fambly What is self-compassion and why is it beneficial? - Maintaining a Mindful Life - Monash University Explore the difference between self-criticism and self-compassion in this exercise. Step 1 Bring to mind someone you care about who is experiencing some difficulty – perhaps a failure or setback, some misfortune, or is otherwise having a difficult time. Reflect for a moment on how you have tended to respond to them. Notice how it feels in your body as you remember showing up for them in this way. You may like to write this down or record your thoughts in a way that’s comfortable for you. Step 2 Now take a moment to reflect on a time when you experienced some difficulty – a failure or setback, some misfortune, or were otherwise having a difficult time. Reflect for a moment on how you responded to yourself. How does this feel in your body? Again, you may like to write this down or record your thoughts in a way that’s comfortable for you. What did you find out? Did you discover that you tend to be much tougher on yourself than on others? Where does it come from? What’s the impact? Talking point
practicing self confession Self-compassion - A Healthier Way of Relating to Yourself creswell research David Creswell, assistant professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, continues to do extensive research on how mindfulness can affect our health and our lives for the better. On anxiety: A 2013 study published in Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found that mindful attention reduces self-reported cravings in smokers, as well as reduced neural activity in the craving-related region of the brain. On smoking cessation: A study in NeuroImage in 2013 concluded that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may be an effective treatment for reducing anxiety and mood symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. On loneliness: In 2012, a study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity found that an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program helps decrease loneliness in older adults. On behavior regulation: More mindfulness studies by David Creswell Creswell, J.D., Pacilio, L.E., Lindsay, E.K., & Brown, K.W.
Rewiring the brain for happiness - Maintaining a Mindful Life - Monash University The human brain evolved over aeons to help us survive. Our ancestors had to constantly scan the environment for very real physical threats. If they heard a rustling in the bushes they were much more likely to survive if they assumed it might be a sabre-toothed tiger until proven otherwise, than if they assumed it was a bunny rabbit and kept gazing at the pretty sunset. This got hardwired into their brains, and even into their DNA. This is why we have an innate negativity bias. The smart ancestor did make the effort, however, to pay attention to what was actually there so that threats could be responded to on their merits and we didn’t have to keep running from the phantoms of our own imagination. Relating to ourselves compassionately is one way of reprogramming ourselves. There are other ways we can cultivate positive mind states as well, and we will explore these now. Savouring Savouring refers to increasing the intensity and duration of positive experiences and emotions. Gratitude
Exercise 1: How would you treat a friend? Please take out a sheet of paper and answer the following questions: First, think about times when a close friend feels really bad about him or herself or is really struggling in some way. How would you respond to your friend in this situation (especially when you’re at your best)? Why not try treating yourself like a good friend and see what happens? CompassionateMind.net - Home Book Summary - How To Wake Up When we’re fully present for our life as it is, whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant at the moment, we have the potential to awaken to a peace and well-being that aren't dependent on whether a particular experience is joyful or sorrowful. Embracing our life in this way is the promise of peace left to us by the Buddha. Like How to Be Sick, How to Wake Up is a practical book—full of exercises and practices, all illustrated with easy-to-relate to personal stories from my experience as a Buddhist practitioner of over twenty years. Because the book focuses on integrating the Buddha’s teachings into everyday life, it is intended for both experienced practitioners and those with no background in Buddhism. The Buddha’s teachings are not passive. They challenge us to be fully present and actively involved in our moment-to-moment experience.