Goals of Mindfulness  

 

 

 

 

 

 

To a certain extent, being in control of your mind is being in control of your attention—that is, what you pay attention to and how long you pay attention to it. You can increase your ability to focus your attention. In many ways, mindfulness practice is the practice of controlling your attention. With a lot of practice, you get better at it. (Tang, et al., 2007) Mindfulness reduces automaticity of attentional processes. (Fischer, 2008) You can improve your ability to detach from thoughts, images, and sensations. We often react to thoughts and images as if they are facts. We get entangled in the events in the mind and cannot tell the difference between a fact in the world and thoughts or images of the world. Mindfulness, practiced often and diligently, can improve your skills of seeing the difference between facts and images and thoughts about facts.

Research Point: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2012) originally called Comprehensive Distancing Therapy, (Hayes, & Melancon, 1989) focuses on just this: getting enough distance so that people can detach from their thoughts, images, and emotions. The central component of the therapy is teaching individuals how to step back and observe their minds—to see thoughts as thoughts, images as images, and emotions as emotions. Cognitive therapy also stresses the ability to differentiate thoughts, images, and emotions from facts.

You can decrease reactivity to mental events. Mindfulness is the practice of observing what is going on inside yourself as well as outside, without doing anything to change it. Thus, in some ways, you can consider it as a practice of observing things without reacting to or trying to change them. The ability to experience without reacting is essential in many situations. Mindfulness practice improves your ability to be less immediately reactive to everyday situations. It gives you a chance to take whatever time is needed before you react. It gives you time to regulate your emotions and tolerate distress, and the ability to discern between which skill you need to practice in any given moment.

 

If you walk across a dark room, is it better to see the furniture or not? Is it easier with the light on or with it off?” A fundamental goal of mindfulness is to
reduce mindlessness—both of what is going on around us, and of what we ourselves are doing, thinking, and feeling. The idea is that if we truly experience each present moment of our lives—if we let go of mental constructs, ideas, and judgments about what is—then we will ultimately see that our worst imaginings of reality are not true. We will at some point see that life itself is unceasing change, and also that clinging to any moment of reality is ultimately not in our best interests.

Be Present to Your Own Life
Mindfulness is the practice of being in the present. It is being present to your own life. Many people find at some point that their life is whizzing by and they are missing a lot of it. Children are growing up; friends that we care about are moving away; we are getting older. It is easy to be so focused on distractions, the past, or the future that we actually miss many positive things in our lives.

Example: “If you are walking in the forest, and you slightly change directions without knowing this, it may not take long before you are really far from where you were originally going.

Research Point: Being present to our lives is the opposite to avoiding our lives and trying to avoid or suppress our experiences.

• Suppression increases the frequency of the very thoughts and emotions we are trying to suppress. (Giuliano & Wicha, 2010) (Wegner, Schneider, Carter, & White, 1987)
• Avoidance has no permanent effect on our well-being. When we avoid situations and events that prompt difficult emotions, this temporarily decreases the painful emotions, but it has no permanent effect on our response to these same situations and events in the future. When we avoid and escape painful emotions now, they will be painful in the future.
• Escape often causes more problems and rarely solves problems.

Be Present to Others
Mindfulness is focusing on the present moment and on the people we are with now. It is very easy to be around people but far away—thinking about something or someone else, looking for someone else to talk to, wishing we were somewhere else, planning what we will do next, dreaming about other things, focusing on our pain or our suffering. We are not present to the people around us. Others, of course, often notice this. They may eventually pull away from us; it is hard for them to be ignored in this way.

Experience Reality as It Is

Connection to the universe. Everyone and everything in the universe is connected. As physicists would point out, the universe is a network of interconnected atoms, cells, and particles that are constantly moving and changing. We touch the air around us that touches everything else around us, and on and on. Each move that we make interacts with the entire universe at some point. It is this point that we need to get across. However, knowing
that we are interconnected is one thing; experiencing it is another. (Stapp, 2007) Many people feel isolated and alone. Their experience of themselves is as outsiders. But once we see that the world and universe is an interconnected network, we can see that there is really no outside or inside. Thus our experience is built on the delusion of separation. Mindfulness is aimed at enhancing our experience of the universe as it is, without delusion or distortion.

