We live in a culture where we operate mostly from the neck
up, often over-involved in our own thoughts and reacting
to events according to habit and old patterns. Frequently,
these old patterns and habits no longer serve us optimally. Mindfulness
practice offers the opportunity to develop increased awareness, encouraging
our full presence – with our feelings, our body sensations, in addition
to our thoughts, without the usual attachment that we typically have to those
thoughts. By encouraging curiosity, acceptance and compassion, it facilitates
a letting go of judgments that often do not serve our best interests and
get in the way of growth and healing. It allows us
to let go of certain habits and reactions that no longer
serve us.
Using mindfulness in psychotherapy overlaps with other
body-based therapies, such as Focusing and yoga. Sometimes
we have subtle body habits that we're not even aware of,
and by learning to pay attention to them with curiosity,
not judgment, we can gain a good deal of insight, allowing
for further change and growth. |
