Mindfulness
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Timaru
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Mindfulness
Does anyone out there have any experience/advice around using mindfulness as a technique to deal with unhelpful thoughts? I have been recommended to give it a try and really wanted to know if it works and how difficult it is. I have read a bit about it and it seems a bit tricky?? I am really interested in your thoughts… Thanks
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,369
I found these to be a basic but useful entry into mindfulness as a concept kate
New to Mindfulness? How to Get Started | World of Psychology
Mindfulness and Addiction: Part I | Mindfulness and Psychotherapy
read through to part 3 to find out about a technique I really like called Urge Surfing
D
New to Mindfulness? How to Get Started | World of Psychology
Mindfulness and Addiction: Part I | Mindfulness and Psychotherapy
read through to part 3 to find out about a technique I really like called Urge Surfing
D
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ined-long.html This technique employs mindfulness specific to the self-talk that precedes drinking/using. By grouping all thoughts of using/self harm as Addictive Voice, reason can get a foothold and usurp the power of the compulsion by just looking at them honestly. Basic Mindfulness meditation can be self taught with books, video or a sitting group or taught by a master. Best wishes on finding what works for you.
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 2,459
This is a book that explains it in terms one can understand
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf2/Mind...%20Preview.pdf
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf2/Mind...%20Preview.pdf
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...95039771,d.b2w Mindfullness in Plain English is a good place to start. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...94911696,d.b2w You can also type basic meditation in the search here and get Thanissaro Bhikkhu's instruction.
Sober Soldier
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 1,911
The book Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn was my first reading on mindfulness practice. I used that to supplement work with my therapist and it changed the way I see things. It definitely takes practice but if you stay diligent you can quickly start to reap the benefits.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
While not specifically about mindfulness, I have been recommending the book "10% Happier" by Dan Harris lately. It's a very easy read, basically a chronology of how the author explored the world of mindfulness and meditation from all different angles and found a formula that worked for him. There is a lot of very simple, practical advice and even some "cheat sheets" or checklists in the appendix. He makes some real world sense of some of the teachings of Eckert Tolle, Mark Epstien, and others who are on the very cerebral end of the mindfulness spectrum.
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: CO, USA
Posts: 145
Mindfulness has been an important part of recovery for me. It takes the form of short daily meditation (about 10 mins, so nothing particularly daunting) and focusing attention during everyday activities like walking to work. Meditation was something I wanted to explore for a long time, but it's only in sobriety that I'm finally doing it. I feel that it's helping to calm my every running mind., and I even crave those minutes of mental quiet almost the way I used to crave a drink to shut down the feels.
As a related practice, I also take a minute every day to list mentally all of the positive things I have to be grateful for. At the beginning, it was like the negative side of my personality had created a block there and it was hard to think of things. But soon all the little things came rushing through my head, and I find that this quick little habit seems to be helping to rewire my brain to see things with more optimism and positivity.
Next month, I'll be doing a Vipassana retreat, which is an intensive 10 day training in insight meditation. I'm planning to write a little recap here afterwards, so stay tuned....
As a related practice, I also take a minute every day to list mentally all of the positive things I have to be grateful for. At the beginning, it was like the negative side of my personality had created a block there and it was hard to think of things. But soon all the little things came rushing through my head, and I find that this quick little habit seems to be helping to rewire my brain to see things with more optimism and positivity.
Next month, I'll be doing a Vipassana retreat, which is an intensive 10 day training in insight meditation. I'm planning to write a little recap here afterwards, so stay tuned....
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 12,000
Absolutely critical for me to get through a very rough period of my life, my first year of sobriety and dealing with the loss of a career.
Even yesterday as I was thinking about where I was today and ten years ago.
Life is interesting. Don't miss it.
Even yesterday as I was thinking about where I was today and ten years ago.
Life is interesting. Don't miss it.
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13,036
Originally Posted by kiwikate13 
Does anyone out there have any experience/advice around using mindfulness as a technique to deal with unhelpful thoughts? I have been recommended to give it a try and really wanted to know if it works and how difficult it is. I have read a bit about it and it seems a bit tricky?? I am really interested in your thoughts… Thanks
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13,036
Originally Posted by N3p3nth3
Mindfulness has been an important part of recovery for me. It takes the form of short daily meditation (about 10 mins, so nothing particularly daunting) and focusing attention during everyday activities like walking to work. Meditation was something I wanted to explore for a long time, but it's only in sobriety that I'm finally doing it. I feel that it's helping to calm my every running mind., and I even crave those minutes of mental quiet almost the way I used to crave a drink to shut down the feels.
As a related practice, I also take a minute every day to list mentally all of the positive things I have to be grateful for. At the beginning, it was like the negative side of my personality had created a block there and it was hard to think of things. But soon all the little things came rushing through my head, and I find that this quick little habit seems to be helping to rewire my brain to see things with more optimism and positivity.
Next month, I'll be doing a Vipassana retreat, which is an intensive 10 day training in insight meditation. I'm planning to write a little recap here afterwards, so stay tuned....
As a related practice, I also take a minute every day to list mentally all of the positive things I have to be grateful for. At the beginning, it was like the negative side of my personality had created a block there and it was hard to think of things. But soon all the little things came rushing through my head, and I find that this quick little habit seems to be helping to rewire my brain to see things with more optimism and positivity.
Next month, I'll be doing a Vipassana retreat, which is an intensive 10 day training in insight meditation. I'm planning to write a little recap here afterwards, so stay tuned....
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