solve 2*i = 3*i + m for i.
-2
Let x be -8 - -12 - (-1 - -1). Solve -8*z - 12 = -x*z for z.
-3
Let d(y) = -y + 9. Suppose 0*m - 35 = -5*m. Let x be d(m). Solve -x*s - 1 = -5 for s.
2
Let i be 8*1*(18 + -17). Solve 17 = 5*m - i for m.
5
Suppose -7*a + 18 = -a. Suppose 0 = a*s - s. Solve 9 = -s*d - 3*d for d.
-3
Let y = -3 + 4. Let j be (32/(-16))/(2/(-4)). Solve j = -3*v + y for v.
-1
Let h be (-2)/14 + (-472)/28. Let a = h - -25. Solve -k = -3 + a for k.
-5
Let k = -11 + 18. Let n(j) = -j + 9. Let x be n(k). Solve 0 = -3*p + x + 10 for p.
4
Suppose -5*b = 2 + 3. Suppose 2*p = 6, -4*d - 3*p - 7 = -4*p. Let x = b - d. Solve x = -w - 4*w + 15 for w.
3
Let h = 24 + -20. Solve -t = h*t for t.
0
Suppose 24 = 4*k + 4*l, -2*k = 3*l + 11 - 27. Solve -5*v - 3 = k for v.
-1
Suppose 0 = -4*z - u + 23, -2*z + 4*u - 32 = -6*z. Solve -4*r - 5 = -z*r for r.
5
Let i(o) = 4*o**3 - 2*o**2 + o. Let x be i(1). Solve -x*j = j for j.
0
Suppose 2*o = -3*m - 40, m - o + 15 = -0. Let r = -14 - m. Let w = 4 + -1. Solve p = w - r for p.
3
Suppose -2*r + 4*r = 14. Suppose w - 8 = -r. Solve -2*f - w = -f for f.
-1
Suppose 2*q - 3*n - 2*n = 32, -3*q = -n - 61. Suppose -5*h - 1 = -q. Suppose -3*l + 7 = -2*j, -h - 10 = -j - 2*l. Solve 3*w + j = 1 for w.
-1
Suppose -3*d + 17 + 6 = 4*b, -8 = -b - 3*d. Solve b = 4*o - 3 for o.
2
Suppose -y = -6*y - i, -y + 3*i = 0. Let w = 2 - y. Solve -a = 6 - w for a.
-4
Let v be -5*(3 + 72/(-20)). Solve -v*k = k for k.
0
Suppose 3*k = -4*i, -k = -0*i - 2*i. Solve 0*v + 3*v = i for v.
0
Suppose 12 = -4*d - 140. Let v = -20 - d. Suppose 3*u + v = 6*u. Solve 2*t - u*t = 8 for t.
-2
Suppose 2*y - 4 = 0, 5*y - 2*y - 10 = -b. Let u be 0/(-6 + (-1 - -5)). Solve p - b*p = u for p.
0
Suppose -4*p - 16 = 4*z - 3*z, -3*p = 5*z - 5. Suppose 3*d - r - 25 = 0, -z*d - 45 = -7*d - 3*r. Solve 0*g + 2*g + d = 0 for g.
-5
Let y(k) = -k**3 + 5*k**2 - 6*k + 9. Let x be y(4). Solve 4*v + 11 = -x for v.
-3
Let a be (50/(-15))/(4/(-6)). Let m = a - 4. Let d = 6 - m. Solve 0 = -d*t - 3 - 7 for t.
-2
Suppose 5*r = -2*k - 0*k + 14, 0 = 2*r + 4*k - 12. Solve -2*t = -0*t - r for t.
1
Suppose 5*k + 4 = 14. Suppose -
|
{
"pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics"
}
|
Microsoft is presenting a vision of how industrial robots could work more closely with people by harnessing IoT (Internet of Things), cloud networking and 3D sensing technologies, linked through Windows platforms.
In a demonstration at Hanover Messe, an industrial fair in Germany this week, Microsoft and industrial robot maker Kuka Robotics are showing an industrial robot arm that can stream movement data to Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform for human staff overseeing production.
The Kuka machine is a lightweight, multi-jointed arm known as the Intelligent Industrial Work Assistant. Its immediate task in the demo is to thread a small tube into the back of a dishwasher. The delicate nature of the operation requires human collaboration and risks damaging the appliance, Microsoft said in a release.
In the scenario presented by the company, if the robot encounters a problem, it can notify nearby technicians via Microsoft Band wearables or Windows tablets, which can also be used to assess supply chain problems affecting the robot.
The robot assistant can be linked to a Kinect 3D motion sensor to identify technicians who arrive for troubleshooting work. A video about the collaboration shows a technician using a head-mounted display to run through a troubleshooting app while checking the robot.
The demonstration aims to highlight how Kuka’s robot assistants can jointly perform tasks with humans, without needing a human controller, Microsoft said on its blog.
The demonstration is the latest in industry-wide efforts to make industrial robots work with human colleagues more easily. For instance, Rethink Robotics’ Baxter, introduced in 2012, and Sawyer, launched last month, are designed to be collaborative robots that are safe enough for people to work alongside, instead of being isolated in cages.
Last year, Microsoft shut down its robotics research group amid a larger shakeup by CEO Satya Nadella.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
import torch
import torch.nn as nn
from collections import OrderedDict
__all__ = ['inception_resnet_v2']
""" inception_resnet_v2.
References:
Inception-v4, Inception-ResNet and the Impact of Residual Connections
on Learning
Christian Szegedy, Sergey Ioffe, Vincent Vanhoucke, Alex Alemi.
