What Is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is about staying in the present moment without judging others and being very deliberate. Because mindfulness is about not judging, you are to practice thinking of these things neutrally. Mindfulness is a concept that comes from the Buddhist spiritual tradition. For almost 3,000 years, Buddhist monks have practiced mindfulness meditation. In recent years mindfulness practice has become increasingly widespread and applied outside of Buddhism. In fact, most Eastern practitioners who use mindfulness think of it as a skill that can be used separately from any kind of religious or spiritual practice. No matter what your religious background, mindfulness meditation may be helpful for you.
What Does Mindfulness Meditation Have to Do With BPD?
Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., who created dialectical behavior therapy for BPD was one of the first to apply mindfulness meditation training to the treatment of BPD. Often, individuals with BPD not only experience intense emotions, but they can also become “stuck” in these emotions and judge both the emotions and themselves. Unfortunately, this can end up making the emotion feel even more intense. Judgmental thoughts can add other emotions to the mix; if you tell yourself you are weak for feeling sad you may end up feeling both sad and ashamed. For example, imagine being in a verbal argument with someone you love. During the argument, you may feel very intense feelings, such as anger, fear, and rage. Without mindfulness skills, you are more likely to act on these feelings without being able to see the consequences. You may yell at your loved one, throw something, or storm out. With mindfulness meditation practice, you may be able to notice the emotions you are having and you may be able to step back and chose your behavior in an appropriate way, such as taking a break until you can discuss things quietly.
