Mindfulness and Self-Empowerment
How and Why Mindful Awareness can add to SMART Self-Management
By Bill AbbottAssisted by Suzy
Whalen
HERE
The Talk a series of Stories
• My Story• The Buddha Story• The SMART Story • The Mindfulness Story • The Science Story • The Practice & Experience Story
My Story• Amazing transition-”transformative” • My Recovery & SMART • MBSR• I am not a Buddhist ..or any ic or ist• Today
The School of Athens– Plato v Aristotle
The School of Athens– Plato v Aristotle
The Buddha Story
• Kind of a Buddhism - lite
• Will be simplified.. corners cut
• Will have important omissions ..so incomplete
• Will spin it for relevance to Smart Recovery
* With Apology to Buddhists *
The Buddha Story~500 bceA Man, Siddhartha Gautama; NOT a god Not a religionPhilosophy and Psychology4 Truths8 step path
to enlightenment and freedom
The Buddha Story
Concepts- Pali or Sanskrit• dukkha…suffering, unsatisfactoriness, stress
• karma ….actions-consequences
• bodhi….enlightenment
• nirvana …..liberation
• dharma….truth
The Buddha Story
Dukkha
• Difficult word to understand
• Suffering comes closest
• Unsatisfactoriness
• Stress ..in broad context
The Buddha Story
Karma or Kamma• This is not fate• Cause and effect • “What goes around comes around”• We are responsible for our lives via actions• We have choices and need to make wise ones
The Buddha Story
Four Noble Truths:1. Life has suffering and is often unsatisfactory
(dukkha)2. The cause of suffering (dukkha) is craving 3. The relief of suffering is possible4. By following an 8 step path
The Buddha Story
The Causes of “Suffering-Craving” **
The 3 Poisons:1. Attachment (clinging) or greed2. Aversion or hatred3. Delusion or ignorance
**Dukkha
The Buddha Story
The Causes of “Suffering-Craving” **
The 3 Marks of Existence –Realities failure to accept :
1. Impermanence—every thing changes2. The truth of Suffering3. Material Egoic Self
**Dukkha
The Buddha Story Marks of Existence
• Impermanence- ………………..anicca
• Suffering –……………………………dukkha
• Impermanent Egoic Self ……….anatta
The Buddha Story
Enlightenment … Bodhi-citta• Awareness of the reality of our existence• Buddha << Bodhi << awake and aware • Allows wisdom and clarity in making choices • Not all or none in western Buddhism
The Buddha Story
Nirvana or Nibbana:• The achievement of total awareness state• Brings liberation and freedom from suffering
(dukkha) • Not all or none in western Buddhism
The Buddha Story
The 8 Fold Path – The Middle Way1. Right* understanding2. Right* intention3. Right* speech4. Right* behavior5. Right* living6. Right* effort7. Right* mindfulness8. Right* concentration
* Right = Skillful or correct or appropriate
Wisdom
Behavior
Concen-tration
The Buddha Story The “Second Arrow” of the Buddha
First Arrow --------------- PainSecond Arrow --------- Suffering
Pain is InevitableSuffering is Optional
The Mindfulness Story
Mindfulness = Mindful Awareness Mindfulness is the opposite of Mindlessness
70 – 80 % of time not hereLost in story of past, future, fantasy
The Mindfulness Story Mindfulness brought to the US by some disaffected youth in the 1960’sNames include Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg et. al.Applied to “physical problems and stress” by Jon Kabat-Zinn (70s)
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness- just what is it
1. Paying attention is a special way* to the present experience without judgment
2. Allowing things to be as they are 3. Accepting things as they are 4. Letting go – not clinging
* With bare attention= Receptive-not reactive * Not Doing- Being
The Mindfulness Story Mindful Awareness Practices can:• add a new dimension to Self-Management• add a new dimension to Self-Empowerment • be a direct approach to emotional
management• augment and add to cognitive approaches
THE SMART STORY
Al EllisSid Gautama
The SMART Story
• In SMART Recovery we focus on mainly cognitive concepts and tools from the work of Albert Ellis
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)• There is an element of emotional management already
there, a mindfulness strategy will augment that• Mindful awareness ideas can strengthen the SMART
approach
TWO APPROACHES
COGNITIVE AFFECTIVEThoughts Emotions/feelings
TWO APPROACHES OVERLAP
COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE
Where Buddhism and SMART AgreeBuddhism• Self-Management• Self-Empowerment• Choice• Freedom• Skillful Action
SMART• Self-Management• Self-Empowerment• Choice• Recovery • Tools
Where Buddhism and SMART AgreeBuddhism• Craving• Acceptances• Equanimity • Clarity/Wisdom• Sangha
SMART• Demandingness• Acceptances• Frustration Tolerance• Understanding addiction • Community
The Smart Story7 factors of Buddist Enlightenment ..Smart
