80: Ron Purser - Discussing The Origins of Mindfulness

Mindfulness has become such a huge part of the world we live in and has integrated into mainstream culture. There are a vast number of traditional and spiritual practices that date back hundreds of years and span across cultures far outside of what we’re exposed to in the West and it’s important we educate ourselves on the origin of these methods.

Today, I’m joined by thought leader and established teacher, Ron Purser. Ron is a Professor of Management at San Francisco State University, and Published Author of the best selling book, ‘McMindfulness’. He shares a unique perspective, having integrated traditional Buddhist practices into his life, he does a brilliant job of challenging the ideals that are emphasized through modern mindfulness tools.

To hear more insights from Ron Purser and learn more about his personal approach to this topic, tune in to Episode 80 of Technology for Mindfulness!

Some of the questions I ask:

• Could you talk about your personal background with mindfulness? (4:08)
• What are your concerns now that mindfulness is such a mainstream ideology? (9:17)
• What does mindfulness mean for you in a broader sense and in relation to traditional Buddhist teachings? (14:41)
• Could you elaborate on how you believe mindfulness apps are being used as overtly solitary experiences (30:22)
• From your experience, what is mindfulness other than a self-help technique? (37:10)
• Would you agree that a lot of self-help apps are too introductory and don’t cover mindfulness in a broader sense? (40:19)
• What would you recommend to those wanting to learn more about mindfulness? (43:09)

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The history of Martial Arts and Shotokan Karate (1:20)
• How Buddhism has become synonymous with mindfulness (7:44)
• How mindfulness ideologies have become part of the mainstream and integrated into Western culture (18:40)
• The commoditization behind mindfulness in corporate environments (23:44)
• A brief excerpt from ‘McMindfulness’ - How the US Army have militarized the clinical application of mindfulness (27:24)
• The privatization of stress and the connection that has to our bodies (33:16)
• The political ideologies and connotations behind fanatic mindfulness (35:23)

Connect with Robert Plotkin:

• Technology For Mindfulness Website
• Blueshift IP Website
• LinkedIn

Connect with Ron Purser:

• Website
• The Mindful Cranks - Podcast
• McMindfulness - Book

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