Mindfulness The Practice Of Mindfulness - 1556 Words

The concept of mindfulness has its origins in Eastern spiritual meditation practices. Instructions on the principles and practice of mindfulness are at the heart of the teachings of the Buddha (Thera, 1962; Gunaratana, 1992; Hanh, 1999). Mindfulness involves â€Å"paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally† (Kabat-Zinn, 2013, Introduction section, para. 6). The practice of mindfulness focuses on observing and accepting thoughts and emotions as they are without trying to change them. Mindfulness helps the individual to be fully aware of the present moment, without being carried away by thoughts and emotions, without succumbing to an automatic pattern of reaction. Following his own spiritual†¦show more content†¦MBSR is an 8-week training in mindfulness meditation which consists of weekly 2.5-hour group classes and one day-long silence retreat. MBSR has been found to be effective in the management of stress, physical il lnesses, and psychiatric disorders with a range of clinical and non-clinical populations (Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, Walach, 2004; Cramer, Lauche, Paul, Dobos, 2012; Lauche, Cramer, Dobos, Langhorst, Schmidt, 2013). MBSR was later combined with elements of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT; Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979) to create Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT; Segal, Williams, Teasdale, 2002), which has been shown to reduce relapse rates in depression (Kuyken et al., 2008; Ma Teasdale, 2004). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosalh, Emery, 1999), independently developed at around the same time as MBSR, utilizes acceptance, mindfulness, and behavioural strategies to increase psychological flexibility. Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993), originally developed to treat individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), also incorporates mindfulness skills throughout the treatment program. Mindfulness for eating disorders Cognitive-behavioural approaches are considered to be the gold standard in the treatment of eating disorders (Fairburn, Cooper,