Links:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1602.07261
"""
def conv_bn(in_planes, out_planes, kernel_size, stride=1, padding=0, bias=False):
"convolution with batchnorm, relu"
return nn.Sequential(
nn.Conv2d(in_planes, out_planes, kernel_size, stride=stride,
padding=padding, bias=False),
nn.BatchNorm2d(out_planes, eps=1e-3),
nn.ReLU()
)
class Concat(nn.Sequential):
def __init__(self, *kargs, **kwargs):
super(Concat, self).__init__(*kargs, **kwargs)
def forward(self, inputs):
return torch.cat([m(inputs) for m in self._modules.values()], 1)
class block(nn.Module):
def __init__(self, in_planes, scale=1.0, activation=nn.ReLU(True)):
super(block, self).__init__()
self.scale = scale
self.activation = activation or (lambda x: x)
def forward(self, inputs):
branch0 = self.Branch_0(inputs)
branch1 = self.Branch_1(inputs)
if hasattr(self, 'Branch_2'):
branch2 = self.Branch_2(inputs)
tower_mixed = torch.cat([branch0, branch1, branch2], 1)
else:
tower_mixed = torch.cat([branch0, branch1], 1)
tower_out = self.Conv2d_1x1(tower_mixed)
output = self.activation(self.scale * tower_out + inputs)
return output
class block35(block):
def __init__(self, in_planes, scale=1.0, activation=nn.ReLU(True)):
super(block35, self).__init__(in_planes, scale, activation)
self.Branch_0 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 32, 1))
]))
self.Branch_1 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 32, 1)),
('Conv2d_0b_3x3', conv_bn(32, 32, 3, padding=1))
]))
self.Branch_2 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 32, 1)),
('Conv2d_0b_3x3', conv_bn(32, 48, 3, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_0c_3x3', conv_bn(48, 64, 3, padding=1))
]))
self.Conv2d_1x1 = conv_bn(128, in_planes, 1)
class block17(block):
def __init__(self, in_planes, scale=1.0, activation=nn.ReLU(True)):
super(block17, self).__init__(in_planes, scale, activation)
self.Branch_0 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 192, 1))
]))
self.Branch_1 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 128, 1)),
('Conv2d_0b_1x7', conv_bn(128, 160, (1, 7), padding=(0, 3))),
('Conv2d_0c_7x1', conv_bn(160, 192, (7, 1), padding=(3, 0)))
]))
self.Conv2d_1x1 = conv_bn(384, in_planes, 1)
class block8(block):
def __init__(self, in_planes, scale=1.0, activation=nn.ReLU(True)):
super(block8, self).__init__(in_planes, scale, activation)
self.Branch_0 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 192, 1))
]))
self.Branch_1 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(in_planes, 192, 1)),
('Conv2d_0b_1x7', conv_bn(192, 224, (1, 3), padding=(0, 1))),
('Conv2d_0c_7x1', conv_bn(224, 256, (3, 1), padding=(1, 0)))
]))
self.Conv2d_1x1 = conv_bn(448, in_planes, 1)
class InceptionResnetV2(nn.Module):
def __init__(self, num_classes=1000):
super(InceptionResnetV2, self).__init__()
self.end_points = {}
self.num_classes = num_classes
self.stem = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_1a_3x3', conv_bn(3, 32, 3, stride=2, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_2a_3x3', conv_bn(32, 32, 3, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_2b_3x3', conv_bn(32, 64, 3)),
('MaxPool_3a_3x3', nn.MaxPool2d(3, 2)),
('Conv2d_3b_1x1', conv_bn(64, 80, 1)),
('Conv2d_4a_3x3', conv_bn(80, 192, 3)),
('MaxPool_5a_3x3', nn.MaxPool2d(3, 2))
]))
tower_conv = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_5b_b0_1x1', conv_bn(192, 96, 1))
]))
tower_conv1 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_5b_b1_0a_1x1', conv_bn(192, 48, 1)),
('Conv2d_5b_b1_0b_5x5', conv_bn(48, 64, 5, padding=2))
]))
tower_conv2 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_5b_b2_0a_1x1', conv_bn(192, 64, 1)),
('Conv2d_5b_b2_0b_3x3', conv_bn(64, 96, 3, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_5b_b2_0c_3x3', conv_bn(96, 96, 3, padding=1))
]))
tower_pool3 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('AvgPool_5b_b3_0a_3x3', nn.AvgPool2d(3, stride=1, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_5b_b3_0b_1x1', conv_bn(192, 64, 1))
]))
self.mixed_5b = Concat(OrderedDict([
('Branch_0', tower_conv),
('Branch_1', tower_conv1),
('Branch_2', tower_conv2),
('Branch_3', tower_pool3)
]))
self.blocks35 = nn.Sequential()
for i in range(10):
self.blocks35.add_module('Block35.%s' %
i, block35(320, scale=0.17))
tower_conv = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_6a_b0_0a_3x3', conv_bn(320, 384, 3, stride=2))
]))
tower_conv1 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_6a_b1_0a_1x1', conv_bn(320, 256, 1)),
('Conv2d_6a_b1_0b_3x3', conv_bn(256, 256, 3, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_6a_b1_0c_3x3', conv_bn(256, 384, 3, stride=2))
]))
tower_pool = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('MaxPool_1a_3x3', nn.MaxPool2d(3, stride=2))
]))
self.mixed_6a = Concat(OrderedDict([
('Branch_0', tower_conv),
('Branch_1', tower_conv1),
('Branch_2', tower_pool)
]))
self.blocks17 = nn.Sequential()
for i in range(20):
self.blocks17.add_module('Block17.%s' %
i, block17(1088, scale=0.1))
tower_conv = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(1088, 256, 1)),
('Conv2d_1a_3x3', conv_bn(256, 384, 3, stride=2)),
]))
tower_conv1 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(1088, 256, 1)),
('Conv2d_1a_3x3', conv_bn(256, 64, 3, stride=2))
]))