Style 1. Mindfulness Awareness of issues2. Investigation Understanding problems3. Energy Motivation to change4. Joy Happiness with recovery 5. Tranquility Freedom from addiction 6. Concentration Peacefulness, calm mind 7. Equanimity Balance
SMART Tools :
• Unconditional Acceptances• USA, UOA, ULA
• Urge Surfing
• ABC-tool---scaling , Irrational,unhelpful beliefs
• DISaRM
SMART Tools : DEADSAn urge coping tool
D - delay (Pause)E- escapeA- allow (or accept) D- distractS- substitute
Smart Tools: STOPPAn urge coping tool
S- stop what you are doing or PauseT- take a breath (or 2 or more)O- observe what's happeningP- put in proper perspectiveP- put into practice (new, learned responses)
Pause Button 4
Pause Button 1Physics
Stimulus Reaction
Pause Button 3Biology
Stimulus Response
Power to chooseFreedom to choose
Victor Frankl
Pause Button 6Mindful Awareness
Practice
SMART Recovery Tool
The Science Story (1)Clinical studies find benefits for:
• Depression• Stress-Reduction• Addiction • Anxiety Disorders• OCD• PTSD• Personality Disorders
The Science Story (2)Affective Neuroscience**Demonstrated in objective human brain studies:• Positive Outlook• Self-Awareness• Sensitivity to Context• Resilience
** after 7-10 hours practice
The Science Story (3) Emotional Management Benefits• Peacefulness• Safety• Focus• Empowerment• Clarity
THE PRACTICE STORY 3 basic practices ( MAPs)
Calming concentration“Coming back”
Shamatha
Insight –Clarity“Being here”
Vipassana
Loving KindnessCompassion
Metta
THE PRACTICE STORY
• Often but not always practiced with meditation
• Not all meditation is Mindful• Not all mindfulness is via meditation • Most common focus is on the breath
THE PRACTICE STORY
• Short, 11-14 min. guided meditation before wrap-up• Unless active discussion seems more important• Then optional – after meeting • Mostly a Coming Back exercise; some Being Here
last part• Often ends with brief Metta (loving kindness)
The Experience Story
• Informal survey:
• 75% found helpful, and/or beneficial, • 50% SR was first exposure;
• 80% practice between meetings ;• 50% as result of meetings
• Reported • 85% reported increased calmness/peacefulness• 76% reported decreased stress• 59% reported more positive outlook • 65% reported emotional stability
In summary Mindfulness or Mindful Awareness
is a form of emotional self – management
via Self-empowering practices
NOW
Mindful Self-Empowerment
“Come and See” Buddha
Namaste
Annabelle Abbott
End Subtitle
Thank youEnd Subtitle
ABCDEFA = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)
B C
D = DISPUTEE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING
CONCLUSIONS • A simple story of self-management of
emotions via mindful self-empowerment• How is does and can integrate with SMART
Recovery principles and tools• A simple practice with observed benefits
described• For more; Attend the Practicum on Sunday
@7 AM
• NAMASTE
ABCDEFA = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)
B C
D = DISPUTEE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING
MINDFUL AWARENESS
ABCDEFA = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)
B C
D = DISPUTE or MAPE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING or OUTCOME
MINDFUL AWARENESS
ABCDEF + MINDFUL AWARENESS A = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)
B C
D = DISPUTE or MAPE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING or OUTCOME
MINDFUL AWARENESS
Pause Button 5
Play tape backward
Pause Button 2Biology
Stimulus Response
Fast BrainSlow Brain
Kahneman
Pause Button 5
Play tape forwardPlay tape backward
Laws of PhysicsSeeking:
A Grand Unification Theory Or Theory of Everything (TOE)
The Pause Button Tool is such an effort:A unification idea meant to simplify the use of SMART Tools
The Buddha Story The 5 Precepts:
1.Avoid killing (harming others)2.Avoid lying3.Avoid stealing4.Avoid sexual malpractices5.Avoid intoxicating substances
The Buddha StoryPali Sanskrit
Dukkha: Suffering Dukkha
Kamma: Action Result Karma
Nibbana: Freedom from Suffering Nirvana:
Bodhi : Enlightenment Bodhi:
Elemental Buddha The 3 Marks of Existence:
1. Impermanence – Anicca2. Suffering – Dukkha3. Non-Self – Anatta
The 3 Poisons:4. Attachment / Greed5. Aversion / Hatred6. Ignorance / Delusion
The Buddha StoryPali Sanskrit
Dukkha: Suffering Dukkha
Kamma: Action Result Karma
Nibbana: Freedom from Suffering Nirvana: Freedom
Dhamma: Truth Dharma: Truth
The Buddha StoryThe 3 Poisons:
1. Attachment / Greed2. Aversion / Hatred3. Ignorance / Delusion
The 3 Marks of Existence:4. Impermanence – Anicca5. Suffering – Dukkha6. Non-Self – Anatta
The Buddha StoryPali Sanskrit
Dukkha: Suffering Dukkha
Kamma: Action Result Karma
Nibbana: Freedom from Suffering Nirvana:
Bodhi : Enlightenment Bodhi: