A New Years Present!
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Wishing you a Healthful and Happy 2017!
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- Published in Public Blog
Mindfulness, First Concepts
I’m here to shatter a common myth most people have when I comes to mindfulness training. Mindfulness is often misunderstood as often people picture someone sitting crossed legged, eyes closed, in a silent room…meditating. Although there are lots of great benefits to this type of practice you don’t need to be that formal in your training. It also doesn’t have to have any spirituality associated with it, even cognitive behavioral therapists are seeing the benefits of mindfulness!
You can practice mindfulness as you do chores, as you workout, as you play with your child…
All mindfulness really means is 1) being aware of your thoughts- some people call it observing your internal dialog 2) being fully present and in the moment and 3) being NON-JUDGMENTAL about your observations.
The last one is often the one people have particular trouble with. Humans are often conditioned to think if they did not get the optimal outcome we have failed at our task. Well, that is not how I have been taught at all. Every time we make an effort to practice we be sure to thank ourselves for taking the time to practice. Even if we had the worst session ever, even if we couldn’t control and focus our mind, we don’t judge ourselves, instead we observe and say- well, I was really distracted today. Some places my mind wandered are X, Y and Z. Observe without creating judgement.
The most vital concept: Single point of focus. You can use almost any experience as a time to practice mindfulness. Be fully there in that moment. We rush though life, trying to get from point A to point B without enjoying or even really experiencing the journey because our minds are so focused on the destination. While brushing your teeth, eating a meal or even doing the dishes- just observe the whole experience. For example when brushing your teeth: watch how the toothpaste comes out of the tube onto the brush, feel the temperature of the water, listen to the sound it makes as it falls to the sink, feel the bristles of the brush on your gums….
Let your mind be here, not at work, not about the last facebook post you just read- be just be in THIS moment.
This is a practice and by practicing now, you strengthen your ability to do it in times you really need to focus your mind and you will become so much more aware in general.
Often, when we are anxious we are living in the future, when we are depressed we are living in the past. That is a paraphrased quote by Lao Tzu but I really think it makes a great point. Especially today, when we have so much input, so much distraction, so many comparisons. We see something and it reminds us of something that bothers us or something we have yet to achieve. Our mind gets in a rut, focused on that one negative thing. This concept leads right into another benefit of mindfulness, learning to control rumination. According to Wikipedia, rumination is defined as the “compulsively focused attention on the symptoms of one’s distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions”.
Having now been introduced to these concepts you can now see how mindfulness, particularly observing and learning to better control the flow of your thoughts, can be very useful. When you observe your mind going down a stressful path, stop it, then refocus the mind on something constructive.
Further progression in mindfulness training: There is a threshold we cross when worry becomes more harmful that beneficial. There is a nice training session where we experiment with this concept and learning how to “lean into” the thoughts that are bothering us but this session is paired with a powerful method to get your mind back into a more positive mental space afterwards. I recommend that session be done in person. It is a powerful tool indeed. If you are interested in incorporating either of these practices in your consultation package the first one I call the “Present Moment” training and second one is called the “Lean Into” session.
- Published in Mindfulness Training, Public Blog
How to Work Around Existing Injuries While Working Out- Part 1
One of the most common reasons I hear people cite for not working out is that they have some existing issues. For injuries such as spinal injuries I would definitely take those very seriously and consult with a doctor every time you add a new exercise into your workout protocol. The information shared here is in no means a replacement for consulting with your doctor. This article should however help to give you an idea of what to discuss with your doctor on your next visit.
Having spent many years working with athletes- doing sports medicine for high schools, colleges and professional organizations, I’d say the most common places for injury are back, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow and wrist. As I mentioned, the spine is complex and should be taken very seriously. If you would like to know more about spinal injuries I will touch on it briefly at the end of this article.
Ankle, knee, elbow, and shoulder- these injuries are often not as extensive as spinal or internal injuries. If you have had an injury that has been lingering around for a while, especially with in or around a joint, it may be wear and tear, inflammation or arthritis. This is common as we age. Additionally, some people suffer from impingement injures. Impingement is when nerves and/or arteries become entrapped in the structures they run though or close to (such as a joint or muscle). If you are having numbness and tingling this could be a sign of an impingement injury. For these type of injuries, sometimes there are muscle imbalances, which in turn affect joint posture, causing impingement. Sometimes balancing the musculature through stretching and strengthening can help place the joint back into a more natural positioning. Other times, problems with form during activity may be the culprit. These things are all things an athletic trainer specializes in recognizing.
