MediMindful Moment: Meet Ajamu Ayende
In this episode of Cloud9 Online’s MediMindful Moments podcast, co-hosts Judith Dreyer, Jeff Nelder, and Henry Edinger interview Ajamu Ayinde, MA, ACH, Certified Medical Hypnotherapist at Advantage Enterprises. Ajamu shares his knowledge and expertise as a Hypnotherapist, and his experience in Transpersonal Therapy. He also talks about the healing tools of mindfulness and the significance of gentle awareness.
Listen HERE!
Episode Highlights:
● Have you wondered how our mental health practitioners are coping with the COVID-19 crisis? (1:38)
● How do mental health practitioners incorporate mindful practices? (1:47)
● Judith introduces Ajamu Ayinde. (1:53)
● Jeff proceeds with the mindful moment exercise. (2:29)
● After Ajamu experienced the exercise, does he have any feelings or sensations that he wants to share? (5:51)
● Henry shares that gentle awareness is significant in our current situation. (6:34)
● What states of mind were the most distracting for Ajamu? (6:44)
● Ajamu shares that feeling overwhelmed is an emotion that a lot of people are experiencing, and many people are feeling very overwhelmed by the information overload and by the changes that are happening. (6:56)
● What role does mindful awareness play in hypnotherapy? (8:43)
● Ajamu shares that if we're used to ignoring our bodies, ignoring our minds, and ignoring our states of being, then it's easy to allow other elements to also be ignored. (9:17)
● Ajamu mentions the principle tenet of Buddhism. (9:29)
● Jeff shares that if we're going to have any chance to transform fear and anger, it's going to have to start with each of us. (13:59)
● Ajamu mentions a book entitled Love Is Letting Go of Fear, by Gerald Jampolsky. (14:14)
● Ajamu shares that these states of mind are the most unresolvable states that we can hold, and it's impossible to inspire people if we're all collapsed inward on ourselves and sticking our heads in the sand. (15:01)
● Ajamu mentions that the Buddha came to teach us, to use his words, and allow us to make sense of this world that we're living in. (15:42)
● Ajamu feels that every holistic practitioner, every mindfulness teacher, and every yoga teacher, were called to be the light bearer, to be of compassion, and to be the force of love. (15:57)
● Henry mentions that you don't necessarily have to grab a sign and go to your local town square, to spread knowledge and to spread an understanding. (18:32)
● Does Ajamu have a story to share about his experience during our current situation? (19:18)
● Ajamu shares that it has been difficult for him to be in nature, and draw strength from the natural world in a way that he had, all his life. (19:58)
● Ajamu shares that as a black man, the focus on police brutality is something that he has dealt with his entire life. (20:24)
● Ajamu mentions that one of the greatest healing tools that he has is nature and being out in the weather. (22:50)
● Ajamu shares that one of the elements of transpersonal healing and therapy is that it’s very honest, and spirituality is about rawness and realness. (23:06)
● Ajamu mentions that one of the issues that is not being talked about in psychology or spirituality is race and ethnicity. (23:21)
● How can we use the tools of mindfulness to help us, within a difficult situation? (24:47)
● Ajamu shares one of the mindful tools that he learned from different martial arts teachers. (24:21)
● Jeff shares that the idea that Ajamu can surface wisdom among people, in a very short period of time is something precious, and we should never take it for granted. (26:56)
● Jeff thinks that a lot of people share the feeling of not being safe outside their home for a variety of reasons, and letting them know that they're not alone, is very significant. (28:15)
● Ajamu mentions that he’s a product of hypnotic childbirth, back in 1968. (29:00)
Key Quotes:
● “As a hypnotherapist, I always want to remind people that they are much more resourceful than they would give themselves credit for being. One of the central tenants of neuro-linguistic programming is that we have all the resources that we need within us. And I do my best to share that philosophy and presupposition with as many of my clients as I can.” - Ajamu Ayinde
● “The central idea is that one must be awake to deal and address what's going on. We could all wish things were different or the way they used to be or the way that they might be in some distant future. But what is right now is what we must all grapple with.” - Ajamu Ayinde
● “When we bring love into our hearts, when we ignite that love when we acknowledge that love, we extend it to ourselves, we extend it to the other, whoever that other is, then that’s where the hope comes from. That's where the solution comes from. That's where the plan comes from.” - Ajamu Ayinde
● “We’re not superhuman, we're not Gods, so to speak. We are vulnerable as well, but it's our practices that make us able to do what we do. But we must rely on one another, we must lean on each other, we must be vulnerable amongst one another so that we can rebuild ourselves, renew ourselves, and restore ourselves so that we continue shining.” - Ajamu Ayinde
● “Disproportionate numbers of people who are being affected are people of color, and that's not something that is easy for people to talk about, black or white. But it is real, it is what is. And it's the underlying medical conditions that many people of color have that they bring to the COVID crisis that make them more vulnerable. But that has to be addressed, and it can't just be written off.” - Ajamu Ayinde
Resources Mentioned:
