Whether you're someone
who's not ready or interested to pursue a spiritual life,
or someone who's looking for the way to strengthen a connection, mindfulness is
an approach that is accessible to everyone.
At White Picket
Fence Counseling Center, we hear a lot of people say things like, "I'm so
bright in other areas of my life – why can't I get this?" or, "I've
been so successful in my career, but I just can't get control of my eating or
food issues."
The simple truth
is that eating disorders don't make sense. We need to make sense of them. And
the only way to do that is to tune in to what's going on inside. Not just in
our minds (we're so used to living "from the neck up") but in our
whole bodies.
Last month on the
blog we talked about the mind-body disconnect
of eating disorders, and how yoga is one very effective way to reconnect. A
big part of yoga is an invitation to be still and look inwards, listening to
your body (on and off the mat) and listening to your mind.
In yoga we call it
meditation, but if that doesn't feel right for you, call it mindfulness. Being
mindful of who you are, where you are, what you feel, what you know and what
you want.
Some people have
used the analogy of plugging yourself in, the way you would your cell phone.
Whether you're re-charging, or even charging up for the first time, getting
quiet and practicing mindfulness can help you achieve the feeling of being
centered, or grounded.
When you're lost
in the compulsion, obsession, discomfort and unease of an eating disorder, you
can feel pretty out of control and out of reach. That's why virtually every
recovery and treatment method recommends some form of mindfulness as a way of
reconnecting the body and mind.
If you're still
not convinced that mindfulness is worth the time or effort, consider this:
Imagine that
you're driving along the road and all of a sudden someone pulls out in front of
you and you're forced to slam on your brakes to avoid an accident. What's going
on in your body at that point? Your muscles are probably clenched, as is your
stomach (where digestion has actually stopped, so that the rest of your body's
systems will be ready for whatever stressor you're facing). Your heart is
probably racing from the urge of adrenalin.
In psychological
terms that's called the fight or flight response, and it's a really good
illustration of the mind-body connection. The good news is that just as anxious
thoughts can cause stressful reactions in the body, so can relaxing thoughts
cause healing reactions in the body.
And just as good
news, relaxing bodywork can soothe the mind from anxious thinking to more
positive and hopeful, actually altering your brain chemistry in the process. So
we can see how mindfulness helps to heal both physical and emotional pain. Here
is an article from Psychology Today about a research study that demonstrates how meditation
positively alters the brain: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/choke/201110/meditation-small-dose-big-effect.
Over the next few weeks on the White Picket
Fence Counseling Center blog, we'll explore the benefits of mindfulness, as
well some methods and tools that you can start using right away – even just a
few minutes per day could make a big difference to your mind, body and yes,
your soul.
