Mindfulness

[Phuzella]

I basically taught myself to meditate just over a year ago. It took me a while to get to where it made sense, I went the long way round, hours researching diverse topics, Law of attraction, Qi gong, plus various online quacks etc lol. I've taken the best bits of it all condensed it into my own personal version.
However, in my opinion, the absolute top notch "therapy" is mindfulness. It makes sense, this moment IS the only one we'll ever have, yesterday's gone, tomorrow never comes, make the most of today. Sounds simple but is possible.
For various reasons I've neglected my meditation for a few days, and can feel a difference in my overall mood and calmness.
Mindfulness is not a finite treatment, it's a lifelong commitment, a little peaceful space in a crazy hectic world. Everyone could do with that.
Thank you for listening to the ramblings of a mature hippy, and yes I do love the smell of patchouli

[IrishLondon]

Great post! I love to hear good things about mindfulness as I think it's the answer to a lot of my problems. I'm always thinking about the future and worse case scenarios and what ifs and how will I cope when xyz happens. I'm currently trying to do 20 minutes of mindfulness a day but I'm just at the very beginning.

[Phuzella]

Stick with it, don't force your breathing, don't try to stop the thoughts etc, I guess you know all that anyway. And 20 minutes is good, not too long to stay in one place lol.
Have a read up on the science behind it, makes interesting reading

[SarahH]

I agree... Mindfulness is a great tool. A great book to explain it all is "Sane New World" by Ruby Wax.

Sarah

[DSM]

This is my first post on here so hello all

It's great to read about the positive effects of mindfulness and glad to hear it has helped, it's something I have only heard of very recently but am very intrigued to try out.

After living with anxiety for a number of years and trying everything from self hypnosis, books, medication etc.. it's reassuring to know there are still other options.

I stopped taking Seroxat about 4 months ago at the same time as relocating to the other side of the country and starting a new job with the mindset that my anxiety would somehow disappear being in a less stressful job and a nicer part of the world. Not the best idea in hindsight.
I really don't want to start taking Seroxat again so I'm definitely keen to look into mindfulness.

I would really appreciate some good links to sessions on youtube etc.. if anyone has any. Also is this something to be done as a course or can the same video be watched recurrently?

Thanks

[SarahH]

DSM... welcome to NMP. You may want to read the book I mentioned in the above post. I have read many many books on Mindfulness but this one I found the best. It is a witty look at anxiety and how the brain works then talks about mindfulness......... with exercises to teach you the basics.

Sarah

[DSM]

Thanks for that Sarah, I'll give it a read

[Catherine S]

This is the first time I have read about this subject and it has been really interesting...sounds like something I would like to try, what would be recommended as a beginner?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Mindfulness has been incorporated in CBT now, called Mindfulness Based CBT and Mindfulness Based Stress Relief (MBSR).

Jon Kabat-Zinn is thd originator and its been moved on in the UK by Mark Williams.


The courses are 8 weeks long. You read a load if background first, then start a chapter a week. This is for one of Mark Williams books. Its starts easy with an eating meditation, then you start week one. The structure is reading the section and using the guided mediation for that chapter each day. So, the meditations change with the chapter. There are also exercises and goals. Its basically a progressive process. Just standard book price.


It seems a good way to do it.


There are online courses which cost more and its now used by therapists so many offer this treatment, some I think via telephone / webinar format (in small groups)


Im just starting one if the books and its easy to follow.