Something as simple as keeping your core tight while working out can make so many differences- not only in the effectiveness of your work out but also help with injury prevention. For these reasons, I recommend finding someone who’s trained to help you begin the work out process if you are 1) Just now implementing a new exercise regimen 2) If you are not currently moderately conditioned or 3) You are new to working out in general.
Some tips and pointers:
1) Gradual. Please go gradual. Pick some basic exercises, that are pain free, get used to that routine first. Slowly add more exercises (one at a time). Then as you are ready, slowly make your workouts longer or slowly increase intensity.
2) Workout in front of a mirror. Simply because you can keep an eye on your form. Athletic trainers watch for things like- keeping your shoulders back while working out your arms or how to position your knees and back while doing a squat. These activities work so much better when the force is being generated properly and more importantly, decreases the risk of injury.
3) Listen to your body, those twinges of pain are telling you something is going on. It’s better to get to the root of the problem than to ignore it, cover it up with pain relievers or to avoid exercise. Avoiding exercise only leads to more long term health issues.
4) Allow for recovery days- avoid working out the same muscles consecutive days a row when lifting weight.
Part two of this blog will describe some activities that someone with an existing injury or weakness might be able to utilize.
A word on the spine:
There are intervertebral disks that naturally become less functional with age. Think of a disk like a jelly filled doughnut, our disks have the same shape and even have the jelly filled center inside. These disks are found between your vertebral bones and help absorb shock and allow for movement of the spine. Just like a jelly doughnut, the jelly of the disk can protrude out too. The tricky part here is that there are nerves that run through spaces between the vertebrae. That intervertebral space is greatly affected by the condition of the disk and if the jelly inside the disk has ruptured (just like an egg yolk would rupture). A ruptured center of a vertebral disk can come out of the disk space and into the space of a nerve, causing nerve issues. Also, sometimes the actual spinal bones have deformity or degeneration can also affect the intervertebral space.
With spinal injuries it is even possible to feel pain in a different part of the body when in fact, the pain is actually originating in the spine. For those reasons, if you have back pain or know you have a spinal problem please go to see a doctor and ask them to explain exactly where your defect is located, what symptoms it causes, what’s the prognosis, what activities are acceptable, and which activities to avoid. There also might be activities or exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles around the injured areas. Strengthening the surrounding musculature can take stress off the injured structures. You must strengthen these areas properly and as always form during activity is critical when dealing with any injury.
- Published in Fitness, Public Blog
What Base Should I use for my Smoothies? (Part I)
Today we have so many options of liquids to use in our smoothies. The liquid portion is vital because we need liquid to allow the blades to move freely and breakdown the fruits and vegetables we have placed in the blender.
Here are some of the liquids I have used, they each have their own advantages.
ORANGE JUICE: This one is a good one for beginners. This will help the overall taste of the smoothie become sweet. Be careful using this one if you have a propensity to suffer from acid-relux. Oranges are acidic by nature. Obviously, if you are using a protein powder that has a flavor that may conflict with OJ, such as chocolate, this might not be a good option. In general, there are chocolate, mocha, coconut and other similar “themes” and also a fruit based flavor targets you can use for smoothies. OJ is a good one if you are trying to get a fruity taste. I buy the not from concentration 100% juice OJ option. Beware not all OJ is created the same, spend the extra couple dollars and get a good one. You are worth it! OJ is high in vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant! Folate, thiamine and potassium are also found in OJ.
Prune Juice: I have actually only recently started to use this one. It provides a nice fruity flavor. I had heard about the benefits of prune juice for years. Mainly hearing that prune juice was good for digestion. It was not until I was studying about both vitamin B6 and iron deficiencies that I discovered prune juice is high in both of these nutrients. It is also a good source of potassium. I have now added this juice into my smoothie regimen permanently. For nutrition: iron, B6, manganese, potassium and fiber.
SOY MILK: This is one I used for many, many years. It was actually my go to for my smoothies. Sadly, there has been some controversy recently about ingesting large amounts of soy. Some people believe the estrogen found in soy negatively affects our bodies, men and women alike. One claim is that the estrogen in soy can interact with our own estrogen receptors and can promote breast cancer. I stand by the moderation is key theory and I am not quite willing to accept the dangers of soy as fact- I have switch to primary almond milk just as a precaution. As far as taste, I have always had luck with soy. It goes in every kind of smoothie I can think of. I am pretty “hardcore” and go with the organic, non-GMO, unsweetened option. There is a sweetened soy milk that you might want to buy if you plan to drink it outside of your smoothie. For nutrition here is what we have: a good source of protein, vitamin K, folate, iron, manganese, phosphorous and copper.
