Mindfulness has found its way into psychotherapy during the last 25 years, and based on research is now used to treat anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Mindfulness meditation is an ancient practice in Eastern cultures and many teachers, practitioners and mental health clinicians have created ways to make it understandable for our Western culture. According to Ronald Siegel, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist and writer who teaches mindfulness to psychotherapists, one way to define mindfulness is awareness of present experience with acceptance. When we stop being aware, we have to practice bringing ourselves back to the present moment and accept it as it is. When most of us experience anxiety, depression, or any kind of pain, our natural tendency is to turn away from the uncomfortable feelings. Although it seems like a paradox, it isn't the feelings that are the problem. It's the fleeing from the feelings that causes the problem. We teach ourselves that escaping from pain helps us avoid it, but the opposite is true. The uncomfortable feelings continue to build up without any release over time, and put us at risk for anxiety or depression. Instead of avoiding uncomfortable feelings, we can choose to stay with the experience and practice tolerating them. We can breathe through them. What we then learn is that everything changes, including feelings, and they do pass. We can tolerate them and move through them. What the practice of mindfulness meditation does, in lieu of getting rid of our anxious or depressed feelings, is increase our capacity to bear the experience. As Siegel says, mindfulness gives us the flexibility to be with whatever arises. In addition to the documented beneficial brain changes we gain from mindfulness meditation, we really can practice being more at peace with whatever we encounter in our lives. We can practice being more at peace with ourselves. With kindness, Carmen |
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CategoriesAnxiety and PanicBasic Body Psychotherapy Depression Illness Mindfulness |
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