Tag: mindfulness
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Mindfulness and Addiction
In simplest terms, mindfulness is compassionate, non-judgmental present moment awareness, while addiction is a compulsion to do something again and again despite harmful consequences. When we are addicted, our ability to choose is reduced. This is because the reward pathways in the brain are hijacked by desire and behavior becomes dominated by the mindless pursuit…
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Assumptions: Filling in the Gaps
An assumption is something we accept as true or certain, without much solid evidence. We all make assumptions – the problem is, we are often not even aware that we are making them. A mindfulness practice can make us more aware of them so we can see things clearly and respond appropriately.
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Embracing the Misguided Helper
We all can react in ways, at times, that are intended to protect us from pain, but only cause further suffering. Self-compassion can help us break out of this habit.
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Where Therapy and Mindfulness Clash
There are a few challenges in being a therapist first and mindfulness teacher second. Our conditioning as helping professionals can place us at odds with the original intent behind mindfulness practice. The longer we have been treating people, the harder it can be to transcend our original training so that we can embody these radically…
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The Power in Concepts
One of the useful consequences of mindfulness training is that the deeply ingrained habit of discursive thinking is disrupted and gradually replaced by increasing moments of pure awareness. Discursive thinking is what fills the conditioned and unexamined mind. It is made up of concepts (ideas, beliefs, expectations) and tends to ramble on endlessly, even aimlessly.…
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Somewhere in the Middle: Finding Balance
There is greater stillness and clarity when the mind is balanced – and mindfulness helps us find middle ground.
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Evaluating Mindfulness
Evaluating the efficacy of psychological interventions is incredibly complicated. There is no definitive blood test in commercial use for depression or anxiety – yet. Brain scans are not sophisticated or affordable enough at this time to show us whether we are afflicted or cured. Outcomes must be determined by observation of behavior or self-report and…
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Responder or Nuclear Reactor?
Are you or is someone you love a “nuclear reactor”? When living our lives on automatic pilot, we tend to react to emotions even before we are aware that we are experiencing them. Instead of thinking through a situation and responding wisely, the energy of our strong feelings overtakes us and we risk going “nuclear”.…
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How Meditation Helps
A growing body of research is showing that there are many physical and mental health benefits to practicing meditation. Mindfulness (vipassana) meditation is useful in managing pain and distressing mood states. According to the National Institute of Health’s National Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine (NCCAM) “there’s evidence that [meditation] may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms…
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The Blue Pill: Caught in the Quicksand of Confirmation Bias
Most of us have had this experience: we are stubbornly pushing forward with a decision or toward a goal based on a gut feeling, ignoring the advice and warnings of concerned others and discounting any evidence that doesn’t support our desires. Then, when things go wrong, we don’t want to think or talk about it…