ALMOND MILK: As I mentioned. This is my new go to for my smoothies. It lasts a long time in the refrigerator, it has a great taste in smoothies and goes with almost anything. Be aware almond milk however, is not a good source of protein. Also, buy the organic, non-GMO variety. I go with unsweetedned but like I said with the soy, if you plan to drink outside of smoothies, you might want a flavored one. For nutrition: almond milk is a good source of vitamin A, D, E and calcium.
Be sure to check back for:
What Base Should I use for my Smoothies? (Part II) where we will go over cows milk, coconut milk and other juices– their benefits and draw backs.
- Published in Public Blog, Smoothie Making, Smoothie Making Resources
It’s Fall, Spaghetti Squash is in Season!
Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for high calorie pasta. The same sauces used on pasta will also work well with spaghetti squash! It is delicious with marina or Alfredo sauce with shredded Parmesan cheese on top. Some meats to add into this dish are shrimp, chicken or ground beef or turkey. If you are feeling daring, you can even sweeten up the squash with a little brown sugar and cinnamon for a delicious and healthy fall treat!
Cooking spaghetti squash is very easy. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. The toughest part is cutting it in two. The ends are very tough so start in the center and cut towards both ends with a large knife. Usually the knife stops when you get to the ends so go to the opposite side of the squash and repeat your cuts. Once both sides are cut it is pretty easy to crack open. It doesn’t have to be perfectly in two to cook, some uneven edges are fine. Scoop out the all the seeds with a spoon, discard. Place squash in a flat cooking pan that has a rim. I use a large rectangle cake pan. Place squash pulp down and add water to about 1/2-1 inch above edge of squash. Then simply place squash in the oven. Depending on the size of your squash it could take 30-50 minutes to cook through. Add more water if the bottom of the pan becomes exposed during baking. Once you can pierce the skin of squash with a fork it is done. Pull out of the oven and let cool. After it is cooled, simply take your fork and run it across the flesh of the squash. It will come off just like spaghetti! From here you can add a little butter or olive oil, salt, pepper and/or garlic powder to taste if you wish. Some might enjoy the squash just like that or add sauce, cheese and protein and voilà, you have a low carb substitute for pasta!
Enjoy!
Regular Spaghetti VS Spaghetti Squash:
- Published in Eating for Health Resources, Public Blog
Why the Water we Drink is Vitally Important-Part I
As you know water, makes up over half the mass of our bodies. Water has a critical role in helping your body to function properly. Not only does it keep you hydrated but also is used by your kidneys, skin and other systems to eliminate built up wastes (toxins, salts, and by-products). Your body is a factory and warehouse. So many productions happen there. Just like any factory, it also produces waste. It has to have a means to eliminate that waste.
As we sweat, our body shuffles these byproducts like ammonia and other substances out of our body by the process of sweating. Likewise, the kidneys filter the waste from the blood and transfers those wastes to urine. I could give many examples of these elimination centers in the body but all of those systems have one thing in common, at some point, they need water to function properly and do their job. It helps with the flushing actions/mechanisms. As you can see, there are many reasons your body needs an adequate supply of water. Not to mention- drinking water also makes your skin look more full and healthy. Bonus!
So, how do we measure our water intake? Is it a hassle?
Well, for me, I carry a 1.5 liter everywhere I go. I do get my water delivered as I am skeptical of tap water for many reasons but the most obvious is the unknown condition of the pipes my tap water travels through to get to me. Everyday I aim to fill my 1.5 liter up at least twice a day. Many sources say to drink between 2 to 3 liters per day. The more you weigh and the more active you are, the more water you will need. One of the most important times to drink water is first thing after you wake. Your body is in a fasted state and often dehydrated state from hopefully being asleep for a full 8 hours. Well, we hope eight hours, ha! Sleep that’s a whole other subject, it is also critical for health in many unique ways.
Attention soda and coffee drinkers:
When we drink drinks that have dissolved substances already in them, such as sugar, we are not giving our body a clean base in which to eliminate wastes. In some aspects we are adding more steps because we have to metabolize the drink and filter out the water portion. This produces more by-products. As you can see, someone who drinks mainly soda or coffee has a unique set of issues, so please be sure to add water and/or water with lemons to your daily beverage selection.