tower_conv2 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_0a_1x1', conv_bn(1088, 256, 1)),
('Conv2d_0b_3x3', conv_bn(256, 288, 3, padding=1)),
('Conv2d_1a_3x3', conv_bn(288, 320, 3, stride=2))
]))
tower_pool3 = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('MaxPool_1a_3x3', nn.MaxPool2d(3, stride=2))
]))
self.mixed_7a = Concat(OrderedDict([
('Branch_0', tower_conv),
('Branch_1', tower_conv1),
('Branch_2', tower_conv2),
('Branch_3', tower_pool3)
]))
self.blocks8 = nn.Sequential()
for i in range(9):
self.blocks8.add_module('Block8.%s' %
i, block8(1856, scale=0.2))
self.blocks8.add_module('Block8.9', block8(
1856, scale=0.2, activation=None))
self.conv_pool = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_7b_1x1', conv_bn(1856, 1536, 1)),
('AvgPool_1a_8x8', nn.AvgPool2d(8, 1)),
('Dropout', nn.Dropout(0.2))
]))
self.classifier = nn.Linear(1536, num_classes)
self.aux_classifier = nn.Sequential(OrderedDict([
('Conv2d_1a_3x3', nn.AvgPool2d(5, 3)),
('Conv2d_1b_1x1', conv_bn(1088, 128, 1)),
('Conv2d_2a_5x5', conv_bn(128, 768, 5)),
('Dropout', nn.Dropout(0.2)),
('Logits', conv_bn(768, num_classes, 1))
]))
class aux_loss(nn.Module):
def __init__(self):
super(aux_loss,self).__init__()
self.loss = nn.CrossEntropyLoss()
def forward(self, outputs, target):
return self.loss(outputs[0], target) +\
0.4 * (self.loss(outputs[1], target))
self.criterion = aux_loss
self.regime = [
{'epoch': 0, 'optimizer': 'SGD', 'lr': 1e-1,
'weight_decay': 1e-4, 'momentum': 0.9},
{'epoch': 30, 'lr': 1e-2},
{'epoch': 60, 'lr': 1e-3, 'weight_decay': 0},
{'epoch': 90, 'lr': 1e-4}
]
def forward(self, x):
x = self.stem(x) # (B, 192, 35, 35)
x = self.mixed_5b(x) # (B, 320, 35, 35)
x = self.blocks35(x) # (B, 320, 35, 35)
x = self.mixed_6a(x) # (B, 1088, 17, 17)
branch1 = self.blocks17(x) # (B, 1088, 17, 17)
x = self.mixed_7a(branch1) # (B, 1856, 8, 8)
x = self.blocks8(x) # (B, 1856, 8, 8)
x = self.conv_pool(x) # (B, 1536, 1, 1)
x = x.view(-1, 1536) # (B, 1536)
output = self.classifier(x) # (B, num_classes)
if hasattr(self, 'aux_classifier'):
branch1 = self.aux_classifier(branch1).view(-1, self.num_classes)
output = [output, branch1]
return output
def inception_resnet_v2(**kwargs):
num_classes = getattr(kwargs, 'num_classes', 1000)
return InceptionResnetV2(num_classes=num_classes)
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
/*!
* accepts
* Copyright(c) 2014 Jonathan Ong
* Copyright(c) 2015 Douglas Christopher Wilson
* MIT Licensed
*/
'use strict'
/**
* Module dependencies.
* @private
*/
var Negotiator = require('negotiator')
var mime = require('mime-types')
/**
* Module exports.
* @public
*/
module.exports = Accepts
/**
* Create a new Accepts object for the given req.
*
* @param {object} req
* @public
*/
function Accepts (req) {
if (!(this instanceof Accepts)) {
return new Accepts(req)
}
this.headers = req.headers
this.negotiator = new Negotiator(req)
}
/**
* Check if the given `type(s)` is acceptable, returning
* the best match when true, otherwise `undefined`, in which
* case you should respond with 406 "Not Acceptable".
*
* The `type` value may be a single mime type string
* such as "application/json", the extension name
* such as "json" or an array `["json", "html", "text/plain"]`. When a list
* or array is given the _best_ match, if any is returned.
*
* Examples:
*
* // Accept: text/html
* this.types('html');
* // => "html"
*
* // Accept: text/*, application/json
* this.types('html');
* // => "html"
* this.types('text/html');
* // => "text/html"
* this.types('json', 'text');
* // => "json"
* this.types('application/json');
* // => "application/json"
*
* // Accept: text/*, application/json
* this.types('image/png');
* this.types('png');
* // => undefined
*
* // Accept: text/*;q=.5, application/json
* this.types(['html', 'json']);
* this.types('html', 'json');
* // => "json"
*
* @param {String|Array} types...
* @return {String|Array|Boolean}
* @public
*/
Accepts.prototype.type =
Accepts.prototype.types = function (types_) {
var types = types_
// support flattened arguments
if (types && !Array.isArray(types)) {
types = new Array(arguments.length)
for (var i = 0; i < types.length; i++) {
types[i] = arguments[i]
}
}
// no types, return all requested types
if (!types || types.length === 0) {
return this.negotiator.mediaTypes()
}
// no accept header, return first given type
if (!this.headers.accept) {
return types[0]
}
var mimes = types.map(extToMime)
var accepts = this.negotiator.mediaTypes(mimes.filter(validMime))
var first = accepts[0]
return first
? types[mimes.indexOf(first)]
: false
}
/**
* Return accepted encodings or best fit based on `encodings`.
*
* Given `Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate`
* an array sorted by quality is returned:
*
* ['gzip', 'deflate']
*
* @param {String|Array} encodings...
* @return {String|Array}
* @public
*/
Accepts.prototype.encoding =
Accepts.prototype.encodings = function (encodings_) {
var encodings = encodings_
// support flattened arguments
if (encodings && !Array.isArray(encodings)) {
encodings = new Array(arguments.length)
for (var i = 0; i < encodings.length; i++) {
encodings[i] = arguments[i]
}
}
// no encodings, return all requested encodings
if (!encodings || encodings.length === 0) {
return this.negotiator.encodings()
}
return this.negotiator.encodings(encodings)[0] || false
}
/**
* Return accepted charsets or best fit based on `charsets`.
