Mindfulness has three important things to tell us:

  1. It involves bringing awareness or attention to your experience in this moment.
  2. It involves a particular non-judgmental attitude in observing your thoughts, emotions, and surroundings
  3. It involves flexibility of attention, allowing you to realize that most sensations fluctuate, and are just passing by “like waves in the sea.”

Mindfulness opens our eyes to the fullness of each moment of life. It is about valued living and taking action on an ongoing basis, which is guided by and aligned with core values.

The 5 Core Therapeutic Processes are:

  1. Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
  2. Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
  3. Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  4. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  5. Relapse Prevention

By incorporating mindfulness skills, these therapeutic processes can reduce your symptoms and change unhealthy behaviors. They can teach you come out of your shell and enjoy life, instead of remaining caged by the negativity of your body or mind.

The 5 Main Ways Mindfulness Skills Help are through:

  1. Exposure, which can desensitize you to the distress associated with pain, stress, anxiety, etc.
  2. Cognitive Change, which can show you that your thoughts about pain or anxiety are “just thoughts,” and not necessarily reflections of truth or reality
  3. Self-management, which can improve your coping skills
  4. Relaxation, which can help with stress-related medical disorders
  5. Acceptance, which would let you experience events fully, as they are, without trying to change, escape, or avoid them, so that you can heal from them.

Go to www.actmindfully.com.au/upimages/Mindfulness_training_Baer_2003.pdf for more information.

 

You can also visit www.theccbi.com.