The Foundation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Mindfulness The Foundation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Mind full or Mindful? Goals of Mindfulness Reduce suffering and increase happiness Increase control of your mind Experience reality as it is

Intentionally living with awareness in the present moment Without judging or rejecting the moment Without attachment to the moment Mindfulness Skills Specific behaviors to practice that, when put together, make up mindfulness What is mindfulness?

When do I use mindfulness? Anytime Anywhere Doing anything Meditation, prayer, expressing spirituality Hiking, horseback riding, walking Yoga, martial arts, dance When do I use mindfulness?

Wise Mind

Rational Mind Cool Rational Focused When in reasonable mind, you are ruled by facts, reason, logic, and pragmatics. Values and feelings are not important. Rational Mind

Emotion Mind Hot Mood-dependent Emotion-focused When in emotion mind, you are ruled by your moods, feelings, and urges to do or say things. Facts, reason, and logic are not important.

Wise Mind Seeing the value of both reason and emotion The middle path

WHAT Skills Observe Describe Participate

Observe Just notice using all 5 senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling Pay attention on purpose Control your attention Practice wordless watching Observe both inside and outside yourself

Describe Put words on the experience using just the facts Label what you observe Unglue your interpretations and opinions If you can’t observe it through your senses, you can’t describe it

Participate Throw yourself into the events of the moment Become one with whatever you are doing Act intuitively from Wise Mind Go with the flow

Nonjudgmentally One-mindfully Effectively HOW Skills

Nonjudgmentally Observe and don’t evaluate as “good” or “bad” Accept each moment as it comes Acknowledge the difference between the helpful and harmful, the safe and the dangerous but don’t judge them Acknowledge your values, beliefs, wishes, emotions, but don’t judge them When you find yourself judging, don’t judge your judging

One-mindfully Rivet yourself to now Do one thing at a time Let go of distractions Concentrate your mind

Effectively Be mindful of your goals in the situation Focus on what works Play by the rules Act as skillfully as you can Let go of willfulness and sitting on your hands