*
* Given `Accept-Charset: utf-8, iso-8859-1;q=0.2, utf-7;q=0.5`
* an array sorted by quality is returned:
*
* ['utf-8', 'utf-7', 'iso-8859-1']
*
* @param {String|Array} charsets...
* @return {String|Array}
* @public
*/
Accepts.prototype.charset =
Accepts.prototype.charsets = function (charsets_) {
var charsets = charsets_
// support flattened arguments
if (charsets && !Array.isArray(charsets)) {
charsets = new Array(arguments.length)
for (var i = 0; i < charsets.length; i++) {
charsets[i] = arguments[i]
}
}
// no charsets, return all requested charsets
if (!charsets || charsets.length === 0) {
return this.negotiator.charsets()
}
return this.negotiator.charsets(charsets)[0] || false
}
/**
* Return accepted languages or best fit based on `langs`.
*
* Given `Accept-Language: en;q=0.8, es, pt`
* an array sorted by quality is returned:
*
* ['es', 'pt', 'en']
*
* @param {String|Array} langs...
* @return {Array|String}
* @public
*/
Accepts.prototype.lang =
Accepts.prototype.langs =
Accepts.prototype.language =
Accepts.prototype.languages = function (languages_) {
var languages = languages_
// support flattened arguments
if (languages && !Array.isArray(languages)) {
languages = new Array(arguments.length)
for (var i = 0; i < languages.length; i++) {
languages[i] = arguments[i]
}
}
// no languages, return all requested languages
if (!languages || languages.length === 0) {
return this.negotiator.languages()
}
return this.negotiator.languages(languages)[0] || false
}
/**
* Convert extnames to mime.
*
* @param {String} type
* @return {String}
* @private
*/
function extToMime (type) {
return type.indexOf('/') === -1
? mime.lookup(type)
: type
}
/**
* Check if mime is valid.
*
* @param {String} type
* @return {String}
* @private
*/
function validMime (type) {
return typeof type === 'string'
}
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
2005 Fed Cup Europe/Africa Zone
The Europe/Africa Zone was one of three zones of regional competition in the 2005 Fed Cup.
Group I
Venue: Club Ali Bey, Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey (outdoor clay)
Dates: 20–23 April
The sixteen teams were divided into four pools of four teams. The top teams of each pool played-off against each other to decide which two nations progress to World Group II Play-offs. The four nations coming last played-off against each other to decide which teams are relegated to Group II for 2006.
Pools
Play-offs
and advanced to World Group II Play-offs.
and were relegated to Zonal Group II for 2006.
Group II
Venue: Club Ali Bey, Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey (outdoor hard)
Dates: 27–30 April
The eight teams were divided into two pools of four teams. The top two teams of each pool played-off against each other to decide which two nations progress to Group I for 2006. The four nations coming last played-off against each other to decide which teams are relegated to Group III for the next year.
Pools
Play-offs
and advanced to Group I for 2006.
and was relegated to Group III for 2006.
Group III
Venue: Club Ali Bey, Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey (outdoor hard)
Dates: 27–30 April
The twelve teams were divided into four pools of three teams. The top team of each pool played-off against each other to decide which two nations progress to Group II for 2006.
Pools
Play-offs
and advanced to Group II for 2006.
See also
Fed Cup structure
References
Fed Cup Profile, Bulgaria
Fed Cup Profile, South Africa
Fed Cup Profile, Hungary
Fed Cup Profile, Sweden
Fed Cup Profile, Luxembourg
Fed Cup Profile, Poland
Fed Cup Profile, Slovenia
Fed Cup Profile, Denmark
Fed Cup Profile, Great Britain
Fed Cup Profile, Israel
Fed Cup Profile, Ukraine
Fed Cup Profile, Romania
Fed Cup Profile, Finland
Fed Cup Profile, Lithuania
Fed Cup Profile, Georgia
Fed Cup Profile, Latvia
Fed Cup Profile, Ireland
Fed Cup Profile, Turkey
Fed Cup Profile, Egypt
Fed Cup Profile, Botswana
Fed Cup Profile, Iceland
Fed Cup Profile, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Fed Cup Profile, Namibia
Fed Cup Profile, Moldova
Fed Cup Profile, Kenya
External links
Fed Cup website
Europe Africa
Category:Sport in Antalya
Category:21st century in Antalya
Category:Tennis tournaments in Turkey
Category:2005 in Turkish sport
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
Royal Victoria DLR station
Royal Victoria Station is on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in Canning Town, east London. It opened on 28 March 1994 and is named after the nearby Royal Victoria Dock.
It is on the DLR's Beckton branch, in Travelcard Zone 3.
National Rail's North London Line ran parallel with the DLR between Canning Town and Custom House stations until the Stratford to North Woolwich section closed on 9 December 2006. Its tracks passed close by the DLR platforms, but there were no North London Line platforms. However, this station is near the former Tidal Basin station on the Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway.
During 2009, as part of the Canning Town DLR flyover and the new DLR line from Canning Town to Stratford, an engineers' siding was added to the Victoria Dock Road side of the station.
On 1 June 2009 the Beckton branch was diverted onto the new flyover, which crossed the Woolwich branch and the branch to Stratford International. The flyover was constructed as part of the 3-Car Capacity Enhancement Project to serve Canning Town high-level DLR station. (See main article Docklands Light Railway extension to Stratford International.) It is 330 metres long, and is formed from a number of different structures connected by a continuous reinforced concrete deck cast in situ. In addition, it allows DLR services from Canning Town towards Woolwich and Beckton to depart from any eastbound DLR platform.
Connections
London Buses routes 147 and 241 and night route N551 serve the station.
