The whole world knows by now that there were 60 minutes of mindfulness with Anderson Cooper on television on December 14, 2014. I had a previous engagement, so I knew I could find the 60 Minutes episode online and I found it here: Mindfulness. The show was produced by Denise Schrier Cetta and edited by Matthew Danowski.
In case the page becomes unavailable, I thought I would report on what Anderson Cooper found out about mindfulness.
Jon Kabat-Zinn on 60 Minutes, image captured from replay
He interviewed Jon Kabat-Zinn and attended a three day retreat at the Mount Madonna Center in the Santa Cruz mountains near Gilroy, California. In the interview, Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “There are a lot of different ways to talk about mindfulness, but what it really means is awareness.”
They go on to talk about mindfulness when waking up, and being in the shower. Jon Kabat-Zinn explains to Anderson Cooper that he may not be in the shower when he is taking his shower. He may be in his first meeting at work or with fifty other people.
Several Silicon Valley executives and Congressman Tim Ryan showed up for the retreat. The participants were deprived of cell phones, computers, internet, and television for the duration of the retreat. Anderson Cooper found this to be rather difficult. They practiced sitting meditation, walking meditation, and mindful eating in silence.
Congressman Tim Ryan has been meditating since 2008. He has received federal funds to teach mindfulness in the schools of Ohio. He says,
I’ve seen it transform classrooms. I’ve seen it heal veterans. I’ve seen what it does to individuals who have really high chronic levels of stress and how it has helped their body heal itself. I wouldn’t be willing to stick my neck out this far if I didn’t think this is “The Thing” that can really help shift the country.
He also serves on the budget committee where there are lots of conflicts. Ryan uses his practice to calm down when there are false statements being said or when he knows that what someone is saying is wrong.
Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of Massachusetts demonstrates to Anderson Cooper just how his brain functions before and after meditation. He put on a cap of 128 electrodes to measure the output of brain waves from the posterior cingulate, part of a brain network linked to memory and emotion. Anderson is able to see his brain waves go from red to blue as he moves his mind from agitation to mindfulness.
Next, he visits Widsom 2.0 and talks to Karen May, a Google vice president and Chad Meng Tan, Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow.” Mindfulness is an important component for creativity in companies like Google, Facebook, and Instagram.
I really enjoyed watching the replay and the overtime segments. I am also happy the mindfulness in becoming more and more mainstream.
What are your thoughts and feelings about the 60 minutes of mindfulness with Anderson Cooper?
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