It's useful to keep this truism in mind as you observe the hearty arm-waving, the enthusiastic twirling of toy light wands and the standing ovation that greet the climax of "We Will Rock You," the dopey new musical showcasing the back catalog of the rock group Queen, which is making its North American debut on the Strip here.
Think of some key words that come to mind when you observe your surroundings and write them down.
4. As you observe the mind, use the physical senses as a safe place to come back to when you feel the emotions running off.
Mind you, when I observe that America must be the most showily patriotic country in the world, an American friend points out the celebration of the Queen's Jubilee in Britain was hardly discreet and muted.
Rather, this witness is just a substructure of the very ego mind you are trying to observe, and liberate from.
Close your eyes and take a minute to notice your body and mind to observe what you need at this time.
ALEX KOPPELMAN: Not that I'm complaining about the lack of standing ovations, mind you — speeds things up — just observing.
However, I believe the distinction lies in the intention: if you're focusing on the breath to transcend your ego and realize your inner divinity, then that is Classical Hindu Meditation; if you're focusing on your breath to try to harness and train the mind and observe any thoughts that arise non-judgmentally, then that is Mindfulness Meditation, more in line with the Buddhist lineage.
And mindfulness - one aspect of it, at least - tries to get the mind to observe how the mind, or OS (Operating System) as I call it, is functioning.
The techniques sound simple enough: sitting in a quiet place, deep-belly breathing, paying attention to your body, training the mind to observe, focus and filter.
But the armchair warrior knows that "intelligence" — the effort of the mind to observe facts, apply reason, and reach conclusions about what is true and what ought to be done — is a delusion, making the mind turn in circles like an ass hitched to a mill.