References
External links
Docklands Light Railway website - Royal Victoria station page
Category:Docklands Light Railway stations in the London Borough of Newham
Category:Railway stations opened in 1994
Station
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
There is concern that Kim Jong-un could be planning a fresh missile test
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And the news comes just days after another satellite images suggested Kim is also likely to be planning a spectacular parade to mark the occasion on September 9. North Korea has long used Sohae in North Pyongan province to conduct missile tests, including the successful launch of the Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 in 2012. When Kim met with US President Donald Trump in June, the dictator offered assurances that his regime would soon destroy a missile engine test stand. The site was not named initially – but later revealed to be Sohae.
No significant dismantlement activity has taken place at either the engine test stand or the launch pad since August 3 38 North analysis
However, a study, undertaken by North Korea analysts Joseph Bermudez, Frank V Pabian and Jack Liu for North Korea watchdog 38 North, which specialises in analysis of the secretive and isolated communist nation, suggested the efforts to scrap Sohae may have been put on ice. Their report observed: “Commercial satellite imagery from August 16 of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, North Korea’s only operational space launch facility, indicates no significant dismantlement activity has taken place at either the engine test stand or the launch pad since August 3. “At the vertical engine test stand, while significant progress in tearing down the facility was made from July to early August, no new dismantlement activity is apparent since August 3. “The components previously removed remain stacked on the ground.”
The 38 North analysis highlights a lack of activity at the site in recent days
38 North analysis's looked at the Sohae Satellite Launching System
In addition, on the facility’s launch pad, work a rail-mounted transfer building to remove equipment seems to have stalled. The report added: “The same parts of the west and north walls that had been previously removed remain stacked on the ground. “The gantry tower and assembly building are intact. It is still unclear if this activity is associated with dismantling or modification of the structure. “While activity at the site seems to have slowed down, there has only been a slight reduction in the number (from 11 to 7) of trucks and trailers at the Administrative and Security Headquarters.
Kim Jong-un meets US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June
“These vehicles appear to be related to the activities at the engine test stand and launch pad.” Kim could be planning a missile launch to mark the occasion. Last year every North Korea celebration day coincided with such a test. A separate report, also prepared by Mr Bermudez last week, involved the study of satellite imagery of the Mirim Parade Training ground, leading him to conclude the Foundation Day Parade “will probably, at least match but likely surpass the size of the parade held this past February to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army”. Mr Bermudez added: "Parade preparations were first observed in July and appear to be following the pattern noted during recent parades.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
|
Wu-Tang Clan 1997 'Tim Westwood' Freestyle
I got bored of Tim Westwood's vintage freestyles a long time ago but I occasionally post the eye catching ones - like this one right here, from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. This was recorded back in '97 during the crew's wavy era.Listen to RZA, ODB, U-God, Masta Killa and Method Man drop rhymes over various instrumentals. This goes on for almost an hour so you might wanna get comfortable.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Solomon Robert Dresser
Solomon Robert Dresser (February 1, 1842 – January 21, 1911) was an inventor and a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Biography
Solomon R. Dresser was born in Litchfield, Michigan. He attended the common schools and Hillsdale College. He engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1865. He became an inventor of oil and gas well equipment, and moved to Pennsylvania in 1872 to work in the production of oil and gas. He was the founder and president of the S.R. Dresser Manufacturing Co.
Dresser was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1906. He resumed former business pursuits and died in Bradford, Pennsylvania in 1911; he was originally interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, but his son (unhappy with the maintenance of the cemetery) had the 20 foot obelisk and the families graves moved to Willowdale Cemetery.
Sources
The Political Graveyard
Category:1842 births
Category:1911 deaths
Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Category:American inventors
Category:People from Litchfield, Michigan
Category:People from Bradford, Pennsylvania
Category:Hillsdale College alumni
Category:Pennsylvania Republicans
Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives
Category:19th-century American politicians
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
zram-objs := zram_drv.o xvmalloc.o
obj-$(CONFIG_ZRAM) += zram.o
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
The GCC food industry is on a sustainable and balanced growth path says Alpen Capital's new report
Dubai, 22nd February, 2017: Alpen Capital, an investment banking advisory firm, announced the publication of its report on the GCC Food Industry. The report presents the state of the food industry while covering demand-supply dynamics across various food categories in the GCC nations. The report also covers the recent trends, growth drivers, and challenges in the industry, along with the sector outlook until 2021. The report profiles some of the prominent food companies in the region, while highlighting their financial and valuation metrics.
“We expect the GCC Food industry to grow at a sustainable pace. This growth is primarily attributable to factors such as growing population, higher per capita income, and a vibrant tourism market, changing dietary habits and preferences, and increasing penetration of organised retail. Government as well as private sector investments are being channelled towards augmenting the domestic food production capacity and supply, even as securing food sources in other resource-rich countries remains a key priority”, says Sameena Ahmad, Managing Director, Alpen Capital (ME) Limited
“Despite significant headwinds due to fall in oil prices, drop in infrastructure projects, job losses and attendant retail spend, the GCC Food Industry is forecasted to grow in the coming years. Food security remains a key priority for the GCC countries as the reliance on heavy imports continue owing to limited arable land, hot and arid climate, and fresh water shortage. We see several government initiatives aimed not only at enhancing domestic productivity, but also at investing in farmlands overseas to mitigate the risk. Despite this key challenge, the sector remains on the radar of investors who are looking at opportunities to enter the region or a specific country in the GCC to take advantage of what the sector has to offer. This has not only attracted new players to the market but also led to significant consolidation in the segment and we expect this trend to continue”, says Mahboob Murshed, Managing Director, Alpen Capital (ME) Limited
Industry Outlook
According to Alpen Capital, Food consumption in the GCC is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.2% from an estimated 48.1 million MT in 2016 to 59.2 million MT in 2021. This growth is primarily attributable to increase in the consumer base coupled with a higher per capita income, as the GCC economies stage a sustained economic recovery from the recent downturn.
