With origins in Eastern-philosophy, mindfulness meditation techniques have been adapted for many non-religious and therapeutic purposes by mental health practitioners representing a variety of different theoretical orientations. Now considered an important aspect of CBT, mindfulness-based approaches have demonstrated efficacy in treating depression, anxiety, emotional reactivity, and certain personality characteristics.
Mindfulness refers to being wholeheartedly present with ourselves in each and every moment. It is a process of observing and ‘just noticing” without judging or evaluating. We cultivate mindfulness by paying attention to direct experience in the present, in a non judgmental fashion. With practice, mindfulness allows us to notice our experience of particular thoughts and feelings (e.g., sadness, depression, worry), without getting caught up in it. People who practice mindfulness are not only able to better manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, but are also more self-aware, have improved overall emotion regulation, enhanced empathy, and find themselves better able to relate to others. Mindfulness can also play a particularly important role in the ways we parent our children, especially as we help them to navigate in this fast-paced, technology-driven world.
Even for those of us not experiencing elevations in psychological symptoms, mindlessness can be problematic. So many of us live our lives automatically, not fully aware of the experiences we are having. From driving to “auto-pilot” and not realizing how we have actually gotten from one destination to another, to listening to our young children read only to realize that we haven’t heard a word they’ve said, to eating an entire bag of chips while sitting in front of the television, we aren’t paying full attention and aren’t embracing the present moment. When we aren’t paying attention, we tend to slip into past habits and stop noticing what is right in front of us in the present. It is then that we tend to get caught up in our thoughts or feelings and react to them in unproductive, problematic ways. Learning to pay active attention to our sensory experience in the moment helps us notice and accept what is, allowing us to make decisions that come from a place of wisdom rather than reactivity. This openness to all emotional experience helps enhance our sense of connectedness to one another and to our selves.
Several Wellsprings practitioners are skilled at integrating mindfulness techniques into their work with patients and would welcome the opportunity to help you learn about how to cultivate mindfulness in your own lives.