Essential “goodness.” Many individuals experience themselves as bad, unworthy, or somehow defective. Mindfulness is the practice of seeing ourselves as we are—ultimately simply ourselves and inherently neither good nor bad, but rather just as we are. From this perspective, all things in the universe, including ourselves, are good. (Although the use of the term “goodness” may seem to contradict the notion that “good” and “bad” are concepts in the
mind of the observer, we cannot deny the use of “good” as an adjective and “goodness” as a term to denote a quality of something. Thus it is important not to move too far into a rigid notion that we can never use the term “good,” as in my saying “Good boy” to my dog when he does something I have taught him, or “Good job” to a colleague at work. Once we have given up “good” and “bad” as judgments, we can revert to using them as shorthand
comments about what is observed.)

Essential validity. “Validity” here means that each person has inherent significance which cannot be taken away or discounted. Each person’s voice and needs warrant being heard and taken seriously. Each person’s point of view is important.

 

Many people are put off by references to Eastern meditation practice. I am aware of this and very sensitive to this point. Let me assure you, dear reader, you can either divorce meditation from any religion or relate it to all religions.

1. The fact that meditation is now commonly used in the treatment of chronic physical pain and stress management programs, is increasingly being used in the treatment of emotional disorders, and is part of many wellness programs suggests that it can be practiced and be effective outside of any spiritual or religious context.

2. Eastern meditation practice is very similar to Christian contemplative prayer, Jewish mystical tradition, and forms of prayer taught in other religions.

I will remain vigilant and alert to difficulties on this topic and will openly discuss them with you. I am obligated by professional ethics and licensing rules  to not try to push mindfulness onto religious participants if they start out by thinking of it as incompatible with their religion. I can suggest that you
practice what you can or what you’re willing to. I invite you to discuss it with others who practice the same religion as you. Please take your time or I will also respect you’re decision if it is immediately aware that it is not for you. How has what I have taught you about mindfulness so far seem similar
or different from your own spiritual practices?

 

Mindfulness skills are central to DBT (hence the label “core” mindfulness skills). The core skills are the first skills taught, and they underpin and support all of the other DBT skills. They are reviewed at the beginning of each of the other three skill modules and are the only skills highlighted throughout the entire program. DBT mindfulness skills are psychological and behavioral translations of meditation practices from Eastern spiritual training. Mindfulness skills are as essential for therapists and skills trainers to practice as they are for participants. Indeed, clinicians’ practice of mindfulness has been found to
be associated with a better therapeutic course and better outcomes. (Grepmair, Mitterlehner, Loew, Bachler, Rother, & Nickel, 2007) Thus mindfulness practice is ordinarily the first agenda item in DBT treatment team meetings.

Mindfulness has to do with the quality of awareness or the quality of presence that a person brings to everyday living. It’s a way of living awake, with
eyes wide open. As a set of skills, mindfulness practice is the intentional process of observing, describing, and participating in reality nonjudgmentally,
in the moment, and with effectiveness (i.e., using skillful means). In formulating these skills, the creator of DBT has drawn most heavily from the practice of Zen. But the skills are compatible with Western contemplative and other Eastern meditation practices, as well as with emerging scientific knowledge about the benefits of “allowing” experiences rather than suppressing, avoiding, or trying to change them. Both Eastern and Western psychologies, as well as spiritual practices, are converging on the same insights.

Mindfulness practice per se was and is central to contemplative spiritual practices across denominations and beliefs, and the mindfulness practices included here may be incorporated into any individual’s spiritual practices and beliefs. DBT, however, is specifically designed to be nondenominational (i.e., compatible with an array of beliefs and traditions), and thus practices are purposely provided in a secular format. No spiritual or religious convictions are expected or necessary for practicing and mastering these skills.

