Hello,

I just read a very interesting article about mindfulness & how some recent studies are showing that for certain people trying to do mindfulness can have a negative effect for them... or they simply don't get any benefit from it.

If anyone is interested in reading it it is on the BBC news website... under the work/life tab at the top of the page.

Paws

Thanks paws,I will check it out.
maybe it is more about what one dies than mindfulness it self or what mood one is. I will report back after reading it.

Hey Paws,

Interesting article! I suspect that combining meditation with other more expressive practices, like drumming, dancing, etc, might be good at alleviating some of those symptoms. And I'm also never going to feel guilty for not meditating regularly ever again! Sounds like you can definitely overdo it!

Interesting to note that it's considered that other activities, such as excercise, might have as much or more benefit than meditation. And also the point about diversifying , exploring the many varieties of mindfulness meditation, incl the focusing on external objects such as a flower, etc, to take the heavy focus off of self.

Cheers and thanks for contributing your research Paws!

J*

Paws and Jstar

I think the article is about not overdoing mediation or mindfulness. They don’t say there is anything wrong with meditation or mindfulness but be careful not to do too much.

My Mum said everything in moderation .

Hi Everyone!

a belated answer to Tim's three words on Jan 26...and thanks too Quirky + Jstar + Grandy + Amanda2000 :-)

3 words ...selfless... peaceful...open

my kindest....Paul

Yeah definitely Quirky,

and for those who maybe find it doesn't suit them, or they're getting negative symptoms or experiences, that other things like excercise can be just as beneficial. It's a good balance, what with minfulness/meditation being very popular.

I've also notcied lots of ppl commenting about having a busy mind, and finding it difficult to focus.

I can remember times of high emotional distress/upheaval, and drumming or running was probably a better release than forcing myself to sit quietly and try to still my churning mind.

Absolutely agree- everything in moderation, and also, do what works for you.

On another point, I have been practising what I call mindful patchwork- patching together pieces of fabric in a mindful way, not according to a preconceived pattern or even , at first, to get any particular result! It was very soothing when i was going through a rough time. I guess the concept of mindfulness can be applied to so many areas of life.

Cheers,

J*

Hi Everyone

Hey Jstar49....Thankyou always for your super kind support here and across the forums!

Jstar49 mentioned ' I have been practising what I call mindful patchwork- patching together pieces of fabric in a mindful way, not according to a preconceived pattern'......This is an excellent example of mindfulness!

Hi Quirky....Always a bonus to read your posts and thankyou so much for the care you share with others! I wrote this thread topic ages ago as the term 'Mindfulness' still seems like a 'busy' mind to me. Just for myself I prefer the term 'Mindlessness' as we are at peace from excess thoughts. I dont understand when you posted 'everything in moderation' where mindfulness/meditation is concerned as its a state of mind..with respect to your mum of course

Thanks to Smallwolf (Tim) for explaining 'Mindfulness' through his own personal experience to support others

my kindest always

Paul

Hey Paws

Always great to have your support !

Paws mentioned 'I just read a very interesting article about mindfulness & how some recent studies are showing that for certain people trying to do mindfulness can have a negative effect for them... or they simply don't get any benefit from it'

If you could provide a link to the BBC program you mentioned it would be helpful to my own recovery/research. Thankyou for the clarity...'Mindfulness' wasnt around in the 1980's when I was having counselling

This is off topic (big time!) Paws....Where the crockery is sold at Woolworths I noticed a coffee mug with 'Talk to the Paw' with a paw print like your profile pic...anyhoo it was funny at the time :-)

Paul

I always practice mindfulness by walking around my city and just looking around.

I don't look at anything in particular, I just walk around taking in the sights and sounds. I look at the buildings and ponder their architecture. It never gets old for me and its a great way for me to clear my mind and feel centred.

Paul
I was referring to an article paws mentioned that was on BBC news site, I was commenting on the fact that people were overdoing meditation etc. I said it was not a problem with meditation or mindfulness but the fact people were over enthusiastic. I was just repeating what the article said,.

Hi Everyone!

