Using Meditation as a Game Changer,

Monday's video was about the importance of meditation.  Today I'm going to explore some meditation techniques, provide some resources, and talk about using your meditation as a game changer to improve your fireground performance.  For the Fire Service Warrior we learn to meditate so that we can learn to control the primal survival centers of the brain and to quiet the ego. 

The Ego can be a powerful motivator but it is also a powerful distraction.  The Ego is that piece of your psyche that says "I want."  Sometimes we get confused and think it says "I will," or "I can," it does not.  The Ego motivates as well as distracts because of WANT, because of DESIRE, because it COVETS.  It will find the easiest way to satisfy it's drives because in addition to being a desirous creature it is also a lazy creature.  How many people have you met in life who have said, "I want to exercise more,"?  It's a common refrain heard around New Year's each year.  How many of those same people establish a habit of excellence and achieve that goal?  Very few.  Why?  Their Ego came in and said, "Come on, we don't have time for this," or "You ran yesterday there is no reason for you to workout today; you are doing better than you did before," or "Well, you are feeling a little achy and tired you should take the rest of the week off."  The problem really is that the Ego Desires things (particularly comfort and luxury) but it does not Aspire to anything.  Aspiring to become something or to achieve something is a far more powerful motivator that desiring something.  I think that's because when we aspire we see the Virtue and Value in or goal and recognize it will improve us.  When we desire something it is the next "bright shiny object" and when something comes along that the Ego covets more than the current desire we toss aside the old object for the new. 

In order to be able to thrive on the fireground we have to quiet the Ego.  If the Ego is about comfort and luxury then it is out of place on the battleground of a working fire.  You will have to willingly and with clear focus do things that engage your Sympathetic Nervous System.  You will work to the extremes of physical effort.  You will likely confront situations that tax your emotional resilience.

Learning to Meditate teaches us to quiet the Ego; it teaches us to be 100% present in the moment.  Think about the modern fireground.  With the changing nature of fire behavior and it's effects on building construction we have mere seconds to recognize changing conditions before they have developed to the point we cannot control.  The inside of a structure fire DEMANDS 100% attention to be given to the firefight if we hope to maintain Situational Awareness, the ability to make relevant and timely decisions, and maintain company integrity.  Learning to Meditate can help us train our minds to achieve this goal.  Once we become adept at learning to quiet the Ego we can then use the skills of Visualization, Mental Rehearsal, and positive Self-Talk to program our responses for challenges that we anticipate.

Here is how I learned to Meditate.
I find a quiet spot, someplace where there are no distractions (the phone is turned off, the TV and Computer aren't factors, no one is going to come in and ask me to do anything).

I sit down or lie down in a comfortable position.

I close my eyes and begin to breathe slowly and deeply.  I use my diaphragm to breathe: my belly fills with air rather than my chest.  This allows a deeper more controlled breathing.  The belly should expand and "fill" on the in breath and completely collapse to expel the old air on the out breath.

I allow my body to relax; starting at my feet and working my way up to my shoulders I will contract the muscles of my body and then on an exhalation release the muscle.  This helps is releasing tension and quieting the aches and pains of the day.

I then begin to count my breaths.  Start with a four count breathing.  Inhale for a count of four, pause for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, pause for a count of four.  By counting your breaths you accomplish two things: 1 - you give the mind something to do (the old "boil water trick") and 2 - you practice Tactical Breathing that can aid in restarting your cognitive processing if you find your SNS gaining primacy.  It becomes a true reminder that you must find a calm sense to accomplish your mission.

At times a thought will pop into my mind, "What will I make for dinner," or "Oh, I need to finish that project," I simply think "Noted, I will deal with that later."  The key is to become aware of the distracting thoughts, acknowledge it, and then move on.  I found when I started learning to meditate I was constantly overwhelmed by extraneous thoughts, now I notice that if I start to have a distracting thought it actually disturbs my breathing.  So I refocus on the deep, rhythmic breathing and I can clear the distraction.

I usually set a timer on my phone for the amount of time I want to mediate.  Occasionally I will use a guided meditation to work on my visualization or relaxation skills.  Other things that can be helpful:

• Turn on some kind of soft instrumental music.
• Use a candle as a point of focus if you are unable or uncomfortable sitting with your eyes closed.
• Set aside the same time every day to practice meditation.

Set a goal for yourself that you will spend 21 days working on your meditation.   It is generally acknowledged it takes 21 days of repetition of a skill set to ingrain or change a habit.

I have mediated for nearly 20 years now.  I have changed my meditative practice to now include post work-out meditation (so I develop the ability to find tranquility when I am physically wrung out), mediation and mantra usage during workouts to reduce the noise of my body wanting to stop, and I continue to use mediation during times of quiet reflection to work on mental rehearsal and programing positive actions.

If you can find a workshop or class I think that is an excellent starting point.  Whether you take a class or not I would check out the local library to see about finding a book, or some guided meditation CDs.  I download the Meditation Society of Australia's podcast through iTunes to use quite often.  Their podcasts include a lecture and guided meditation.

