"If there is anything that would cope with modern scientific needs,
it would be meditation."
Albert Einstein  
 
Bangkok Post (Sunday, 31 August 2003)

Time and Tide
Want to find a place to meditate? Try the beach
Story by Karnjariya Sukrung

Many of us think that in order to practise meditation we need to find a confined, noise-free place so we can discover increased calm and concentrate better.

It's not necessarily so. Actually, the mind does not need noise in order to be distracted. One moment it is reflecting on the past, another moment on the future and the next it is weighed down by sleepiness or fatigue. It is in the nature of the mind never to stay still.

Having said that, however, I believe the setting in which we perform mindfulness practice significantly influences our state of mind. But it does not have to be in complete quiet or stillness. On the contrary, some kinds of sights and sounds, and some environments, can calm the mind and enhance our concentration or mindful awareness.

Take my recent meditation session on the beach in Cha-am, for example. During the three-day ``Full Moon Beach Meditation'' workshop organised by the International Meditation Club, I had a chance to practise walking and sitting insight meditation, or vipassana, on the beach. It was a challenge to meditate in a natural environment, amid the wind and the sound of the waves, things I had no control over. It meant I had to be even more alert to acknowledging the things my mind observed and the feelings that were generated.

I was aware hat the idea of walking meditation was to allow myself to be in each progressive movement, to be in tune with the constantly changing present. For example, while making a step forward, I had to be fully aware of the standing pose, my right heel slowly lifting up, moving forward, lowering and finally touching the ground.

Doing this on the flat concrete floor that I normally use doesn't make for much difference between each step. So my mind would often stray.

Walking on the sand was different. First, the surface of the ground was not level. Its textures offered constant surprises. I never knew how deep my foot would sink into the sand. Each step was different because the sand was sometimes fine, sometimes harsh and sometimes covered with shell debris.

The temperature at different parts of the beach was also different. Often, there were different sensations in even one step _ my heel might feel warm but my toes cool, possibly due to the sand's different absorption of seawater.

The experience made me realise fully that each step was new, fresh and different. My mind became alert and open to changes and to the unpredictability of each step, at each moment. For the first time, walking became a fun and fulfilling experience

When it came to sitting meditation, I chose to sit in an area close to the sea. I love water, and I also believed that the location would help heighten my mindfulness, since I had to be alert at all times to observe the impact of the water coming up against my body.

Once I closed my eyes, my ears started to pick up different sensations. The rhythmic, slapping sound of the waves hitting the shore soothed my mind. The intervals of time between each wave were different. So was the tone and the echo of each wave.

Like the waves, the wind also evoked different sensations. It blew hard sometimes, and then softly touched my face or just stopped still for a while. When the breeze turned into a strong gush of wind, my nose became full of the sea's saltiness.


 


 


Meditation Inc
By Mara Altman 27 September 2005 17:39


 
Monk Tuan Siridhammo and Tony Uthasoonthorn (with megaphone) tell Mattel employees what to visualize on a meditative walk.
       One company is encouraging its stressed-out workers to relax, clear their minds...and get back to work.

Twenty Mattel Bangkok employees focus their eyes on the sand, their ears on the lapping waves and their thoughts, if they can manage it, on nothing at all. Their job at the moment is to forget about the latest model toy car, the imports arriving from China, the calls that have to be returned and the financial figures that need to be added up on Monday.

Right now they are learning to concentrate on the details around them: the grains between their toes and the breeze blowing through their hair.

They are the second group of Mattel staff members to make the three-hour journey from their factory in Bang Na to a resort in Jomthian. (None of the employees, however, actually works on the factory floor.) The company offered this optional, all-expenses-paid trip to teach them the art of meditation. General manager Arunagiri Manikam expects the two-day retreat to make his employees clear-minded and relaxed.

“We are expanding, and people are complaining about a lot of stress,” he says. “If they can get their mind settled, they can be more productive.”

