Episode 13 of our Video Blog is all about Visualization. Visualization is a powerful tool, especially when used along with meditation. Watch the Video all the way through the first time, then use it as part of a guided meditation to work on programing positive mental actions if you find yourself in a MAYDAY situation.
Showing posts with label Meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meditation. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
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:
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.
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.
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.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Video Blog Episode 12
Here is Episode 12 of the video blog.
Remember that meditation is a skill that can be learned. I highly recommend finding a workshop or teacher to learn from if you have never practiced meditation before. For those of you with some exposure to the practice a guided meditation CD/Podcast/Video is an effective way to work on the skill.
Remember that meditation is a skill that can be learned. I highly recommend finding a workshop or teacher to learn from if you have never practiced meditation before. For those of you with some exposure to the practice a guided meditation CD/Podcast/Video is an effective way to work on the skill.
Friday, April 1, 2011
This is NOT an April Fools Post.
I want to take up the topic of exploring the ideas I brought up in my article Four Dimensional Firefighting. We are forging a Fire Service Warrior culture through this website, and I hope through those people who read, study, and apply the work I did in The Combat Position: Achieving Firefighter Readiness. I am going to be 100% honest with my readers and say that these posts are about trying to learn how to articulate a very personal process that has been part of my life since I was right out of high school. Nearly two decades later I feel like I have a deep enough understanding to begin expressing it. I'm not sure exactly how to teach you how to practice these skills, but I hope we will discover that together along the way.
Ultimately the objective of looking at Four Dimensional Firefighting is to improve the capacity of the individual Fire Service Warrior to operate on the fire ground. It is about embracing our duty as a spiritual quest as much as anything else. I've looked at Western Culture and Eastern Culture for a long time. I've read hundreds of philosophical essays and I've read tens of thousands of pages on both Fire Department Strategy and Tactics and Military Strategy and Tactics. What I have found is this: those cultures (regardless of their hemisphere of origin) that have embraced the spiritual elements of success in combat speak about doctrine and guidelines; cultures that ignore the spiritual talk about technology and procedures.
Procedures are rote skills that we expect our people to accomplish. Task A must be completed using steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Guidelines on the other had are more general descriptors of what End State we want to reach and allow the individual Warrior to accomplish it has he or she sees fit.
Let's use the donning of an SCBA as an example. When we take new candidates into our recruit academies we give them a Skill Sheet, a Procedure, to follow. Step 1, turn the cylinder valve on; Step 2, grasp the back plate of the SCBA and lift; Step 3, allow the SCBA to slide over your arms and into position on your back. The Procedure is important to Teach a Skill that we want to Measure the students ability to achieve. With the guideline however we give the Warrior an End State we want achieved. "In 30 seconds be fully encapsulated and ready to go 'on air' to enter the fire building." We don't have to say How to accomplish the task.
I have been trying to figure out WHY despite the decline in structure fire responses our Line Of Duty Death and perhaps more significantly our Fireground Injury rates are not declining. I realized that key problem the other day looking at an inflatable shelter system covered in signs saying "Command", "Safety", "Rehab", and "Accountability". We have totally lost the Spiritual side of the American Fire Service. We invest in technology; we invest in signs, vests, and accountability systems. We fail to invest in the Warrior though who will go into harms way. Far too many departments will gladly drop hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy the newest, prettiest: Engine, SCBA, Turnout Gear, etc. Yet I see those same departments cutting their Training budget as an acceptable way to "do more with less."
We need to embrace a long held view of the United States Special Operations forces: "Equip the man; Do not man the equipment". We have been putting our energy in the wrong place. We have focused on manning the equipment. Far too often our selection and assessment tools that determine if an individual has the ability to learn this trade are focused on meeting an arbitrary standard. We spend our finite budget on technological solutions and on procedures because they are easy to grasp.
That is why I keep exploring this Fire Service Warrior ideal. We have to start "Equipping the man". We must hire the best and brightest, who have drive and clarity of vision about their duty, and then train them until they CANNOT FAIL. Look at what members of the United States Special Operations Command do all over the globe: with minimum support, minimal oversight, and at times using indigenous weapons and equipment they DOMINATE on the modern battlefield. Why? Because they only select into the fold those who will make the selfless choices, who will train not until they get it right but until they cannot get it wrong, who will be guided by their mission and their ethos.
