“We live in our body. We have to come back to our body.” Pa Kou Vue (my therapist)
We all need mindfulness. If you are not convinced, think about the following questions for a moment. How many times throughout the day do we do something without thinking about it? Have you ever turned off on a freeway exit and realized you were on autopilot the whole drive? How often do we fully participate in everyday activities?
My answers to those questions are likely similar to yours. The stark truth is that we often go about our day mindlessly, which makes it hard when trauma triggers occur. It is easier to use the coping mechanisms developed in childhood. We need new tools to avoid that scenario. Mindfulness is one of those tools. A 2018 study found that mindfulness is effective for people with PTSD. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recommends mindfulness to veterans with PTSD:
“Mindfulness might increase your ability to cope with difficult emotions, such as anxiety and depression. Practicing mindfulness can help you to be more focused and aware of the present moment while also being more willing to experience the difficult emotions that sometimes come up after trauma.”
Practicing participation skills
When we practice mindfulness we observe, describe, and participate. Last week, I learned about participation skills in therapy. Participating is entering fully into an activity by using our senses. Mindfulness is asking yourself, “What does this moment need from me?” It is not dwelling on either the past or preparing for the future. Not that preparation is not prudent. The key is not to dwell on the future.
Here are a few exercises I find helpful to practice being in the moment:
Take three raisins and look at their color. Feel them between your fingers and notice their texture. Note how they smell. Slowly eat each one and think about how they taste. Listen to the sound of yourself chewing. This exercise uses all five senses and is an example of mindful eating.
Light a candle and stare at it for two minutes. Note the color, size, and shape of the candle. See the color of the flame.
Close your eyes and listen to all of the sounds you hear.
Pay attention to your breathing. Notice how the air feels as it enters and leaves your nose. Focus on the rise and fall of your abdomen.
Marsha Linehan, the founder of dialectical behavioral therapy, lists various ways we can practice participation skills in her book, DBT Skills Training Manual:
Throw yourself completely into activities of the current moment.
Become one with whatever you are doing, completely forgetting yourself. Throw your attention to the moment.
Do just what is needed in each situation.
Respond with spontaneity.
Focus your attention on where your body touches an object.
Go to a church that sings, and join in the singing.
Become the count of the breath, becoming only “one” when you count 1, becoming only “two” when you count 2, and so on.
Become a word as you slowly say the word over and over and over.
Mindfulness meditation
“Mindfulness is what arises when you pay attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally, and as if your life depended on it. And what arises is nothing other than awareness itself.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
I practice meditation and contemplative prayer daily. I notice the ability to be in the moment increases the more I meditate and pray. I can say no when the urge to binge eat arises. I can feel whatever emotion without numbing myself. I am growing daily and mindfulness is a big part of that growth.
I realize that for many people the idea of meditation is daunting because they think they must blank their minds. Mindfulness meditation is not about having a blank mind but observing your thoughts without clinging to them. Try spending 10 minutes a day observing your breath. Notice the rise and fall of your abdomen and how your breath feels coming in and out of your nose. When your mind strays, bring it back.
Image by free stock photos from www.picjumbo.com from Pixabay
Resources
DBT Skills Training Manual by Marsha Linehan
Mindfulness For Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn
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Bless you, dear Gina. You are making great progress on your healing journey and in sharing you are helping many others. Love you <3
I love it that you've been meditating you've never sounded better keep up the good work