Want mindfulness to work fast

[BioSattva]

That's great. I think it's important to remember some people resort to it as a mental health treatment or pain management tool, while some choose it as a hobby or method of helping others. As you said, BigPinkFan, we're all different, and there's no one reason someone may be drawn to mindfulness.

For those who resorted to it for more serious reasons, I'm sure the efforts, and therefore effects will be more rapid and tangible. Their initial striving for lowered suffering will be that much stronger and so the results will become apparent faster.

[JonW]

Then again, that striving has a way of getting in the way.
I think so much has to do with timing. It could also be argued that mindfulness finds the person rather than the person finds mindfulness some of the time.

[piedwagtail91]

jonw has a good point.
for someone with depression, striving is usually counter productive.
if they can't 'reach their goal', even by striving or trying their hardest to get there then that can very easily lead back to self attacking, confirming what they already think, that they're useless and can't do anything and it can seriously damage what little sense of sense of self worth they have.
it can put them back into the downward spiral.
people have to be between bouts of depression to be on a mindfulness course, just to give them a chance.
the first few sessions of a course are the ones where you've got to be very gentle with participants and watch them closely.

if people are striving or in some cases skiving and not practicing it becomes obvious usually by session 5 when ,if someone is going to come unstuck that's when it happens. i include myself in that!

the seven pillars are constantly referred to, even in practices, just to encourage people to back off, be less judgmental and give themselves a chance.

[JonW]

"People have to be between bouts of depression to be on a mindfulness course, just to give them a chance."

I think that's probably true most of the time. However I started mindfulness when I was going through a nasty bout of depression last year. Before joining my group I did talk it through with my teacher and I assured him that I felt strong enough to go ahead.
I wonder what % of people come to mindfulness when they are in a state of crisis. Not that the numbers are important.
Again, I do believe it mostly has to do with the timing.
In the past people would occasionally suggest to me that I take up some form of meditation. They might as well have been persuading a fish to take up flying lessons. I couldn't have been less interested.
Suddenly the idea clicked with me. I can't explain why, other than to say that I was ready for it.
Meanwhile, I can't remember the last time I felt depressed.

[piedwagtail91]

Being between bouts may be an nhs requirement, we've just finished assessments for our next sessions and peoples mental state is gone over very thouroughly, not just current phq9 and gad scores but those going back some time.
Obviously everyone will have their own entry requirements, those are just an example of ours.

[BioSattva]

Then again, that striving has a way of getting in the way.

Indeed - we strive to reduce our striving. And yet this in itself is a problem. This is when the verbal teachings just bring us to the physical practice, and we understand the underlying message - that striving is mental effort, which is not required once we have a regular and effective mindfulness practice embedded in our lives.

for someone with depression, striving is usually counter productive.
if they can't 'reach their goal', even by striving or trying their hardest to get there then that can very easily lead back to self attacking

Indeed, and so again we strive not to strive.

the seven pillars are constantly referred to, even in practices, just to encourage people to back off, be less judgmental and give themselves a chance.

The important aspect in all of this is, of course, that the one is guided by the 7 Pillars, and that one does not mis-take the physical practice for the conceptual 7 Pillars.

To stop striving to satisfy the 7 Pillars (from within an established mindfulness practice) is as important as to stop striving in general. Eventually the daily practice, if maintained, will have to eat itself up - no striving; for the 7 pillars or to practice in general, as one's life is lived in harmony with one's true compassionate nature - one is 'hooked' naturally on one's innate instinct to be open and adaptable, and the guidelines - like stabilisers on a bicycle - are no longer needed.