If you get bored with the taste of water, there are water infusers for fruit and even cucumbers (or just pop pieces in your water). There are teas that you might enjoy too. Buy organic tea if possible and be aware tea can contain caffeine. It is possible to explore teas, coffee, and caffeine in another blog (leave any requests in the comments if you would like a topic expanded on).
A word on artificial sweeteners:
I’m not really sold on any of them. Partially because these artificial sweeteners are relatively new compounds to be put in the human body. However, a lot of people I believe to have a good background on this topic seem to like Stevia. Personally, I remain hesitant to ingest any artificial sweeteners. For tea, I sometimes use honey.
People who like sweets, refined foods, fried food, foods with long shelf lives, and/or artificial ingredients should definitely drink a little more water than normal. Just like the artificial sweeteners, many of those chemicals and compounds have been added to the food relatively recently and unfortunately the body can not do a lot useful things with those un-natural compounds, so it tries to eliminate them through various body systems that need water to function.
So raise up that water glass! Cheers to good health!
- Published in Eating for Health, Public Blog
Common Starter Smoothie Fruits and Vegetables
Common Starter Smoothie Fruits and Vegetables
(Fresh is best but frozen is acceptable)
Fruit
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Banana
- Grapes
- Pineapple
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Watermelon
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Strawberries
Vegetables
- Spinach
- Kale (baby kale)
- Published in Public Blog, Smoothie Making Resources
Mindfulness for depression
Mindfulness holds promise for treating depression
New research suggests that practicing mindfulness may help prevent a relapse.
By Stacy Lu
Monitor Staff
2015, Vol 46, No. 3
Print version: page 50
“Depression is not only the most common mental illness, it’s also one of the most tenacious. Up to 80 percent of people who experience a major depressive episode may relapse. Drugs may lose their effectiveness over time, if they work at all.
But a growing body of research is pointing to an intervention that appears to help prevent relapse by altering thought patterns without side effects: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or MBCT.
A new study on the approach to be published in a forthcoming issue of The Lancet found that MBCT helped prevent depression recurrence as effectively as maintenance antidepressant medication did. The study also found that MBCT had a larger effect on people with histories of more severe childhood abuse, which has been associated with a greater risk of relapse, than on participants overall. An “Evidence Map of Mindfulness” prepared for the Department of Veterans Affairs on all types of mindfulness interventions found the most consistent effect on depression versus other health conditions (Evidence-based Synthesis Program Center, 2014).
“People at risk for depression are dealing with a lot of negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs about themselves and this can easily slide into a depressive relapse,” says the Lancet study’s lead author, Willem Kuyken, PhD, a professor at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. “MBCT helps them to recognize that’s happening, engage with it in a different way and respond to it with equanimity and compassion.”
Growing evidence
The simplest definition of mindfulness is paying attention to one’s experience in the present moment. It involves observing thoughts and emotions from moment to moment without judging or becoming caught up in them. During a practice session, when the mind wanders, the meditator ideally takes note of where it goes, and calmly returns to the moment at hand, perhaps focusing on breath, bodily sensations or a simple yoga move.
Over a decade ago, three psychologists — Zindel Segal, PhD, J. Mark G. Williams, DPhil, and John Teasdale, PhD — developed MBCT. In particular, MBCT seeks to teach people to disengage from the deeply ingrained dysfunctional thoughts that are common with depression.
As currently designed, MBCT is an eight-week, group-based program that incorporates mindfulness exercises including yoga, body awareness and daily homework, such as eating or doing household chores, with full attention to what one is doing, moment by moment. The protocol derives from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction curriculum, and includes elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targeted to people with prior histories of depression.
Segal and colleagues studied 84 people in remission and found that MBCT could help prevent recurring depressive episodes as well as medication and better than placebo (JAMA Psychiatry, 2010). A review Madhav Goyal, MD, of The Johns Hopkins University wrote for JAMA Internal Medicine (2014) looked at different types of mindfulness meditation among 47 studies, finding that it had the same moderate effect on treating depression as medication, and had moderate effects on anxiety and pain as well.
Evidence also suggests that MBCT may be of more help to patients most vulnerable to relapse: People with a greater number of prior episodes or who had residual depressive symptoms. In a 2011 meta-analysis by Jacob Piet, PhD, and Esben Hougaard, PhD, of the University of Aarhus in Denmark in Clinical Psychology Review, MBCT was more effective in preventing relapse among people with three or more episodes, reducing risk by 43 percent versus 34 percent for participants overall.
