Mindfulness (MBSR)
Acceptance of the present is the first step on the journey of transformation and growth. Mindfulness is our ability to be subjectively in touch with or aware of our present moment without judging our inner experience of that moment. When we are mindful, we are able to observe the experiencing of sensations, thoughts, and emotions, without attributing positive or negative characteristics to them. As sensations, feelings, and thoughts arise in our inner selves, we acknowledge these experiences, bring curiosity to our interaction with them, make space for them, and accept them just as they are.
Bringing focused attention to your body and mind and maintaining it may seem difficult, especially if you are distracted by past traumas, anxieties, fears, or negative thinking. Although it requires practice and commitment, mindfulness can actually be used to help you step away from negative thoughts, emotions, and habits, diminishing their ability to impact your life. Additionally, if you are hesitant to explore new or different ways of being in the world and of experiencing life in a manner that resists old and maladaptive patterns and behaviors, mindfulness can help with its focus on curiosity, acceptance, and non-judgment, supporting openness to imagination, creativity, and other empowering capacities.
An increasing body of research suggests that practicing mindfulness can help us ease anxiety, stress, depression, chronic pain, and addiction, and can open us up to calm, compassion, patience, connection, joy, and full living. Only through acceptance of the present—just as it is—are we able to overcome our obstacles and free ourselves for growth and change.
​The origins of mindfulness can be traced back to ancient yogic practices. With that, there are a number of formal approaches to mindfulness that were developed in the United States. I completed training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with the Center for Mindfulness of the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, where this approach was originally developed by Jon Kabat Zinn. MBSR includes psychoeducation, meditation, self-compassion, and movement practices, as well as guided self-inquiry and self-exploration.
For more information about my experience working with mindfulness, or to schedule an appointment, please feel free to contact me.