mindfulness
If we are mindful, we are in control of ourselves.
There has been much written and available on mindfulness. The difference with mindfulness at BPD Community is that is cannot work in isolation from the other techniques.
Mindfulness can be practiced with focus: it can be a guided relaxation, it can be an everyday part of our lives, a constant companion. Mindfulness is not meditation. Meditation is a step up from mindfulness. If we practice mindfulness we clear our minds of the unrelenting busyness of self talk and we connect with our feelings and the world around us.
If we practise mindfulness we are able 'let go' of our ego, we can focus on how our body responds to how we feel, we can be more in touch with who we are.
To practice mindfulness effectively we learn to concentrate on being non judgemental, of accepting reality as it is, not as we want it to be. Mindfulness is a close acquaintance of acceptance.
resources:
books:
- Harris, Dr Russ: The Reality Slap
The first two chapters are available online see link - Williams, Mark & Penman, Danny: Mindfulness:
An Eight Week plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World. Nov 2012.
youtube:
Kabat-Zinn, Jon Dr: What is Mindfulness? This 5 min video is an excellent introduction to what mindfulness is. There are also longer videos by Jon on YouTube, especially recommended are his work on compassion, on becoming conscious and an hour long guided meditation. Follow the video link.
websites:
- Australian National University: The MoodGYM. The Mood Gym is a free training program to assist you in monitoring your moods. Based in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, it is a helpful coping tool for carers of those with BPD.
- Carver, Joseph M: DEPRESSION: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. This is a general overview of depression, its causes, brain chemistry and treatments.
- Neff, Kristin PhD: Self-Compassion: A Healthier Way of Relating to Yourself. A website with video introductions to the ideas behind self-compassion.
- Lawson, Jake: Accepting Personal Responsibility. This article on the Lance Armstrong site explores the importance of learning how to accept responsibility, including helpful information on behaviour traits.
- Health Direct Aust: The MindSpotClinic. This offers a free service for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Funded by the federal govt, the service has a telephone referral and advice component as well as online support.
