Western Psychology and Eastern Buddhism:

Origins of Mindfulness Meditation

• Originates from Theravadin Buddhism (first teachings from the Buddha)
• Mindful Meditation technique is more than 2500 years old
• Defined as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally

A short conversation between the Buddha and a philosopher of his time:

• "I have heard that Buddhism is a doctrine of enlightenment. What is your method? What do you practice every day?
• "We walk, we eat, we wash ourselves, we sit down..."
• "What is so special about that? Everyone walks, eats, washes, sits down..."
• "Sir, when we walk, we are aware that we are walking; when we eat, we are aware that we are eating... 
• When others walk, eat, wash, or sit down, they are generally not aware of what they are doing."

four foundations of mindfulness" - the four spheres in which to develop mindfulness

• Contemplation of the Body
• Contemplation of the Feelings
• Contemplation of the States of Mind
• Contemplation of the Mental Objects
• Five hindrances: sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and worry, and doubt

Introduction of Mindfulness into Modern Therapy

• During the last 30 years, mindfulness has attracted a great deal of attention from counseling researchers and practitioners
• Currently, more than 1,500 articles can be found with "mindfulness" in the title
• A poll found that 41% of 2,600 therapists use mindfulness techniques
• John Kabitt Zinn first and most well-known scholar to integrate mindfulness into Western healing practices
• mindfulness has found its way in the recent times in health clinics, prison houses, wellness centers, government offices, law firms, and corporate boardrooms.

Types of Mindfulness Techniques

• Segal, Williams, and Teasdale - mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to prevent depressive relapse
• Kabat-Zinn 's mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) to alleviate stress and chronic physical pain
• Linehan's dialectical behavior therapy – for clients with borderline personality disorder
• All these mindfulness based treatments differ in theoretical backgrounds
• and were created to treat separatemental illnesses but all share the same core principles

Mindfulness and LovingKindness

• Loving-kindness derived from Buddhism and refers to  state of unselfish and unconditional kindness to all beings
• The mindfulness tradition loving-kindness meditation incorporates nonjudgmental attention to the present moment
• and a focus on cultivating compassion and a sense of connectedness with self and others
• mindfulness leads to greater loving-kindness by the diminishing of  painful and habitual reactions

Integrating Mindfulness and Lovingkindness into a therapeutic setting

• Teach clients basics of mindfulness by explaining the tendencies for the human mind to become preoccupied with thinking about the past
• planning for the future, and labeling and making judgments about everyday experiences
• Meditation often raises awareness of challenging inner states, counselors must time interventions carefully.
• Counselors should preserve the integrity of the core principles of LKM
• through training, reading, consultation, research, and practice in meditative, spiritual, and Buddhist philosophies

Research on Mindfulness and Lovingkindness

• After an 8 week mindfulness program some studies have demonstrated lasting positive outcomes as long as 3 years
• Recent studies from Massachusetts General Hospital have shown that eight weeks of MBSR can actually produce thickening in particular regions of the brain
• important for learning, memory, executive decision-making and perspective-taking: all important functions to have at optimal levels when you are under stress or experiencing pain
• findings suggest the usefulness of MBSR as an intervention for a broad range of chronic disorders and problems

References

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