Some other resources are:
http://www.how-to-meditate.org/
http://www.themeditationpodcast.com/
http://www.meditationcenter.com/
I don't use these resources but I offer them as suggestions.  Like anything use the wonders of Google to find a resource that works for you.

For the more advanced practitioner I would recommend looking into the articles that are available on www.SEALFit.com. If you sign up for their newsletter you get access to a great lecture on the "Unbeatable Mind".  It's good stuff. 

Good luck in your practice.  We will get into visualizations and then mental rehearsals in coming videos and articles.  Cheers.

Four Dimensional Firefighting

Since this is my 100th blog post I've decided to take up a bit of a heavier topic.  I'm going to ask you to indulge me.  Read the whole post.  Yes, some of the suggestions and ideas might strike you as "out there", others might be downright unbelievable.  This fact is true though, like all the other elements I have researched, explored, and studied; I have done my homework.

Warriors have a unique ability to understand their place on the battlefield with a depth that exceeds the typical combatant.  The combatant who has received a basic level of skill training will stand ready to go into combat and engage in battle with direct supervision and within very confined parameters.  Warriors have been seen as different from the ordinary combatant because of the Warrior's ability to think with greater independence and anticipate the unfolding battle.

In the fire service we have begun recognizing the importance of having that deeper understanding of the unfolding dynamic that is the fire ground.  The current buzz-words to find favor in describing this capacity is Situational Awareness.  Situational Awareness is an evolutionary step forward from what we have traditionally done with Size-Up.    If we look at how we have taught size-up it has involved a checklist of items to recognize.  Topics like Building Constructing and Occupancy have logically been examined together, and occasionally we have added in Fire Behavior.  We have not always done a good job of explaining how components like Auxiliary Systems and Fire Behavior are interrelated though.  Why not?

Size-up ignores a critical component of Situational Awareness - Prediction.  Situational Awareness is a three part cognitive process: Perceive, Comprehend, Predict.  It is Observing and Understanding conditions certainly, which can be seen as the underlying focus of Size-Up, however we must also have a deeper understanding of how the dynamic of the fireground will CHANGE.  It is only once we are able to predict what happens next that we can successfully use Dr. Klein's ideas of Recognition Primed Decision Making. 

Traditionally in the fire service it has required years of experience in fire ground operations to develop this capacity.  The reasons are simple: to be able to synthesize an understanding of the whole from disparate elements requires a deep level of intuitive understanding about what occurring on the fireground.  This requires the individual to process literally hundreds of observed and implied inputs each second.  For the new firefighter the mass of data is overwhelming.  For the experienced firefighter, or fire ground commander, who has been striving to amass the Patterns that Dr. Klein wrote about it becomes easier - they have experience; they have seen it before.

If we jump into the world of education for a moment we can refer to Bloom's Taxonomy, a classification of objectives in education based on the level (depth if you will)y of understanding.  We progress from the Basic Skills Application phase through more advanced applications of skills.  At the top of the affective domains is the ability to CREATE.  When we begin to really examine how to improve our cognition in the highly dynamic modern fireground we have to be able to CREATE (or Synthesize) an understanding of the whole of the fireground.

The Fire, The Building, Your Location and Situation, The Location and Impact of Others (everyone else on the fireground) on the Situation.

While Standard Operating Guidelines, Engine and Truck Company Policies and Procedures, and the ability to use fundamental skills is critical we must begin to go beyond these tasks.  The aforementioned elements, coupled with an understanding of the skill of maintaining Situational Awareness will give each of our firefighters a significantly improved chance of safely navigating the modern fireground.  However if we truly want to unlock the ability to be fully-developed, self-actualized, Fire Service Warriors we have to take another step.

Embracing the Fourth Dimension 
 A study of Warriors going back centuries will show that some of the best Warrior groups (the Spartans, the Samurai, etc.) in addition be being well trained combatants were also deeply spiritual and philosophical men.  It was with the exploration of non-combatant skills that the individual was able to attain previously unheard of levels of battlefield prowess and cognition.  It is time we begin teaching our Fire Service Warriors skills like meditation, visualization, and mindfulness.  This is a blog post and not a book, so I'm going to just touch on these ideas.  Go and try them, investigate, read, and see how these skills will work for you.

Mediation is a critical starting point.  Meditation is about finding serenity.  Serenity is being free from unpleasant change, being utterly calm and at unaffected by circumstances.  The quintessential example of the serene person is probably the image of the Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc, who sat without moving as he was immolated alive after lighting himself on fire during a protest in Saigon in 1963.

Photo Copyright Malcome Browne - from the interweb

The first question to ask oneself is, "How is this possible?"  How could someone be consumed by fire and not react?  Quang Duchad put himself into a deeply meditative state that allowed him to disconnect from the normal nervous system response.

This example is extreme.  It is NOT a state of detachment that most people would be capable of attaining.  However it is an example of what one can endure if his or her mind is at peace and a true and lasting Serenity has become the primary Personal Condition.