Respective share of most of the food categories in the overall consumption are anticipated to remain broadly unchanged through 2021 with cereals as the most consumed food category in the region.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are likely to remain the major food consumption centres during the forecast period. The country-wise share in total GCC food consumption is anticipated to remain largely unchanged until 2021.
During the forecast period, food consumption in Saudi Arabia is expected to grow at an annualised average rate of 4.2% to 37.7 million MT and that in the UAE is projected to grow by 4.4% to 10.1 million MT. The expected growth rates largely mirror the population and GDP projections for the countries.
Growth drivers
The GCC population is expected to witness an addition of 6.5 million individuals between 2016 and 2021. The growing consumer base will continue to act as the chief contributor to the growth in food consumption in the region. A growing proportion of working couples has led to an increase in demand for packaged foods and ready meals.
Economic growth in the GCC is expected to gradually gather momentum in line with stability in the oil prices and expansion of the non-oil sectors. Subsequently, GDP per capita in the region is projected to expand annually by 3.7% between 2016 and 2020, a strong indicator of increasing food consumption.
The increasing influx of tourists into the GCC, will also play a role in the growth of food consumption. Additionally, seasonal events such as Ramadan, shopping festivals, and food festivals will continue to boost food consumption in the region.
Increasing penetration of organised retail formats such as hypermarkets and supermarkets is likely to support the region’s demand for packaged, healthy, and processed foods.
To strengthen food security and build a sustainable supply, the GCC countries are looking at ways to boost the domestic produce. Such developments, if fruitful, are likely to augment the scale of the food sector and reduce import dependency.
Challenges
Hot and arid climatic conditions, limited arable land, and inadequate water resources in the GCC have resulted in a high dependency on food imports. This has exposed the regional economies to global food price fluctuations and geopolitical tensions. While efforts are being made to secure food supply by investing in farmlands abroad, establishing strong trade pacts, and boosting domestic produce, any disruptions pose a threat to the region’s food security.
Regional governments’ measures such as reduction in subsidy spend and public wages, tightening of liquidity and a subdued job market, are likely to affect consumer spending power and profitability of domestic food producers.
Inadequate number of warehouses and cold storages as well as shortage of transportation infrastructure in the GCC region has resulted in food wastage. With increasing quantity of food imports, the need for setting up a robust logistics infrastructure is being felt across the region.
Trends
Rising sales of packaged foods: Sale of packaged foods continues to rise amidst the busy working-class people in the GCC, who account for nearly half of the population.
Emerging Private labels: In light of the increasing demand for packaged foods, grocery retailers are expanding their product portfolio and distribution network by introducing more packaged products under private labels, as they are more profitable and attract customers due to low price points.
Growing demand for healthy and organic foods: As people in the region become health conscious due to rising incidence of lifestyle diseases, demand for healthy and organic foods is on a rise.
An advancing food processing segment: The number of food processing units in the GCC is increasing, with rising imports and re-export potential. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have already established themselves as the food processing hubs, their regional counterparts are also gradually catching up.
Rise of digital technologies: From influencing consumer tastes to changing the way food products are sold, served or manufactured, digital technologies are reshaping the food value chain. Online shopping is gathering steam in the GCC, particularly in the UAE, as signalled by the proliferation of several online grocery and food delivery platforms. In addition to using technology to track customer preferences and monitor market trends, manufacturers are also resorting to modern technologies for optimising processes, reducing waste, managing costs, and improving logistics in order to enhance their overall production efficiency.
Food trucks – an emerging distribution channel: Operation of food trucks is also increasing in the GCC, with the opening of a new dedicated food truck park in the UAE and announcements by the regulators in Abu Dhabi and Qatar to grant licenses for operations. Increasing presence of food trucks in the region is likely to stimulate demand for speciality / gourmet food products.
Expanding halal food market: While global demand for halal food is growing, the sector faces structural and operational challenges due to lack of a unified global halal standard. Dubai has remained at the forefront of creating a global halal international accreditation network, which is likely to strengthen its position as a key global trading hub for halal food.
Popularity of International cuisines: Presence of people from various nationalities has carved a large market for international foods in the region. While multiple culinary options are available, the Japanese cuisine has been gaining popularity.
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Activities
M&A activity in the sector has remained fairly buoyant with multiple deals being concluded in the past two years with Saudi Arabia and UAE attracting most transactions. This is owing to a host of factors including growing food demand due to rising populations and increasing tourist inflows, and growing significance of food security etc. With key trends expected to sustain, the M&A space will remain vibrant in the future.
Financial Performance of food companies in the region
The GCC Food sector is primarily dominated by three companies - Savola Group, Almarai Co., and Kuwait Food Co. We have analysed the financial performance of a selected set of 22 listed food companies in the GCC for the report. The combined revenue of these 22 food companies in the GCC grew at an average of 3.1% in the last two years. The dairy and processed & frozen foods segments outperformed the overall industry, having registered an average revenue growth of ~5% during the period. The agri and agri-processing segment accounted for the largest share in the food industry by revenue.
Although economic activity dampened in the last couple of years, corrective measures being undertaken to mitigate the adverse impact, complemented with a gradual stability in oil prices, are charting a path for sustainable and balanced growth in the GCC. The expected improvement in the job market and consumer spending, coupled with an expanding consumer base, will support the growth of the region’s food sector.
Posted by : Dubai PR Network Editorial TeamViewed 9882 times PR Category :Food IndustryPosted on : Wednesday, February 22, 2017 2:34:00 PM UAE local time (GMT+4)
Replication or redistribution in whole or in part is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of DubaiPRNetwork.com.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
var convert = require('./convert'),
func = convert('take', require('../take'));
func.placeholder = require('./placeholder');
module.exports = func;
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Super Sabre (comics)
Super Sabre (Martin Fletcher) is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #215.