Tony Uthasoonthorn, the director of the International Meditation Club, gave up business after more than 25 years to pursue meditation training. For the last three years, he has offered meditation workshops to the public, but he is now expanding into corporate training. Because of Tony’s previous work experience, he believes he has a good understanding of the atmosphere of business and can help people alleviate the stress that can accumulate from it.

“There are the noises we don’t like, annoying people in other departments, the air-con that is too cold,” he says. “If you don’t let go of all that is negative, it grows and you can’t concentrate on your work anymore. Meditation can cleanse all that mental pollution.”

Though Mattel is Tony’s first corporate client in Thailand, the use of meditation by large corporations has been a worldwide trend. While western businesses like Time Warner, Viacom, Deutsche Bank and Apple Computers have adopted meditation training, traditional business retreats in Thailand have stressed sanuk retreats, with team-building games and brainstorming sessions.

Some other corporate meditation programs are offered in Thailand – MDK Consultants uses one – but retreats like Tony’s are largely unheard of. Tony believes this is because Thais take their culture for granted. “This is a wake-up call to everyone,” he says. “Look at the benefits of meditation and what it can do in the business world.”

Mattel is a perfect candidate for Tony’s program. Company policy mandates that employees find a healthy balance between life and work. Arunagiri could have hired a team of psychiatrists to visit his employees, but instead he opted for meditation training – a better fit with the local culture.

Giving his employees a full two-day weekend and opportunities for self-exploration is essential to running a productive business. “It’s important to recharge their batteries,” he says. “And I have found that in that time they come up with a lot of creative ideas.”

On arrival, everyone is treated to a hearty lunch by the pool and ushered to a conference room for the orientation. A microphone is passed around, and the employees describe their expectations for the weekend.

Most have not tried meditation and are unsure of what to expect. “Normally I’m cool,” says a warehouse worker, “but maybe after this I will be very cool.”

A coworker to his right expresses her true feelings: “I expect nothing except to skip my work a couple days.”

Arungiri winces; he is attending in order to build a better relationship with his employees.

The program is a day and a half long. The company pays 5,000 baht a head for three meditation sessions (two on the beach), four meals and four hours of free time.

Though the program is nondenominational, a monk always attends to help with the training. Phramaha Tuan Siridhammo doesn’t care if they are corporate trainees or not; he says everyone needs meditation and treats all students the same. “Meditation is the only way to attain real happiness in our lives,” he says.

Is it okay to meditate in order to further a materialistic goal? Phramaha Tuan suggests meditation can only lead to good things: not only will it help employees work better, he says, but it will strengthen their minds. “They will spread peace to one another in the workplace and then to the society and eventually to the world.”

Farah Bakar attended the first Mattel retreat a month ago and believes her life has changed for the better. Now she meditates 15 minutes a day and as needed in the office – such as when she senses herself growing frustrated with people who fire off “thoughtless” questions or is annoyed by the constantly ringing phone.

“Previously I got moody all the time; I would shout at everyone,” says Bakar. “Now I feel like I can calm down. People call me because they need me, not because they mean to bother me. I’ve changed my style.”

First-time meditator Jantima Kaewpradad is attending the workshop out of desperation. She saw the first group return to the factory calmer than they had left and wanted to know the secret. “How can you concentrate on one thing?” she says. “My life is very messy: two managers left and I have to handle too many things. I am attending an MBA workshop and have three kids – I cannot manage my time.”

Tony introduces meditation in a casual style. After each session, everyone gathers in a circle and discusses what they felt. One man says he saw a northeastern woman laughing beside him as he meditated on the sky.

Another woman divulges that she felt nothing at all and couldn’t get her mind to quiet down. “There is no right or wrong way to meditate,” assures Tony. “You can’t change the world, but you can change yourself and the world will look different.”

After the retreat, many of the attendees are hopeful. Roongrawee Saithep expects to get more done. “I think I am going to have more energy at work,” she says. “It will be better.”

Arunagiri hopes to put another 240 employees through the program. He says he hasn’t sensed a change in productivity yet, but has observed that many who went through the program already appear happier.

