One of the concepts floating around in the field of psychology today is the discipline of mindfulness.
Though the importance of the discipline has been emphasized in eastern thinking for centuries, its importance has been given new weight in the recent western appreciation of mind/body connection and its influence on our overall health.
The word itself is a translation of the Buddhist word for awareness, and refers to the idea of paying attention in a particular way to the present moment. A key piece of the experience is to attend to the moment without judgment.
Personal trainers, athletes, business executives, and yoga instructors make use of aspects of it. Teachers in elementary school use it to help children tune into the power of their senses and to help them become more aware of how they influence their environment and how their environment influences them.
Here is an example of an exercise when applied to the act of picking an apple from a tree and eating it: As you approach the tree you are aware of the clusters of apples and you note with interest your attention to the particular apple that you intend to choose. As you pull the apple from the tree you feel the cool touch of the fruit and the resistance of the branch as it breaks away. You hold the apple in your hand and you are aware of its weight, shape and colour. You bite into it and experience the smell, the sweetness and the texture of its flesh. As you finish eating you observe the length of the stem and the number, shape, and shade of the seeds at its core. You walk away from the tree. You look back and you are aware of the experience.
You might wonder why any of this is worth the effort. The claim is that the practice improves both mental and physical health, and if practised regularly can reduce suffering and increase wisdom. Grand claims indeed.
However, the effort to become more aware of your experience, whether we call it mindfulness or not, is hard to argue with. A version of the effort has been promoted and found effective in a variety of areas.
A form of the practice of mindfulness is incorporated into many therapeutic approaches. Some therapists teach the practice in session. Some use it as a meditative opening to the session. Others practise it themselves in an effort to become more sensitive to their client's experience.
Since relationship issues are often front and centre for clients, many therapists use some facet of mindfulness to assist clients in calming their physiology so that they can step back and widen the lens on their relationship experience. The practice can be useful in coaching clients to be curious about the details of their interactions with others and to help them appreciate their own contribution to communication challenges.
Clients can learn to tune into and quiet an increase in heart rate, muscle tension, and body temperature. They can begin to appreciate a shift in their tone of voice, their volume, and the speed of their delivery as they communicate a point of contention. They can also develop an increased appreciation of what others are up against in dealing with them.
These are all useful adaptations. So no matter what language you couch the process in ("mindfulness" sounds a bit new age and therefore suspect to some), there are few losses in the effort to increase our sensitivity.
Margaret-Anne Speak is a registered clinical counselor with a practice on the North Shore. Contact: [email protected].