Fictional character biography
Martin Fletcher was born in Massachusetts. During World War II, as Super Sabre he fought against the Axis powers which dominated Europe. He fought alongside three other heroes during this time: Stonewall, Crimson Commando, and Yankee Clipper. Following the war Super Sabre along with the Commando and Stonewall continued to fight crime. They even hoped to join the Human Torch in fighting communists, but government officials were concerned that the over enthusiastic heroes would cause a real war. The government requested that the trio retired, which they reluctantly did.
Fletcher, Crimson Commando, and Stonewall returned to America. When they arrived home they were disturbed by the criminal acts of people who thought they were "above the law". Finally deciding to do something they came out of retirement and would kidnap criminals and hunt them for sport as vigilantes. Years later, while operating out of Adirondack State Park in New York state, they accidentally captured Storm and realized that she was not a criminal. Faced with this dilemma they decided to hunt down Storm in order to keep their whereabouts a secret. Storm was also captured with another prisoner, drug dealer Priscilla Morrison, their actual target. Chasing down Morrison and Storm, Super Sabre was almost decapitated by a trap Storm had set, which buried him in an avalanche. Later, Morrison betrayed Storm, but before she could kill Storm the Commando was able to kill her. Storm and the Commando then fought in combat, which she won. After she won she demanded that Commando and Stonewall turn themselves in. Distraught because they thought Super Sabre was dead, they complied and turned themselves in.
Months later Valerie Cooper arranged for the release of the Commando and Stonewall if they joined Freedom Force. They reluctantly agreed. Super Sabre publicly reappeared, alive, and also offered to join the Freedom Force. The trio was pardoned for their past crimes and became special operatives for the federal government of the United States.
Alongside Freedom Force, Super Sabre battled the X-Men in Dallas at first, but then battled cavemen transported to Dallas by time-waves created by the cosmic entity known as the Adversary. They witnessed the televised deaths of the X-Men, and Forge's return to Dallas. Freedom Force's attempts to enforce the government policy, the Mutant Registration Act, later led to a battle with the New Mutants in Dallas, and with Cyclops and Marvel Girl of X-Factor in which Marvel Girl defeated Super Sabre. They later attempted to apprehend Rusty Collins, but were thwarted by Skids. Following a mission to Muir Island which resulted in Stonewall's death at the hands of the Reavers. Later during a Freedom Force mission which capture Cable, who had escaped from federal custody, Super Sabre was almost decapitated again.
During an unknown period of time Super Sabre was seen alongside other speedsters such as Quicksilver, Whizzer, Speed Demon, Black Racer, Makkari, and the female Captain Marvel. The Runner pitted them against each other to find out who is the fastest being on Earth.
The Commando then led a Freedom Force mission to Kuwait City to rescue or kill physicist Reinhold Kurtzmann, which led to a fight with the Middle Eastern mercenaries called Desert Sword. Super Sabre was decapitated by the "cutting wind" of Aminedi, and the mission ended with Commando crippled. Following this disaster, Freedom Force was disbanded.
Years later Wolverine visited the afterlife and was attacked by several of his dead foes, among them Stonewall, Pyro, and Super Sabre. Wolverine began to fight the dead villains until Colossus appeared to help Wolverine defeat them.
A young recruit of Mystique's later incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants took the code name Sabre, in honor of the late Super Sabre. This Sabre has somewhat similar mutant abilities as the original.
Super Sabre is resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard, he takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia.
Powers and abilities
Super Sabre was a mutant who had the power to run at tremendous speeds. Even at an advanced age, he was capable of approaching the speed of sound. He could move his hands at sonic speeds to produce a shockwave capable of knocking a person over, and could create a "micro-sonic boom" by snapping his fingers at supersonic speeds. Super Sabre also had superhuman stamina and reflexes. He could create a wall of air pressure by moving his arms at superhuman speed, and could run up walls and across water. Super Sabre's metabolism required air, food, and water; deprivation of any of these would diminish his speed and endurance. His physical abilities weakened with age but much less so than a normal human being of his advanced age.
Super Sabre wore a costume of synthetic stretch fabric treated to be highly resistant to damage from friction heat and other hazards of moving at superhuman speed.
References
External links
http://www.marvel.com/universe/Super_Sabre
Category:Characters created by Chris Claremont
Category:Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Category:Marvel Comics mutants
Category:Marvel Comics supervillains
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
}
|
import Foundation
/// A Nimble matcher that succeeds when the actual sequence's last element
/// is equal to the expected value.
public func endWith<S: Sequence, T: Equatable>(_ endingElement: T) -> Predicate<S>
where S.Iterator.Element == T {
return Predicate.fromDeprecatedClosure { actualExpression, failureMessage in
failureMessage.postfixMessage = "end with <\(endingElement)>"
if let actualValue = try actualExpression.evaluate() {
var actualGenerator = actualValue.makeIterator()
var lastItem: T?
var item: T?
repeat {
lastItem = item
item = actualGenerator.next()
} while(item != nil)
return lastItem == endingElement
}
return false
}.requireNonNil
}
/// A Nimble matcher that succeeds when the actual collection's last element
/// is equal to the expected object.
public func endWith(_ endingElement: Any) -> Predicate<NMBOrderedCollection> {
return Predicate.fromDeprecatedClosure { actualExpression, failureMessage in
failureMessage.postfixMessage = "end with <\(endingElement)>"
guard let collection = try actualExpression.evaluate() else { return false }
guard collection.count > 0 else { return false }
#if os(Linux)
guard let collectionValue = collection.object(at: collection.count - 1) as? NSObject else {
return false
}
#else
let collectionValue = collection.object(at: collection.count - 1) as AnyObject
#endif
return collectionValue.isEqual(endingElement)
}.requireNonNil
}
/// A Nimble matcher that succeeds when the actual string contains the expected substring
/// where the expected substring's location is the actual string's length minus the
/// expected substring's length.