He hopes the program will help his employees in their own lives, but admits that he is eager for something in return. “I’m expecting some good ideas,” says Arungiri.

Farah sees things a bit differently. “Work harder?” she says, smiling and digging her fork into an omelet. “We work hard already!”

 
Metro Magazine
August 2005


HEALING THROUGH MEDITATION

        •   According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 450 million people
             worldwide are currently affected by mental, neurological or behavioral problems.
        •   About 873,000 people die by suicide every year.
        •   Mental illnesses are common to all countries and cause immense suffering.
             People with these disorders are often subjected to social isolation, poor quality of
             life and increased mortality. These disorders are the cause of staggering
             economic and social costs.
        •   One in four patients visiting a health service has at least one mental,
             neurological, or behavioral disorder, but most of these disorders are neither
             diagnosed nor treated.

For the past eight months that I spent teaching meditation in the US, I found that anxiety is the number one emotional problem today. Approximately 75 – 90% of all visits to the doctor are stress and anxiety related. This is the main reason why people miss work, abuse alcohol and use prescription drugs. Yet 70 % of people who suffer from anxiety don’t get help because it’s very difficult for them to admit they have problems.

When you look at the symptoms of anxiety you’ll understand why. Most people don’t relate insomnia, stomach upsets, diarrhea, dizziness, lower back and neck pain, numbness and tingling sensations of hands and feet to anxiety. They think it is a physically related illness. 50% - 70% of people who suffer from anxiety are misdiagnosed by their primary physicians simply because they come in with vague symptoms which get treated with prescription drugs. Many others us alcohol to help them go to sleep, coffee to stay awake during the day, and medication for their anxiety problems. They become addicted and don’t know how to get out of this cycle, so they finally accept this as a normal way of life. Anxiety is a painful state of uneasiness of the mind that, most often, can’t just be treated by taking pills. It takes time to learn how to solve this problem. Meditation, used to treat a bio-chemical imbalance, can be much more effective than drugs. It is a vital tool to cope with life effectively, because it helps you see solutions to problems through awareness that you are creating your own anxiety by overreacting to situations. Meditation is not only an excellent way to eradicate stress, tension, anxiety, panic and depression, but it is also the most natural way to help the body to heal itself from any physical problems. The best thing in life is within all of us – the power of the mind. Unseen, yet extremely powerful, the mind can be our best friend or worst enemy, it not correctly trained. Most problems in life are induced emotionally. Cancer, for example, is the result of the failure of the body’s immune system. According to the American Cancer Society, meditation can induce the brain to release the hormone endorphin, which actually helps to strengthen the immune system to enable it to destroy cancer cells! There are many cases of terminally ill patients who out lived the doctor’s forecast of life expectancy by using meditation to heal themselves. Once you understand how the mind works, you can develop it thru meditation, providing both physical and metal benefits.

Meditation also has been scientifically proven to improve responsibility, creativity, intelligence, memory, alertness, and is an invaluable tool to ensure that we reach our peak potential every day. It is a tool - not just for eradicating stress, anxiety, and depression – but for preventing illness and improving our lives in general!


Tony U-Thasoonthorn
Founder/Director
The International Meditation Club
Tony@Intlmedclub.Org
www.intlmedclub.org

 
Metro Magazine
December 2005


The Bangkok Post Magazine
2 March 2006



PEACE OF MIND

The organization required for fitting in a long-haul meditation retreat, combined with anxiety about having to remain eternally still, quiet and possibly hungry, is enough to drive some people’s stress levels into overdrive. Salisa Pinkayan is relieved to find a retreat closer to home.



I’m constantly on the look out for anything to quiet my agitated mind – anything legal, of course! I regularly practice yoga and also take the occasional relaxing massage to momentarily shut out the world. But the method most recommended as the ultimate route to equanimity, is meditation. However, I’m intimidated by the long-haul retreats that prohibit speaking and interaction. I’ve heard of people packing their bags in tears, unable to stand being with only themselves and their thoughts for so long. So when I saw an advertisement for a two-day introductory meditation course right here in Bangkok, I signed up immediately.