Hey Gambit....always great to see you and thankyou for helping our readers and posters by sharing your experience...Nice1
Hey Quirky
Thanks for that. I didn't really understand your post the other day. I think some people are expecting a quick fix whether its Mindfullness or even therapy for that matter. You would be happy that we have had the coolest summer for years😀

My kind thoughts...Paul

Does anyone think mindfulness is a phase that was not around say ten years ago but now is everywhere,. Will it be around in another 10 years.

Hi Quirky!

Thats a great point and thankyou

If/when you have the time Quirky...google 'Is Mindfulness a buzzword' Its been around since approx 1990

With respect to Tims super help...The term Mindfulness wasnt used when I was in frequent therapy in the 1980s and 1990's

I left you a happy note at the end of my last post for you Quirky.... about summer

i didn't even hear of mindfulness when i was in therapy a few years ago

it was still kinda made fun of tbh by some outdated therapists who i imagine felt threatened by it

i think the word freaks ppl out and sounds new-age but mindfulness to me means observing, stepping back, noticing, which for many ppl is itself powerful enough to bring about change

sometimes i just watch/notice my thoughts for a minute and then i can pinpoint if i'm panicing, stressing, or obsessing..... being as objective as we can be about our experience to me sounds sensible and helpful... but as soon as we call it mindfulness, some ppl get upset.

I'm learning to love mindfulness and find it a great tool.

Paul,

I suppose I should have said I had not heard of mindfulness ten years ago. I apologise for stating my experience as fact.

I did not hear of mindfulness in the 1990s and 1980 but I think it was not as prevalent as it is today. I think most people would have heard of it but back in the 1980s and 1990s I was told to relax and breathe.

Thanks Paul for your comment about a cool summer.

Hi all,

Sleepy your comments about observing seem to me the essence of mindfulness/ meditation. To me, the process of detaching from our thoughts and experiences, stepping back, as you say, to observe, almost as if we are observing someone else, is freeing.

Usually I tend to be so caught up in my own experiences and thoughts, it all feels so important, and urgent. I generally place a lot of importance on if I'm doing the 'right' thing, or the best thing.....But by applying the principles ( and I use my breath a lot, just observing it) I am almost instantly transported to a place where, it doesn't matter. No urgency. Just my experience, being alive, here now. The hardest thing is when the here/now is a really difficult place to be. Like, pain in the body, or mental anguish. I think that is when we tend to want an escape.

Does this happen to anyone else?

Cheers,

J*

Jstar

I agree about if being in the moment is painful then being in the moment is hard. I try then to deep breathe and focus on breath

Quirky I think thats usually when I go for a run!

If my knees are up to it. Lol!

And sometimes the deep breathing can bring up deep emotions, and that can be an opportunity too.

Cheers,

J*

@Jstar49 - might try to answer your question later.

@quirky - on your question about mindfulness. I think what you are referring to mindfulness becoming mainstream. things can take a while to get any traction so even though it might have been around before 2000 it was not very "big". I hope that makes sense.

Hello everyone,

I am wondering who has found doing a course online or offline helpful to find out more about mindfulness. I did a free course online a few years ago but felt I was the only one struggling to understand the course. I did like mindful eating.

hi quirky,

it depends on what you are looking for and whether there are any practical elements in the "course". I prefer to have someone talk to me while I do it. But I would also think you could easily borrow a book on the topic from your library as well. I am also a little skeptical about some people and free courses... will they tease you with the free course wanting you to pay more for the full thing?

And there is plenty of good, free information available as well. A good place to start would be...

https://cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Generalised-Anxiety/Generalised-Anxiety---Information-Sheets/Generalised-Anxiety-Information-Sheet---02---What-is-Mindfulness.pdf

Once you have read that, what questions do you have?

Another page to look at is...

https://au.reachout.com/articles/mindfulness-is-it-for-you

and have a look at the section "What if I'm finding it hard?"

Thanks smallwolf for listing resources, I will try some.

The course that I did was run by a University and was all free .

Hi Everyone.. New posters are always welcome too!

Hey Sleepy...thanks for helping us understand mindfulness with your own lived experience...Nice1 :-)

Hey Jstar49....you mentioned 'To me, the process of detaching from our thoughts and experiences, stepping back, as you say, to observe, almost as if we are observing someone else, is freeing' Yes..the impact of the here and now happens to me as well Jstar....I hear you loud and clear...great post!

