|
We all have stress...
Medical experts say that a large proportion of doctor visits are for symptoms attributable to stress. Stress can come from a variety of sources including health issues, work, family life,relationships and the ebb and flow of daily life. Stress in itself is not inherently detrimental. It is how we interpret and respond to stress that may lead to physical and emotional problems.
How much of your experience today was colored by anxiety? Was there a worried sense of what you needed to do, what others might be thinking about you? Were you concerned about whether you were doing well enough...'am I really okay?' As our thoughts and emotions proliferate automatically, we become imprisoned by them. Our lives and mind contract and become smaller... we get 'stuck.' We develop coping strategies: withdraw, blame, get busy,competitive, angry, try to prove ourselves... and we try harder and harder. Our bodies tighten, we get stuck in our spiraling thoughts.. we worry, we obsess, we wait for something to go wrong... anticipating disaster, our minds are spinning. We are stuck in a pattern of fight or flight. Our individual tapes play inside our heads intensifying our lifelong stories and beliefs about what is wrong with us and what might fall apart in our lives...
The mindfulness based stress reduction program helps reduce mental, emotional, and physical stress to attain a superior level of well-being and success. This enhances your capacity to experience life more fully, with energy, enthusiasm, and improved self-esteem. These changes are rooted in an approach called 'mindfulness.' The practice of mindfulness teaches us to cultivate states of mind that lead to emotional balance and inner harmony. This helps us to become more self aware and live more fully in the present moment. Follow-up studies of participants in mindfulness stress reduction programs report significant overall improvement both physically and psychologically. (see research bibliography)
"It is remarkable how liberating it feels to be able to see that your thoughts are just thoughts and they are not 'you' or 'reality'. .....the simple act of recognizing your thoughts as thoughts can free you from the distorted reality they often create and allow for more clear-sightedness and a greater sense of manageability in your life."
Kabat-Zinn, J. , Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, 1990.
|