The time has come for the American Fire Service to return to its roots, to our sense of DUTY, but to add in a cultivated, tangible Spiritual Essence if we are going to improve. Those who want to learn and excel will. Those who are afraid of these ideas will express hatred and dismay at the very idea. If you are sitting at your desk, at the kitchen table, or in the recliner reading this know that our time is now. Ignore the naysayers, do not allow the fearful to dissuade you from striving EVERYDAY for excellence
Monday we are going to talk about Meditation and a means of practicing it. Cheers
Ultimately the objective of looking at Four Dimensional Firefighting is to improve the capacity of the individual Fire Service Warrior to operate on the fire ground. It is about embracing our duty as a spiritual quest as much as anything else. I've looked at Western Culture and Eastern Culture for a long time. I've read hundreds of philosophical essays and I've read tens of thousands of pages on both Fire Department Strategy and Tactics and Military Strategy and Tactics. What I have found is this: those cultures (regardless of their hemisphere of origin) that have embraced the spiritual elements of success in combat speak about doctrine and guidelines; cultures that ignore the spiritual talk about technology and procedures.
Procedures are rote skills that we expect our people to accomplish. Task A must be completed using steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Guidelines on the other had are more general descriptors of what End State we want to reach and allow the individual Warrior to accomplish it has he or she sees fit.
Let's use the donning of an SCBA as an example. When we take new candidates into our recruit academies we give them a Skill Sheet, a Procedure, to follow. Step 1, turn the cylinder valve on; Step 2, grasp the back plate of the SCBA and lift; Step 3, allow the SCBA to slide over your arms and into position on your back. The Procedure is important to Teach a Skill that we want to Measure the students ability to achieve. With the guideline however we give the Warrior an End State we want achieved. "In 30 seconds be fully encapsulated and ready to go 'on air' to enter the fire building." We don't have to say How to accomplish the task.
I have been trying to figure out WHY despite the decline in structure fire responses our Line Of Duty Death and perhaps more significantly our Fireground Injury rates are not declining. I realized that key problem the other day looking at an inflatable shelter system covered in signs saying "Command", "Safety", "Rehab", and "Accountability". We have totally lost the Spiritual side of the American Fire Service. We invest in technology; we invest in signs, vests, and accountability systems. We fail to invest in the Warrior though who will go into harms way. Far too many departments will gladly drop hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy the newest, prettiest: Engine, SCBA, Turnout Gear, etc. Yet I see those same departments cutting their Training budget as an acceptable way to "do more with less."
We need to embrace a long held view of the United States Special Operations forces: "Equip the man; Do not man the equipment". We have been putting our energy in the wrong place. We have focused on manning the equipment. Far too often our selection and assessment tools that determine if an individual has the ability to learn this trade are focused on meeting an arbitrary standard. We spend our finite budget on technological solutions and on procedures because they are easy to grasp.
That is why I keep exploring this Fire Service Warrior ideal. We have to start "Equipping the man". We must hire the best and brightest, who have drive and clarity of vision about their duty, and then train them until they CANNOT FAIL. Look at what members of the United States Special Operations Command do all over the globe: with minimum support, minimal oversight, and at times using indigenous weapons and equipment they DOMINATE on the modern battlefield. Why? Because they only select into the fold those who will make the selfless choices, who will train not until they get it right but until they cannot get it wrong, who will be guided by their mission and their ethos.
The time has come for the American Fire Service to return to its roots, to our sense of DUTY, but to add in a cultivated, tangible Spiritual Essence if we are going to improve. Those who want to learn and excel will. Those who are afraid of these ideas will express hatred and dismay at the very idea. If you are sitting at your desk, at the kitchen table, or in the recliner reading this know that our time is now. Ignore the naysayers, do not allow the fearful to dissuade you from striving EVERYDAY for excellence
Monday we are going to talk about Meditation and a means of practicing it. Cheers
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