Wonderful article. I spend 15-30' morning and evening doing this.

One more thing to add from recent scientific research. When you add mindfulness to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) you get another dimension. When you add mindful awareness, as taught by Dan Siegel, you get still another, deeper, more profound dimension.

Dr. Siegel uses the image of a wheel. The simple experience of being, or resting in simple, pure awareness, is in the hub, or center of the wheel. The expeirence is one of deep contentment, ease, peace and joy, like coming home, even in the midst of what appear to be the most severe trials and tribulations (Marcus Aurelius was, in particular, quite aware of this state of Being).

On the edge or rim of the wheel, are the objects of experience (outer objects, relationships, events, as well as inner "objects" such as sensations, thoughts, emotions, impulses, etc.

The more we are centered at the "hub" or center of awareness, the more the nervous system can utilize its innate capacity for self organization, reharmonization and realignment.

We can look carefully at various actions, see how our instinctive, emotional and mental brain programming (a metaphor, not a literal "part" of the brain) and most of all, that brain construction we call "the little me" interferes with this process of harmonization.

Just seeing the anger, narcissistic self interest, fears, etc in this calm, detached, centered review, is itself a powerful transformative process, in which the brain and nervous system are quite literally changed in sometimes dramatic physiological ways.

Thanks again for a fascinating article.