Mindfulness Training
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” – Jon Kabbat-Zin
Mindfulness-based therapeutic approaches aim to bring a person’s attention to the present experience such that they become more aware of themselves and their environment. Based on Eastern practices that originated over 2,000 years ago, mindfulness is now used to effectively treat a wide range of physical and emotional challenges. Mindfulness has been shown to help with stress and anxiety reduction, prevent depression relapse, support emotional regulation, and improve relationships. Mindfulness is a great tool to release yourself from the negativity, pain, and stress of daily life and create an environment that can help you feel more relaxed and in control.
How does mindfulness therapy work?
Mindfulness transforms how we relate to events and experiences. It creates a more spacious way of being in the world that is less reactive, more peaceful, and, in general, more joyful. Rather than trying to avoid or eliminate negative emotions, mindfulness therapy fosters change to the relationship with these emotions by practicing meditation and other mindfulness exercises. These activities rebalance neural networks and allow the client to move away from automatic negative responses toward an understanding that there are other ways to respond to situations. By developing a routine meditation practice, clients can use the technique whenever they start to feel overwhelmed by negative emotions. When sadness occurs and starts to bring up the usual negative associations that trigger relapse of depression, the client is equipped with tools that will help them replace negative thought patterns with positive practice.
Techniques Used in Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware without reacting to our feelings or surroundings. Although the concept is simple, there are several ways to practice.
Meditation:
This practice involves sitting still and noticing whatever comes to mind in the present moment, without reacting or being judgmental. The things you notice may come in the form of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. By drawing attention away from the outside world and abandoning habitual patterns of self-judgment and criticism, focus becomes intentional, and space is created for growth and change. The focused attention and heightened awareness of body states open the mind to decreased preoccupation with one’s own internal battle of emotions and thoughts Meditation helps move from self-deception to self-understanding, resulting in new attitudes and behavior.
Breathwork:
Breathing is a vital part of life. It delivers oxygen into your bloodstream and removes carbon dioxide. Did you know that breathing can change your blood PH (acid/alkaline) in minutes and that slow breathing increases cellular oxygen? Breathwork is a healing modality that integrates the mind, body, and spirit. Using the breath, we gently work with any emotions, sensations, beliefs, and stories that arise to be felt, acknowledged, and transformed.
The physical benefits of breathing are often immediate. By breathing deeply, you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and in turn, slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure—creating a feeling of calm. You also rely on your diaphragm instead of your chest, invite your neck and chest muscles to relax, engage your abs, as a larger amount of oxygen reaches your body’s cells and organs.
When your body is operating under “fight-or-flight” response or stress, it releases a surge of hormones (e.g., cortisol and adrenaline) that cause your breathing to speed up, your pulse to quicken, your blood pressure to rise, activates a state of hypervigilance. Deep breathing can help reverse this response and relax your body.
In general, the goal of any breathwork therapy is to support people in achieving a greater sense of self-awareness and capacity for self-healing.
Benefits Of Breathwork
- Re-energizes the body with oxygen and blood flow.
- Re-energizes the body with oxygen and blood flow.
- Resets and soothes the nervous system.
- Increases energy level and sense of well-being.
- Releases toxins, emotions and stagnant energy from the cells of the body.
- Allows old emotions and past traumas to arise and release in a safe, gentle way.
- Reduces stress and anxiety.
- Enhances feelings of inner peace, clarity, and connection
Guided Imagery:
Guided therapeutic imagery is a focused technique whereby mental health professionals help individuals in therapy focus on mental images in order to evoke feelings of relaxation. It is informed by the theory that the mind-body connection is an important factor in a person’s overall health and well-being. In guided therapeutic imagery, a person can call on mental images to improve both emotional and physical health. Research indicates that guided imagery can help reduce stress, fear and anxiety, symptoms of depression, trauma recovery, decrease chronic pain, and overall psychological distress.
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