public func endWith(_ endingSubstring: String) -> Predicate<String> {
return Predicate.fromDeprecatedClosure { actualExpression, failureMessage in
failureMessage.postfixMessage = "end with <\(endingSubstring)>"
if let collection = try actualExpression.evaluate() {
return collection.hasSuffix(endingSubstring)
}
return false
}.requireNonNil
}
#if os(macOS) || os(iOS) || os(tvOS) || os(watchOS)
extension NMBObjCMatcher {
@objc public class func endWithMatcher(_ expected: Any) -> NMBObjCMatcher {
return NMBObjCMatcher(canMatchNil: false) { actualExpression, failureMessage in
let actual = try! actualExpression.evaluate()
if (actual as? String) != nil {
let expr = actualExpression.cast { $0 as? String }
return try! endWith(expected as! String).matches(expr, failureMessage: failureMessage)
} else {
let expr = actualExpression.cast { $0 as? NMBOrderedCollection }
return try! endWith(expected).matches(expr, failureMessage: failureMessage)
}
}
}
}
#endif
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Github"
}
|
Q:
Rx.js wait for callback to complete
I am using Rx.js to process the contents of a file, make an http request for each line and then aggregate the results. However the source file contains thousands of lines and I am overloading the remote http api that I am performing the http request to. I need to make sure that I wait for the existing http request to callback before starting another one. I'd be open to batching and performing n requests at a time but for this script performing the requests in serial is sufficient.
I have the following:
const fs = require('fs');
const rx = require('rx');
const rxNode = require('rx-node');
const doHttpRequest = rx.Observable.fromCallback((params, callback) => {
process.nextTick(() => {
callback('http response');
});
});
rxNode.fromReadableStream(fs.createReadStream('./source-file.txt'))
.flatMap(t => t.toString().split('\r\n'))
.take(5)
.concatMap(t => {
console.log('Submitting request');
return doHttpRequest(t);
})
.subscribe(results => {
console.log(results);
}, err => {
console.error('Error', err);
}, () => {
console.log('Completed');
});
However this does not perform the http requests in serial. It outputs:
Submitting request
Submitting request
Submitting request
Submitting request
Submitting request
http response
http response
http response
http response
http response
Completed
If I remove the call to concatAll() then the requests are in serial but my subscribe function is seeing the observables before the http requests have returned.
How can I perform the HTTP requests serially so that the output is as below?
Submitting request
http response
Submitting request
http response
Submitting request
http response
Submitting request
http response
Submitting request
http response
Completed
A:
The problem here is probably that when you use rx.Observable.fromCallback, the function you passed in argument is executed immediately. The observable returned will hold the value passed to the callback at a later point in time. To have a better view of what is happening, you should use a slightly more complex simulation : number your requests, have them return an actual (different for each request) result that you can observe through the subscription.
What I posit happens here :
take(5) issues 5 values
map issues 5 log messages, executes 5 functions and passes on 5 observables
those 5 observables are handled by concatAll and the values issued by those observables will be in order as expected. What you are ordering here is the result of the call to the functions, not the calls to the functions themselves.
To achieve your aim, you need to call your observable factory (rx.Observable.fromCallback) only when concatAll subscribes to it and not at creation time. For that you can use defer : https://github.com/Reactive-Extensions/RxJS/blob/master/doc/api/core/operators/defer.md
So your code would turn into :
rxNode.fromReadableStream(fs.createReadStream('./path-to-file'))
.map(t => t.toString().split('\r\n'))
.flatMap(t => t)
.take(5)
.map(t => {
console.log('Submitting request');
return Observable.defer(function(){return doHttpRequest(t);})
})
.concatAll()
.subscribe(results => {
console.log(results);
}, err => {
console.error('Error', err);
}, () => {
console.log('Completed');
});
You can see a similar issue with an excellent explanation here : How to start second observable *only* after first is *completely* done in rxjs
Your log is likely to still show 5 consecutive 'Submitting request' messages. But your request should be executed one after the other has completed as you wish.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
}
|
Website Glitches Extend Obamacare Enrollment
For the second year, Obamacare enrollment isn’t exactly over when it’s over. The regular open enrollment season ended at midnight Sunday but HHS on Monday announced a one-week “special enrollment” period ending Feb. 22 for people trying to enroll through HealthCare.gov who encountered technical glitches or faced long waits through the call center on the final weekend. Most states have outlined similar policies.
There’s also a growing chorus urging a separate special enrollment period around the April 15 tax filing deadline. That would be for people who do their 2014 taxes, discover they must pay a penalty for going without insurance without an exemption, – and face an even bigger fine for going uncovered in 2015. HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell told POLITICO the agency was considering giving them another chance to sign up, and several Democratic lawmakers have urged precisely that.
A wave of people getting fines without having a way of avoiding another year’s fines would generate another spurt of unfavorable publicity for the ACA.
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange announced Monday a special enrollment period for two months in that state. California and Minnesota are considering it.
HHS did not give an enrollment update Monday, but reported throughout the final weekend that website traffic and call center volume were heavy. Even before the final deadline neared, 10 million people had selected plans or been re-enrolled on the federal or state exchanges, although not all have paid yet. HHS hopes to have more than 9 million covered in the exchanges this year. That’s less than the Congressional Budget Office forecast.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
}
|
Circulating anticoagulant phenomenon manifesting as isolated intracranial hypertension.
A 28 years old male developed headache and bilateral papilloedema. Cerebrospinal fluid revealed increased opening pressure, but was otherwise unremarkable. Magnetic Resonance (MRI) imaging of the brain was normal; MRI of the neck disclosed thrombosis of the right internal jugular vein. Russel viper venom test revealed the presence of a circulating anticoagulant.
|
{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
|
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