Mindfulness Therapy=Mainstream
09
Dec
2008
Lotus Therapy
(Excerpts are below. To read the entire article go to The New York Times website.)
…For years, psychotherapists have worked to relieve suffering by reframing the content of patients’ thoughts, directly altering behavior or helping people gain insight into the subconscious sources of their despair and anxiety. The promise of mindfulness meditation is that it can help patients endure flash floods of emotion during the therapeutic process — and ultimately alter reactions to daily experience at a level that words cannot reach. “The interest in this has just taken off,” said Zindel Segal, a psychologist at the Center of Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where the above group therapy session was taped. “And I think a big part of it is that more and more therapists are practicing some form of contemplation themselves and want to bring that into therapy.”
At workshops and conferences across the country, students, counselors and psychologists in private practice throng lectures on mindfulness. The National Institutes of Health is financing more than 50 studies testing mindfulness techniques, up from 3 in 2000, to help relieve stress, soothe addictive cravings, improve attention, lift despair and reduce hot flashes.
Some proponents say Buddha’s arrival in psychotherapy signals a broader opening in the culture at large — a way to access deeper healing, a hidden path revealed.
….Mindfulness meditation is easy to describe. Sit in a comfortable position, eyes closed, preferably with the back upright and unsupported. Relax and take note of body sensations, sounds and moods. Notice them without judgment. Let the mind settle into the rhythm of breathing. If it wanders (and it will), gently redirect attention to the breath. Stay with it for at least 10 minutes….
I enjoyed reading your blog and was struck with how powerful the internet has become for building a community of people inclining towards wholesome living and mindfulness.
Thanks again,
Richard
http://www.lifechoicemeditation.com
It is good to see psychotherapists becoming more appreciative of the value of meditation as a therapeutic tool. As a licensed naturopathic physician, and long time practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, I think it is important to correct some of the statements made about TM in the article. I would also like to expand a bit on the nature and practice of the TM program.
First, it is important to note that concentration does NOT play a part in the TM technique. There is no effort or strain whatsoever involved in this practice. The technique allows the mind to settle down until it transcends all mental activity and becomes silent. This state, called “Transcendental Consciousness,” is actually a state of “restful alertness” rather than absorption. One is not “lost.” On the contrary, one is actually aware of the experience of inner being. Scientists have identified this distinct state of consciousness by specific physiological markers, such as brain wave patterns, metabolic rate and respiration rate.
The result of this quieting of the mind is that the body becomes deeply relaxed. Stress and tension are dissolved and released through this unique experience of restful alertness. Scientific research has shown that regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation program results in more stabilized moods, as well as decreased symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, and decreased stress.
What a nice article about psychology and meditation. I was happy to see that you mentioned Transcendental Meditation which is what I practice and really enjoy. Boy, does it give me deep, deep rest and profound innner silence. When I come out of my TM I feel happy and balance. Ready to take on the world. Doctors recommend it too. Enjoy!
Nice article on mindfulness and meditation in general. I would like to raise one point: You mention that Transcendental Meditation can lower blood pressure in some people. However, Transcendental Meditation can do much more that then, and being one of the most researched from s of meditation has over 500 scientific studies, showing how TM has been effective in reducing anxiety, lowering cholesterol, and helping people to stop smoking, to name just a few. All of which are factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. Some of this research is summarized at http://www.doctorsontm.com/tm-research/benefits-cardiovascular-disease On a more personal note, I have been practicing TM for many years and feel I have gotten very goods results from it from both the physical and psychological health point of view.