In another study, Williams and colleagues found that participants who had depression at earlier ages, or who had more adversity or abuse in childhood, were more likely to benefit from MBCT (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014). Kuyken, who led the Lancet study, speculates that these patients may be more motivated and invested in the treatment.
“They’ve been depressed more, they’ve had all these unpleasant things happening to them and they’ve often tried antidepressants and other kinds of therapy, so they’re willing to meditate 40 minutes a day and to do something quite different in terms of mindfulness practices like mindful movement,” he says. “Those who do best are those ready to engage fully.”
While evidence suggests mindfulness works to help prevent depression relapse, researchers don’t yet know how.
“It may be that mindfulness leads to an increase in self-compassion and a decrease in experiential avoidance,” says Stuart Eisendrath, MD, professor and head of the Depression Center at the University of California, San Francisco. “It may be selective attention — if you focus on your breath, you have less bandwidth to ruminate. There are a lot of factors that are operative and we’re just beginning to tease out and deconstruct them. It’s like tasting a soup with 10 spices. Is there one main ingredient or is the flavor a combination of things?”
For example, one characteristic of depression is a habit of thinking negatively about experience, one’s self or the future. Mindfulness trains people to be more aware of these thoughts and to stand back and simply observe their thoughts passing through their minds — ‘Oh, there I go again, calling myself an idiot’ — instead of trying to control their emotions. Or, in the case of people who have recovered from depression, blaming themselves for feeling down again or worrying about a relapse.
MBCT’s emphasis on cultivating awareness and acceptance of the present moment also seeks to harness ruminating and mind wandering, both of which are implicated in depression, says Stefan Hofmann, PhD, a Boston University professor whose lab studies anxiety and related disorders.
“Why worry about the future and ruminate about the past?” says Hofmann. “Live for the here and now. It’s comfortable. It’s the joyful experience of being alive.”
Researchers also mention that the group aspect of MBCT may help clients breach the wall of solitary shame and guilt that depression can build.
“By practicing with others, people realize that the way their minds generate depressive and ruminative thoughts is really no different from others, like that builder over there, or my neighbor. These are just thoughts — not facts in my life,” Kuyken says.
A benevolent therapy
Among MBCT’s strengths is its lack of side effects, and that it can be used as an adjunct therapy.
“For people with residual symptoms, or who have treatment-resistant depression, MBCT can be sequenced with antidepressant medication and with cognitive-behavioral therapy to help prevent the recurrence of relapse,” Segal says.
Eisendrath is analyzing data from a large randomized trial of people with treatment-resistant depression that compared MBCT to an active control incorporating movement, music therapy and nutritional advice.
“It was said people with active depression couldn’t concentrate, but we didn’t find that at all. They practiced it pretty actively. They’re often interested in getting treatment other than more medications, too. [Mindfulness] may give them a greater sense of self-efficacy,” he says.
Women at high risk of depression who may want to avoid taking drugs during pregnancy may also benefit. Sona Dimidjian, PhD, associate professor at the University of Colorado, studied MBCT for pregnant women with a history of depression, finding significant improvement in self-reported depression symptoms and an 18 percent relapse rate six months postpartum, which compares favorably to the 30 percent found in an earlier study by collaborator Sherryl Goodman, PhD, professor at Emory University (Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 2014). The women in her study were interested in learning mindfulness techniques and enjoyed the practice, she says, an attitude that may boost its success.
Mindfulness may also be helpful for children and adolescents. In a study by Filip Raes, PhD, of the University of Leuven and colleagues, 408 13- to 20-year-olds participated in a school-based MBCT program in Belgium. Of these, 16 percent reported some symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress six months post-training, versus 31 percent in a control group (Mindfulness, 2014). Randye Semple, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Southern California, who developed a modified MBCT protocol for children, says they have no problem mastering its concepts.
‘The kids get it,’ Semple says. ‘They understand the activities, practice and talk about them; the group format is excellent for that.’
Although her program doesn’t involve sitting still for long periods, children are able to make mindfulness part of their lives, she says, in the same way adults can. ‘It doesn’t take additional time to do it; it’s just doing things in a different way.’”