Take 10 minutes a day, 20 minutes a day, ideally an hour a day and meditate.  Find a place to sit or lie down comfortably.  Shut off the phone, the TV, ignore the day to day hustle and bustle.  Quiet your mind and focus on the sound of your breathing.  You will find serenity.  It doesn't happen overnight; it is not easy; however once you have developed the capacity to meditate you will find that it is infinitely easier to endure whatever life throws at you without becoming disturbed.

Visualization is a proactive ability to see in your mind how things will unfold.  Tiger Woods is in a slump right now because despite millions of perfect repetitions of swinging a golf club his ability to visualize success is not there.  Visualization becomes easier when you are in a state of Serenity.  Why? Simple: the mind likes to scream out, I'm bored! Pay attention to me! It fills the quiet times with distracting images and thoughts.  That's why when you are sitting in church you find you are suddenly thinking about your grocery list.  It isn't that you don't want to embrace the message of the celebrant it's that the Ego, the "I Want", piece of your consciousness hasn't been put in time out.

Once you have become adept at achieving a serene state through mediation begin to visualize the fireground, visualize your role, visualize what others will be doing.  Use a few minutes of that 10 or 20 minutes a day and visualize the act of pulling the line, masking up at the door, entering the building, and advancing to the seat of the fire.  Visualize how the smoke will behave, where the other first due companies on the fire ground will be operating, "feel" the heat, "hear" the radio transmissions and the sound of water striking the ceiling and floors, "see" how ventilation effects the path of the fire, the viability, and the heat conditions.  Regardless of the fireground role you are preparing for spend time visualizing what other companies will be doing. Visualization IS Mental Rehearsal.  

Mindfulness is the ability to bring a state of perpetual calm, a state of Serenity, on when you are actively engaged in combat.  Your capacity to operate on the fireground has been improved by the efforts into meditation and visualization that you have practiced.  It is a reality that many of our members have "accidentally" developed the ability to be mindful on the fireground.  They have done so through experience and recognition of the need to remain calm.  I've seen this ability in many of the firefighters I've worked with.  I know from spending time listening to them that it has come about because they litterally have THOUSANDS of fireground repetitions.   There was not choice but to become adept on the fireground or quit.  There is no member who will develop this capacity accidentally in the 21st century fire house.  Why not? We don't go to that many fires.  We wont see 50 working structure fires a year for twenty years.  We will not get the sets and reps for Mindfulness to be an accidental adaptation.

Practicing the skills of Meditation and Visualization can help in the quest to develop Mindfulness.  We must also develop our ability to Endure.  This requires learning how to detach the consciousness, the cognitive process, from the physical.  One way of developing the capacity to endure is through difficult physical fitness training.  It is a fact that if you are working out hard enough to develop maximal physical capacity that you are engaged in painful and difficult work.  Your mind will scream at you to Stop!  You develop your ability to endure by ignoring the voice that says Stop by not quitting when the work hurts.  On the fireground you will engage in physical tasks that hurt; your physical body will be tormented, you must be able to still synthesize the whole of the fireground operation even though you are taxed to the maximum level of physical performance.

While there are many contemporary Warriors around the globe using these ideas I think it is worth noting that I am not the first in the fire service to see the value of this concept.  The legendary Paddy Brown, Captain FDNY, who lost his life on 9/11 was a black belt in Karate and an avid practitioner of yoga, a discipline dedicated to achieving mindfulness. There is a video here where Paddy speaks about his Yoga.  Some stellar informatinon on this brave and thoughtful Warrior's life can be found at the website for the Captain Patrick K. Brown Memorial Foundation.  Paddy Brown first gained national fame for directing the rope rescue of a man from the burning building.  He lead his company, Ladder 3 up to the 40th floor of the North Tower on 9/11.  He was among the 343 brothers who perished that day.

The Next Steps
For some of you readers the idea behind meditating, visualizing, and achieving mindfulness may be new.  If you have a background in the martial arts, or have experienced a deeply spiritual experience maybe these ideas will be more familiar.  Go out and do some reading for yourself.  Look at things like The Intuitive Warrior by Michael Jaco, The Rhythm of Life by Matthew Kelly, The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Warrior Mindset by Dr.Michael Asken, Dave Grossman, and Loren Christensen, and  The Mental Edge - Revised by Loren Christensen.  Visit the SEALFit website and look at Mark Divine's ideas into Warrior Yoga.  Go watch the DVD or listen to the audio CD of Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, "The Hero's Journey", from The Power of Myth.

As for the work here at the Fire Service Warrior site... well I'm going to start delving into these ideas more.  I'm going to start talking about ways of achieving Mindfulness.  Don't worry, we will still spend time looking at the basics of improving our fireground capabilities and capacities; we will look at videos and talk about gaining experience from the actions of others; we will continue to develop the Fire Service Warrior ethos.  We will also talk about ways of developing ourselves into self-actualized Fire Service Warriors.  I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I do.