Everyday Mindfulness

Hello everybody,

I just wanted to say "Hello" to everybody.
Please excuse my poor english. I'm from Germany and a bit "rusty".

I'm practicing mindfulness some weeks now. Actully I am in week 5 of my MBSR Training.

Some Years ago, I had an episode of depression. In the time of my
recovery I got to know the Book : Mindful Way through depression and started practicing. BUT I had big difficulties to just BE with the emotions, who occured.
Today I'm healthy but still taking medication and the depression kind of lingers behind me.

So I decided to visit a MBSR Training: AND I Love it, it's really helpful to have a teacher.

I really got some big ideas about whats happening inside my head. For Example I noticed how I always struggel to keep "Bad" emotions down. So now I'm trying to lean into them or notice my struggeling and just let ist be.

I would love to discuss mindful experiences with you.

Yours
Susi

Hi Susi.
Welcome to the forum. Great to have you aboard.
I think you'll find us to be a very friendly, helpful bunch. So please don't hesitate to ask any questions or simply join in the chat.
All good things, Jon

Hello and welcome Susi, lovely to 'meet' you.

Ask away and I am sure you will find many others who share your experiences

Hi Sue,
I am also doing the program from Mindful Way Through Depression. I have taken an MBSR course before but this is the first time I have done a full MBCT course. I find it really helpful - for me I am becoming really aware of my negative judgments about things and realizing in the moment that they are not truth, or facts, but just thoughts.. Sounds like you are getting a lot out of it. Keep us updated on how things are going! And welcome!

Thanx for your kind welcome . Nice to "meet" you all.

Actually I have some questions :

- I am doing the sitting meditation every day. I should (as homework) change between sitting and yoga or Body Scan. Sitting allows me much more "insights" so I don't change. Do you think this is ok? Or is Yoga/ bodyscan very important (frankly: I don't like it very much )

- Do you know the feeling, when you are completly absorbed by something (some work, some task.... described as flow), so you forget time and everything. I like this experience, but I don't know if it's "Good" in terms of mindfulness. I'm absolutly in the present moment BUT I'm not aware of myself. What Do you think?


@vixine: Is there much difference between mbsr and mbct? MBCT was not availabel here. Do you think I should search some mbct? I would love to hear some of your experience.

Yours
Susi

Mindfulness is in part about not striving to change the moment but being fully present in it. With that in mind I go with what feels right. In the Headspace programme they talk about sitting a certain way. I simply can't maintain that pose and meditate laying down, I don't consider that 'failing' or wrong. In the same way being fully absorbed in the task sounds mindful to me

MBCT was founded on MBSR, so it includes MBSR plus some additional cognitive therapy elements. If you are reading Mindful Way Through Depression, that is MBCT (I believe) ... it doesn't really matter too much, if you find a practice that works for you, keep doing it! All the other information can help increase your perspective.

Susi wrote:I had big difficulties to just BE with the emotions, who occured.
[...] I noticed how I always struggel to keep "Bad" emotions down. So now I'm trying to lean into them or notice my struggeling and just let ist be.

Hi Susi . Yes - I find it's one thing to allow emotions to be recognised as they surface instead of one running away, and then it's another to manage them in a world where very few people are doing the same. We are all practicing the same as you here - so hopefully you can feel some understanding and support on this forum.

I think mindfulness can release emotions like some bubbles of gas trapped in our bellies, and sometimes those bubbles can be quite big, but we find we are sitting in a meeting, or in an elevator - many modern contexts just don't allow that gas to be released in an *ahem* polite and socially functional way. So sometimes our environmental conditions, as well as the way we purge our inner tensions need to be selected and managed skilfully in order for mindfulness to prove practical in our broader lives as the unfolding takes place. It sounds like your teacher has the necessary skills and information to help you do this. Great!

Bio.

Thank you for your answers.

Especially emotions are still difficult for me. @Bio: I like the picture of the bubble. But my bubbels seem to be so big.

For example: I feel sadness. I try to just see it, be with it. While doing so I'm getting afraid that the sadness will overwhelm me (because of my experience of depression), so I try to be with sadness AND fear. Then I notice I get very anxieous. So I try to be with sadness, fear, anxiety....

Too many bubbels . It is still much fighting going on there.
Sometimes I feel like some artist who tries to keep many balls in the air...

But I also feel -the first time in my life- that I found a way to see all my emotinons without surpressing them: the Full catastrophy . I'm so thankfull

"I think mindfulness can release emotions like some bubbles of gas trapped in our bellies, and sometimes those bubbles can be quite big, but we find we are sitting in a meeting, or in an elevator - many modern contexts just don't allow that gas to be released in an *ahem* polite and socially functional way."
Brilliant, Bio. Made me roar with laughter. Jon Kabat-Zinn never quite put it like that.