Source: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/03/cover-mindfulness.aspx
- Published in Mindfulness Resources
Mindfulness for PTSD
Potential of Mindfulness in Treating Trauma Reactions
Written by: Vujanovic, Niles, Pietrefesa, Potter, & Schmertz
“Mindfulness is most commonly conceptualized as involving attention to and awareness of the present moment, and nonjudgmental acceptance (1-3). Awareness of the present involves observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations by focusing one’s attention on the current moment (2). While attending to the present, mindfulness also entails a stance of acceptance, or willingness to experience an array of thoughts and emotions without judgment (4).
Clinical utility of mindfulness for treatment following trauma
The potential clinical utility of integrating mindfulness-based exercises in extant PTSD treatments has yet to be examined empirically (5). However, given the beneficial effects of mindfulness practice on enhancing emotion regulation as well as decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms (6-9), mindfulness has been increasingly discussed in the context of PTSD and its treatment (10-12). The relevant theoretical and empirical literature suggests that mindfulness may serve clinically meaningful functions in alleviating PTSD symptoms.
Regular mindfulness practice can lead to a greater present-centered awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance of potentially distressing cognitive and emotional states as well as trauma-related internal and external triggers (5, 13). Awareness and acceptance of trauma-related thoughts and feelings may serve as an indirect mechanism of cognitive-affective exposure. This may be especially useful for individuals with PTSD, as it may help decrease experiential avoidance, reduce arousal, and foster emotion regulation. For instance, among trauma-exposed individuals evaluated at a single time point, greater levels of acting with awareness and accepting without judgment were associated with lower levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (11). Regular mindfulness practice has also been shown to decrease physiological arousal (14- 15).
Adjunct to empirically-supported treatments for PTSD
Empirically-supported treatments for PTSD, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT, 16) and Prolonged Exposure (PE, 17), are effective in decreasing symptoms for many individuals who suffer from PTSD. Both of these treatments direct the client to recall traumatic events in a controlled fashion. For the last decade, exposure to and processing of trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and memories have been considered important components of effective treatment for PTSD. However, a significant proportion of sufferers either do not seek help, drop out of treatment, refuse these treatments, or are not substantially helped by them (5, 18-19).
Combining mindfulness or other skills to strengthen emotion regulation with existing empirically-supported PTSD treatments may improve outcomes in the following ways:
Engagement. Mindfulness may appeal to clients who do not pursue evidence-based treatments or cannot tolerate them (5, 20-21). Mindfulness practice may improve symptoms and it may also help such clients become engaged with a therapist or treatment process.
Preparation. Mindfulness practice could be introduced prior to treatment. Learning to observe internal reactions without judgment and to accept feelings, sensations, and thoughts as they arise might usefully prepare patients to tolerate the unpleasant emotions that trauma processing elicits.
Less rumination. If implemented as an adjunct to CPT or PE, mindfulness could be encouraged throughout the treatment course. Increased awareness of trauma-related re-experiencing symptoms may allow patients to break a ruminative cycle by gaining some distance from trauma-related intrusive thoughts and feelings. It may foster acceptance rather than avoidance.
Compliance. Patients using mindfulness skills during treatment may be better able to persevere through trauma processing and benefit more fully from trauma-focused treatments.”
Source: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treatment/overview/mindful-PTSD.asp
- Published in Mindfulness Resources
Mindfulness for Anxiety
Mindfulness: A Wonderful Anxiety Cure You Ought to Know
Written by Jordan Bates
Excerpt of article:
“Anxiety inevitably finds us, but rather than allowing it to multiply, we should be quick to recognize it and seek a cure.
Enter Mindfulness
Although there are plenty of tactics you can use to relieve anxiety, I want to focus this post on a single, highly effective practice: mindfulness.
If used correctly, Mindfulness is nearly infallible for helping to alleviate stress and worry. So what is it?
Mindfulness is a conscientious activity. It is an effort to do the opposite of what our brains naturally do.
As we go about our days, our minds drift about, unchecked, and think about any number of things. When you’re being mindful, you actively work against this phenomenon.
Being mindful means focusing wholly and completely on the present task and present moment.
Mindfulness While Working
When performing a task, mindfulness means directing our entire focus to that one task. No multi-tasking. No daydreaming. Just an active effort to be absorbed in whatever we’re doing.
While washing dishes or sweeping, direct your attention to the rhythm of the action. Listen closely to the swishing or scratching noises, smell the soap suds, or concentrate on your contracting muscles.
The goal is for your mind to be transfixed on the action of the second.”
Source: http://www.refinethemind.com/mindfulness-cure-anxiety/
- Published in Mindfulness Resources