The course was conducted in English by Tony U-Thasoonthorn, founder and director of the Thai-based International Meditation Club. He’s been meditating for 30 years, first independently, and then by incorporating ideas and techniques of meditation masters. Tony explains how he became interested in meditation: “it started when I was little. I used to lie down on the grass and watch the stars with my brother. He’d tell me about the constellations. That’s when I began wondering about where we came from and where we’re going. So as an adult I started meditating and when the questions in my mind accumulated, I began consulting various monks.”

The course was perfect for a beginner like myself. First, Tony explained the basic concepts behind meditation; then followed a 30 minute practice in four different sessions; and finally we had the opportunity to discuss the experience. According to Tony, we all already know how to meditate, for meditation is essentially the concentrated mind. It’s how we manage to finish reading a book or graduate from school. Tony encouraged us not fight against our own thoughts, and instead to try and observe how our minds work; recognize the thoughts that seep in and then put them aside and return to our breath or our mantra. He stressed that here is no right or wrong technique; it all depends on what feels appropriate for each individual.

Tony claims that, “the day we were born, the six gateways to the mind were opened. These are sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch and emotions. Our minds collect the information that comes through these sources and in time more negative feelings of greed, hatred, illusion, and anger can appear.” Basically it all comes down to being happy or unhappy as both feelings originate in the mind. “Of course, we all want to be happy but what we don’t know is that happiness and unhappiness are very closely related,” continues Tony. “When we’re happy but we know it’s going to end, we become unhappy. When we’re unhappy but we know there’s a solution, we become happy. Through meditation our mind begins to see the logic behind that universal truth and we begin to detach ourselves from what we had been clinging to.”

Tukka, the Pali word (Indic language closely related to Sanskrit) that covers negative sentiments such as suffering, discomfort, displeasure, and unhappiness, is represented by four major postures: standing, sitting, walking, and reclining. For that reason, we practiced meditations is these positions. Tony advised us to slow down our movements so that we’re doing everything with mindfulness. For example, in the walking meditation we to be aware of when our foot rises, pushes, falls and touches the ground. It may sound easy, but after a while I started getting confused and began to lose my balance; which I’m reassured is normal for a beginner. The more you practice, the better your mind follows your action. We have to keep the mind in the present moment during meditation. And then we recognize that there’s a beginning, a changing, and an ending to everything we do. As physical exercise tones the body, the mind becomes refined with the regular and strenuous practice of meditation.

Aside from the 30-minutes of walking meditation, we also did the sitting, reclining and standing meditations. I must admit that the time passed by quickly and I did fell a sense of calm as I concentrated on the inhalation and exhalation of my breath. Of course, nagging thoughts and the sounds of the street intruded my efforts, but I simply acknowledge them, then went back to my breathing. I felt relaxed and calm; exactly the feelings I was searching for. I was honest with Tony afterwards by admitting I was simply searching for peace of mind rather than a deeper spiritual meaning. He reassured me that’s what meditation was perfect for.

Tony also reiterated the old adage that “meditation is a perfect reliever of stress,” revealing that, he’d known of students suffering from migraines – a symptom of stress – finding that their pain disappeared during sessions. Similarly, insomniacs find they’re able to fall asleep after meditation.”

After the course I realized that meditation was suitable for anyone; you don’t have to be on an ambitious search for the secrets of the universe. As Tony suggests, just a short spell of meditating allows you to “feel the immediate benefits of calmness and stress relief,” but, as he goes on to add, “if you practice regularly and you are hoping for a deeper spiritual journey towards universal truth, you may just find yourself on the right path.”!!



 

Special thanks to The International Meditation Club
138 Sukhumvit 53, Bangkok 10110
Tel: 02 712-8965, 01 6224507
Email: tony@intlmedclub.org
www.intlmedclub.org