The mindfulness skills can also be thought of as the components that together make up the foundation for meditation practices taught in many psychological and stress reduction treatment packages [Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2013); Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (Bowen, Chawla, & Marlatt, 2011); and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Kabat-Zinn, 1990)]. In some ways, the mindfulness skills in DBT can be thought of as skills for beginners in mindfulness—that is, skills for individuals who cannot yet regulate themselves well enough to practice formal mindfulness meditation. They can also be thought of as skills for persons advanced in mindfulness—the skills such persons need to practice in everyday life. In this sense, these skills are the application of mindfulness meditation to everyday life.

 

“Mindfulness” is the act of consciously focusing the mind in the present moment without judgment and without attachment to the moment. When mindful, we are aware in and of the present moment. We can contrast mindfulness with automatic, habitual, or rote behavior and activity. When mindful, we are alert and awake, like a sentry guarding a gate. We can contrast mindfulness with rigidly clinging to the present moment, as if we could keep a present moment from changing if we cling hard enough. When mindful, we are open to the fluidity of each moment as it arises and falls away. In “beginner’s mind,” each moment is a new beginning, a new and unique moment in time. We can contrast mindfulness with rejecting, suppressing, blocking, or avoiding the present moment, as if “out of mind” really did mean “out of existence” and “out of influence” upon us. When mindful, we enter into each moment.

“Mindfulness practice” is the repeated effort of bringing the mind back to awareness of the present moment, without judgment and without attachment;
it includes, therefore, the repeated effort of letting go of judgments and letting go of attachment to current thoughts, emotions, sensations, activities,
events, or life situations. In sum, mindfulness is a practice of entering into the current moment without reserve or grudge, entering into the cosmic process of existence with awareness that life is a process of constant change. Mindfulness practice teaches us to move into the moment and become aware of everything in it, functioning from there.

“Mindfulness everyday” is a way of living. It’s a way of living with our eyes wide open. It is very difficult to accept reality with our eyes closed. If we want to accept what’s happening to us, we have to know what’s happening to us. We have to open up our eyes and look. Now a lot of people say, “I keep my eyes open all the time.” But if we look at them, we’ll see that they are not looking at the moment. They’re looking to their past. They’re looking to their future. They’re looking to their worries. They’re looking to their thoughts. They’re looking to everybody else. They’re looking absolutely everywhere else, except at the moment.

Mindfulness as a practice is the practice of directing our attention to only one thing. And that one thing is the moment we are alive. The very moment we are in. The beauty of mindfulness is that if we look at the moment, just this moment, we will discover that we are looking at the universe. And if we can become one with the moment—just this moment—the moment cracks open, and we are shocked that joy is in the moment.

Strength to bear the suffering of our lives is also in the moment. It’s just about practice. It’s not a type of practice where listening to it just once and going
through it just once gets us there. Mindfulness is not a place we get to. Mindfulness is a place we are. It is the going from and coming back to mindfulness that is the practice. It’s just this breath, just this step, just this struggle. Mindfulness is just where we are now, with our eyes wide open, aware, awake, attentive. It can be extremely difficult. Things may come up that are difficult to bear. If that happens, we can step back, notice, let go. This moment will pass. Difficulty may come up again. It may be difficult again. We can look at it, let it go, let it pass. If it becomes too difficult at some moment, we can just gently stop. We can come another day, wait, and listen again.

“Meditation” is the practice of mindfulness while sitting or standing quietly for a period of time. Meditation is sometimes mistakenly thought to be the
core of mindfulness. However, it is important not to confuse meditation and mindfulness. Although meditation implies mindfulness, the reverse is not
necessarily so: Mindfulness does not require meditation. This distinction is very important. Although everyone can practice mindfulness, not everyone
can practice meditation. Some cannot sit or stand still. Some are too terrified to look at their breath or watch their mind. Some cannot practice meditation now, but will be able to at a later point.

