View Full Version : Buddhism/Mindfullness.
Are there any people on here who are Buddhists? I'm looking into using Mindfullness for my GAD.
It's interesting that you post this Steve...
Regardless of our spiritual beliefs, Having something we believe in is paramount in life. I just watched a documentary on the Messiah... who He is in the various religions in the world. There were amazing similarities between them all. It seems to me, it's just a matter of perception.
As a spiritual man, Messianic by belief, I find that having faith, whatever it is, is a powerful influence and stabilizing factor in your life.
If it works for you then affirmation is negligible in the big picture. Best wishes, positive thoughts and prayers.
Broken-doll
04-11-13, 06:49
Hi Steve, I'm not a Buddist and you don't need to be a Buddist to practice mindfulness! I've been practicing mindfulness meditation techniques over the past few weeks (I'm not responding to cbt). But I'm finding that these meditation techniques help me with a few symptoms such as controlling my breathing and derealisation. It's a particularly good technique for easing derealisation as mindfulness is all about embracing DNS being aware of the present moment!
I'm still starting out and it's a work in progress and it needs practising every day, so it does take time and dedication... But I am starting to see a slight improvement. I recommend it Steve and I wish you all the best. Xx
You don't need to be Buddhist as the others suggested but if you feel drawn to it then go for it.
A good place to start with mindfulness is Jon kabat-zin who takes an open and neutral approach to mindfulness. He's the founder of the MBSR mindfulness program.
Mindfulness is good in that it relaxes, it opens your mind in a compassionate way, it helps to understand the nature of the mind, and it increases tolerance of anxious symptoms.
ankietyjoe
04-11-13, 10:35
I use meditation a lot to ease my anxiety, and it has worked wonders. Being buddhist or not is irrelevant really.
18 months ago my panic attacks were severe and I found it incredibly difficult to leave my flat. Since I started using meditation, my panic attacks have stopped almost completely. I still suffer a general overall anxiety some of the time, especially when I need to go out and do stuff, but I can go out and do stuff nevertheless, and it never 'turns bad'. Even if it did, I know that I have the tools to cope with it now.
One important thing to realise is that meditation is actually hard to do. It takes effort over a prolonged period of time. It's like losing weight, but for the mind.
Persevere with it though, because for me it is THE magic bullet.
Rennie1989
04-11-13, 10:43
I used to practice Buddhism as a teenager but found that I could be mindful without attaching a label to it.
You don't need to be Buddhist as the others suggested but if you feel drawn to it then go for it.
A good place to start with mindfulness is Jon kabat-zin who takes an open and neutral approach to mindfulness. He's the founder of the MBSR mindfulness program.
Mindfulness is good in that it relaxes, it opens your mind in a compassionate way, it helps to understand the nature of the mind, and it increases tolerance of anxious symptoms.
His books look interesting.
cymraig_chris
04-11-13, 13:56
This is my take on Mindfullness, feel free to shoot me down in flames.
What is anxiety? ... an feeling
What does it consist of?
1) Thoughts - Risk Analysis
2) Sensations - Basic bodily feelings
3) Perception - How we look badly at the world
This is the triangle
Accept at least one side and the triangle collapses
Joy, happiness, peace, serenity confidence and the old you (but better through understanding and calm control of emotionive klow) slowly but not too slowly begin to
flood in
What else uses this triangle?
Joy
Happiness
Optimism
I.e. any and every emotion
Joyfulness affects
1) Thoughts - Only happy thoughts
2) Sensations - Basic bodily feelgood feelings
3) Perception - How we look at the world positively
Optimism affects
1) Thoughts - Only positve thoughts
2) Sensations - Excitement - Racing heart etc
3) Perception - How we look at a world of opportunity
Happiness affects
1) Thoughts - Only happy thoughts
2) Sensations - Good feeling
3) Perception - How we look at a world of peace
Framed in reality ... is anxiety an illness?
No
Can it be cured?
Firstly can you cure happiness?
You cant cure an ailment that does not exist.
Is it a threat in any way shape or form?
No more than Joy, Happiness or Optimism.
Are you physically or mentally ill right now?
Not in any way.