Hey Quirky....thankyou for your ongoing care here and across the forums. Just for myself after having my own chronic depressive and anxiety I found that counselling (even with my GP) was a godsend it provided me with a platform on which I could heal effectively even using the power of distraction and mindfulness combined

Hey Tim....your understanding of mindfulness is a bonus to the Beyond Blue forums....me included! Thankyou so much for the helpful link you posted above....I have stolen your link and posted it below for everyone ;-)

https://cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Generalised-Anxiety/Generalised-Anxiety---Information-Sheets/Generalised-Anxiety-Information-Sheet---02---What-is-Mindfulness.pdf

have a good weekend everyone

Paul

hi all

i've been doing fair bit of mindfulness, and stil staying away from using the word itself :)

i enjoy it and feel that with practise i learn some good tools

it seems to be about focusing ur attention consciously

it also normalises my negative thoughts, as usually the meditations mention that its normal and okay for thoughts to enter and pass

sleepy thanks for your feedback. I too dont use the term mindfulness but to try to focus on one thing especially if I feel myself becoming stressed.

Hello Everyone....

I have heard many times to let our thought pass through our mind without thinking on them..I find that very difficult to do..If something bad comes into my mind and I try to let it pass through...my next thought that pops into my head is usually something to do with the thought that I ignored....they just keep coming each thought to do with the previous thought....

I can do and enjoy practicing mindfulness when I first wake up with my morning cuppa tea outside on my veranda...watching and listening to the birds starting their day....tasting my cuppa tea, with my hands cupped around the cup to keep them warm and feeling the sun or cold breeze on me...

Go inside again, clean my home...sit down and rest, then my brain starts picking on me for not being active or the piece of fur that I missed....lol. Our ever active minds constantly moving from thought to thought...each day...The only way to slow it down...well for me..is to sit outside and let nature take charge of my thoughts and feelings for a little while...

Kind thoughts everyone..

Grandy..

Hi all.

thought for today...

“Stop, breathe, look around and embrace the miracle of each day, the miracle of life.” ~ Jeffrey A. White

Hi all,

Maybe it could be like ....listening to the chatter of a child....mild interest, not too much attention, as the child's conversation will usually diverge onto something else very soon!

Just a thought!

Cheers,

J*

Hey BlondGuy.....hello stranger!

Its been a while hasn't it? I see this great thread is still going and see that so many folk still have trouble grasping what mindfulness is and how it feels etc? I saw one writer said they even avoid using the word and refer to it another way! Some folk seem to find it frustrating buying books and doing courses on "How" to "master it".

I must be a simple soul..[you and I know that isn't right, right?) so I wonder why Mindfulness is clear as crystal to me, its benefits, how it can hit you out of the blue and that's really wonderful...and also, how to deliberately, easily and smoothly practise a few minutes or as long as you want in that state I am happy to call "mindfulness"...no books, tapes or lessons required...none, zero.

ages ago I have posted from time to time several experiences of my own...described them in detail, trying to convey to others what it is and how I "did it". You don't actually "do" anything, you just let it happen ..trust me.

but I obviously didn't explain it clearly enough...one was about a town square in our main street; another about blue wind chimes in my garden; and another of a man playing with his dog on the beach.......I won't go into any more as I don't feel my explanations were understood...I felt like saying "hey folks, look, read, right here...this is how mindfulness works and feels".....but I mustn't have explained it properly....oh well...c'est la vie!!!

Love Moon x

Hi Everyone New posters are always welcome too!

Hey Sleepy21....Jstar...Grandy...Quirky and Tim :-)

You are amazing people for taking the time to help others by posting and thankyou

Hey Moon....you are far from simple Moon and thankyou for the super kind post!...I never expected this thread to still be active as the interpretation of mindfulness is best left to the individual....I am happy that you find peace of mind using mindfulness as a helpful tool

Hey Sleepy21.....Thankyou for your post 'I've been doing fair bit of mindfulness, and still staying away from using the word itself' I guess its horses for courses with what 'tag' we find helpful....After years of therapy in the 1980's I was taught the meaning of genuine and calm acceptance. Mindfulness was never mentioned yet they probably mean the same thing where grounding ourselves is concerned

Huge hugs

Paul