“Mindful meditation” is the activity of attending to, gazing, watching, or contemplating something. In Zen, for example, one is often given the
instruction “Watch your mind.” In other spiritual practices, one may be given words, texts, or objects to focus the mind on. In an art gallery, one stands or sits and gazes at artistic works. We attend to the chirp of the birds or the car engine sounding different than before. We watch the sun set and gaze at children frolicking in the park. Each of these is mindful activity. Although the term “meditation” is sometimes used to refer to thinking about something as in connection to the universe or the miracle of life, the more common understanding in secular circles is that of mindfulness. Just as common is the understanding that when one meditates, one is (usually) sitting quietly and is focusing on one’s breath, one’s bodily sensation, a word, or some other focus dictated by one’s individual practice or tradition.

Meditation as a contemplative or mindfulness practice is both a secular practice, as in meditating on or contemplating art, and a religious or spiritual practice, as in contemplative prayer. Indeed, in all the major religions of the world, there is a tradition—however broad or narrow—of contemplative practice. This tradition within religions, often referred to as the “mystical” tradition, recommends mindfulness practices of various sorts and emphasizes spiritual experiences that may result from these practices. Whether mindful meditation and practice are secular or spiritual depends completely on
the orientation and beliefs of the individual. For the spiritual person, mindfulness can be both a secular and a spiritual or religious practice.

In meditation, and in mindfulness, there are two types of practices: “opening the mind” and “focusing the mind.” Opening the mind is the practice of observing or watching whatever comes into awareness. In sitting meditation, it is simply noticing thoughts, emotions, and sensations that enter awareness without holding onto or pursuing them. It is like sitting and watching a conveyor belt going by— noticing hat is going by on the conveyor belt, but not shutting off the belt to examine objects more closely. It is like sitting on a hill watching a harbor and noticing the boats entering and leaving without jumping onto one of the boats. For beginners or for persons with attention difficulties, opening the mind can be very difficult, because it is so easy to get caught up in a passing thought, emotion, or sensation and to lose the focus on awareness. For these individuals, focusing the mind is usually recommended.

When focusing the mind, one focuses attention on specific internal or external events. For example, when focusing on internal events, one might focus attention on a specific sensation succession (a series of sensations), emotions arising, thoughts going through the mind, or repeated words or phrases that have been decided before. For example, some schools of meditation give out mantras, or specific words to say with each breath. One instance of this is the “wise mind” practice (described below) of saying the word “wise” while breathing in and the word “mind” while breathing out. Another example is counting breaths (up to 10 and then starting over), which is a typical instruction in Zen. Guided mindfulness exercises given by clinicians or via meditation recordings give instructions of where and how to focus the mind. When focusing the mind externally one might focus on a leaf, a painting, a candle, another person or persons, or scenery, as in a walk in nature, a sunrise or sunset, and so forth.

There are also two stances one can take in practicing: either getting distance by pulling back and watching, or moving forward and becoming “what is” (by moving into what is being watched). Contrasts of these stances, stated in metaphorical language, are standing on a high mountain and picturing one’s emotions as boulders far down below versus entering fully into the experience of one’s emotions; sitting on the edge and watching the emptiness
within oneself versus entering into and becoming the emptiness; noticing self- consciousness at a party versus throwing oneself completely into a party; and watching one’s own sexual responses versus entering entirely into one’s own sexual response.

 

 

 

 

Copyright Disclaimer:

The content on this page was adapted from DBT® Skills Training Manual, Second Edition, by Marsha M. Linehan. Copyright 2015 by Marsha M. Linehan.

The handouts and worksheets are from From DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, by Marsha M. Linehan. Copyright 2015 by Marsha M. Linehan. Permission to photocopy them is granted to purchasers of DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, and DBT Skills Training Manual, Second Edition, for personal use and use with individual clients only.

 

References:

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Bowen, S., Chawla, N., & Marlatt, G. A. (2011). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for addictive behaviors: A clinician’s guide. New York: Guilford Press.

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Grepmair, L., Mitterlehner, F., Loew, T., Bachler, E., Rother, W., & Nickel, M. (2007). Promoting mindfulness in psychotherapists in training influences the treatment results of their patients: A randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 76(6), 332–338.

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