1. MINDFULNESS AND BODY METAPHORS
ACT CONSISTENT EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
Lic. Manuela O´Connell, Argentina 1

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3. WORKSHOP COMPASS Introduction: exercises frame
Experiencing and sharing the two metaphors
Discuss the mechanism behind those metaphors in relation with ACT and RFT
Languaging
Possible settings
Conclusions
This workshop will consist of a first part of introduction in which i shall unfold the exercises frame, the general way i develop them. Then we will go right to the experiencing and sharing of the two metaphors. After these experiences we shall discuss the mechanism behind the metaphors and how can we frame them in terms of act and rft. Then we will discuss an important part of this work that it is languaging or the way we use language in this kind of work to make it consistent with act but also because part of this work is about languaging what do we do, and a lot is not about doing anything but about being, so we will discuss about this issue. I also will share with all of you the setting in which i use this kind of metaphors and we will talk about some other possible settings. And finally we will end this journey together that hopefully will not conclude in here and hopefully will resonate in your work. 3

4. SOME DEFINITIONS What's a metaphor? What's mindfulness?
Why using the body?
Like the picture we are looking at, we are going to put together three major concepts: metaphors, mindfulness and the body. I hope they will come up together beautifully well balance as the photo…we'll see… 4

5. SOME DEFINITIONS What's a metaphor?
A metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another (Lakoff & Johnson).
In terms of ACT and RFT is relating relations.
A metaphor is like an amphora.
The advantage of metaphors is that they allow the listener to generate his or hers own conclusions about the experience.
In general terms, as Lakoff and Mark Johnson says “ a metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another”. In more specific ACT and RFT terms, we will discuss it later but lets say that is relating relations.
The word metaphor has the same root as “amphora” a container used to store precious oils and spices, and to carry them from one place to the other. Similarly metaphors store precious information and have the innate capacity for carrying from one network to the other. The advantage of metaphors is that they allow the listener to generate his or hers own conclusions about the experience. In the context of therapy the clinician no longer has to provide explicit instructions for more effective behavior: the client can extract his or her own meaning from the metaphor. 5

6. SOME DEFINITIONS What's mindfulness?
Mindfulness is “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally to the unfolding of the experience moment by moment” (Jon Kabat-Zinn).
Mindfulness invites the clients to a process of learning from the 5 senses experience.
Mindfulness is an embodied practice.
Mindfulness is the practice of being attentively present; is in John Kabat-Zinn words “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally to the unfolding of the experience moment by moment”.
What we are looking for is to invite the clients to a process of learning from the 5 senses experience, to promote the here and now and the being mode, a learning landscape in which they could experiment different ways to relate to the experiences.
Mindfulness is an embodied practice. By practicing mindfulness we learn to live in and through our bodies. Learning to be mindful of bodily experiences is one of the most useful aspects of mindfulness. Coming in touch with our immediate physical experience is like an anchor. So that’s why we give a generous amount of time to be with the felt sense of the body. 6

7. SOME DEFINITIONS Why using the body?
The body inevitably connects us to the sense of here and now.
Body experiences helps us discriminate between 5 senses experiences and thoughts.
The mind uses the body to make sense of abstract ideas.
The intention of mindfulness body metaphors is to target act major issue: psychological flexibility 7

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9. GOING ALONG WITH THE PROCESS
Breathing meditation. 4 parts of the breathing cycle.
Inbreath
outbreath
Living in the process of breathing as living in any processin life as living in life. 9

10. THE TWO HANDS SIDES OF A SITUATION
One hand over the other
Sensisng one hand and then the other. Then one moves an the other stays. After the ohter moves an the other stays Then the two hands move and is like a dance integrating both perspectives. The sensing os the two hands as sensing two perspectives of a situation. 10

11. METAPHORS FROM RFT POINT OF VIEW
Metaphor: a relation of coordination between non-arbitrary relations
Arbitrary crel for coordination
…….is like……
Relational network
Relational network
Same
Target
Vehicle
Same sort of feeling = Non-arbitrary Crel for coordination 11

12. METAPHORS FROM AN ACT POINT OF VIEW
Contact with the present moment
Acceptance
Values
Psychological flexibility
Comitted Actions
Defusion
Self as a context 12

13. LANGUAGING What do we say before the metaphor?
No explicit, inductive or imaginary instructions of what to feel to make room for the client to explore his or her own landscape
Let client extract his or her own meaning
Highlight the non arbitrary properties you wish to transfer to the target when guiding the metaphor
The metaphor should fit the problem
Use of silence and time
Direct instructions that connects to the direct experience 13

14. CONCLUSIONS
Focus on the here and now, and to observe what is happening in the natural environment rather than relying on thought of what is happening
Mindfulness body metaphors are useful to teach new responses in difficult emotional contexts
Physical sensations are a privilege vehicle
Construct your own tailored metaphor
Use them in different settings
Son las metaforas las que eprmiten el salto de la experiencia corporal y llevarla a otro nivel, entretejerla, darle a la vivencia corporal es eplus de significacion. Y es a partir de ese plus de significacion que el trabajo se multiplica, se multiplica en infinidad de escenas. Se produce un salto que a partir de la vivencia viaja a otros lugares. Son estos saltos los que eprmiten integrar.
Encouraging clients to extract tracks from metaphors helps them focus on the here and now, and to observe what is happening in the natural environment rather than relying on thought of what is happening.
Mindfulness body metaphors are useful to teach new responses in difficult emotional contexts. Trough body experiences they allow new patterns yet unexplored to emerge. They are a good tool to avoid the traps in language. But the use of metaphors should be functionally oriented and serve the clients purpose.
Metaphors are one of the most powerful change techniques available. Embodied metaphors provide a direct link to the emotions and deep patterns of behavior. 14

15. Thank you everybody for being here
Thank you everybody for being here. And also I want to specially thank to the people who make possible me to be here, to the kind ACT community that nurture me and to the ones who help me intensively in the foundation of these workshop, specially all my client with whom I learn and grow.
Hoping that this experience will grow inside of you and will make possible contribution to your work and expand as the picture here…. 15