When you truly realise with all your heart that you do not need assistance, coping techniques and to be cured, you effectivey remove your finger from the anxiety 'ON'
button and your body returns to a state you would consider happy, positive, calm and clear minded.
This is handy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW-TDOgstSE
You can definitely practice mindfulness without attaching any sort of religious label to it.
Volvoman50
04-11-13, 17:17
Hi all some good posts I too am trying mindfulness to accept my anxiety rather than being constantly afraid of it as I am at the moment. No I don't think you need to be buddish just lots of practice.
I practice mindfulness everyday.............I am an agnostic:noangel:
---------- Post added at 17:41 ---------- Previous post was at 17:38 ----------
This is my take on Mindfullness, feel free to shoot me down in flames.
What is anxiety? ... an feeling
What does it consist of?
1) Thoughts - Risk Analysis
2) Sensations - Basic bodily feelings
3) Perception - How we look badly at the world
This is the triangle
Accept at least one side and the triangle collapses
Joy, happiness, peace, serenity confidence and the old you (but better through understanding and calm control of emotionive klow) slowly but not too slowly begin to
flood in
What else uses this triangle?
Joy
Happiness
Optimism
I.e. any and every emotion
Joyfulness affects
1) Thoughts - Only happy thoughts
2) Sensations - Basic bodily feelgood feelings
3) Perception - How we look at the world positively
Optimism affects
1) Thoughts - Only positve thoughts
2) Sensations - Excitement - Racing heart etc
3) Perception - How we look at a world of opportunity
Happiness affects
1) Thoughts - Only happy thoughts
2) Sensations - Good feeling
3) Perception - How we look at a world of peace
Framed in reality ... is anxiety an illness?
No
Can it be cured?
Firstly can you cure happiness?
You cant cure an ailment that does not exist.
Is it a threat in any way shape or form?
No more than Joy, Happiness or Optimism.
Are you physically or mentally ill right now?
Not in any way.
When you truly realise with all your heart that you do not need assistance, coping techniques and to be cured, you effectivey remove your finger from the anxiety 'ON'
button and your body returns to a state you would consider happy, positive, calm and clear minded.
This is handy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW-TDOgstSE
This is not the Mindfulness I was taught....but if it works for you that's great!
cymraig_chris
04-11-13, 18:55
I practice mindfulness everyday.............I am an agnostic:noangel:
---------- Post added at 17:41 ---------- Previous post was at 17:38 ----------
This is not the Mindfulness I was taught....but if it works for you that's great!
It's the way I break it down in my mind.
Fear is an emotion consisting of three distinct but interrelated parts.
When one one meditates one can feel the ebb and flow of these three things, they are recognised for what they are without judgement and the attention is gently brought back to breath.
The logical mirror of the other emotions describes the lack of need to 'cure' the fear but to accept as nothing more than an aggregation of the same component parts as the other emotions we identify with as desirable, in other words a framework. Once a non judgemental analysis is found with the fear components the acceptance is achieved.
Only in my opinion of course.
I'm a logic fan so I always seem to break things down, not strictly absolute mindfulness I know but it's just the way I see it.
How would you describe it?
I've seen the word 'mindfulness' used on so many sites, and news articles but I've never taken the time to research it.
Does anybody have any good primers, or could anyone give me a quick 101 on it?
ankietyjoe
04-11-13, 19:42
I've seen the word 'mindfulness' used on so many sites, and news articles but I've never taken the time to research it.
Does anybody have any good primers, or could anyone give me a quick 101 on it?
Slow down and smell the roses, be deliberate and unrushed in every action.
I've seen the word 'mindfulness' used on so many sites, and news articles but I've never taken the time to research it.
Does anybody have any good primers, or could anyone give me a quick 101 on it?
Mindfulness is "moment to moment non-judgmental awareness" - Jon Kabat-Zin
Check out his videos on youtube. A few of his books are on there too.
I really like the ideas behind mindfulness, and am doing an online course on it.
My problem, however, is that I often fall asleep during the exercises! I got really annoyed with myself because of it today. I realise now how silly it was to get cross with myself :)
Does anyone else find themselves falling asleep?
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