6 Comments

1. whitelotus on February 23, 2015 at 7:37 AM

   Wonderful! Thanks so much…..

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2. BlinkinFirefly on February 23, 2015 at 7:31 AM

   this was very helpful…it definitely helps me seperate myself from each
   thought in a way that lets me observe them indifferently. of course i know
   it takes time for fuller effects. i mean UGH this depression takes such a
   painful toll on my body. i could reaslly use a good cry, i think, too.
   thank you for this exercise =)

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3. Artofmindfulliving on February 23, 2015 at 6:38 AM

   Hi Victoria..unlike other forms of therapy ACT is not really about using
   mindfulness or defusion to stop or get rid of uncomfortable thoughts.
   Generally speaking the more we try to push away thoughts the stronger they
   become in the long-term. In ACT mindfulness and defusion is used to hold
   thoughts in a SPACE that over time makes them FUNCTION differently..they
   still appear but their impact gets less. Developing the skill to just
   notice thoughts without struggling with them takes time & effort.

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4. Sam Pryor on February 23, 2015 at 6:08 AM

   Hi Victoria…You can’t just “hold on” to the feeling of detachment and
   peace, but you can get better over time. What you can “hold on” to is your
   commitment to try to notice the thoughts and feelings as they arise like
   leaves floating on a stream…You notice one, then bring your attention back
   and notice the next. ; BUT you can also notice the feelings and sensations
   that may accompany the flow of thoughts…and see those feelings and
   sensations also as leaves floating on a stream. Shift your focus to
   discovering what those feelings and sensations REALLY feel like at that
   moment (not the drama, just the raw data of sensation). Know you’re not to
   blame for having them; that they are arising from causes and conditions;
   pay full attention to them and then see if you can just shift your
   attention back to the breath or to the thoughts and sensations of this
   moment. If you get stuck, you might even be able to pay attention to what
   resistance feels like, or expectation (wanting the experience to be a
   certain way) or fear or anger…or whatever it is that makes it difficult to
   just shift your attention back to the breath (or the body or whatever is
   real in the moment). You’re like an explorer from an alien planet put into
   your body with the assignment of reporting back on what this human really
   experiences when she feels resistance, confusion, pain, fear etc. And
   then 2 minutes later (or 5 seconds) difficult thoughts or sensations might
   arise again, and you get to practice this again. At any moment of your
   day, you have the choice to be fully present or not. It doesn’t take 20
   minutes…but that practice on the pillow definitely helps you get faster at
   noticing you’re stuck in thoughts or sensations and then to let go. 

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5. Suzy Johnson on February 23, 2015 at 5:39 AM

   I just want to say thank you so much for putting this up. I am finding it a
   very easy way in to practicing observing my thoughts as they float by on
   the stream.

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6. Will Ticehurst on February 23, 2015 at 5:33 AM

   Have just discovered this and I’m finding it really good. I’m very new to
   the mindfulness approach but this is a good way for me to begin. Is it
   possible to download it?

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